Best Small Business Grants for Free Money

Last updated May 29, 2025
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Small business grants are essentially free money because, unlike a small business loan, you don’t need to repay a grant. It’s no surprise, then, that this type of funding is incredibly competitive. But don’t let that stop you!
Grant opportunities abound, and while most have very specific qualification criteria, you’re likely to find some good fits for your small business needs if you take the time to do your research.
To help you get started in your search for a small business grant, we’ve rounded up a variety of opportunities—from federal and corporate options to grants for women, minorities, and veterans.
Tip: If a program is currently closed to applications, take note of the requirements and sign up to be notified when it reopens.

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Federal Grants for Small Business

There are many grant opportunities from federal government agencies, and often they come in larger amounts than grants from local and private organizations. With the wealth of federal grants available, you’ll want to pay close to attention to the eligibility requirements for each grant. Most will be highly specific in the type of business they’re tailored for.

Grants.gov

This searchable database is a solid place to start your federal grant search. Grants.gov lets you filter through more than a thousand grant opportunities posted by various federal agencies. Additionally, this resource offers a lot of information and tips to help you apply for a grant.

Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs

The SBIR and STTR grant programs fall under the purview of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and are designed to foster startups and small businesses in the science and technology sector.

USDA Rural Business Development Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awards rural business development grants annually to support projects in nonurban parts of the country. For-profit businesses are not eligible; only government and nonprofit entities as well as Federally Recognized Indian Tribes may apply.

Corporate Small Business Grants

If you’re not finding government grants that are a good fit for your business needs, then consider corporate grants for small businesses. Big corporations often provide small business grants to contest winners. For you, it’s money to grow your business. For them, it’s a PR win, netting loyal corporate customers and a lot of goodwill.

Amazon Small Business Grant

Amazon Business awards 15 total grants each year, in amounts ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. Existing U.S.-Based Amazon Business customers with annual revenue of $1 million or less are eligible to apply.

Amber Grants for Women

WomensNet awards three monthly Amber Grants of $10,000 to women business owners. All monthly winners are then entered into a yearly selection for one small business owner to win an additional $25,000 prize. The application is quick and straightforward, which can’t be said of all on this list.

American Express® Backing Small Businesses

The Backing Small Businesses disaster recovery grant, supported by American Express, is designated for small businesses that are recovering from a FEMA-declared disaster that occurred on or after January 1, 2024. One hundred grants, each worth $10,000, are available.

EBay Up and Running Grant

The Up and Running Grant is an annual program that eBay runs to support small business owners. Fifty winners are selected each year to receive a $10,000 grant plus eBay credit to purchase business technology.

Faire Small-Business Grant

Online wholesaler Faire offers an annual grant to U.S. and Canadian retailers in the form of a $5,000 credit to shop at Faire. There’s no application fee, but the application does include providing business financial information as well as a brief video making your case for the grant.

Freed Fellowship Grant

While the $500 grant from the Freed Fellowship is smaller than others on this list, you are free to use the microgrant however you wish for your business. Plus, you get tailored feedback on your business and a couple months of free business mentorship just by applying.

Galaxy Grants

Galaxy Grants are awarded multiple times a year in the amount of $3,500 to support women- and minority-owned businesses, specifically. The application process is super fast and simple—just fill in an online form asking a handful of basic information questions. This moonshot opportunity is worth trying for.

IFundWomen Universal Grant Application Database

IFundWomen, recently acquired by Honeycomb Credit, is a small business funding platform that works to match you with the best opportunities for your needs. Women-led and catering specifically to female entrepreneurs, iFundWomen uses a single application form to match you with relevant grant opportunities offered by the organization’s many partners.

Jobber Grant

As we mentioned earlier, many grants out there really do fill very specific niches. The Jobber Grant is geared specifically to small businesses in the home services industry—think, home cleaning, lawn care, house painting and more. If you can demonstrate how your service-based business excels, then you may be able to land one of Jobber’s 15 grants worth $10,000 each.

National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grant

National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is a member-based organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs. The NASE Growth Grant is awarded throughout the year in amounts up to $4,000. The grant can be used for a number of business purposes, including expansion, hiring, and advertising. You must be a member to apply.

Pathway to Opportunity Pitch Competition

This opportunity is a bit unique from most on this list because while a cash prize (in the amount of $5,000) is part of the deal, the bigger focus of Pathway to Opportunity is a pitch competition that puts small business owners in front of corporate professionals who may be interested in buying your products or services. If you’ve ever daydreamed about appearing on Shark Tank, practice your pitch game with this great opportunity!

