11 Minority Business Grants: Eligibility + Tips for Applying (2025)

Although the number of minority-owned businesses continues to grow, access to funding hasn’t kept pace with this growth. The Federal Reserve Banks’ Small Business Credit Survey shows that fewer than 35% of Black, Asian, and Hispanic business owners secured the full amount of funding they applied for, compared with more than half of white business owners. This gap underscores why grants and other funding resources remain so important for minority entrepreneurs.

This guide covers essentials on grants for minority business owners—where to find opportunities, how to strengthen your applications, and which programs offer the best combination of funding and support.

What are minority business grants?

Minority business grants are funding or resources awarded to help underrepresented entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. Grants, which do not need to be repaid, are usually offered by private companies, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies as part of broader funding programs, and can provide direct financial assistance, as well as in-kind support (e.g., mentoring, professional development, exposure, networking opportunities). Many grants include restrictions on how funds can be used, and some require participation in specific programs or commerce platforms.

The term “minority business” carries different meanings across different programs:

• Government definition. For federal programs such as those run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), a minority-owned business is at least 51% owned and controlled by individuals who are Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latinx, or Native American. This definition often determines your eligibility for federal contracting and participation in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program, which provides mentorship, business training, and access to set-aside contracts.
• Broader definition. Many private organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups use the term more broadly to include additional underrepresented groups, such as women entrepreneurs, LGBTQ+ business owners, and immigrant founders. This guide uses the broader definition to reflect the full range of grant opportunities available.

Most business grants involve competition—you’ll submit detailed applications alongside other entrepreneurs seeking the same funding. Some opportunities also take the form of fellowship and mentorship programs, which emphasize networking and professional development, while others are pitch competitions, giving you the chance to present your business live for both funding and visibility.

Tips for finding and applying to minority business grants

Here are some tips that can help aspiring small business owners and existing small businesses find and apply for grants:

• Search strategically. Look online for small business grant lists, and use the major grant databases like the Candid Foundation Directory and Grants.gov, which publishes opportunities from multiple federal agencies offering federal grants. Minority business owners can also find grants through local chambers of commerce, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), and Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) centers, which can connect them with funding opportunities, technical assistance, and business training.
• Examine the fine print. Every grant has its own requirements around location, revenue thresholds, or industry focus. Verify eligibility before investing time in an application, and keep an eye on closing dates as grant listings aren’t always updated. Subscribing to funder newsletters can help you stay ahead of new deadlines.
• Write with purpose. A strong application reflects your passion for the business and an understanding of the funder’s goals. Reference the mission of the grantor where it feels natural, and keep your answers specific and personal. Funders are looking for authentic stories, not boilerplate text.
• Leverage supporting materials. Back up your application with evidence of your work. A clear business plan, solid financial documents, or visuals such as photos and short videos can add weight. Use whatever plays to your strengths. If numbers are your edge, let your plan shine; if branding is a strength, highlight polished visuals.

4 grants for minority-owned businesses

1. Freed Fellowship Grant
2. Pathway to Opportunity Competition2
3. Galaxy Grant
4. TRANSFORM Business Grant

Here are four notable programs that provide funding and support for minority entrepreneurs. While most are traditional grants, some, like pitch competitions, also offer networking and visibility alongside financial awards.

1. Freed Fellowship Grant

• Grant amount: $500 to $2,500
• Eligibility: Micro- and small business owners in the US, with minority and women business owners encouraged
• Deadline: Monthly

The Freed Fellowship Grant awards monthly grants of $500 to small business owners, especially encouraging applications from minority, female, and other marginalized groups of business owners. Awardees are also given one year of access to Freed Studio, which helps them build and leverage their email lists, along with coaching support, business resources, and the chance to win an annual $2,500 grant.

2. Pathway to Opportunity Competition

• Grant amount: $1,250 to $5,000
• Eligibility: Minority-owned businesses in the US with a business-to-business product or service
• Deadline: Annual

While the Pathway to Opportunity Competition began as a pitch competition specifically for Black entrepreneurs, the program has recently expanded its eligibility and welcomes all minority business owners to compete. Each annual competition brings together participants to compete in two live pitch contests, with the chance to win cash awards and receive free networking and exposure. This opportunity is for business solutions, not consumer products.

3. Galaxy Grant

• Grant amount: $2,950 to $25,000
• Eligibility: Minority and women entrepreneurs in the US
• Deadline: Varies

The Galaxy Grant is offered by the nonprofit Galaxy of Stars, a resource network for women and minority businesses. It supports small business owners at any stage of their journey, from aspiring entrepreneurs thinking about starting a business to experienced owners with established businesses. Applications are accepted only from individuals who have created a free or paid Galaxy of Stars membership account.

