Hello Alice × Verizon Digital Ready Small Business Grant
Hello Alice / Verizon
$10,000 per recipient
$10K grants — free to apply after 2 free courses
Recurring grant program awarding $10,000 to 50 US small businesses per cycle via the Hello Alice platform. Applicants must first enroll in Verizon Digital Ready (free) and complete 2 courses or 2 events. No application fee. Grant use is unrestricted. Applications are reviewed on specificity of fund usage and demonstrated impact. Multiple cycles run annually.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- $10,000 (fixed award for all 50 recipients)
- Deadline
- Multiple cycles per year — most recent cycle closed December 10, 2025. Next cycle timing not yet announced.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- US-based small business
- Free enrollment in Verizon Digital Ready required
- Must complete 2 Verizon Digital Ready courses OR attend 2 events (all free)
- Any industry or business stage
- No revenue or employee minimums publicly stated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and general operations
- Equipment and technology
- Marketing and advertising
- Inventory
- Hiring and payroll
- Professional services
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses
- Debt repayment (not explicitly stated but typically excluded)
How to apply
-
1
Create free Verizon Digital Ready account
Enroll at no cost at the Verizon Digital Ready portal via Hello Alice. This is a prerequisite to applying for the grant.
~0.5 hrs
-
2
Complete 2 courses or 2 events
Complete any 2 free online courses (financial management, digital marketing, customer retention, operations) or attend 2 virtual events. Typically takes 2–4 weeks.
~4 hrs
-
3
Submit grant application
Fill out the Hello Alice grant application during the open window. Describe your business and specifically how you would use the $10,000.
~1.5 hrs
-
4
Await review and notification
Applications reviewed on specificity of fund usage and demonstrated business impact. 50 recipients selected per cycle.
~0 hrs
The educational prerequisite filters out casual applicants — completing the 2 courses before the cycle opens puts you ahead. Specificity wins: state exactly what $10K buys (e.g. '3 months of inventory for holiday season').
Deadline & timing
The December 2025 cycle closed at 11:59 PM PT on December 10, 2025. Verizon Digital Ready has run multiple grant cycles annually since 2021. Next 2026 cycle expected but not yet announced as of May 2026.
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.