Women Business Grants

Women are increasingly become small business owners. Women-owned businesses exist in nearly every community in the United States. These businesses are varied from professional services, real estate, child care, retail shops, and many more.

To start and sustain a small business, women need access to capital and financing. Many have asked about small business grants for women. Are there grants for women in business?

What About Grants for Women in Business?

Government business grants for women are available through select government agencies. Federal grants are limited to research and development. Eleven federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and Department of Defenses offer Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. These grants allow small businesses research an idea and concept and determine its marketability. SBIR grants are only for research and not for start up. However, winning an SBIR grant is a significant start to developing a small business.

Women small business grants are available on the State and local level. There are grants for economic, housing, and community development that need businesses as partners. Most of these grants will be public-private partnerships that benefit the business and a community that needs homes and jobs.

Foundations and corporations do offer women small business grants and school scholarships. While scholarships are not grants, they are free money that does not need to be paid back. There is a diversity of private grants that are given to women who show leadership and promise in their field. There are web sites that have directories for grants for women. FoundationCenter.org is one of the largest private grant databases in the U.S. The site provides a wealth of grant seeking and grant writing advice.

Small Business Training and Counseling for Women

The Small Business Administration (SBA) states that there are no federal funds available to start or expand women owned businesses.

However, the Small Business Administration manages the Office of Women’s Business Ownership, which oversees 100 Women Business Centers in the U.S. These Centers provide training, counseling and technical assistance to women who want to grow their businesses. These services are usually free of charge or very low cost. This assistance can help point out government grants for women in business.

Women business owners can also access free mentoring through SCORE (www.score.org). The federal government recognizes the non-profit organization SCORE as an excellent business resource for women. Mentoring is available online and also face-to-face.