4. TRANSFORM Business Grant

• Grant amount: $1,000
• Eligibility: US-based entrepreneurs from systematically oppressed groups, regardless of immigration status
• Deadline: Annual

TRANSFORM offers business grants with the explicit goal of wealth redistribution, awarding small grants to minority-owned businesses that make a meaningful social impact. In addition to a small grant award, the TRANSFORM Business Grant offers one year of mentorship and development coaching. Preference is given to small businesses in financial need that share TRANSFORM’s social values and commitment to antiracism.

4 grants for women-owned businesses

1. Amber Grants for Women
2. EmpowHer Grants
3. BGV Pitch Program
4. HerRise MicroGrants

These programs provide funding and support tailored to women-owned small businesses.

1. Amber Grants for Women

• Grant amount: $10,000 to $25,000
• Eligibility: Women-owned small businesses in the US and Canada
• Deadline: Monthly

WomensNet, a female entrepreneurship foundation, awards three Amber Grants each month: one open to all women-owned businesses (including nonprofits), one for startups, and one in a rotating category such as health and fitness and STEM. At the end of the year, three grant recipients are selected for additional $25,000 grants.

2. EmpowHer Grants

• Grant amount: Up to $25,000
• Eligibility: US female founders age 22 and up with socially conscious, revenue-earning businesses not more than three years old
• Deadline: Quarterly

The EmpowHer Grants program is an initiative of The Boundless Futures Foundation, offering support to women-owned eligible small businesses. The businesses must demonstrate social impact in poverty and hunger, sustainability and the environment, or strong communities. Recipients also participate in professional training programs. Funding is distributed as reimbursement for business-related expenses.

3. BGV Pitch Program

• Grant amount: More than $30,000 in total cash prizes

• Eligibility: Under-resourced female founders in the US with revenue-generating businesses

• Deadline: Varies (based on event schedule)

The BGV Pitch Program, sponsored by the Black Girl Ventures Foundation, is a multicity pitch competition for women business founders, where competitors receive pitch coaching and support as they develop a two-minute pitch before a live audience. BGV Pitch events are held throughout the year in major US cities, where audiences are invited to contribute to crowdfunding campaigns for the founders whose pitch they favor.

4. HerRise MicroGrants

• Grant amount: $1,000
• Eligibility: Women-owned businesses in the US with annual revenue under $1 million
• Deadline: Monthly

The female entrepreneurship community HerSuiteSpot offers monthly HerRise MicroGrants, supporting women-owned small businesses. While all women business owners are eligible, under-resourced women and women of color are particularly encouraged to apply. Nonprofits, franchises, and direct sellers are ineligible for the grants.

3 grants for LGBTQ+-owned businesses

1. Queer Business Alliance Microgrants
2. National Pride Grant
3. ROMBA Startup Pitch Competition

These programs provide funding and support for LGBTQ+ business owners, with some also emphasizing mentorship and visibility.

1. Queer Business Alliance (QBA) Microgrants

• Grant amount: $2,500 to $5,000
• Eligibility: LGBTQ+ businesses in the US that are less than a year old
• Deadline: Varies

The nonprofit Queer Business Alliance awards QBA Microgrants to small businesses owned by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Awardees also receive access to volunteer expert advisers for a wide range of development support, and the Queer Business Alliance may help publicize their business.

2. National Pride Grant

• Grant amount: $1,000
• Eligibility: LGBTQIA+ business owners with a US-based company (operating one year or more, with two to 100 employees and less than $5 million in annual revenue)
• Deadline: Annual

The National Pride Grant for LGBTQIA+ Small Businesses awards 25 eligible small businesses with $1,000 microgrants. Offered by Founders First CDC, one of the nation’s leading Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), the grant program focuses on economic empowerment and increasing the number of LGBTQIA+ businesses with revenues exceeding $1 million.

3. ROMBA Startup Pitch Competition

• Grant amount: Up to $2,500
• Eligibility: LGBTQ+ MBA students or alumni with an established startup
• Deadline: Annual

The ROMBA Startup Pitch Competition is a national pitch event organized by Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) in partnership with StartOut. The competition features teams of LGBTQ+ and ally entrepreneurs, with prizes of up to $2,500. Participants must be current or graduated MBA students, with at least one member of the pitch team registered and attending the ROMBA Conference.

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