US Small Business Microgrants 2026
Microgrants — small awards of $10,000 or less — are the fastest non-dilutive money most businesses can win. They take minutes to apply for, many recur every month or quarter, and the competition is a fraction of what the big-name grants draw. Here are 15 active US small business microgrants worth your time.
The best US small business microgrants in 2026 are small, recurring, fast-to-apply awards: Skip Instant Grants ($1,000, new winners drawn weekly), the HerRise MicroGrant ($1,000 monthly for women of color), the Freed Fellowship ($500 monthly + a $2,500 year-end bonus), and the Etsy Seller Relief Fund (up to $500). Because most pay $500–$10,000 and many recur, the winning strategy is to apply to several and keep reapplying — a stack of microgrants adds up faster than one long-shot at a big grant.
What the 15 microgrants look like
- Recurring (win again) 4
- One-time 11
Award size within the $10K ceiling
15 US small business microgrants under $10,000
Every grant below is active, awards $10,000 or less, and is open to small businesses. Each links to its full GrantCompass profile with eligibility and how to apply.
| # | Microgrant | Amount | Best for | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galaxy Grant | $4,250 | Women- & minority-owned businesses | Annual (Jul 31, 2026) |
| 2 | Skip Instant Grants | $1,000 | Any US small business | New draws weekly |
| 3 | Etsy Seller Relief Fund | Up to $500 | Etsy sellers & small makers | Rolling |
| 4 | HerRise MicroGrant | $1,000 /month | Women-of-color-owned businesses | Monthly |
| 5 | MassCEC Clean Energy Internship | $4,320–$8,640 | MA clean-energy employers hiring interns | 3 sessions/yr |
| 6 | USDA Organic Certification Cost Share | Up to $750 | Farms & food businesses certifying organic | Annual |
| 7 | Utah UTIF SBIR Microgrant | Up to $5,000 | UT startups prepping a federal SBIR bid | Rolling |
| 8 | Women Founders Grant | $5,000 | Women founders | Annual (Jun 30, 2026) |
| 9 | Freed Fellowship Grant | $500/mo + $2,500 | Artists & small creative businesses | Monthly |
| 10 | Montana Tribal Tourism Grant | Up to $10,000 | Montana tribal tourism businesses | Annual (Oct–Nov) |
| 11 | Global NY STEP Export Grant | $2,000–$5,000 | NY small businesses starting to export | Rolling |
| 12 | Oregon Export Promotion | Up to $7,500 | OR businesses covering export costs | Rolling |
| 13 | Secretsos Small Business Grant | $2,500 | US SMBs denied a bank loan | Quarterly |
| 14 | Mastercard Strive USA Grant | Up to $10,000 | Equity-focused small businesses | Via local partners |
| 15 | Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream | $10,000 | Food & beverage entrepreneurs | Annual pitch competition |
No microgrants match your search — try another term or clear the filters.
Recurring microgrants you can win again and again
The highest-value microgrants are the ones that reset. Skip draws new $1,000 winners every week, the HerRise MicroGrant awards $1,000 every month, and the Freed Fellowship gives $500 monthly plus a $2,500 year-end grant. The Secretsos grant ($2,500) runs quarterly. Because these recur, a rejection just means you reapply next cycle — over a year, a disciplined applicant can win several.
Microgrants for specific founders
Several microgrants are reserved for particular owners, which sharply cuts the competition if you qualify. The Galaxy Grant ($4,250) and Women Founders Grant ($5,000) fund women- and minority-owned businesses; the HerRise MicroGrant funds women of color; the Montana Tribal Tourism grant (up to $10,000) funds tribal tourism businesses; and the Mastercard Strive program (up to $10,000) prioritizes underserved entrepreneurs. For the full picture by owner, see women-owned and minority-owned business grants.
Cost-reimbursement microgrants — money back for things you'd do anyway
Some of the safest microgrants simply reimburse expenses you were already going to incur, on clear eligibility rather than a competitive score. The USDA Organic Certification Cost Share covers up to $750 of certification cost; Global NY STEP and the Oregon Export Promotion Program reimburse 50%+ of the cost of going global; and the MassCEC internship pays $4,000–$9,000 toward a clean-energy intern's wages.
Key takeaways
- Stack, don't bet. Several $1,000–$10,000 microgrants add up faster — and far more reliably — than one long-shot at a big grant.
- Win the recurring ones repeatedly. Skip (weekly), HerRise & Freed (monthly), and Secretsos (quarterly) reset every cycle.
- Use owner-specific microgrants if you qualify — the eligibility filter is what makes them winnable.
- Cost-reimbursement microgrants are near-automatic — they pay on eligibility, not a competitive score.
- Check eligibility first with the free GrantCompass matcher, and compare with the easiest grants to get.