Small business grant opportunities to apply for in December
November 24, 2025
This December brings a fresh roundup of current opportunities for small businesses and nonprofits – grants, accelerator programs, awards, and other helpful resources. Browse what’s accepting applications and available now.
American Express Leadership Academy
Deadline: 12/1/25
Overview: Leadership development program for emerging nonprofit and social sector leaders. Focuses on skills building, peer learning, and impact.
Makers Future Fund
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/3/25
Overview: The Nest Makers Future Fund is a financial readiness and capital access program for U.S.-based maker-entrepreneurs and craft business leaders, providing coaching, peer support, and training to help them reach financial goals and grow. Selected participants receive intensive financial readiness coaching plus a $5,000 “business boost” grant.
Mid-America Arts Alliance Catalyze Program
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 12/3/25
Overview: The Catalyze Program, run by Mid-America Arts Alliance with support from the Windgate Foundation, provides $10,000 fellowships to 25 artists annually in central Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta. Open to creatives in 31 counties who have at least three years of experience and a commitment to advancing their practice, the program combines flexible, practice-based funding with professional development, one-on-one mentoring, and strategic guidance.
Bold Path Fellowship
Amount: $120,000
Deadline: 12/5/25
Overview: The Bold Path Fellowship is a two-year, full-time program that provides $120,000 in funding, mentorship, and resources to help individuals from under-resourced or first-generation backgrounds pursue entrepreneurship after earning a degree or credential. It aims to make entrepreneurship a viable career pathway by supporting fellows through the costly and time-intensive early stages of building a business. Current and upcoming cohorts are based in Birmingham (AL), Raleigh-Durham (NC), and Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN), funded by the ECMC Group Education Impact Fund and ECMC Foundation.
CyberTech|X Accelerator
Deadline: 12/5/25
Overview: TCyberTech|X Accelerator is a program for early-stage cybersecurity startups, offering strategic support, global connections, and mentorship from a large network of investors, mentors, and industry partners. Participants get warm investor intros, expert coaching, media exposure, major startup perks, and opportunities to pitch and network, with sponsors including groups like Bank of America, EY, and others.
Men Deserve Flowers Prize
Amount: $1,500 + advertising
Deadline: 12/5/25
Overview: The Men Deserve Flowers Prize honors a male founder whose business measurably improves community wellness – physical health, mental well-being, or financial empowerment – especially with meaningful impact on NYC residents (even if the founder isn’t NYC-based). One winner receives a $1,500 microgrant from HuCapital plus a month-long campaign on 50+ LinkNYC digital billboards (total prize valued at $30K+).
Chasm Momentum Grant
Amount: $25,000
Deadline: 12/8/25
Overview: The CHASM Momentum Grant awards one female founder a $25,000 grant to help accelerate her company’s next stage. It’s aimed at women-led ventures with early traction and a clear plan for how the funding will drive growth, and is judged by Aleen Dreksler, co-founder/CEO of Betches Media.
Workbar's Small Business Grant
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/8/25
Overview: Workbar’s Small Business Grant Contest awards one Massachusetts-based small business a $5,000 check plus a year of free unlimited coworking, with additional coworking memberships for two runner-ups (6 months) and the top 10 finalists (3 months).
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 12/10/25
Overview: After completing two courses on the Verizon platform, small businesses become eligible to access a $10,000 grant application. 50 small businesses will be awarded with $10,000 grants.
Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge
Amount: $2.5-$5M
Deadline: 12/11/25
Overview: The Workplace Innovation Now (WIN) Challenge is a $60 million grant initiative led by Aspen Digital and supported by Melinda French Gates’ organization, Pivotal, to scale innovative solutions that help women thrive in a rapidly evolving workplace. The competition focuses on three pillars – Culture & Practices, AI, and Narrative – and will award up to eight grantees per category with $2.5–$5 million each. Its goal is to improve workplace culture, leverage AI for equity, and reshape narratives so all workers, especially women, can succeed.
Innovate Grant
Amount: $1,800
Deadline: 12/11/25
Overview: Innovate Grant supports artists and photographers through quarterly $1,800 grants.
Home Depot Veteran Housing Grant
Amount: up to $500,000
Deadline: 12/12/25
Overview: Funding for nonprofits to build or repair housing for U.S. veterans, including accessibility modifications and critical repairs.
SKU CPG Accelerator
Deadline: 12/12/25
Overview: SKU’s Spring ’26 Track is a 12-week hybrid consumer packaged goods (CPG) accelerator open to market-validated startups nationwide, offering hands-on mentorship from industry experts, investors, and serial entrepreneurs, mostly remote with two in-person events and a final investor showcase pitch. Selected companies trade up to 5% equity for the program’s mentorship, network, and ongoing support, with applications due December 12.
D Prize
Amount: up to $20,000
Deadline: 12/14/25
Overview: Seed grants to launch new ventures that scale distribution of proven poverty-fighting interventions. Focuses on delivering existing solutions to underserved communities.
Sonsie x Shopify Mindful Beauty Award
Amount: $25,000 + resources
Deadline: 12/14/25
Overview: The Sonsie x Shopify Mindful Beauty Award provides $100,000 in resources (cash/credits/prizes), plus mentorship and brand amplification, to help early-stage female-founded beauty and wellness brands grow. Eligible applicants are U.S.-resident female founders with a beauty/wellness store that’s been open less than 12 months or is currently in development.
Illinois Grocery Initiative - Equipment Upgrade Grant
Amount: $25,000 to $250,000
Deadline: 12/15/25
Overview: Supports independently owned grocery stores in Illinois making energy-efficient equipment upgrades. Open to grocers with <500 employees and ≤4 locations. Stores must accept SNAP/WIC and sell fresh, unprocessed foods.
