Free money sounds way too good to be true, but if you are a small business owner it could become a reality. When people think of grants, they most often associate them with nonprofit organizations, but there are also hundreds of grants available to entrepreneurs and small business owners. These can be sponsored by the federal, state, or local government, corporations, and  even nonprofits. Today, we have gathered information about a few of these opportunities, but this list is far from inclusive and some independent research can lead you to even more results. 

The Small Business Innovation Research Program

This is a program run by eleven government agencies that each create the selection criteria. They are focused on supporting small businesses engaged in research and development that has commercial potential. Applicants that receive this award are typically working on a project related to technological or scientific innovation. The award amount ranges from $150,000 to $1 million.

Kuvio Creative Impact Grant

Of course, we have to give our own grant program a shout-out in this article. The Kuvio Creative Impact Grant is open to nonprofit organizations as well as women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned small businesses. Recipients are eligible to receive the full-suite of Kuvio services including web design web development, branding, marketing, and operations consulting. Winners receive up to 100 hours of services depending on the scope of their project. The next round of applications will be open from July 15 to September 10. You can also check back in July for the announcement of our first grant recipient. 

Intuit National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Grant

Intuit and the National Association for the Self-Employed collaborate on a grant that awards up to $4,000 to help small businesses and entrepreneurs take their business to the next level. Historically, these grants are given out annually and the Intuit website is the best place to gather the latest updates about applying.

The FedEx Small Business Grant

This nationwide program selects ten small businesses each year to receive up to $25,000. This grant has very few requirements about what industry your business needs to be a part of making it a great option. If you want to get a sense of what they are looking for, you can learn about past winners and hear from their founders on the website.

The Etsy Maker Cities Grant

If you are a maker of something, whether it be crafts, furniture, clothing or anything else, this one's for you. While the grant program itself is only open to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, it is  used to support small businesses. It is a good idea to keep an eye on the recipients of this grant in case they are nearby and you can make a connection.

The Chase Mission Main Street Grants

The Chase grant program awards twenty small businesses with $150,000 each. To apply, businesses owners answer a variety of essay questions about their business and impact and a panel of executives and business experts select the winners. Not only do recipients get the cash, they also get a trip to a small business conference at Google and other wrap-around perks. 

Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation awards grants to businesses and nonprofits that empower women, improve access to clean water, foster healthy living, and advance youth development. If your small business does not directly address one of these goals maybe one of your clients does and you can reap the rewards of them receiving the grant. 

The National Association for the Self-Employed Grant Program

This association awards grants in amounts up to $5,000. We wanted to mention this grant because it is one that makes it quite easy to register and see if you are eligible. If you remember, we mentioned that some of these grants are in partnership with Intuit, but many are awarded separately from that program.

The Open Meadows Foundation

This program awards projects that are led by women and that seek to aid racial, gender, or economic justice. Recipients receive up to $2,000 for their project.

Rural Business Enterprise Grant

This program offers grants to small businesses and organizations that are focused on rural development, “including, by not limited to, infrastructural development, working capital for startup businesses, purchasing equipment, and real estate development.” Grants range between $10,000 and $50,000 and smaller requests are given higher priority.

A Grant for Greatness

This grant is funded by AT&T experts and offers $1,000 to unique business ideas. To apply, you explain your concept through a 2-minute video. This grant is more geared toward businesses hoping to launch and established companies cannot have annual revenue that is greater than $20,000.

Even more small business grant ideas can be found here: https://www.finimpact.com/small-business-grants/

We hope these ideas help you score some free cash for your small business or at least inspire you to seek funding in unexpected places. Have you received a small business grant? Let us know on Twitter, @KuvioCreative. 

Kuvio Creative is a web design and development company of remote workers spread across the globe that innovate to bring client’s ideas to life. Learn more.