Founders First Capital Partners — Revenue-Based Financing + Grant Support
Founders First Capital Partners
$25K–$250K RBF + grants
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Revenue-based capital for diverse service businesses
Founders First Capital Partners provides revenue-based financing (RBF) of $25K–$250K and access to small grants to diverse small business owners — primarily service-based businesses owned by women, minorities, veterans, or founders in low-income communities. Rather than equity or fixed loan payments, RBF is repaid as a small percentage of monthly revenue. Founders First also runs free accelerator programs that prepare underserved founders for capital access. Grant amounts are typically $10K–$15K from their SkillBridge and Fueling the Future programs.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $250,000
- Realistic amount
- Most RBF deals are in the $25K–$100K range for businesses with $500K–$2M annual revenue. Grants are typically $10,000–$1…
- Deadline
- Rolling — applications accepted on a rolling basis. Accelerator cohorts run quarterly. Apply at foundersfirstcapital.com/apply.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Business must be at least 51% owned by a woman, minority, veteran, or person located in a low-to-moderate income (LMI) community
- Business must be U.S.-based and primarily service-oriented (Founders First focuses on service businesses; product/product-led businesses are less frequently funded)
- Minimum $100,000 in annual revenue for RBF consideration (businesses under $100K revenue typically start with the accelerator program only)
- Business must have a clear path to revenue growth — RBF is repaid from future revenue, so underwriters need to see consistent monthly revenue
- No minimum credit score is published, but Founders First uses alternative underwriting (business performance, not just credit) — founders with impaired credit can still qualify
- Must be willing to participate in Founders First accelerator programming as a condition of grant eligibility
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Demographic eligibility: minority-owned
- 51%+ US ownership required
- Minimum $100,000 annual revenue
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and operating expenses
- Hiring and payroll expansion
- Equipment and technology
- Marketing and sales
- Inventory
- Any legitimate business expense (funds are unrestricted)
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
- Debt repayment of non-business obligations
- Real estate speculation
How to apply
-
1
Submit online application
Apply at foundersfirstcapital.com/apply. The intake form asks about your business (industry, revenue, years in operation, ownership demographics), what you need capital for, and your growth goals. The application takes approximately 20–30 minutes.
~0.5 hrs
-
2
Attend accelerator onboarding
Accepted applicants are enrolled in Founders First's accelerator program — a 12-week cohort with workshops on financial management, sales, operations, and capital access. The accelerator is free and is a prerequisite for grant eligibility.
~30 hrs
-
3
Complete financial underwriting (for RBF)
Founders First underwrites RBF using business bank statements, financial statements, and sometimes QuickBooks/accounting data. The underwriting process typically takes 2–4 weeks. No traditional personal guarantee or credit score minimum is required.
~5 hrs
-
4
Receive capital and begin repayment
RBF is funded as a lump sum. Repayment is automatic via ACH: a fixed percentage of gross monthly revenue (e.g., 5%) is deducted monthly until the agreed repayment multiple is met. If revenue drops, payments drop proportionally — built-in flexibility.
~1 hrs
This is primarily a revenue-based financing (loan-like) product, not a grant. The $10K–$15K grants are secondary and tied to accelerator completion.
Deadline & timing
Founders First accepts applications on a rolling basis with accelerator cohorts typically running quarterly. RBF underwriting is ongoing. Apply at least 4–6 weeks before needing funds to allow underwriting and accelerator intake.
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