Best Grants & Funding Programs for Veteran-Owned Businesses
Pure grants reserved exclusively for veteran-owned businesses are rare — most veteran 'set-aside' funding comes through federal contracting preferences (SDVOSB/VOSB) and SBA loan programs, not traditional grants.
Pure grants reserved exclusively for veteran-owned businesses are rare — most veteran 'set-aside' funding comes through federal contracting preferences (SDVOSB/VOSB) and SBA loan programs, not traditional grants. Two once-prominent veteran pitch competitions, the StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award and the Second Service Foundation Military Entrepreneur Challenge, voluntarily wound down in 2026 — see the verified table below. What's still open: Warrior Rising's Business Shower (up to $20,000), niche agriculture grants for farmer-veterans ($1,000–$10,000), and SBIR/STTR awards from $250K–$2M for R&D-oriented veteran-owned businesses on equal footing with any small business. Free accelerator programs from PenFed Foundation, IVMF, and DAV Patriot Boot Camp also provide structured support worth thousands of dollars in training, legal services, and network access.
Which veteran funding path actually fits you? Answer 2 questions.
Honest routing, not a sales pitch: pick who you are and what you're after — we'll tell you the real path, including when the answer is "loans, not grants" or "spouses aren't eligible for this one."
1. Which best describes you?
2. What are you looking for?
Pick one option in each row above to see your path.
All 9 paths at once, without the picker
All 9 paths
- Veteran + Federal contracts: Get VOSB certified — free, via MySBA Certifications (certifications.sba.gov). If you also carry a VA service-connected disability rating, upgrade to SDVOSB for deeper set-asides (5% government-wide goal). See the SDVOSB certification guide.
- Veteran + Grants: StreetShares and Second Service Foundation wound down in 2026. Currently open: Warrior Rising's Business Shower (up to $20,000) and the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund ($1,000–$5,000) if you're in agriculture. See the ranked table.
- Veteran + Loans or capital: SBA 7(a) (up to $5M) and the SBA Microloan (up to $50,000) are your realistic path. Veterans Advantage waives the SBA Express upfront guaranty fee entirely. See the SBA 7(a) guide and microloan guide.
- Service-disabled veteran + Federal contracts: SDVOSB is your highest-leverage move — a government-wide goal of 5% of federal contracting dollars, sole-source access, and SBA-issued VetCert required (self-certification ended Dec 22, 2024). See the SDVOSB certification guide.
- Service-disabled veteran + Grants: Warrior Rising's LaunchPoint track explicitly serves service-disabled veterans, free, with a path to the Business Shower. Same open grants as any veteran otherwise — see the ranked table.
- Service-disabled veteran + Loans or capital: Same SBA 7(a)/Microloan path as any veteran; your SDVOSB certification can also strengthen your standing with SBA-preferred lenders. See the SBA 7(a) guide.
- Military spouse or family + Federal contracts: Honest answer — SDVOSB/VOSB requires the veteran to personally own 51%+ of the business; spousal status alone doesn't qualify. If your own business separately qualifies as women-owned or disadvantaged, those set-asides are open regardless. A free VBOC advisor can assess your real options.
- Military spouse or family + Grants: PenFed Foundation's VEP and Warrior Rising both explicitly welcome military spouses, free. StreetShares and Second Service Foundation (which used to name spouses) wound down in 2026.
- Military spouse or family + Loans or capital: The SBA Veterans Advantage fee waiver explicitly covers military spouses too — $0 upfront guaranty fee on SBA Express loans. See the SBA 7(a) guide and microloan guide.
17 of 631 mapped US small business programs are veteran-ownership set-asides, and two of the best-known ones just shut down
Veteran-owned businesses can access real funding in 2026, but the pool of veteran-exclusive cash grants is smaller — and shakier — than most listicles suggest. Of GrantCompass's interactive eligibility map (631 of the full 665-program catalog), 17 — 2.7% — carry a gate explicitly reserving or prioritizing eligibility for veteran owners; the published, fuller-catalog figure is 20 of 665 (3.0%). All 17 of the mapped veteran-gated programs are friendly to first-time applicants. The single biggest verified cash grant among currently-open veteran programs is Warrior Rising's Business Shower, up to $20,000 — both former front-runners, StreetShares ($4,000–$15,000) and Second Service Foundation (up to $15,000 + $50K legal services), voluntarily wound down in 2026 (see the verified status table below).
The Tadlock grant, one of the veteran-only awards, has its own page: Tadlock veteran grant from Founders First.
