Small Business Grant Programs
One option to obtain startup funds is through grants. Grants are divided into multiple categories, with many available solely to small businesses. How much funding is available greatly varies depending on the grant. Grants are competitive and require a detailed business proposal to even be considered for funding. Another source of grant funding is government grants, you can also check for state grants in your area. The process is similar, but slightly less competitive since you aren’t fighting with all the other small businesses in the United States for funding.
Texas Grant Watch
A collection of over 200 grants available to start or grow a small business in Texas, including grants for women, minorities and veterans.
https://texas.grantwatch.com/cat/13/small-business-grants.html
Texas Enterprise Fund
The Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) awards “deal-closing” grants to companies considering a new project for which one Texas site is competing with other out-of-state sites. The fund serves as a performance-based financial incentive for those companies whose projects would contribute significant capital investment and new employment opportunities to the state’s economy.
https://gov.texas.gov/business/page/texas-enterprise-fund
Texas Small Business Credit Initiative
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Texas’ application for funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Texas has the potential to receive more than $472 million to operate two programs—a capital access program (CAP) and a loan guarantee program (LGP)—that will increase access to capital for Texas small businesses.
https://tsbci-portal.gov.texas.gov/Home/Signup
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) – Skills for Small Business Grant
The Skills for Small Business grant supports businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The program focuses on training new and incumbent workers.
https://www.twc.texas.gov/programs/skills-small-business
Small Business Continuity Fund
The Small Business Continuity Fund program, a partnership between the Office of Economic Development, Dallas Development Fund (DDF), and National Development Council (NDC), was designed to assist low-to-moderate (LMI) microenterprise business owners (5 or fewer employees) or small businesses with 50 or fewer employees that retain LMI workers within the City of Dallas.
https://www.dallasecodev.org/565/Small-Business-Continuity-Fund
Skills for Small Business Grant
The Skills for Small Business grant supports businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The program focuses on training new and incumbent workers. Up to $2 million is available for supporting our state’s small employers. With over 433,000 small businesses in Texas, small employers are a key part of the business community.
https://www.twc.texas.gov/programs/skills-small-business
Fiserv + Clover Back2Business Grant
Fiserv, a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions offers minority-owned small businesses in Texas and Oklahoma grants, professional resources and technology as part of the Fiserv Back2Business program, intended to assist businesses as they ramp up operations post-pandemic.
https://www.fiserv.com/en/lp/back2business.html
2024 FedEx Small Business Grant
One $50,000 grant, as well as an additional $20,000 grant will be awarded to small businesses. Up to 100 businesses will also be selected as Honorable Mentions and receive a $300 My FedEx Rewards voucher.
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/small-business/grants.html
Bizee’s Fresh Start Business Grant
If you plan to start a business, you may be able to get a $2,500 startup business grant from Bizee. Bizee’s Fresh Start Business Grant can be used to cover startup costs and also includes free formation services from the company. To qualify, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old, a U.S. resident and planning to start or grow your business in a significant way. Applications require a sample business plan, as well as a two-minute video.
https://bizee.com/entrepreneur-grant
Venmo Small Business Grant
The annual Venmo Small Business Grant offers $10,000 grants to 20 business owners. To qualify, you need to have a U.S. Venmo business account in good standing. You also need to have fewer than 10 employees, less than $50,000 in annual sales and have sold $500 or more in goods and services at least three months before the start of the grant program.
https://venmo.com/business/small-business-grant/
The Amplifier Grant
The Outrage is an activism organization that offers a $5,000 small-business grant to companies making a difference in their community. To qualify for this grant, you must be a business or organization actively working to make the U.S. a better place. The Outrage accepts applications from startups, grassroots organizations, and nonprofits, among other small businesses.
https://www.the-outrage.com/pages/the-amplifier-grant
Center for Women Entrepreneurs StartHER Grant
The CWE’s StartHER Grant Program helps women business owners—current or aspiring—to undertake new and innovative projects. A total of 25 business owners will be selected to each receive a $5,000 grant.
https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/starther/
WomensNet Amber Grant
Amber Grant awards are given out monthly and at year-end with amounts ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. Businesses can apply online and be considered for all the available grant programs. To be eligible for an Amber Grant, a business must be at least 50% owned by women and based in the U.S. or Canada.
https://ambergrantsforwomen.com/get-an-amber-grant/
National Association for the Self-Employed NASE Growth Grant
The National Association for the Self-Employed offers NASE Growth Grants of up to $4,000 to business owners in the U.S. who have been active members of the organization for a minimum of 90 days.
https://www.nase.org/become-a-member/member-benefits/business-resources/growth-grants
Texas Department of Agriculture – State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Grant
The program’s objectives are to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting, and to increase the value of exports for those small businesses that are currently exporting. The STEP program will provide financial assistance to small business to create or expand their export capacity.
https://www.texasagriculture.gov/Grants-Services/Grants-and-Services/State-Trade-Expansion-Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture- Rural Business Development Grant
This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/rural-business-development-grants-9
Texas Department of Agriculture – Young Farmer Grant
The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance in the form of dollar-for-dollar matching grant funds to young agricultural producers that are engaged or will be engaged in creating or expanding an agricultural business in Texas.
U.S. Small Business Administration – Program for Investors in Microentrepreneurs (PRIME)
This grant will provide funding for private, nonprofit microenterprise development organizations; microenterprise development programs run by State/Local/Tribal Governments; or Indian tribes interested in providing assistance and guidance to disadvantaged microentrepreneurs and/or microenterprise development organizations.
https://www.sba.gov/document/information-notice–program-investors-microentrepreneurs-prime
Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Program
These grant programs focus on research and development for technology innovation and scientific research. The programs help connect entrepreneurs with federal business grants and contracts from 12 government agencies. To qualify, you must operate a for-profit business, have no more than 500 employees and meet other eligibility requirements.