Secretsos™ Small Business Grant

The $2,500 grant awarded quarterly by Secretsos to a U.S. business can be used for any business purpose. You’ll pay a small fee to apply, though, and several states are ineligible. In addition to a grant program, Secretsos offers a community for small business owners to receive mentorship, build skills, and attend workshops.

Skip

Skip is an online platform dedicated to helping small businesses with various processes involved in funding—from grant search and application support to website building and business plan development. Create an account to gain access to a searchable database of grant opportunities. Skip also offers its own Instant Grants: monetary prizes awarded twice a week through a live drawing broadcast on YouTube. Grant amounts vary depending on the number of entrants. That’s some of the easiest free money you could come by, so don’t skip this one.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce CO-100

Don’t be fooled by the name—the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is not related to the federal government but is a private organization that advocates for small businesses, and educates and connects business owners. Its CO-100 grant offers a wealth of perks and benefits in addition to monetary awards for certain winners. Applications are accepted on an annual basis and require a fee.

Venmo Small Business grant

Venmo’s annual program recognizes multiple small business Venmo users with grant amounts that vary each year. Historically, grants have ranged between $10,000 and $20,000 per business. There are several specific qualification guidelines you’ll need to meet to be eligible, including actively using Venmo for your business and having less than $50,000 in annual revenue.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant

This grant is part of Verizon’s larger initiative to supply small businesses with resources, tools, and funding to succeed. The Digital Ready Grant is an annual award given to multiple U.S. for-profit businesses (nonprofits not accepted). You need to participate in at least two Digital Ready courses or events to gain access to the grant application.

ZenBusiness Grant Program

If you’ve used ZenBusiness to form your business, then you may be eligible for the company’s $5,000 quarterly grant. Application reviewers will want to see that you’re a U.S.-based business offering goods or services that benefit your community. In addition to the monetary award, grant recipients get 30-days of free access to ZenBusinesses’s bookkeeping software.

State and Local Small Business Grants

State-level small business grants are generally geared toward a particular state’s social or economic concerns. You can search for business grants in your own state and industry by looking at your state’s department of commerce website or grants portal.
In addition to statewide government grants, cities, towns, and nonprofits finance their own small business grant programs. These usually carry smaller payloads but less competition. For local small business grants, you’ll have a substantial upper hand if you serve your community in a tangible and demonstrable way.
Because local small business grants are so geographically specific, we encourage you to explore resources in your area for specific grant opportunities. You may start with your local Small Business Development Center.

Community-Specific Small Business Grants

Beyond the grants we’ve listed above, there are additional grant opportunities for specific groups of business owners. As these communities typically have a more difficult time securing funding, some organizations offer grants specifically for them. These include:

How to Apply for a Business Grant

Each grant you apply for will have its own requirements and application process. But the following recommendations are relevant for any grant you apply for.
  • Do your research. As this list demonstrates, there are many business grants available and more are added all the time. Since grants are so competitive, you may find the most success by finding smaller, more localized options. Looking into your state resources, as well as any professional and industry groups you belong to, can help you uncover more options that your business is eligible for. However, make sure these are legitimate grants and be wary of scams.
  • Make sure you meet the requirements. Most business grants have a list of requirements that must be met in order for a business to be eligible. Make sure your business meets all of these requirements before applying—otherwise, you’ll be wasting your own time and resources.
  • Update your business plan. Most business grants will want to see a business plan to ensure you have a well-thought-out strategy for your business. If you haven’t updated your plan since you first launched your business, it’s worth taking another pass to make sure everything is up to date and your financial data is current. This also gives you an opportunity to detail how your business meets the grant requirements.
  • Submit your application on time. This is a simple but important one. Note the grant deadlines ahead of time to ensure your application is complete and submitted through the appropriate channel by the deadline. With so many businesses vying for limited funds, you don’t want to take yourself out of the running over an avoidable slip.
  • Follow up. Just as you might when you apply for a job, it’s a good idea to follow up about your grant application to ensure it was received and to let the reviewers know you’re able to provide more information if needed. Most grants will provide information around when a winner will be announced, but if this information is missing, it’s also worth reaching out to get a better idea of when you should hear the results.

Fundera Can Help

If you don’t have luck securing a grant, then you might consider a small business loan. A loan, of course, must be paid back (with interest), but you can find loan options with accessible eligibility requirements and reasonable interest rates.
Fundera partners with a number of SBA lenders and online lenders that may be able to offer you an affordable small business loan. Answer a few questions—with no impact to your credit score and free of obligation—to see which loans you qualify for.
Let’s get you funded!

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