Set-aside figures computed from GrantCompass's US catalog: the 665-program figure and 3.0% rate match the published set-aside analysis (verified July 5, 2026); the 17-of-631 figure (17 ÷ 631 = 2.7%) is computed directly from eligibility-map-us.json. The two figures differ because the interactive map surfaces 34 fewer catalog rows and applies its own eligibility-tagging pass, the same pattern documented on our minority-owned businesses page.
Program status, verified July 2026: 7 of the 16 have changed since this list was last published
Veteran-grant listicles rot fast, and this batch was a bigger correction than usual. We re-checked every program below against its official page or a recent news source this month — including a landmine most competitors miss: StreetShares Foundation and Second Service Foundation are the same organization (StreetShares rebranded to Second Service Foundation in 2020), and that organization has now voluntarily shut down.
| Program | Status — verified July 2026 | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award status corrected | Wound down 2026 | The StreetShares Foundation brand became the Second Service Foundation in 2020 — and that organization has now itself voluntarily shut down. Its old domain, streetsharesfoundation.org, no longer resolves to the foundation at all; it currently redirects to an unrelated third-party site. Corrected from "between intakes." | Live fetch, secondservicefoundation.org transition notice, July 2026 |
| Second Service Foundation Military Entrepreneur Challenge status corrected | Wound down 2026 | The foundation's own site states: "the Second Service Foundation has been voluntarily shut down in order to transition into a new, faith-based mission," after "ten years of extraordinary impact." Resources are transitioning to an existing faith-based nonprofit; a public relaunch announcement is pending. Corrected from "between intakes." | secondservicefoundation.org |
| PenFed Foundation Veteran Entrepreneur Program (VEP) dates updated | Active | 2026 Incubator cohorts confirmed at Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Tysons, New York City, and Boston; Accelerator cohorts run on a parallel five-city schedule starting with Bentonville, AR. Still fully subsidized, no equity taken. | penfedfoundation.org |
| Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) count corrected | Active | The consortium now runs at 9 universities (not 8): Saint Joseph's, Syracuse, Texas A&M, UCLA, UConn, Missouri, Wright State, UCCS, plus a joint Florida State/LSU track. Fully subsidized including travel and lodging, confirmed unchanged. | ivmf.syracuse.edu |
| Warrior Rising Entrepreneurship Programs amount added | Active | The "selective grants" mentioned in earlier listings are the invite-only Business Shower pitch event, where recent winners each received $20,000 or more in non-dilutive funding. LaunchPoint (SDVET track) for service-disabled veterans confirmed still running. | warriorrising.org |
| DoD Mentor-Protégé Program (DFARS 219.7100) | Active | SDVOSB-certified firms remain explicitly eligible Protégés; agreements approved before December 23, 2022 remain cost-eligible through September 30, 2026 under the pilot authority. | business.defense.gov |
| Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant status unclear | Unclear — verify before applying | We could not confirm a currently-open $10,000 direct-to-business grant delivered through local CDFI partners. Strive USA's 2026 funding activity (the "2025 USA Innovation Fund," up to $250,000) pays intermediary organizations — CDFIs, nonprofits, universities — rather than individual small businesses directly. Confirm with a local CDFI partner before counting on this one. | mastercard.com |
| Founders First Capital Partners terms updated | Active | Operating and funding veteran-led service businesses. Its own site now advertises revenue-based and term financing up to $2,000,000 for companies generally in the $500K–$10M revenue range — larger than the $25K–$250K figure this page previously listed. | foundersfirstcapitalpartners.com |
| Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund new to this page | Active | The 2026 cycle awarded over $464,000 across 122 farmer-veterans in 43 states, $1,000–$5,000 per award plus equipment. A real, currently-open cash grant to add now that StreetShares/Second Service are gone. | farmvetco.org |
| DAV Patriot Boot Camp new to this page | Active | Free 3-day cohorts held throughout the year (see patriotbootcamp.org for the next city) with a pitch competition awarding up to $10,000 in no-obligation prizes. Explicitly open to military spouses as well as veterans. | patriotbootcamp.org |
| SBA VetCert — Veteran Small Business Certification new to this page | Active | Mandatory since December 22, 2024 — no self-certification path remains. SBA cleared its application backlog in late 2025; processing now averages about 12 days, down from 60–90 days. | certifications.sba.gov |
| SBIR Phase I — DoD | Active | Reauthorized April 13, 2026 (S. 3971) through September 30, 2031, with no change to award amounts. DoD released 90+ solicitation topics immediately, then opened BAA 26.1 with 115 topics. | sbir.gov |
| SBIR Phase II — DoD | Active | Confirmed active under the same April 2026 reauthorization; Phase II remains a same-component re-application, cap unchanged at $2M. | sbir.gov |
| SBA 8(a) Business Development Program | Active | Sole-source ceilings under FAR 19.805-1(a)(2), verified September 5, 2026: up to $5.5M for services, $8.5M for manufacturing NAICS codes. | sba.gov |
| SBA HUBZone Certification Program | Active | Federal contracting goal confirmed unchanged at 3% of spend; applications remain rolling through MySBA Certifications. | sba.gov |
| SBA Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) | Active | 31 centers nationwide, free advisory services, confirmed unchanged. | sba.gov |
Veteran-owned businesses represent about 5.5% of all U.S. employer firms, yet navigating the funding landscape can feel like a second deployment's worth of paperwork. The honest picture: the federal government's most powerful veteran-specific mechanisms are contracting set-asides — SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) and VOSB certifications give you access to contracts that non-veteran firms can't bid on — rather than outright grants. For R&D-focused businesses, SBIR and STTR programs are the largest non-dilutive grant opportunities available to any U.S. small business, and veterans qualify on exactly the same terms as everyone else.
