Last verified October 19, 2026 · How we verify
Small business grants for veteran-owned businesses
As of October 2026, veteran-owned businesses can apply right now to NJ ZIP ($15,000–$175,000 base vouchers) and Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program, among 9 programs matched specifically to veteran-owned businesses, plus general and federal money below.
Most of these grants never run an ad. The money is real, and it is set aside on purpose for veteran-owned businesses. The hard part was never qualifying. It was finding out the grant existed before the window closed. That is the part we fixed.
Grants for veteran-owned businesses by the numbers
- Who funds them
- 8 funders: DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Patriot Boot Camp (1), Farmer Veteran Coalition (1), FedEx with Hello Alice and Global Entrepreneurship Network (1), Founders First CDC (1), and 4 more.
- Award size
- Most awards $3K to $100K.
- Timing
- 2 open now, 1 of them rolling. Soonest deadline: Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program, Dec 15, 2026. 6 between cycles; Veterans Business Battle lists its next window as “Spring 2027 (applications open Nov 11, 2026; event March 31–April 1, 2027)”.
- What they fund
- Agriculture (1), Transportation & Trucking (1); 6 open to any industry.
8 grants for veteran-owned businesses worth knowing by name
Every program here is genuinely for veteran-owned businesses. Each names its funder and links to the official page. The general and federal money a veteran-owned business also qualifies for is in your full report.
| Program | Amount | Status | Built for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NJ ZIP New Jersey Economic Development Authority Verified Oct 15, 2026 | $15,000–$175,000 base vouchers | Rolling, apply anytime | Businesses that are women-owned or minority-owned or veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program Hiring Our Heroes (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation) Verified Oct 16, 2026 | $10,000–$25,000 | Closes Dec 15, 2026 | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
Veteran Shark Tank Greater Philadelphia Veteran Network Verified Oct 19, 2026 | $50,000 to the winner | Between cycles Usually opens around December 2027, based on past rounds | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
Veterans Business Battle Rice Business (Jones Graduate School of Business), Rice University Verified Oct 16, 2026 | $30,000 in non-dilutive prizes split among the top three (2026 round) | Opens Spring 2027 | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
FedEx Entrepreneur Fund + Boost Camp FedEx with Hello Alice and Global Entrepreneurship Network Verified Oct 3, 2026 | $10,000 | Reopens, date not announced yet | Businesses that are veteran-owned or disability-owned | Official page ↗ |
Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund Farmer Veteran Coalition Verified Oct 16, 2026 | $1,000 to $5,000 | Between cycles Usually opens around Spring 2027, based on past rounds | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant Founders First CDC Verified Oct 17, 2026 | $1,000+ each to 25 finalists ($25,000 fund) plus free program access | Between cycles Usually opens around September 2027, based on past rounds | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
Patriot Boot Camp Pitch Competition DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Patriot Boot Camp Verified Oct 16, 2026 | Cash pitch prizes for cohort winners (amount not stated) | Reopens, date not announced yet | Businesses that are veteran-owned | Official page ↗ |
We track 1 more program for veteran-owned businesses that is not verified closely enough to name here yet. The quiz still checks your business against it.
Want the fuller picture? Read the guide: Grants for veteran-owned businesses: what's real and how to win one.
Veteran-owned business grants open right now
- NJ ZIP: $15,000–$175,000 base vouchers, rolling, apply anytime
- Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program: $10,000–$25,000, closes Dec 15, 2026
Veteran-owned business grants, program by program
NJ ZIP (New Jersey Economic Development Authority): $15,000–$175,000 base vouchers
Businesses that are women-owned or minority-owned or veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 15, 2026. Official page ↗
Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program: $10,000–$25,000, closes Dec 15, 2026
Run by Hiring Our Heroes (U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation). Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 16, 2026. Official page ↗
Veteran Shark Tank (Greater Philadelphia Veteran Network): $50,000 to the winner, usually opens around December 2027, based on past rounds
Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 19, 2026. Official page ↗
Veterans Business Battle: $30,000 in non-dilutive prizes split among the top three (2026 round), next window Spring 2027
Run by Rice Business (Jones Graduate School of Business), Rice University. Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 16, 2026. Official page ↗
FedEx Entrepreneur Fund + Boost Camp (FedEx with Hello Alice and Global Entrepreneurship Network): $10,000
Businesses that are veteran-owned or disability-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 3, 2026. Official page ↗
Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund (Farmer Veteran Coalition): $1,000 to $5,000, usually opens around Spring 2027, based on past rounds
Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 16, 2026. Official page ↗
Stephen L. Tadlock Veteran Grant (Founders First CDC): $1,000+ each to 25 finalists ($25,000 fund) plus free program access, usually opens around September 2027, based on past rounds
Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 17, 2026. Official page ↗
Patriot Boot Camp Pitch Competition: Cash pitch prizes for cohort winners (amount not stated)
Run by DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Patriot Boot Camp. Businesses that are veteran-owned. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 16, 2026. Official page ↗
Straight answers
Do I pay these back? How current is this list?
No. Grants are not loans. Each row shows the date we last checked it against the funder's own page. How we verify.
Are these grants only for veteran-owned businesses?
The programs in the table above set aside money specifically for veteran-owned businesses, so that is who wins them. But a veteran-owned business also qualifies for every general small-business grant and every federal program. Your report scores all 411 against your actual business, not just the 9 listed here.
Some of these say "between cycles." What do I do right now?
Get ready before the window opens. Veterans Business Battle lists its next window as “Spring 2027 (applications open Nov 11, 2026; event March 31–April 1, 2027)”. 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.
Which of these fit your veteran-owned business?
This page can't read your business. The 3-minute quiz can. It scores your industry, state, and ownership against all 411 programs, ranks them by fit, and flags the ones closing soonest.
Find what fits my business