Best Small Business Grants for Women-Owned Businesses in 2026
Women-owned businesses can access two types of funding: women-specific grants that require majority female ownership (such as the Amber Grant and IFundWomen programs) and general small business grants that women openly qualify for.
Women-owned businesses can access two types of funding: women-specific grants that require majority female ownership (such as the Amber Grant and IFundWomen programs) and general small business grants that women openly qualify for. Federal grant programs — like SBIR — do not earmark money specifically for women, but WOSB certification can give you a contracting edge that indirectly supports growth. Most direct grant money for women entrepreneurs comes from private foundations, corporate sponsors, and CDFIs rather than the federal government.
Finding grant money as a woman entrepreneur means knowing where to look. Women-specific grants come from private foundations and corporate sponsors, and many run monthly or annual cycles — meaning there are real opportunities to apply right now, not just once a year. The programs below were pulled from a current catalog of active U.S. funding programs and ranked by accessibility, award size, and how broadly they apply across industries.
A few important caveats: 'between-intakes' programs are included where they run recurring annual cycles and the next round is expected — but you should verify current status before investing time in an application. Loan programs (even those designed for women) are listed separately from grants because they require repayment. If you are in the early stages, focus on low-barrier monthly grants first; if you are generating revenue, larger awards and pitch competitions become realistic targets.
The programs
Real programs from our US funding catalog — tap any to see full eligibility, amounts, and how to apply.
Will you qualify? 30-second check
Pick what fits you — we'll flag the programs you're most likely eligible for. (A real match needs the full profile.)
1 Amber Grant for Women
One of the most accessible women-only grants in the country: no formal WOSB certification required, open to any industry, and a new winner is chosen every single month.
2 IFundWomen Universal Grant Application
A single application puts your business in front of multiple corporate grant sponsors simultaneously — high effort-to-opportunity ratio for busy founders.
3 Sephora Beauty Grant
The largest single-grant award on this list and one of the most prestigious in the beauty and consumer goods space — worth watching if you sell a physical product.
4 Visa She's Next Grant Program
A well-funded, name-brand corporate grant that focuses specifically on women-owned small businesses with a clean eligibility bar and no industry restriction.
5 Cartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards
One of the highest-prestige women's business awards globally, with award amounts up to $100,000 and a minimum-5-employee bar that targets growth-stage businesses rather than startups.
6 digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH — Grant for Black & Latina Women Founders
Purpose-built for Black and Latina women entrepreneurs with a revenue bar ($50K+) that means real support reaches businesses ready to scale, not just early-stage ideas.
7 Black Girl Ventures BGV Pitch Program
Combines a guaranteed grant with a live pitch event that can generate additional crowdfunding — amplifying both capital and visibility simultaneously.
8 HerRise MicroGrant
A genuinely low-barrier monthly grant for micro businesses and solopreneurs — the under-$1M revenue cap keeps competition from larger operators out of the pool.
9 Women Founders Grant
No incorporation required, no revenue floor, any industry — this is one of the cleanest entry points for early-stage women entrepreneurs.
10 Galaxy Grant for Women and Minority Business Owners
Open to idea-stage and pre-revenue entrepreneurs — one of the few grants that does not require you to already be operating.
11 Mastercard Strive USA Small Business Grant
While not women-exclusive, Mastercard Strive explicitly prioritizes women-owned businesses and distributes through local partners — worth checking for an open cycle near you.
12 Stacy's Rise Project
One of the largest CPG-specific women's grants available — if you make a packaged food or beverage product, this is the program to watch for when it reopens.
13 Freed Fellowship Grant
Not women-exclusive, but explicitly encourages women applicants — and the recurring monthly structure means 12 shots a year at supplemental operating capital.
Women-specific vs. women-eligible: what's the difference?
Some grants on this list require majority women ownership as a hard eligibility criterion — you will be disqualified if your business does not meet the threshold. These include the Amber Grant, HerRise MicroGrant, IFundWomen programs, Visa She's Next, Cartier Women's Initiative, and the Freed Fellowship. Others, like Mastercard Strive, explicitly prefer women-owned businesses but do not exclude businesses that are not.
WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business) federal certification is not required for any of the private grants on this list. It is relevant primarily if you want to compete for federal government contracts set aside for women-owned businesses — a separate path from the grants listed here. If contracting is part of your business model, WOSB or EDWOSB certification through the SBA is worth pursuing alongside grant applications.
Most grants on this list are funded by private foundations or corporations — not federal agencies. Federal grant money (from SBA, USDA, EDA, and similar agencies) almost never goes directly to individual for-profit businesses as a general-purpose grant. Federal programs that do offer direct funding, like SBIR/STTR, are R&D-specific and require a technology focus.
How to maximize your chances
Monthly-cycle grants (Amber Grant, HerRise, Freed Fellowship) are worth applying to repeatedly — each month is a fresh pool of applicants, and grant committees appreciate seeing consistent, developing businesses over time. Apply once, refine your story based on what you learn, and reapply.
For larger awards like Cartier Women's Initiative or Sephora Beauty Grant, the quality of your application narrative matters more than meeting the minimum eligibility bar. Both programs have publicly available rubrics and past winner profiles — studying these before you write your application gives you a genuine advantage.
Keep a simple grant tracker: application date, award amount, eligibility requirements, and next-open date. Most of the between-intakes programs on this list run on annual cycles, so setting a calendar reminder for the expected open window (typically fall for Visa and Sephora) takes minutes and ensures you do not miss the window.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free grants specifically for women-owned businesses with no strings attached?
Yes — the grants on this list do not require repayment and have no equity component. Programs like the Amber Grant ($10,000/month), Women Founders Grant ($5,000), and HerRise MicroGrant ($1,000/month) are outright grants to women-owned businesses. The Freed Fellowship is open to all small business owners but explicitly encourages women applicants. None of these require giving up any ownership stake in your business.
Do I need WOSB certification to apply for women's business grants?
No — WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business) certification from the SBA is a federal contracting designation, not a requirement for the private grants on this list. Programs like the Amber Grant and IFundWomen use self-attestation: you certify that the business is majority women-owned. WOSB certification is worth pursuing if you want to bid on federal contracts set aside for women-owned businesses, but it does not unlock private grant eligibility.
What is the best grant for a woman-owned business that is just starting out with no revenue yet?
The Women Founders Grant ($5,000, deadline June 30, 2026), Galaxy Grant ($4,250, deadline July 31, 2026), and the Amber Grant ($10,000/month rolling) are the strongest options for pre-revenue or early-stage founders — none require a revenue minimum or formal incorporation. The Freed Fellowship ($500/month + $2,500 year-end) is also open to idea-stage businesses. Avoid applying to programs with revenue floors (like digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH at $50,000 minimum) until your business is established.
Are any of these grants specifically for Black or Latina women entrepreneurs?
Yes — two programs on this list are designed specifically for Black and/or Latina women. The digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH Grant ($5,000) is explicitly for Black and Latina women founders with at least $50,000 in annual revenue, run in city-based cohorts. The Black Girl Ventures BGV Pitch Program ($5,000 + audience crowdfunding) prioritizes Black and Brown women founders. The Tarte Shape Your Future Awards target Black women-owned businesses and typically open annually in August — watch for the 2026 cycle.
Sources
- WomensNet — Amber Grant Program
- IFundWomen — Universal Grant Application
- Sephora Accelerate — Beauty Grant
- Visa She's Next Grant
- Cartier Women's Initiative
- digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH
- Black Girl Ventures Foundation
- SBA — Women's Business Centers
- SBA — Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program