Below we've listed the most actionable programs in three tiers: veteran-exclusive cash grants and pitch competitions that are still open, veteran-exclusive free programs with real monetary value, and strong general grant programs that veteran-owned businesses qualify for. All programs are drawn directly from our verified catalog — amounts, eligibility, and status are re-checked as of mid-2026, with two major corrections flagged above.
The programs
Real programs from our US funding catalog — tap any to see full eligibility, amounts, and how to apply.
1 SBA VetCert — Veteran Small Business Certification
The single highest-leverage move on this page. Free, SBA-issued VOSB/SDVOSB certification is now mandatory — self-certification ended December 22, 2024. Unlocks a government-wide goal of 5% of federal contracting dollars for SDVOSBs.
2 PenFed Foundation Veteran Entrepreneur Program (VEP)
While not a cash grant, the program's structured mentorship, professional development, and access to DoD/federal procurement experts is worth thousands in consulting equivalent. One of the most reputable veteran accelerators in the country, and explicitly open to military spouses.
3 Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)
Nationally recognized program now at 9 universities, fully subsidized including travel and housing. Particularly valuable for post-9/11 veterans in early-stage business development — not just training, but a real alumni network with enterprise purchasing relationships.
4 Warrior Rising Entrepreneurship Programs
Four-program pathway from free self-paced training all the way to the invite-only "Business Shower" pitch event, where recent winners each received $20,000 or more. Inclusive of any-era veterans and explicitly serves service-disabled veteran entrepreneurs via the LaunchPoint (SDVET) track.
5 DAV Patriot Boot Camp
Free 3-day cohorts combining entrepreneurship education, one-on-one mentorship, and a pitch competition — a good option now that StreetShares and Second Service Foundation have wound down. Explicitly open to military spouses as well as veterans.
6 DoD Mentor-Protégé Program (DFARS 219.7100)
SDVOSB-certified businesses are explicitly listed as eligible Protégés. The program subsidizes a large prime contractor to provide business development help, technical assistance, and potentially subcontract work — a structured path into DoD supply chains without competing against large primes.
7 Founders First Capital Partners — Revenue-Based Financing
Veteran-owned businesses are a named eligible category. The revenue-based financing is non-dilutive and repaid as a percentage of revenue, not a fixed schedule. Terms updated in 2026 to serve larger companies ($500K–$10M revenue range) than earlier listings suggested.
8 Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund
A small but real, currently-open cash grant for veterans in agriculture — cash and/or equipment for farm and ranch operations. The 2026 cycle funded 122 farmer-veterans across 43 states. Niche, but worth knowing about now that the bigger pitch competitions have closed.
9 SBIR Phase I — Department of Defense
General program — veterans qualify. The DoD SBIR is the largest R&D grant program in the U.S. government, reauthorized through 2031 as of April 2026, and many veterans have a natural advantage applying to defense-relevant technology topics given their operational experience. No veteran set-aside, but strong mission alignment.
10 SBIR Phase II — Department of Defense
General program — veterans qualify. For veteran-owned companies that win Phase I, Phase II is the path to $2M in non-dilutive R&D funding. DoD's mission domains (cyber, defense tech, logistics, healthcare) frequently match veteran-owned startup focus areas.
