Small business grant opportunities to apply for in January
December 29, 2025
A new year brings a fresh roundup of current opportunities for small businesses, nonprofits, and creatives – grants, awards, accelerator programs, and other resources. Browse what’s accepting applications and available now, with deadlines throughout January.
Buffalo Institute for Art Micro Grant
Amount: $300
Deadline: 1/1/26 (quarterly)
Overview: The BICA Microgrant offers a no-strings-attached $300 grant to artists and curators producing exhibitions, performances, or other visual arts projects in the greater Buffalo area. Projects must include at least one public event and occur within three months before or after the application date. Applications are submitted online and are due quarterly on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.
Comcast Innovation Fund
Amount: $3,000 - $150,000
Deadline: 1/1/2026
Overview: The Comcast Innovation Fund supports technologists, researchers, and academics working on Internet- and connectivity-related research or open-source development, with 2026 focus areas including low-latency networking, Wi-Fi performance, AI/edge computing, live video streaming latency, and quantum-related cybersecurity and network optimization. Grants are typically in the ~$3,000–$150,000 range, awarded through a two-step process (pre-qualification form first, then an invited full application), and are generally for one-year projects with no indirect/overhead costs covered. The program is open to applicants globally and runs annually until that year’s funding is exhausted.
NYC SBS Customized Training Grant Program
Amount: $10,000 - $400,000
Deadline: 1/2/26
Overview: NYC’s Customized Training Grant Program (run by the Department of Small Business Services) reimburses NYC-based for-profit businesses for up to 60% of employee training costs to help solve business challenges, adopt new tools, expand services, or upskill staff. Grants range from $10,000 to $400,000, require training at least five employees (or applying as a consortium), and businesses pay upfront then receive quarterly reimbursements with a commitment to raise wages after training.
Artists & Mothers Grant
Amount: $25,000
Deadline: 1/2/26
Overview: Artists & Mothers provides $25,000 childcare grants to support NYC-based contemporary artists who identify as mothers at a critical career inflection point. Funds reduce childcare barriers so recipients can sustain and advance their artistic practice.
Roots & Resilience Artist Grant
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 1/2/26
Overview: The Doan Foundation's Roots & Resilience Artist Grant supports Southern California artists and arts & culture organizations creating work around cultural heritage, community strength, and resilience. Grants prioritize projects that uplift underrepresented voices and address community wellbeing.
Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Grant
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 1/2/26
Overview: The Bronx Council on the Arts BRIO Award provides direct support to individual Bronx artists across literary, media, visual, and performing arts. The program recognizes artistic excellence and sustained practice in the Bronx community.
D Prize
Amount: up to $20,000
Deadline: 1/4/26
Overview: Seed grants to launch new ventures that scale distribution of proven poverty-fighting interventions. Focuses on delivering existing solutions to underserved communities.
Stowe Story Labs $50,000 Short Film Production Grant
Amount: $50,000
Deadline: 1/4/26
Overview: Stowe Story Labs awards a $50,000 grant to support the development, production, and distribution of a ~10-minute narrative short film. Mentoring will be available to support the winning project through all aspects of its development and production.
Village Capital x Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Program
Amount: up to $50,000
Deadline: 1/5/26
Overview: The Sage Impact Entrepreneurship Program 2026 supports early-stage, under-resourced U.S. startups creating social and environmental impact, especially across climate, sustainability, and community resilience. Run in partnership with the Sage Foundation, it selects 12–13 startups for a high-touch Core Cohort offering mentoring, financial coaching, product support, and $10K–$50K in grant funding, while 14–16 additional startups join a Community Cohort with resources and visibility. All participants receive two years of post-program support to help them scale solutions that address urgent global challenges.
DoorDash Local Business Disaster Relief Fund
Amount: up to $15,000
Deadline: 1/6/26
Overview: Provides grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to small businesses impacted by natural disasters, severe weather, or infrastructure failures to help them recover and reopen quickly.
KC G.I.F.T. Grant
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: 1/6/26
Overview: The Kansas City G.I.F.T. Grant offers $10,000 to help accelerate Black-owned businesses in Kansas City, MO. To qualify, businesses must be at least 51% Black-owned, located in specified Kansas City/Raytown/Grandview areas, generating revenue for at least 3 months, have annual revenue under $1M, and show job-creation potential; applicants submit a growth plan, business docs, recent financials, and a $25 nonrefundable fee. Awards are selected through committee review and interviews, with optional coaching and future reapplication opportunities after funding.
NewSchools 2026 Grant
Amount: $150,000 to $250,000
Deadline: 1/8/26
Overview: This NewSchools 2026 funding opportunity supports early-stage education innovators developing bold new public school models, K–8 math and literacy solutions, improved teaching approaches (including AI-enabled models), and supports for students with learning differences. Applicants can receive one-year unrestricted grants of $150,000–$250,000, plus expert coaching and access to a national peer community.
