Small Business Grants for Women

There are a variety of small business grants specifically for female entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses. These grants primarily come from private sources, and they tend to be competitive and offer relatively modest amounts of money. Meanwhile, government assistance for women-owned businesses or firms being started by women often focus on education and networking to access investors and lenders. Here is an overview of resources available to female entrepreneurs.

Consider working with a financial advisor as you seek funding for your small business.

Growth of Women-Owned Businesses in the U.S.

In the U.S., there are over 14.5 million women-owned businesses, accounting for almost 40% of all firms, with $3.3 trillion in sales and nearly 13 million employees, according to a 2025 Wells Fargo report. ¹ Perhaps even more significantly, the study found a total 17.1% annual growth rate in the number of women-owned firms from 2019 to 2024.

Much of this growth has come despite the fact that women-owned businesses were not generally funded by grants. A 2025 Guidant Financial survey found that women-owned firms were primarily funded using ROBS (Rollovers as Business Startups), cash and SBA loans.

Grants for Women-Owned Businesses

Several grant programs are available specifically for women starting or running their own businesses.

Amber Grants

WomensNet awards a $10,000 Amber Grant monthly to women-owned businesses, with applicants automatically considered for both a general monthly grant and a category-specific grant based on their industry. ² At the end of the year, three $50,000 grants are awarded to past monthly winners. To qualify, businesses must be at least 50% women-owned in the U.S. or Canada.

Asian Women Giving Circle

The Asian Women Giving Circle supports Asian-American women-led projects in New York City. Grant recipients use arts and culture to encourage progressive social transformation and raise awareness of issues affecting Asian-American women, girls, and gender-expansive people and families. ³ Past recipients include documentary films, film festivals and multimedia performances.

Cartier Women’s Initiative

The Cartier Women’s Initiative is an international competition that awards $100,000 to women-owned businesses in nine different regions of the globe. ⁴ Second-place awardees get $60,000 each, while third-place awardees receive $30,000. All 21 finalists also receive coaching, scholarships and other benefits. Successful applicants are women-run and women-owned businesses in any industry that seek to make strong and sustainable social or environmental impacts.

Grants for Women

The site lists dozens of sources of financial assistance for women-led organizations. ⁵ Many are education grants or scholarships. Others are only for nonprofit organizations, generally including those that advocate on issues such as domestic violence and workplace harassment. There are also programs to help businesses network with potential lenders or equity investors.

The Small Business Administration

Businesswomen can receive valuable support in non-grant ways. For example, the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Women’s Business Ownership oversees a national network of 125 Women’s Business Centers that can help female entrepreneurs identify and apply for any federal small business grants for women that may be available in their location. ⁶ Many of these centers offer training and counseling in a number of languages and dialects, helping reach underserved markets with various programs.

Other Programs Available to Small Business Owners

There are programs that, while not specifically designed for women, still aim to support small businesses. For example, the SBA coordinates the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs that offer small business grants for women contributing to research and development. These grants come from 11 federal agencies, whose websites post the opportunities.

While not restricted to women, another useful resource is grants.gov, which functions as a clearinghouse for grant opportunities.

How to Strengthen Your Funding Strategy

While grants can be a helpful source of capital, they should be viewed as part of a broader funding strategy. Because most grant programs are competitive and offer limited awards, you can improve your chances of long-term business success by using a mix of funding sources.

Begin by developing a clear business plan that outlines how much funding you need, what the money will be used for and how it will contribute to growth. Grant committees and lenders often evaluate applicants based on how effectively they can demonstrate a return on the funds requested. Strong financial documentation—such as revenue history, projected cash flow and expense management—can improve your credibility.

In addition to small business grants for women, consider other financing options, such as low-interest loans, business lines of credit or investor partnerships. The SBA and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) often offer programs designed to help female entrepreneurs access credit on fair terms.

Networking can also play a key role in strengthening your funding opportunities. Many professional associations, business incubators and women’s business centers offer valuable benefits, such as mentorship, pitch training and introductions to potential investors. These connections can be especially valuable for first-time business owners.

How to Write a Strong Grant Application

Finding grant programs you qualify for is only the first step. Winning them requires a focused and well-prepared application, and the difference between a successful submission and an unsuccessful one often comes down to how clearly and compellingly you present your business and your need for funding.

Start by reading each program’s requirements carefully before writing a single word. Grant committees are specific about what they want to see, and applications that miss required components or drift from the stated priorities are often eliminated early regardless of how strong the underlying business is. Tailoring your application to the language and values of each individual program, rather than recycling a single generic proposal, signals that you have done your homework and understand what the grantor is trying to accomplish.

The narrative portion of your application carries significant weight. Grant reviewers read many submissions, and a clear, specific account of who you are, what your business does and why the funding matters will hold attention better than vague or overly formal language. Concrete details about your customers, your market and the problem your business solves are more persuasive than broad claims about potential impact. Where your personal story connects meaningfully to your business mission, sharing it can strengthen the application without overpowering the business case.

Financial documentation needs to be organized, accurate and easy to follow. Revenue history, projected cash flow and a specific breakdown of how the grant funds will be used all demonstrate that you have thought carefully about the money and can be trusted to deploy it effectively. Vague budget justifications are one of the most common reasons otherwise competitive applications fall short. If your numbers tell a clear story on their own, let them.

Applying to multiple programs at the same time is a more effective strategy than waiting for one result before pursuing another. Grant cycles vary, awards are limited and even strong applications are sometimes unsuccessful simply due to competition. Treating grant seeking as an ongoing effort rather than a one-time attempt gives you more opportunities and helps you refine your approach with each submission.

If an application is unsuccessful, reaching out to ask for feedback is worth doing when the program allows it. Understanding why a submission did not advance can sharpen your next attempt and sometimes reveals a fixable issue that had nothing to do with the strength of your business.

Bottom Line

The relative lack of grants specifically for women-owned businesses means seed money is often coming from other sources. There are grants available for businesswomen and other non-grant resources that can support the current surge in women-owned enterprises, and state and local options are worth exploring alongside national programs as a more accessible starting point.

“State and local organizations focused on supporting women-owned businesses may offer less competitive grants than national or international organizations. Consider using smaller grant opportunities like these, or focusing on industry-specific ones, as a stepping stone,” said Loudenback, CFP®.

Tanza Loudenback, Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), provided the quote used in this article. Please note that Tanza is not a participant in SmartAsset AMP, is not an employee of SmartAsset and has been compensated. The opinion voiced in the quote is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations.

Tips for Women-Owned Businesses

• Consider working with a financial advisor experienced in working with entrepreneurs. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
• If your business is struggling as a result of the pandemic, the government’s coronavirus economic support includes paid sick leave, an employee retention tax credit, a tax deadline extension and many other forms of aid for businesses.

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