11 SBA 8(a) Business Development Program
General program — many veterans qualify. Veterans who meet the social disadvantage criteria can access sole-source federal contracts without competitive bidding for the 9-year program term. Not a grant, but often worth far more in contract revenue.
12 SBA HUBZone Certification Program
General program — veterans who locate their business in a HUBZone (many base-adjacent areas qualify) gain a pricing advantage in federal procurement on top of any SDVOSB/VOSB preferences. Stackable with veteran certifications.
13 SBA Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC)
The VBOC network is the starting point for any veteran entrepreneur navigating federal programs — advisors help with SDVOSB/VOSB certification, SBIR applications, SBA loans, and local grant identification. Free and specifically staffed for veterans.
14 Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant
Previously described as a $10K grant delivered through local CDFI partners with preference for veteran-owned businesses. We could not confirm this specific mechanism is still active in 2026 — Strive USA's current public funding activity pays intermediary organizations, not individual businesses directly. Check with a local CDFI before counting on this one.
15 StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award status corrected
Once one of the few true cash grants reserved exclusively for veteran entrepreneurs. StreetShares Foundation rebranded to Second Service Foundation in 2020 — and that organization has now voluntarily shut down entirely. Left here as a fact-check, not a live opportunity: don't apply.
16 Second Service Foundation Military Entrepreneur Challenge status corrected
The same organization as StreetShares Foundation (above), under its post-2020 name. The foundation confirms on its own site that it has "voluntarily shut down in order to transition into a new, faith-based mission," transferring resources to an existing faith-based nonprofit. Left here as a fact-check, not a live opportunity.
SourcesU.S. Government Publishing Office — U.S.C. Title 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE·eCFR — 13 CFR § 128.202·eCFR — 13 CFR § 126.200·eCFR — 13 CFR § 124.105·SBIR.gov — FAQ: Eligibility Requirements·SBA — Resource PartnersChecked 5 September 2026.
All 16 programs ranked by size, with live status
Same 16 programs as above, in one sortable table. Click any column to re-sort, search by name, or filter to programs that are actively accepting applications right now or run at the federal level. Amount bars are scaled to the largest figure in the table (SBA 8(a)'s $8.5M sole-source contracting ceiling), so grants, financing, and certifications are visually comparable even though they aren't the same kind of money.
| # | Program | Amount | Level | Type | Status | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SBA VetCert | Contract access | Federal | Certification | Active | Rolling (~12 days) |
| 2 | PenFed Foundation VEP | Free (Accelerator covers travel) | Private | Program | Active | Rolling, 5 cohorts 2026 |
| 3 | EBV (Entrepreneurship Bootcamp) | Free (travel + housing) | Private | Program | Active | Rolling, 9 universities |
| 4 | Warrior Rising | Up to $20,000 | Private | Grant + program | Active | Rolling, invite-only Shower |
| 5 | DAV Patriot Boot Camp | Up to $10,000 | Private | Grant + program | Active | Rolling three-day cohorts |
| 6 | DoD Mentor-Protégé | Varies | Federal | Program | Active | Rolling |
| 7 | Founders First Capital Partners | Up to $2,000,000 RBF | Private | Financing (RBF/loan) | Active | Rolling |
| 8 | Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund | $1,000–$5,000 | Private | Grant | Active | Annual, ag-specific |
| 9 | SBIR Phase I — DoD | Up to $250K | Federal | Grant | Active | Rolling, BAA 26.1 open |
| 10 | SBIR Phase II — DoD | Up to $2M | Federal | Grant | Active | Re-application, no fixed date |
| 11 | SBA 8(a) | Sole-source up to $8.5M | Federal | Certification / contracting | Active | Rolling (year-round) |
| 12 | SBA HUBZone | Set-asides (3% goal) | Federal | Certification / contracting | Active | Rolling |
| 13 | SBA VBOC | Free counseling | Federal | Advisory (no cash) | Active | Rolling (year-round) |
| 14 | Mastercard Strive USA | Up to $10,000 | Private | Grant | Unclear | Verify before applying |
| 15 | StreetShares Foundation Award | $4,000–$15,000 | Foundation | Grant | Wound down 2026 | Do not apply |
| 16 | Second Service Foundation MEC | Up to $15,000 + $50K legal | Private | Grant | Wound down 2026 | Do not apply |
No programs match your search — try another term or clear the filters.
