Sephora Beauty Grant
Sephora / Fifteen Percent Pledge
$100,000
$100K for underrepresented beauty founders
The Sephora Beauty Grant, administered in partnership with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, awards one $100,000 unrestricted grant annually to a beauty or personal care business owned by an underrepresented founder. Eligible businesses must have annual revenue of at least $100,000, be based in the United States, and have at least 51% ownership by an underrepresented founder. Beyond the cash award, the winner receives pro-bono consulting support and recognition at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Annual Gala. The application window is typically four weeks in October–November.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $100,000 – $100,000
- Realistic amount
- $100,000 flat for the single annual winner. The grant is unrestricted — no required use of funds.
- Deadline
- Annual — applications typically open late October and close approximately November 28 (4-week window). The 2026 grant was awarded in February 2026; the next cycle will open approximately October 2026.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Business must sell a consumer packaged good (beauty or personal care product)
- Annual business revenue of at least $100,000
- Business must be based in the United States
- At least 51% ownership by an underrepresented founder (defined by the Fifteen Percent Pledge criteria — typically BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, disabled)
- For-profit business structure
- Founder must be at least 18 years old
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Demographic eligibility: underrepresented
- Minimum $100,000 annual revenue
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Any legitimate business expense (grant is unrestricted)
- Product development and formulation
- Marketing and brand building
- Distribution and retail expansion
- Hiring and team building
- Equipment and manufacturing
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses unrelated to the business
- Businesses without at least $100,000 in annual revenue
- Non-beauty or non-personal-care businesses
How to apply
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1
Monitor Fifteen Percent Pledge for application opening
The application opens each October at 15percentpledge.org/award/sephora. Subscribe to the Fifteen Percent Pledge newsletter for announcements. The window is brief — approximately 4 weeks.
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2
Submit online application
Complete the application providing: business details and revenue documentation, founder background and underrepresented identity narrative, product description, and explanation of how the $100,000 would be used to grow the business.
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3
Review and finalist selection
The Fifteen Percent Pledge and Sephora review all applications and select a winner. The review process and timeline between close and announcement is not published in detail.
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4
Winner announcement and award at gala
The winner is recognized at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Annual Gala, typically held in Los Angeles in February of the following year. The $100,000 grant and pro-bono consulting package are awarded at or following the gala.
The $100K revenue minimum separates this from early-stage beauty grants. It's designed for established indie brands ready to scale — not pre-revenue or seed-stage founders. The Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala visibility is a meaningful secondary benefit.
Deadline & timing
The application window is typically 4 weeks in October–November each year. The 2025 cycle closed November 28, 2025, and the winner was announced and recognized at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala in Los Angeles on February 7, 2026. The 2026 application cycle is expected to open approximately October 2026.
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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.