Top 10 Grants for the Black Woman Entrepreneur

Black women entrepreneurs are the fastest-growing group of small business owners in the U.S, and yet they are historically underfunded.

Below are some helpful small business grants that Black Women Entrepreneurs can apply for to receive business funding. These grants for black women can help minority-owned business owners pay rent and employees, and help cover operational or inventory costs.

1. Coalition to Back Black Businesses

The Coalition to Black Businesses is a multi-year initiative co-founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. This grant initiative provides financial support and long-term help for America’s small businesses. These grant funds have helped small business owners cover expenses like marketing & advertising, expanding inventory, and paying rent.

The program accepts annual applications for its $5,000 grants each autumn. To date, over 1700 business owners have received grants in 42 states. This grant is perfect for Black Women Entrepreneurs.

To qualify for this grant money, a business must be:

A Black-owned business in a qualifying industry.
Employ between 3 and 20 people (including the owner and any full-time employees, part-time employees, or individuals working under 1099 or similar contracts).
Be located in an economically vulnerable community, according to the Distressed Communities Index.
Have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. The Amber Grant

Founded by Women’s Net in honor of 19-year-old Amber Wigdahl, who died before realizing her business dreams, The Amber Grant gives away at least $30,000 in grant money each month to awardees who best meet the criteria for funding. In addition to the monthly Amber Grants and two annual $25,000 Amber Grants, the following grants are also available on a rolling basis throughout the year:

The Marketing Grant: Women’s provides free, hands-on marketing help to 2 winners per year.
The Non-Profit Grant: 1 nonprofit business or organization is awarded $10,000 each quarter.
Business category grants: Each month, Net gives away $10,000 to businesses in specific categories, including skilled trades, health & fitness, food & beverage, sustainability, mental & emotional support, and animal services.
Mini Grants: These small grants of up to $2,000 are awarded throughout the year.

WomensNet only requires one application, which is painless and easy, making you eligible for all grants related to your business.

To qualify, businesses must be at least 50% women-owned and based in either the United States or Canada. The Amber Grant is a perfect starting place for the black woman entrepreneur.

3. Sage Invest in Progress Grant

Sage — a leading provider of integrated accounting, payroll, and payment systems — and the BOSS Network, an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women, have partnered to launch the Invest in Progress Grant. Through this program, Black women entrepreneurs get annual grants of $10,000 each. Winners also receive a year of membership to BOSS University, an online program that helps Black women successfully start and grow businesses. The three-year grant program will give out a total of $1.5 million.

To qualify for this grant, you must:

Identify as a Black Woman Entrepreneur.
Be the founder of a for-profit business that was created in the last 5 years.
Have a demonstrated need for grant funds.
Be available for virtual business mentorship programs.

4. Fearless Fund Grant Contest

Fearless Fund invests in under-resourced entrepreneurs, including women of color-led businesses. Their mission is to “bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth-aggressive companies.”

Description: The Fearless Fund Awards $20,000 in grant funds to Black women entrepreneurs.
Eligibility: Open to all Black women entrepreneurs in the United States.
Deadline: Details for the next application cycle are forthcoming.

5. The National Black MBA Association’s Scale-Up Pitch Challenge

The National Black MBA Association created its Scale-up Pitch Challenge to assist startups in connecting with potential investors and venture capitalists. Applicants will pitch their business ideas to the judges, then three finalists will compete live in Atlanta for a chance to win a $50,000 grant prize. Additional prizes include a $10,000 second-place grant, a $7,500 third-place grant, and a $1,000 People’s Choice Award grant.

Applications for the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge are currently open. To be eligible, teams must:

Have all team members be U.S residents over the age of 18.
Have a founder who is Black (of African descent) and maintains at least an equal stake in the startup. If the startup has three owners, at least 33% of its ownership must be Black.
Have at least one team member who is an active member of the National Black MBA Association.

6. SoGal Black Founder Startup Grant

SoGal Foundation is the largest global platform for diverse entrepreneurs and investors with a mission of closing the diversity gap in entrepreneurship and venture capital.

Description: Offers grants of $5,000 & $10,000 to Black women and non-binary entrepreneurs. The grant prize also includes mentorship from the SoGal Foundation team.
Eligibility: Must be a Black Woman or Non-binary entrepreneur with a legally registered business.
Deadline: Rolling applications.

7. Black Girl Ventures

Black Girl Ventures (BGV) is on a mission to help entrepreneurs with small business grants to grow their black women-owned businesses. The organization was founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneur and computer scientist Shelly Bell and hosts the world’s largest pitch competition for Black and Brown women founders. To date, BGV has funded 264 women of color and held over 30 BGV pitch programs across 12 cities. The organization also offers fellowships and virtual communities to support female and female-identifying founders of color.

8. Boundless Futures Foundation Grants

This grant is targeted at entrepreneurial women who are leveraging their businesses to solve social issues. Grant-eligible entrepreneurs must demonstrate a clear and consistent commitment to fostering positive change through businesses with ambitious and effective social reach.

These businesses address issues related to Poverty and Hunger, Sustainability and the Environment, and Strong Communities.

Deadline: Varies Quarterly
Eligibility: Women with socially responsible business concepts.
Reward: Up to $25,000 in grant money.

9. Wish Local Empowerment Program Grant

The Wish Local Empowerment program offers small business grants between $500 and $2,000 to Black business owners. To be eligible, applicants must:

Be a Black owned small business.
Over the age of 18
Have 20 or fewer employees.
Own a brick-and-mortar storefront in the U.S.
Have an average annual revenue of less than $1 million.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

10. Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

Founded in 2006, the Cartier Women’s Initiative award program is open to women-led and women-owned businesses from any country or sector that aim to have a strong and sustainable social or environmental impact.

Women impact entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world, and they can apply for this award, which includes financial support and mentoring.

Deadline: April 18 to June 24, 2025
Eligibility: Women entrepreneurs leading businesses with a social or environmental impact
Reward: Grant funding up to $200,000 + mentoring and support

Bonus: Grant.gov

Grants.gov is the go-to place for federal government grants. The site has a list of government grant programs, including grants designed for minority-owned businesses and general grants that are open to a wider entrepreneurial base. You’ll need to look through each grant for funding amounts, eligibility requirements, and grant application deadlines. The website also has resources that include grant-writing tips and a grants learning center

Grants.gov is a great fit for:

Tech startups are searching for grant funding opportunities.
Nonprofits that are focused on community, youth, education, health & wellness, & domestic violence.
Small manufacturers that are aiming to improve their products.
Rural businesses.
Social enterprises with a mandate to create positive change.

In Conclusion:

The Black Woman Entrepreneur has long faced hardship due to systemic racism. However, the above grants can also be used to connect with new customers and provide opportunities for your community.

When you start your black women-owned business, it is crucial to remember that grant funding is available to you, but it may not always arrive as you expect it to.

Look beyond “grants for black women” or “grants for minority business owners” and search for opportunities for new businesses, creative ideas & the positive ripple effects your work can create.

When funding feels restricted, build your network, meet new connections & advocate for your cause, all of which can help open new doors and solidify future opportunities!