Which veteran program to apply to first, by business stage
The best first program for a veteran-owned business is the one whose written rules you already meet and that gives the most money you keep for the least of your time. With an idea and no revenue, start with a training track: Warrior Rising, the PenFed Foundation Incubator or EBV. With 3 to 20 people and under $5 million in revenue, put the Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant first; it pays four $10,000 grants and one $25,000 grant a round. With an R&D or defense technology product at any stage, a DoD SBIR Phase I award (typically up to $250,000, and up to $323,000 at the Air Force) outranks every veteran-only prize.
| Your stage | Start with | Then | Not yet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idea, no product or revenue | Warrior Rising's on-demand Warrior Academy course, or its live online LaunchPoint track if you are a service-disabled veteran. If you live near a cohort city, the PenFed Incubator: 3 days in person plus 6 weeks online, designed for founders with ideas but no product or revenue. | EBV, once you are close to launch. IVMF takes post-9/11 veterans who are typically within 12 to 24 months of launching. | Hiring Our Heroes, which needs 3 to 20 people. SBA VetCert matters once you bid on government work. |
| Launched, 1 or 2 people | EBV if you served after 9/11: a 30-day online course and a weeklong campus residency, with travel and lodging covered. DAV Patriot Boot Camp if you want a pitch prize: three-day events with thousands of dollars in non-dilutive funds at stake. | SBA VetCert, if government buyers are in your plan. | Hiring Our Heroes until you count 3 people. Owners, part-timers and 1099 contractors all count. |
| 3 to 20 people, under $5M revenue | Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant: four $10,000 grants and one $25,000 grant, for businesses at least 51% owned by a veteran or military spouse. The business must also sit in an economically vulnerable ZIP code or show hardship beyond the owner's control. | The PenFed Accelerator (4 days in person plus 6 weeks of mentorship, with flights, hotel and meals covered) once your product is launched. SBA VetCert for contracts. | Incubator tracks built for pre-revenue ideas. |
| In business more than 3 years | SBA VetCert, if you have not filed. EBV Accelerate: two weeks online and a three-day residency for veterans who have owned a business for over 3 years. Lodging and meals are covered; travel is yours. | Hiring Our Heroes while you are at 20 people or fewer, and the PenFed Accelerator. | Core EBV, which is for early start-ups. |
| R&D or defense technology, any stage | DoD SBIR Phase I, typically up to $250,000 and up to $323,000 at the Air Force. The Army, Navy and Air Force each run their own SBIR solicitations, open to any qualifying small business; veteran ownership adds no formal preference. | SDVOSB or VOSB certification for follow-on contracts. | Pitch prizes while a proposal is due. The SBIR award is the bigger payoff. |
Not sure which row is you? See which grants you qualify for →
Branch does not change the order; era, discharge and disability rating can
No veteran program in GrantCompass's catalog limits eligibility to one branch, and the Hiring Our Heroes rules name all six (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard) plus current National Guard and Reserve members. What does move a program up or down is when you served (core EBV is for post-9/11 veterans), how you were discharged (Hiring Our Heroes requires an honorable discharge), and whether VA lists you as service-disabled. SBA's SDVOSB rule sets no minimum rating, while VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program needs at least 10%.
| If you are | What changes | Put first |
|---|---|---|
| A veteran with no VA disability rating | You certify as VOSB, not SDVOSB. Every private program on this page still applies. | Your row in the stage table above, unchanged. |
| Rated service-connected, at any percentage | SBA defines a service-disabled veteran by VA's own benefits records, with no minimum percentage, so SDVOSB set-asides open. Warrior Rising's LaunchPoint track is built for service-disabled veterans. | SDVOSB certification, ahead of any single grant if you sell to government. |
| Rated 10% or higher | You can also apply to VA's VR&E program, which requires a service-connected rating of at least 10%. Its self-employment track, for veterans whose disability makes suitable work hard to find or keep, gives business-plan help and training, not a grant. | A VR&E counselor, before you pay for training yourself. |
| A current Guard or Reserve member | Hiring Our Heroes counts you. Core EBV takes Guard and Reserve members with post-9/11 service, or those still serving with a letter of good standing. | Hiring Our Heroes, if you have 3 to 20 people. |
| A veteran who served before 9/11 | Core EBV is not an option: it requires post-9/11 service. | PenFed, Warrior Rising, DAV Patriot Boot Camp or Hiring Our Heroes. |
| The spouse, not the veteran | SDVOSB and VOSB drop out: the veteran must own 51%. Hiring Our Heroes counts a spouse only if they are married to someone still serving. EBV-F replaces EBV, for close family of a post-9/11 veteran with a service-connected disability or of an active-duty member. | PenFed or Warrior Rising, which both take military spouses. |
Surviving spouses, caregivers and the 100% rating rule: the full eligibility matrix →
How much time each veteran program takes, with a worked example
Match the program to the hours you really have. With one evening, a written grant such as the Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant is the best use of it. With three or four days, an in-person track (DAV Patriot Boot Camp, the PenFed Accelerator or EBV Accelerate) adds mentors, peers and, at some, a pitch prize. With about six weeks of part-time work, the PenFed Incubator and core EBV pair online lessons with a short residency.