Wells Fargo Small Business Fellowship
Deadline: 1/8/26
Overview: The Wells Fargo Small Business Fellowship is a fully funded 16-week program (run with Watson Institute) for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders who strengthen local small-business ecosystems in Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Fellows receive expert-led business and leadership workshops, mentorship and capital connections, plus pitch training and the opportunity to lead a short “Basecamp” workshop and present at an in-person Summit.
Truist Foundation Fellowship
Deadline: 1/12/26
Overview: This 16-week accelerator program supports small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and entrepreneurs driving impact in underserved or underbanked communities across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and South Central U.S. regions. Designed for ventures operating 1–5 years with under 10 employees, the program offers expert-led training, mentorship, peer learning, and leadership opportunities to help participants scale their organizations and deepen community impact. Participants must commit fully to the program’s workshops and immersive sessions, fostering an engaged, collaborative environment for shared growth and innovation.
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition Grants for Artists
Amount: up to $1,500
Deadline: 1/15/26
Overview: The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) offers Grants for Artists to support Oklahoma-based artists in creating visual art for public presentation, advancing professional development, or leading community projects. Grants are available for artists working in visual media, curation, and art writing, with awards based on artistic merit and grant-specific criteria.
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida Small Organization Grant
Amount: up to $2,500
Deadline: 1/15/26
Overview: The Community Foundation’s Small Organization Grants offer one-time awards up to $2,500 for grassroots nonprofits with budgets under $150,000 that have at least two years of work history and serve Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, or St. Johns counties, with applications due January 15, 2026. Grants support basic needs, community-building, youth support, DEI efforts, and capacity strengthening.
Chicago Cultural Grants Individual Artists Program
Amount: up to $6,000
Deadline: 1/15/26
Overview: Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) Individual Artists Program (IAP) offers grants of up to $6,000 to help practicing Chicago artists create, develop, or present work and pursue professional development across disciplines like music, film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts. Applicants must be Chicago residents with specific accepted ID, be 18+, not be full-time undergraduates, and 2025 grantees must sit out one year; DCASE expects to award about 200–250 grants.
Garment District Alliance Business Development Collaborative RFP
Amount: ~$100,000
Deadline: 1/15/26
Overview: The Garment District Alliance (GDA) is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to serve as “Program Managers” for Cycle 5 of its Business Development Collaborative (BDC), delivering 6–9 months of programming that strengthens Garment District businesses—especially legacy fashion and manufacturing sectors impacted by the 2025 rezoning. Selected programs can include workshops and training, 1:1 consultations, networking and marketing events, and workforce development initiatives, but cannot provide cash grants and must have a strong nexus to the Garment District. Proposals are due January 15, 2026, and contracts are paid quarterly on a reimbursement basis, with program reporting and collaboration requirements across the cohort.
National Creative Forces® Community Engagement Grant
Amount: up to $25,000
Deadline: 1/15/26
Overview: The Creative Forces® Community Engagement Grants fund arts-based programs that support the health and well-being of military-connected individuals who have experienced trauma by building resilience, creativity, and social connection. Offered by the NEA in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, the program provides matching grants of up to $10,000 (emerging projects) or $25,000 (advanced projects) for one-year initiatives run by eligible nonprofits or government/tribal entities with at least three years of relevant programming experience. Applications close January 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and funded projects begin on or after July 1, 2026.
Braze Tech for an Equitable Future
Amount: $26,500 (product value)
Deadline: 1/16/26
Overview: The Tech for an Equitable Future program by Braze supports underrepresented founders by providing 12 months of free access to the Braze customer engagement platform and supporting services. The program helps startups scale by enabling personalized, multi-channel customer engagement without requiring large teams or deep technical expertise.
Amex Shop Small Grants Program
Amount: $20,000
Deadline: 1/16/26
Overview: The Amex Shop Small Grants Program is a new American Express–Main Street America initiative that will award 250 U.S. small businesses $20,000 each (from an initial $5M pool) to fund projects that help them grow, innovate, and benefit their local communities. Eligible applicants are for-profit, independently owned brick-and-mortar businesses in the 50 states or DC with 20 or fewer FTE employees.
DC Great Streets Small Business Retail Grant Program
Amount: up to $90,000
Deadline: 1/16/26
Overview: The DC Great Streets Small Business Retail Grant is designed to strengthen and revitalize commercially underserved corridors by helping new and existing retail businesses retain customers and innovate for long-term sustainability. It prioritizes projects and collaborations that go beyond traditional building improvements—supporting essential goods and services and encouraging corridor-wide transformation through new opportunities and business retention. The total amount of funding available for this program is $2.5M, with anticipated awards of up to $90,000 per applicant.
DC Great Streets Locally Made Manufacturing Grant
Amount: up to $400,000
Deadline: 1/16/26
Overview: The Locally Made Manufacturing Grant program supports local businesses that are located in a Great Streets corridor that engage in light manufacturing, by providing funding for capital or tenant improvements of commercial property with a designated industrial use. This grant is intended to grow the District’s local business economy, bolster manufacturing, and strengthen supply chains within the city. DMPED anticipates making up to 10 awards for up to $400,000, per award.
