Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (Hiring Our Heroes), with support from FedEx
$10,000 (four winners) or $25,000 (grand prize)
Four $10,000 grants and one $25,000 grand prize for small businesses owned by veterans, Guard/Reserve members or military spouses (3–20 people, under $5M). Six written answers, no fee; closes December 15, 2026.
The Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant awards five businesses owned by veterans, current Guard or Reserve members, or current military spouses: four $10,000 grants and one $25,000 grand prize. It is run by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program with support from FedEx. The 2027 cycle is open until 11:59 pm EDT on December 15, 2026. The owner must hold at least 51% of a for-profit US business with 3 to 20 people (counting the owner, staff and 1099 contractors) and under $5 million in revenue, located in an economically distressed zip code or able to show financial need from a hardship. A panel scores six written answers, of up to 2,000 characters each, on community leadership, local economic impact and the business's path to success. There is no entry fee.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $10,000 – $25,000
- Realistic amount
- $10,000 for four of the five winners; one grand prize of $25,000. Every other applicant receives nothing.
- Deadline
- December 15, 2026 at 11:59 pm EDT (2027 cycle)
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- At least 51% owned by an honorably discharged veteran, a current National Guard or Reserve member, or a current military spouse
- The owner is a legal resident of, and lives in, the contiguous 48 states, Alaska or Hawaii
- For-profit business based in the United States
- 3 to 20 people, counting the owner, full- and part-time employees and independent (1099) contractors
- Under $5 million in annual revenue
- Located in an economically vulnerable community (a Distressed Communities Index stress score of 40 or more for the zip code), or able to show financial need from a hardship beyond the owner's control
Who is not eligible
- Nonprofits
- Franchise brands with more than 25 corporate-owned stores (or more than 50 stores in total)
- Other excluded business types listed in the official rules (e.g. gas stations, direct sellers, cannabis, tobacco, firearms, gambling)
What the Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant application asks
The Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant application asks six written questions, alongside your contact and business details. There is no entry fee. The deadline is December 15, 2026, 11:59pm EDT, and you submit on the funder’s own form at hiringourheroes.org. These are the questions as they appear on the form:
-
1
Tell us all about your business.
Form limit: 2000 characters
-
2
Describe your business' path to success.
Form limit: 2000 characters
-
3
Describe your business' contribution to your local economy.
Form limit: 2000 characters
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4
Describe how your business has displayed an exemplary level of leadership and community engagement.
Form limit: 2000 characters
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5
Share one or two of your business' top best practices for hiring, training, and retaining employees.
Form limit: 2000 characters
-
6
How would you use this $10,000 grant?
Form limit: 2000 characters
What the judges look for
- Leadership and impact in your local community (33.3%)
- Contribution to local economic growth: jobs, skills, services, tax base (33.3%)
- An effective path to business success (33.3%)
GrantCompass drafts the Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant application from your own answers. You answer five short questions about your business and we write all six answers around what the judges look for, to fit the form. We use only what you tell us: nothing is invented, and anything a stronger answer needs is left as a marked blank for you to fill. The preview is free with no card. The full draft is $9, refunded in full within 7 days if it doesn’t make your application stronger. You review it and submit it yourself; GrantCompass is independent and not affiliated with U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Start a free draft on this page (grantcompass.co/grants/hiring-our-heroes-small-business-grant), or read how the drafting works.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Business growth; the rules do not restrict use of funds
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
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1
Answer the eligibility screens
Eight yes/no questions: 51% ownership, military connection, residency, US-based, for-profit, under $5M revenue, 3–20 people, and a distressed location or hardship.
~0.2 hrs
-
2
Business details
Owner and business contact details, date established, website, industry, prior-year gross revenue, current and prior-year headcount, and whether you plan to hire next year.
~0.3 hrs
-
3
Six written answers, up to 2,000 characters each
Tell us all about your business / your path to success / your contribution to your local economy / your leadership and community engagement / one or two best practices for hiring, training and retaining employees / how you would use this $10,000 grant.
~4 hrs
Two of the three scored criteria are about your community and local economy, so give real numbers: people employed, hires from the military community, local suppliers, and what you did for employees or customers in the past year.
Deadline & timing
Applications for the 2027 cycle close at 11:59 pm EDT on December 15, 2026. Semi-finalists (up to 20) are chosen first, then a judging panel picks five winners, notified on or before March 29, 2027. The program runs once a year; the 2026 cycle also closed December 15.
Deadline: December 15, 2026 — put it in your calendar before you close this tab.
Includes reminders one week and one day before. Verify on the official program page — funders move dates.
Applications are open — don’t lose the window
GrantCompass tracks Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll warn you before this window closes — and tell you when the next round opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
Required documents
- Online application only
- Winners later provide proof of military service, business photos and an owner headshot
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Last updated October 17, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.