| Time you can give | Programs | What it involves, per the funder |
|---|---|---|
| Whenever you like | Warrior Rising Warrior Academy | An on-demand business-planning course. |
| One written application | Hiring Our Heroes; Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund if you farm | Each runs one round a year. No travel. |
| 3 to 4 days in person | DAV Patriot Boot Camp; PenFed Accelerator; EBV Accelerate | Three-day events through the year; a four-day intensive plus six weeks of mentorship, travel covered; two weeks online plus a three-day residency, travel at your cost. |
| About 6 weeks, part-time | PenFed Incubator; core EBV; EBV-F for families | 3 days in person plus 6 weeks online, local only and no travel paid; a 30-day online course plus a weeklong residency, travel and lodging covered; an online course plus a 5-day residency at Florida State. |
| Regular live sessions, online | Warrior Rising LaunchPoint and Warrior University | Live online programs: LaunchPoint for assessing a business idea, Warrior University for veterans growing a running business. |
In-person days each program asks for
Linear scale. "About 7" is IVMF's "weeklong residency." Online weeks before or after each residency are not counted.
Worked example: a 6-person landscaping company
Maria is an Air Force veteran with a 30% VA disability rating. Her landscaping company is two years old and has 4 employees plus 2 regular 1099 contractors, so 6 people under Hiring Our Heroes' count, and earns about $700,000 a year. She bids on grounds work at a nearby federal site and can spare about one evening a week.
SDVOSB certification first
Her rating is on VA's records, so she counts as service-disabled. The certification serves every federal bid she makes after this one.
Hiring Our Heroes in one evening
Six people is inside 3 to 20, revenue is under $5 million, and she owns 51% or more. She checks her ZIP code first: the rules need a Distressed Communities Index stress score of 40 or higher, or a hardship beyond her control. If neither fits, she skips it.
Warrior University on her weekly evening
Warrior Rising's live online program for veterans growing a running business fits the time she has, with no travel.
Not yet
EBV Accelerate wants more than 3 years in business, and core EBV and the PenFed Incubator are built for earlier founders. DAV Patriot Boot Camp and the PenFed Accelerator look for scalable, high-growth ventures, which a local landscaping firm usually is not.
If Maria's husband were the veteran and she owned the company, SDVOSB would drop out, and so would Hiring Our Heroes unless he is still serving, because its rules count only spouses of current members.
Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant: round dates, full rules and a drafted application →
Most veteran-ownership-gated programs are loans and free services — cash grants are the smallest slice
GrantCompass's interactive eligibility map surfaces 631 of the full 665-program catalog. Filtering to programs whose gates explicitly reserve or prioritize eligibility for veteran owners returns 17 programs (17 ÷ 631 = 2.7%) — directionally consistent with the fuller catalog's published 3.0% set-aside rate (20 of 665; the two figures differ because the map surfaces 34 fewer rows and each site uses a slightly different eligibility-tagging pass). The two biggest federal veteran pathways — SBA 8(a) and DoD Mentor-Protégé — are catalogued as "open to all" rather than hard-gated, because veteran status alone doesn't set them apart from other socioeconomic certifications; SDVOSB/VetCert is the program actually built exclusively around veteran ownership.
What kind of money the 17 veteran-gated programs are
- Programs / services 7
- Grants 7
- Loans 3
Who runs them
Narrowing to just the 7 grants (cash, no repayment) among those 17: amounts range from the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund's $1,000 up to $245,000 (an Illinois state program open to veteran, women, and minority owners alike). Most are small and niche rather than broad, national veteran-only cash awards.
eligibility-map-us.json, July 2026.How to use this list: certify first, then apply broadly
The programs above split into very different games — certification that compounds for years, free accelerators worth real money in kind, and a shrinking pool of pure cash grants worth applying to opportunistically. Here's the order that actually works.
Get SBA VetCert before you apply anywhere else
Free VOSB/SDVOSB certification via MySBA Certifications unlocks contracts non-veterans can't touch. See our SDVOSB certification guide for the full process, sole-source thresholds, and the 5% government-wide goal.