DC Great Streets Emerging Retail Initiative
Amount: up to $40,000
Deadline: 1/16/26
Overview: D.C.’s FY2026 Emerging Retail Initiative (ERI), run by the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, provides grants to help emerging consumer-goods businesses test and grow their concepts in a low-risk, temporary retail setting. The program uses a “temporary-use” model—supporting pop-ups, short-term leases, and incubator-style spaces—to activate vacant storefronts and build vibrant retail hubs in underserved commercial corridors. Its goal is to help businesses build brand awareness and scale toward permanent brick-and-mortar locations while boosting local economic vitality and community engagement. DMPED anticipates making up to 10 awards for up to $40,000, per award.
Her Agenda Breakthrough Grant Volume II
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 1/18/26
Overview: The Breakthrough Grant: Volume II is a $5,000 grant created by Her Agenda to support women entrepreneurs seeking resources to grow and overcome barriers in their businesses. Open to entrepreneurs with an operating business who are subscribed to the Her Agenda newsletter.
Sky High Farm Grants (2026)
Amount: up to $30,000
Deadline: 1/20/26
Overview: Sky High Farm awards grants to individuals working in agriculture, food justice, and land sovereignty to support community-driven solutions to food insecurity. Funding ranges widely to match project scope, with $350,000 awarded across recipients.
Michigan Arts and Culture Council Mission Support Grant
Amount: up to $30,000
Deadline: 1/22/26
Overview: The Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) offers grant programs to support organizations delivering arts and cultural services across Michigan, aiming to expand access to creative expression and the civic/economic benefits of arts and culture. The Mission Support Grant, funds qualifying 501(c)(3) arts and culture nonprofits for needs like operations, facility/equipment improvements, professional development, and arts education/field trips.
Michigan Arts and Culture Council Experience Support Grant
Amount: up to $30,000
Deadline: 1/22/26
Overview: The Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) offers grant programs to support organizations delivering arts and cultural services across Michigan, aiming to expand access to creative expression and the civic/economic benefits of arts and culture. The Experience Support grant funds arts- and culture-related projects for Michigan organizations whose primary mission isn’t arts and culture, including municipalities, tribal entities, schools, universities, and non-arts nonprofits. Applicants can request support for projects, facilities/equipment, professional development, and field trips.
U.S. Venture/Schmidt Family Foundation Grant
Amount: up to $50,000
Deadline: 1/23/26
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.
USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Mental Health Accelerator Emerging Filmmakers Grant
Amount: $20,000
Deadline: 1/26/26
Overview: The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Mental Health Accelerator (presented by Kristen Bell and Dr. Stacy L. Smith) awards up to three emerging filmmakers $20,000 each to produce a short fictional film centered on a mental health story that highlights resiliency and emotional capacity. Applicants must be 21+, eligible to work and reside in the U.S., and have made at least two prior short films, with priority for projects that can serve as proof of concept for a feature. Applications close January 26, 2026, winners are announced in March 2026, and completed films will be screened at an event in May 2026.
New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship
Amount: $8,000
Deadline: 1/27/26
Overview: The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted grant for artists who live in New York State and/or one of its Tribal Nations, meant to support an artist’s overall vision rather than a specific project. Eligible disciplines in 2026 include: Craft/Sculpture, Digital/Electronic Arts, Nonfiction Literature, Poetry, and Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts. Applicants must be 25+, have at least two consecutive years of NYS (or Tribal Nation) residency, not be enrolled in a degree program, and not have won a fellowship in the past five years. For the 2026 cycle, applications open December 2, 2025 and close January 27, 2026, with notifications in Summer 2026.
Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant
Amount: up to $25,000
Deadline: 1/31/26
Overview: Awards $25,000 grants to 20 painters, sculptors, and printmakers annually who have been practicing in a mature phase of their art for 20+ years. Open to individual artists regardless of commercial success. Not open to students, organizations, or those working in photography, film, crafts, or digital media unless the work is clearly related to painting or sculpture.
Capital One Mobility Accelerator
Deadline: 1/31/26
Overview: Accelerator focused on innovations in mobility, transportation, and related fintech/services. Offers programming, mentorship, and potential partnerships.
Inland Empire Community Foundation CIELO Fund
Amount: up to $15,000
Deadline: 1/31/26
Overview: The CIELO Fund, housed at the Inland Empire Community Foundation, provides grants of up to $15,000 to support organizations and initiatives led by—and serving—Latinos in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The fund focuses on uplifting the Inland Empire Latino community through community investments, leadership development, research, and narrative-shifting efforts. The 2026 grant application opens December 15, 2025 and closes January 31, 2026, with a technical assistance workshop on January 8, 2026.
Breva Thrive Grant for Small Business Growth
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: 1/31/26
Overview: Quarterly grants for U.S.-based small businesses who are having a positive impact in an underrepresented community. One entrepreneur each round receives $5,000 to invest in their business and community.
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