Current Grants & Funding Programs for Black Business(U.S.)
A) Private & Corporate Grants / Non-dilutive Programs
- Black Ambition Prize (national) — non-dilutive awards + accelerator
Status: The 2025 cycle is now closed; subscribe for 2026 alerts.
Who it’s for: Black and Hispanic founders (general tech, consumer products/services, healthcare, web3, and HBCU track).
Link: Black Ambition application hub. Black Ambition Prize+3Black Ambition Prize+3Black Ambition Prize+3 - Google for Startups – Black Founders Fund (national)
Status: Ongoing program with prior U.S. awards of $150K equity-free plus credits/mentorship; watch the official program page for 2025+ announcements.
Who it’s for: U.S. Black-led startups with traction.
Link: Official program pages. Google for Startups+1 - Comcast RISE (national/regional rounds)
Status: Active program; August 19, 2025 announcement awarded 500 new grant packages in select U.S. regions (includes tech/marketing support and some monetary awards depending on round).
Who it’s for: Small businesses in eligible cities/regions per cycle.
Link: Program and recent award news. RISE+2Comcast Corporation+2 - DoorDash Local Business / Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund (with Hello Alice)
Status: Recurring cycles; Hello Alice portal shows deadlines (e.g., fall 2025 rounds). Typical award $10,000.
Who it’s for: Brick-and-mortar restaurants impacted by natural disasters in the past 12 months (see criteria).
Link: Hello Alice, Grant Page + DoorDash Overview. Hello Alice+1 - Hello Alice – Small Business Grants Hub (multiple rolling opportunities)
Status: Continuously updated list (e.g., Small Business Growth Fund and partner-funded grants; amounts often $5 $5K–$25K).
Who it’s for: U.S. small businesses; many programs prioritize underserved founders, including Black entrepreneurs.
Link: Grants directory. Hello Alice+1 - NAACP x Hello Alice – Black-Owned Business Resource Center
Status: Ongoing resource with current funding opportunities surfaced through the hub.
Who it’s for: Black business owners seeking grants, tools, and community.
Link: NAACP Grants Hub + Hello Alice Partnership Page. NAACP+1
⚠️ Note on Fearless Fund: The Strivers Grant Contest was permanently closed in 2024 following litigation. Don’t plan on that program for future cycles. Wall Street Journal
B) Government / Ecosystem Grant Portals & Programs
- Grants.gov (federal master portal)
Status: Always current — searchable database of federal grants; filter by agency/keyword (e.g., “small business,” “minority”).
Who it’s for: Businesses/nonprofits meeting each opportunity’s eligibility; note that most federal grants do not fund general business startup/expansion.
Link: Grants.gov search + guidance. Grants.gov+2Grants.gov+2 - MBDA (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) – Funding Competitions & Grants
Status: MBDA runs periodic federal funding competitions (often for technical-assistance providers & centers) and keeps an updated grants page; Jan 15, 2025: announced $11M in technical-assistance funding competitions.
Who it’s for: Typically, organizations serving minority businesses; entrepreneurs benefit by engaging MBDA Business Centers funded by these awards.
Link: MBDA grants page + 2025 funding announcement. Minority Business Development Agency+1 - SBA – Minority-Owned Businesses (programs & lender matching)
Status: Active; SBA clarifies the federal gov’t generally doesn’t grant “startup” money, but provides programs (7(a), 504, export, R&D, SBIR/STTR, etc.) and connections to approved lenders.
Who it’s for: Small businesses nationwide; extra emphasis on underserved/MBE communities.
Link: SBA minority-owned page + SBA grants page. SBA+1
C) Certification, Supplier Diversity & Founder Programs (often prerequisites to corporate opportunities)
- ByBlack (U.S. Black Chambers) – National Certification & Grants Aggregator
Status: Certification is ongoing; the ByBlack team also aggregates active grant opportunities (paid list). Certification can unlock access to supplier diversity and corporate programs.
Link: ByBlack / USBC Grant List and Certification Site. byblack.us+1 - NMSDC – Emerging Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) Program
Status: 2025 cohort applications opened; provides a 9-month development program for next-gen minority entrepreneurs (not a cash grant, but valuable capacity-building toward contracts/funding).
Link: 2025 EYE program application announcement. NMSDC
D) Accessible Capital (Loans & Community Finance) — often fastest practical funding
- Kiva U.S. — 0% Interest Microloans
Status: Open/rolling; 0% interest, no fees, no collateral; typical approval 10–15 business days after application/community validation.
Who it’s for: Entrepreneurs who may be shut out of bank credit; amounts vary (commonly up to ~$15K).
Link: Apply page + U.S. info. Kiva+1 - CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) — Local Loan Capital
Status: Year-round lending via mission lenders; more flexible underwriting for underserved founders.
How to use:* Find a CDFI near you** with the national OFN Locator and Federal Reserve CDFI finder (updated Aug 13, 2025). Also see the U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund resources.
Links: OFN Locator • Minneapolis Fed CDFI finder • CDFI Fund leading site. OFN+2Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis+2 - SBA-Backed Lending (7(a), 504, etc.) via SBA Network
Status: Active; SBA maintains tools to get matched to lenders and connect with CDCs for 504 loans. Note: Community Advantage rules were revised in 2025, with program oversight tightened (refer to SBA notices).
Links: SBA interagency capital hub + recent SBA Community Advantage updates. SBA+2SBA+2
Quick How-To: Make These Opportunities Actionable
- Sign up for alerts on each program page (Black Ambition, Google for Startups, Comcast RISE, Hello Alice). Cycles open/close quickly. Hello Alice+3Black Ambition Prize+3Google for Startups+3
- Get certified (ByBlack and/or NMSDC) to increase eligibility for corporate supplier-diversity grants, pilots, and contracts. byblack.us+1
- Line up fast-access capital while grants are pending: apply to Kiva U.S. and contact a local CDFI now; both are friendlier to early-stage/credit-thin founders. Kiva+1
- Utilize federal infrastructure: Set up a saved search on Grants.gov (with email alerts) and check MBDA for new competitions/local center support. Grants.gov+1
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