Use the free accelerators for real, non-cash value
PenFed VEP, EBV, Warrior Rising, and DAV Patriot Boot Camp are all free, and some cover travel — treat them as a funded MBA-equivalent, not a lesser option to a grant check.
Don't chase StreetShares or Second Service Foundation
Both wound down in 2026 (they were the same organization). If you find either mentioned on another site, it's stale — verify anything published before mid-2026 against the verified status table above.
Treat loans as your default capital plan, not a fallback
SBA 7(a) and the Microloan, with the Veterans Advantage fee waiver, will fund most veteran-owned businesses faster and more reliably than waiting on a competitive grant. See our SBA 7(a) guide and microloan guide.
Re-verify immediately before you apply
7 of the 16 programs on this page changed status since this list was last published (see the verified status table above). Always confirm current status on the program's own site the same week you apply.
Common mistakes: chasing a grant that no longer exists
Veteran small-business grant listicles circulate for years after the underlying program closes or changes shape. The programs below are the clearest examples we found this cycle — know before you spend an afternoon on an application.
Programs that no longer work the way people assume
- StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award — wound down. StreetShares Foundation rebranded to Second Service Foundation in 2020, and that organization voluntarily shut down in 2026. The old domain now redirects to an unrelated site. (secondservicefoundation.org, July 2026)
- Second Service Foundation Military Entrepreneur Challenge — wound down. Same organization as above, same closure. Resources are transitioning to an existing faith-based nonprofit; no public relaunch date yet.
- FedEx Small Business Grant Contest — retired. 2024 was the program's 12th and final annual cycle; FedEx confirmed the contest is not continuing, though other small-business support remains. (FedEx Newsroom) It was never veteran-exclusive, but shows up constantly in veteran-grant roundups because veterans were commonly featured among past winners.
Assuming "between intakes" means it will reopen
An org that's actually shut down (StreetShares/Second Service) looks identical to a paused one until you check the domain and any transition notice directly — always verify the organization is still operating, not just the grant page.
Treating Boots to Business as a grant
SBA's free 2-day entrepreneurship course, delivered through the military's Transition Assistance Program (and its post-separation "Reboot" version), is training, not funding — a good first step, never a source of cash.
Self-certifying SDVOSB status
Self-certification for subcontracting/goaling purposes ended December 22, 2024. Every SDVOSB or VOSB claim now requires SBA-issued VetCert certification — no exceptions.
Skipping certification because it feels slower
An application to a private grant takes a weekend; VetCert certification took 60–90 days as recently as 2024. But SBA cleared its backlog in late 2025 — average processing is now about 12 days, and certification compounds into years of contract access that a one-time grant doesn't.
The honest picture: contracts vs. grants
The most valuable federal mechanisms for veteran-owned businesses are not grants — they are contracting preferences. The SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) and VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business) certifications allow your business to compete for federal contracts set aside exclusively for veteran firms, and to receive sole-source awards up to $5M ($8.5M for manufacturing NAICS codes) without a competitive bid.
These certifications are now administered exclusively by the SBA through the MySBA Certifications portal (certifications.sba.gov) — the legacy certify.sba.gov application path is gone, and the temporary self-certification allowance for subcontracting and goaling purposes ended December 22, 2024. Getting certified is free and unlocks the full contracting preference framework across all federal agencies — often far more valuable than any grant program.
True cash grants for veteran-owned businesses — money you keep with no repayment — are now a thinner field than in past years: Warrior Rising's Business Shower (up to $20,000), the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund ($1,000–$5,000, agriculture only), and R&D program awards (SBIR/STTR, $150K–$2M+ for tech companies). If your business is not R&D-oriented and you need non-dilutive capital, SBA loan programs (7(a), Microloan, SBA Express) offer favorable terms specifically for veterans, including the SBA Veterans Advantage fee reduction.
What changed for veteran entrepreneurs in 2025–2026
SDVOSB/VOSB certification moved fully to SBA control in January 2023, and the SBA has since consolidated its certification systems entirely onto MySBA Certifications (certifications.sba.gov), which launched VOSB/SDVOSB renewal on November 1, 2025 on a 3-year cycle. The last sliver of self-certification — a narrow grace period for subcontracting and goaling purposes only — ended December 22, 2024; every SDVOSB or VOSB claim now requires SBA-issued VetCert certification, and the government-wide SDVOSB contracting goal rose to 5% under the FY2024 NDAA.
