Top 8 Small Business Grants for Women in 2019

Men have dominated the business world for a very long time. The basic reason for this is as a result of the sexism and bias that has existed as long as we can remember. Things are changing and women are succeeding in the entrepreneurial world. Grant is one of the best ways to get a small business rolling. There are varieties of grants out there but below are the best options for women entrepreneurs. Learn about the top 8 business grants for women.

In this article you will find:

1. Amber Grant
2. NASE
3. Grants.gov
4. EDA
5. SBA InnovateHER
6. Eileen Fisher Grant
7. Zions Bank Smart Woman Grants
8. SBIR Grant

Business Grants for Women

1. Amber Grant
One of the best options that a female entrepreneur can go for is the Amber grant. It is basically targeted at women. There is a $1,000 dollar that is awarded to one female entrepreneur monthly. You must be a woman before you are eligible for the grant making it one of the special parts of the grant. There won’t be any bias towards males when choosing who to award the grant to. If you’ve been struggling to get a grant due to your gender, give the Amber grant a shot.

2. NASE
Small business grant is also offered by the National Association of the Self-Employed. To be eligible for the grant, it is mandatory you are a member of the association. Their grants come in the form of $4,000 and are awarded to one member per month. The great thing about these NASE grants is the fact that they are pretty vague in their purpose and as such you can use them for a wide range of things without any repercussions. Where some grants might specify that you can only use this grant for marketing, the NASE grant lets you use the money to hire an assistant, further development, market the product, and virtually anything else that benefits your small business. Getting a NASE grant might be the best way to further your business if you feel constrained by the limited uses if the other grants.

3. Grants.gov
When it comes to finding a grant, visiting Grants.gov is the best as it is one of the most comprehensive databases but does not actually give grants in the real sense. Browsing the many lists on grants.gov is the best option if things didn’t work out with other items on this list or simply want to increase your options in hopes that it will boost your odds of getting a grant. Think of it as the Yellow Pages but for finding grants rather than ordering Chinese food.

4. EDA
The Economic Development Agency is a branch of the United States Department of Commerce and this agency is responsible for providing any necessary assistance to ensure that the members of the United States population are able to attain financial stability and become a productive member of the society. They do so by driving supply and demand. It is prepared to offer not only grants but also advice and other forms of assistance that could help you get your small business going. If you’re just starting out and want some funding along with advice, going to the EDA website might be your best bet at getting a good start on your entrepreneurial journey.

5. SBA InnovateHER
Joining the annual InnovateHer challenge can be a great option if you are looking for large chunks of change. This challenge is run by the Small Business Association. One limitation of this grant is the fact that it is limited to women just like that of Amber Grant which ensures that you have a fair shot of winning it regardless of any bias that the judges may have toward men. The grabs available for this grant annually is significantly larger than the other grants with a total of $70,000. The prize money is ultimately split between three female winners, but even split three ways that’s still a lot of money that you can use to further your business. If the other grants were just too small to make an impact on your business, or if you’re too far along for them to be helpful, go for the InnovateHER challenge run by the SBA. With some luck, you’ll be getting a five-figure prize.

6. Eileen Fisher Grant
Female business owners who need a big and enough cash influx to take their business to the next level should get this grant as it is the perfect one for the job. Where the Amber grant provides $1,000 and the NASE grant provides $4,000, the Eileen Fisher grant provides a minimum amount of $10,000 dollars. That’s a guaranteed five-figure prize for those who win the grant. The best part is that your odds of winning the Eileen Fisher grant are far higher than your odds of winning the other grants that are listed in this article. This is due to the fact that the Eileen Fisher grant chooses a total of 10 winners each year. $100,000 is been handed out annually across 10 female entrepreneurs trying to run their business personally. It is hard to be the Eileen Fisher grant when it comes to prize size and odds of winning.

7. Zions Bank Smart Woman Grants
Up to this point in our list, the grants that we’ve featured were available on a federal level meaning not limited to a state. That said, it’s important that we don’t leave out all the great state-level grants that you could use to further your business. The Zions Bank Smart Woman grants for instance target those with low incomes in Utah and Idaho who want to make a change in their life, their family’s life, and the lives of others in their community. There are six grants up for grabs each with their own category. Each grant winner gets a total of $3,000. Only one winner will get the grant for the business category, but there are also other fields such as childcare or community development. If you live in Utah and Idaho and want to compete for a grant that isn’t as hard to win as some of the federal programs, you could go for the Zions Bank Smart Woman grant and use the money to further your business as well as improve the lives of those in your community.


8. SBIR Grant
A federal program that is awarded to those who are trying to progress in the fields of research and development in order to further our scientific understanding and capabilities as a specie is the Small Business Innovation Research. You should consider chasing the grant if your business falls under the R&D category. There’s no shortage of funding seeing as they are operated by the government. In fact, in 2018, around $2 billion dollars was awarded to grant recipients.

Conclusion
In our world, the business industry is opened to all genders as long as the entrepreneur behind the company is willing to stick it out and endure the long haul. There is a lot to be accomplished with some patience, strategy and determination. As you’ve seen with this article, there is no shortage of grants available, so go out and get one today.