Last verified September 2, 2026

Small business grants for women-owned businesses

As of September 2026, a women-owned business can be matched against 236 programs: 12 programs specifically for women-owned businesses, 161 general programs open to any owner, and 63 federal grants via Grants.gov.

Most of these grants never run an ad. The money is real, and it is set aside on purpose for women-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.

12
Programs for women-owned businesses
161
General programs open to any owner
63
Federal grants via Grants.gov

Five grants for women-owned businesses worth knowing by name

Every program here is genuinely for women-owned businesses. Each names its funder and links to the official page. No padding, no filler. The general and federal money a women-owned business also qualifies for is in your full report.

ProgramAmountStatusBuilt forOfficial link
Amber Grant
WomensNet
Verified Sep 2, 2026
$10,000Closes Sep 30, 2026Woman-owned businesses — awarded monthly, with a yearly finalist roundOfficial page ↗
HIGH FIVE Grant for Moms
The Mama Ladder (with Belly Bandit)
Verified Sep 1, 2026
$1,000–$10,000Closes Sep 30, 2026Mom-owned businessesOfficial page ↗
Job Creators Quest Grant
Founders First CDC
Verified Aug 26, 2026
$2,500–$10,000Rolling — apply anytimeBusinesses that are women-owned or minority-owned or veteran-owned or LGBTQ-ownedOfficial page ↗
Galaxy Grant
Hidden Star (Galaxy of Stars)
Verified Sep 2, 2026
$2,500Closes Oct 31, 2026Businesses that are women-owned or minority-ownedOfficial page ↗
Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition
Women Founders Network
Verified Aug 28, 2026
$5,000–$25,000Annual · next ~Fall 2027Businesses that are women-ownedOfficial page ↗

7 more programs for women-owned businesses, plus 161 general programs and 63 federal listings, each scored against your specific business, in your full report.

Straight answers

Are these grants only for women-owned businesses?

The programs in the table above set aside money specifically for women-owned businesses, so that is who wins them. But a women-owned business also qualifies for every general small-business grant and every federal program. Your report scores all 236 against your actual business, not just the 12 listed here.

Do 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 terms, so read the award conditions before you accept.

Some of these say "between cycles." What do I do right now?

Get ready before the window opens. Women Founders Network Fast Pitch Competition lists its next window as “~Fall 2027 (14th annual event was October 2026). 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.

How current is this page?

Every program shows the date we last verified it against the funder's own page. Anything that closes, moves, or changes gets caught by our daily re-check.

What does the $97 report add to this page?

This page lists grants for women-owned businesses. The report scores all 236programs against your actual business (your industry, your state, how you're owned) and comes with up to 10 written applications, done with you.

Somewhere, a women-owned business owner qualifies for three of these right now and doesn't know it.

This page can't read your business. The 3-minute quiz can. It matches your industry, state, and ownership against all 236 programs and shows you where you stand.

See which grants match my business