The SBIR/STTR program lapsed September 30, 2025, but was reauthorized by Congress on April 13, 2026 (through September 30, 2031), with no changes to award amounts or eligibility rules. DoD released more than 90 solicitation topics immediately, then opened its BAA 26.1 cycle with 115 topics — all agencies resumed solicitations following reauthorization.
The biggest change is a loss, not a gain: StreetShares Foundation / Second Service Foundation — the same organization under two names, and one of the most-cited sources of veteran pitch-competition cash — voluntarily shut down in 2026 after ten years of operation, transitioning its resources to a new faith-based nonprofit. Any veteran-grant list still citing "StreetShares" as an active program is out of date.
How to stack veteran funding programs
The most effective veteran-owned businesses use programs in sequence, not isolation. A common path: start with a free VBOC consultation to understand your certification options → get SDVOSB/VOSB certified through MySBA Certifications → apply to PenFed VEP, EBV, or DAV Patriot Boot Camp for structured training and federal procurement access → pursue SBIR Phase I if your business has an R&D component → use SDVOSB set-aside contracts to build revenue → apply for 8(a) if you meet the social disadvantage criteria for access to sole-source contracts up to $5.5M.
Certifications can stack: an SDVOSB-certified company can also pursue HUBZone certification (if location-eligible) and 8(a) simultaneously. A firm holding both SDVOSB and 8(a) can receive sole-source 8(a) awards AND compete in SDVOSB set-asides, maximizing federal contracting pipeline.
For the remaining pitch competitions (Warrior Rising's Business Shower, DAV Patriot Boot Camp), treat them as brand-building exercises as much as capital sources — winning creates credibility with lenders, procurement officers, and future partners even beyond the cash prize. Don't build a funding plan around StreetShares or Second Service Foundation reappearing; if their faith-based successor relaunches, treat it as a new, unverified program until you can confirm its terms directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SDVOSB and VOSB?
VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business) requires that a veteran own 51%+ of the business and control its daily operations. SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) is a subset — the veteran owner must have a service-connected disability rating from the VA. SDVOSB certification opens the deepest set-asides, including a government-wide goal of 5% of federal contracting dollars. Both are certified exclusively through SBA's MySBA Certifications portal (certifications.sba.gov) — the legacy certify.sba.gov application path is gone, and as of December 22, 2024 there is no self-certification option left; every SDVOSB/VOSB must hold SBA-issued VetCert certification.
Do veteran-owned businesses have any advantage when applying for SBIR/STTR grants?
Not formally — SBIR and STTR awards are merit-based and open to all qualifying U.S. small businesses without veteran preference. However, veteran-owned businesses applying to DoD SBIR topics often have genuine subject-matter expertise in defense and national security applications that translates to stronger technical proposals. Some SBIR program managers informally note that applicants with military operational backgrounds tend to write clearer problem statements for defense-domain topics. The advantage is practical, not procedural.
Are SBA loans or grants better for veteran-owned businesses?
For most veteran-owned businesses without an R&D focus, SBA loans (especially SBA Express loans up to $500K and 7(a) loans up to $5M) are the primary capital tool — not grants. The SBA Veterans Advantage program waives the entire upfront guaranty fee ($0, regardless of loan amount) on SBA Express loans for veterans, active-duty, Guard/Reserve members, and their spouses. Pure grants for veteran businesses are now mostly niche (Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, $1,000–$5,000) or competitive pitch events (Warrior Rising's Business Shower, up to $20,000) or R&D programs (SBIR, $150K–$2M+). If you need growth capital and aren't doing R&D, loans will be more accessible than grants.
Can military spouses apply for veteran business grants?
PenFed Foundation's Veteran Entrepreneur Program (VEP), Warrior Rising, and DAV Patriot Boot Camp all explicitly include military spouses in their free programs, at no cost. Two grant competitions that used to name spouses explicitly — the StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award and the Second Service Foundation Military Entrepreneur Challenge — voluntarily wound down in 2026 (see the verified status table above). Military spouses are NOT eligible for SDVOSB/VOSB contracting certifications, which require the veteran to personally own 51% of the business.
Sources
- SBA — SDVOSB/VOSB Certification
- SBA — MySBA Certifications (VetCert)
- SBA — Veterans Business Outreach Centers
- SBIR.gov — Reauthorization and Open Topics (2026)
- Second Service Foundation — Transition Notice (formerly StreetShares Foundation)
- IVMF — Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans
- PenFed Foundation — Veteran Entrepreneur Program
- Warrior Rising — Programs
- DAV Patriot Boot Camp
- Farmer Veteran Coalition — Fellowship Fund
- DoD — Mentor-Protégé Program