Grants and funding for women-owned businesses
Federal certification, corporate grant programmes, 0% interest microloans and fellowships for women founders in the US, with real deadlines.
Four different kinds of money sit on this page and they suit very different situations. Federal certification costs nothing and opens contracts set aside for women-owned firms. Corporate grants are competitive but do not have to be repaid. Microloans here run at nought per cent with no collateral and no minimum credit score. Fellowships give capital alongside a year of advice.
Eligibility bars are stated where they exist, including revenue floors — one programme here requires $75,000 a year before it will look at you, which is better learned now than after writing an application.
Funding
5 entries
SBA Women-Owned Small Business certification sba.gov
Free to certify. Opens federal contracts set aside for women-owned firms — the government has a statutory target of five per cent of contracting dollars.
Hello Alice — grants helloalice.com
Grant programmes funded by corporate partners, typically $5,000 to $10,000. Free to join and no application fees. More than $57 million distributed so far.
Kiva U.S. kiva.org
Microloans at 0 per cent interest — no fees, no collateral, no minimum credit score. You prove creditworthiness by getting people who know you to lend first. Roughly two months end to end.
Tory Burch Foundation toryburchfoundation.org
The Fellows Program — a year of expert guidance and advisors for women founders — plus free business webinars and a searchable resource library open to anyone.
Amber Grant for Women ambergrantsforwomen.com
Three $10,000 grants every month, and three $50,000 year-end awards drawn from the monthly winners. One short application covers all of them. US and Canada, 50 per cent women-owned. There is a $15 application fee, waived on request by email.
More for the United States
Every link on this page was opened and checked by hand. Last reviewed 04 October 2026.