Data last verified September 4, 2026
Grants for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 5 With Deadlines Still Ahead
As of September 2026, 5 national grants for women-owned small businesses are live in WinAGrant's registry with no deadline behind them, with published awards from $1,000 to $10,000. Every program below names its funder, links to the official application page, and shows the date we last verified it — these are real deadlines, not estimates. Some funders accept applications only during set windows, so the funder's own page is the authority on whether it is taking them today.
| Program | Amount | Status | Who it's for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HIGH FIVE Grant for Moms The Mama Ladder (with Belly Bandit) Verified Sep 1, 2026 | $1,000–$10,000 | Closes Sep 30, 2026 | Mom entrepreneurs — annual competition | Official page ↗ |
Amber Grant WomensNet Verified Sep 2, 2026 | $10,000 | Closes Sep 30, 2026 | Women-owned businesses — three $10,000 winners every month | Official page ↗ |
HerRise MicroGrant HerSuiteSpot / Yva Jourdan Foundation Verified Sep 4, 2026 | $1,000 | Closes Sep 30, 2026 | A $1,000 microgrant awarded every month to a woman-of-color-owned small business, running continuously sinc… | Official page ↗ |
Galaxy Grant Hidden Star (Galaxy of Stars) Verified Sep 2, 2026 | $2,500 | Closes Oct 31, 2026 | Women and minority business owners — short no-essay application | Official page ↗ |
Job Creators Quest Grant Founders First CDC Verified Aug 26, 2026 | $2,500–$10,000 | Rolling — apply anytime | Recurring grant cycles (national and regional, e.g. | Official page ↗ |
Why you've never heard of these
None of these funders buys ads. The Amber Grant awards $10,000 every month — and most owners have never heard the name. That's not an accident of luck. Grant money moves through newsletters, foundation pages, and word of mouth, and the owners who win are usually the ones who already knew where to look.
That's the part we fixed. Our registry re-checks every program against the funder's own page daily, so the table above stays honest: when a deadline passes or a program closes, it drops off this page automatically.
Worth getting ready for
These programs are between application windows right now. The date is the funder's own signal for the next cycle — and the owners who win are the ones whose applications are ready the week a window opens, not the ones who find out it existed the week it closed.
Beyond the women-only list
Women-only programs are the start, not the whole picture. The registry holds 161 verified private and state programs, and most of them are open to any qualifying small business — a woman-owned bakery competes for those the same as anyone. State programs are their own lane: we track them on dedicated pages for Virginia, New Mexico, and Rhode Island, with more states coming.
Straight answers
Do these grants have to be paid back?
No. A grant is not a loan. You never pay it back. Most small-business awards just ask for a short report on how the money was used. Larger federal grants can carry more formal reporting and compliance terms, so read the award conditions before you accept.
Do I need a WOSB certification to apply?
Not for the private grants on this page. Each funder sets its own proof of ownership, stated on its official page. Federal WOSB certification matters for government contracting set-asides, which are a different program.
What are the odds of actually winning one?
It depends on the program's format. Some draw winners from a short application, so they're volume-based. Recurring programs let a strong application compete again next cycle. Judged competitions weigh the story you tell. The common thread: applying is free, and the application is usually short — the funder's official page states the format.
How do I find grants that match my specific business?
This page lists national women-owned programs. WinAGrant's 3-minute quiz matches your industry, state, and ownership against the full verified registry plus live federal grants from Grants.gov, and shows you where you stand.
Somewhere, a woman who qualifies for one of these will never hear about it.
Don't be her. The 3-minute quiz matches your industry, state, and ownership against every verified program in the registry — and shows you exactly where you stand.
See which grants match my business