Hiring Our Heroes’ Small Business Grant Program
Amount: up to $25,000
Deadline: 12/15/25
Overview: Hiring Our Heroes’ Veterans & Military Spouses Small Business Grant Program awards five veteran- or military spouse–owned small businesses one-time grants to help them grow. Four businesses receive $10,000 each and one receives $25,000, funded through the FedEx Founder’s Fund via the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis.
Nearshored Manufacturing Grant
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: 12/15/25
Overview: Get Nearshored is offering three $1,000 manufacturing grants (a $3,000 total pool) to U.S.-based small businesses with under $5M in annual revenue that sell physical products and are actively looking to nearshore production to the U.S., Canada, Latin America, or Europe. Winners can use the funds toward inventory/production (including samples, materials, or packaging) and also receive introductions to vetted manufacturers, expert nearshoring guidance, and a feature on the platform.
U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation Grant
Amount: up to $50,000
Deadline: 12/15/25
Overview: Supports nonprofits improving lives in areas like education, health, and equity. Grants support a wide range of funding requests including specific program needs, capital support, and general operating support.
Global Citizen Cisco Youth Leadership Award
Amount: $250,000
Deadline: 12/17/25
Overview: The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award recognizes a 18–30-year-old who has used technology to make a meaningful contribution toward ending extreme poverty. The winner is selected through an application process and the award includes a $250,000 prize paid to the recipient’s organization, with the winner announced at Global Citizen NOW in May 2026 in New York City.
Independent Lens Creator Lab
Amount: up to $36,000
Deadline: 12/19/25
Overview: The Independent Lens Creator Lab is a six-month accelerator for six standout vertical-video storytellers making social-media nonfiction. Participants get up to $36K in production funds, mentorship, and industry support, and will create up to 12 original videos for Independent Lens/PBS social channels. It targets charismatic creators with inclusive, empathetic voices and an engaged Gen Z/millennial audience of roughly 10K–100K followers, with ITVS owning the commissioned videos.
2026 National Small Business Week Awards
Deadline: 12/22/25
Overview: The National Small Business Week Awards, run by the U.S. Small Business Administration, recognize standout entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community partners from every state and U.S. territory, including categories like Small Business Person of the Year, Exporter of the Year, and various district and counseling awards. Winners are honored at a two-day celebration in Washington, D.C., receive national promotion through SBA media channels, a trophy, and PR support to amplify their achievement.
Hey Helen Grant
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 12/30/25
Overview: The Hey Helen Grant gives $10,000 in financial support to women founders building impactful, mission-driven businesses in the U.S. Funds can be used for operations, growth, marketing, hiring, or infrastructure.
Darcy's Business Freedom Grant
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: The $1,000 Business Freedom Grant, created by Coach Darcy (Darcy’s Business), provides up to $1,000 to help people launch or grow a business, with funds usable for essentials like registration, marketing, equipment/tech, websites, inventory, or training. It’s open to anyone with a clear business idea or an existing small business in any industry.
Galaxy Holiday Grant
Amount: $2,025
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Galaxy Grants, powered by Hidden Star 501(c)(3), is offering a free-to-apply $2,025 Galaxy Holiday Grant to support women and minority business owners. The application takes about 30 seconds, is due December 31, 2025, and winners will be announced the following week.
Skip $10,000 Year-End Grants
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Skip’s $10k 2025 Year-End Grants will award two $10,000 cash grants to U.S.-based entrepreneurs and small business owners age 18+. One grant is open to all eligible applicants and the other is reserved for Skip Plus members.
Spectrum Reach Pay It Forward
Amount: In-kind (ad credits/resources)
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: In-kind advertising and marketing resources for small businesses through Spectrum Reach's Pay It Forward initiative.
Visible Hands NYC Founder Fellowship
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: The Founder Fellowship (VHNYC) is a 14-week hybrid program for early-stage, underrepresented founders in New York City building high-growth tech or tech-enabled startups. Participants join a tight cohort of 15 founders, receive a $10,000 non-dilutive business grant, and gain access to expert-led workshops, community events, and potential future investment. As part of NYCEDC’s Venture Access NYC initiative, the program focuses on improving access to capital and networks for overlooked founders across the five boroughs.
Threadneedle Alley Foundation Grant
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Threadneedle Alley Foundation awards at least three $5,000 grants annually to U.S.-based entrepreneurs age 40+ from underserved communities or facing financial challenges, paired with ongoing mentorship. Winners receive a lead mentor with monthly virtual check-ins plus access to a broader expert mentor bench.
Start Pivot Grow Micro Grant
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Provides $2,500 micro-grants to active U.S.-based businesses each quarter, helping cover essential expenses and support business growth.
Secretsos™ Small Business Grant
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Awards $2,500 grants quarterly to small businesses, with a focus on entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional investors; funds can be used flexibly for growth and operations.
Faire Small Business Grant
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Offers $5,000 grants to new U.S.-based retail businesses that have opened in the past year or plan to launch this year. Funding is designed to help cover inventory and startup expenses.
ZenBusiness Grant Program
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Awards 40 grants to current customers of ZenBusiness who formed their business within 3–6 months. Supports foundational growth for small businesses.
Walmart Spark Good Local Grants
Amount: up to $5,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: Quarterly grants for organizations addressing local needs. Open to 501(c)(3) charities, public entities, and educational groups; must be Deed-verified and have a Spark Good account.
Women Founders Grant
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 12/31/25
Overview: $5,000 rolling grants for majority women-founded businesses at any stage, from side hustles to established ventures. Simple application with two questions; $25 non-refundable fee. Winners are chosen based on passion, authenticity, and merit.
Looking for more grants or help applying? Fill out our common app.
