Amazon Small Business Grants: + 5 Extra Grant Opportunities

Amazon small business grants are a solid option for helping your Amazon business get funding. You might be surprised to learn that Amazon actually offers a number of grant and funding programs for sellers to take advantage of.

From the 2023 Amazon Small Business Grant to the Amazon Black Business Accelerator and other programs, there are several funding options available from Amazon. 

If you're a small business owner, you know how challenging it can be to secure funding and resources to grow your business. Amazon grants can be a potential solution.

These grants help small businesses maintain their operations and grow.

In this article, we'll cover some of the helpful ways that Amazon Small Business Grants can actually fuel your business.

You’ll learn about:

• What Amazon small business grants are?
• 5 Amazon small business grants to grow your business
• Where to find Amazon small business grants
• How to apply to Amazon small business grants
• How to maximize and leverage the benefit of grant money.

Let’s get into it!

What Are Amazon Small Business Grants?

Amazon small business grants supply financial resources to entrepreneurs. Whether you sell on Amazon FBA or not in the FBA program, grants can be a much-needed lifeline to businesses operating on Amazon.

Amazon grants are provided by Amazon and other sources.

They are perfect to help a small business with:

• Staffing
• Marketing or advertising costs
• Operations
• Inventory
• Business expansion.

When you think about Amazon small business grants, the Amazon Small Business Grant program probably comes to mind.

The 2023 Amazon Small Business Grant program (now closed) awarded over $250,000 in prizes and grants to 15 U.S. businesses.

The prizes included:

• Grants ranging from $15K to $25K
• 1-Year Business Prime membership
• Free products from Eero and Kindle Scribe
• Consultation with Amazon Business team.

They were awarded to small businesses that demonstrated a strong commitment to their community and had a clear plan for how the funds would be used to grow their business.

Read more about how the Amazon Small Business Grant works here.

According to Amazon, the Amazon Small Business Grants program is part of Amazon's commitment to supporting small businesses. 

They recognize that small businesses are the backbone of the economy and that they play a vital role in creating jobs and driving economic growth. 

By providing financial support to small businesses, Amazon is helping to ensure that these businesses have the resources they’re looking for to maintain operations and grow in the future.

If you are a small business owner and are interested in applying for an Amazon Small Business Grant, you can visit the Amazon Small Business Grants website to learn more about the program and to apply. 

Outside of Amazon, you can find small business grants from other organizations, including nonprofits, local, regional, and national initiatives, community-based programs, and other sources.

A thorough Google search can uncover some of these grant programs.

I searched the web and spotted 5 Amazon small business grants I’m excited to share with you. Here they are…

5 Amazon Small Business Grants To Fuel Your Business

Here's a list of 5 business grants available to entrepreneurs selling on Amazon or not! Discover these funding opportunities and apply if it's a good fit!

1. Amazon Black Business Accelerator

The Amazon Black Business Accelerator program was created to help Black-owned businesses thrive. 

This program provides:

• $25,000 grant
• Access to mentorship
• Training and other resources.

To apply for the Amazon Black Business Accelerator, just visit the Amazon Small Business Grants website.

2. 10K Skip Grant For Entrepreneurs

The 10K Skip Grant for Entrepreneurs is a grant program designed to help entrepreneurs get funding for business growth.

Grant winners receive up to $10,000.

To be eligible to apply, you should be a U.S. business and be aged 18+ years old.

Skip is an excellent resource for businesses and home to dozens of different business grant opportunities you can search for right on their website!

3. FedEX Small Business Grant

The FedEx Small Business Grant is a grant program designed to help small businesses grow and succeed. They’ve given out nearly 2 million dollars to businesses!

This grant awards up to $50,000 to selected businesses along with:

• An opportunity to connect with other winners in live and virtual forums
• Access to feedback sessions with FedEx executives
• An opportunity to participate in the small business network.

To be eligible for this grant:

• Your business must be located in the United States
• You should have fewer than 100 employees, and
• Have an annual revenue of less than $5 million.

You can apply for the FedEx Small Business Grant through the FedEx website.

4. 2024 Veterans Business Battle

The 2024 Veterans Business Battle by Rice University is a competition designed to help veteran-owned businesses grow and succeed. It launched November 11, 2023 and the deadline to apply is February 13, 2024. The battle runs April 18, 2024 through April 20, 2024.

Military veterans can pitch their businesses for a chance to battle off against fellow veteran entrepreneurs. Grants are awarded up to $50,000 to selected businesses. 

The competition is run in three phases, which you can learn about here.

To be eligible for this grant, your business must be veteran-owned.

You can apply for the 2024 Veterans Business Battle through the Rice Business website.

Read this post for more resources available to veterans, including additional grants and support.

5. EmpowHer Grant

The EmpowHer Grant, provided by Boundless Futures Foundation, is a grant program designed to help women-owned businesses grow and succeed. 

This program provides grants of up to $25,000 to selected businesses. Grantees also get access to financial, marketing, and other professionals.

To be eligible for this grant, you should be:

• U.S.-operated, female entrepreneur business
• Business must address a social issue
• Must be 22 years old or older
• Business must be 3 years old or younger
• Have an annual revenue of less than $1 million.

You can apply for the EmpowHer Grant through this link on Skip or go directly to the application form.

With a variety of different grant programs available, there is sure to be a program that is right for your business.

Here’s more info on how and where you find Amazon small business grants…

Where Can You Find Different Amazon Small Business Grants?

Amazon small business grants are offered by Amazon and outside organizations. To search for these business grants, the first place you can turn to is Amazon.com

Visit The Amazon Business Website

This is a great place to start in your search for Amazon small business grants. Find information about:

• Grants available
• Eligibility
• Application process.

You’ll also find a list of past grant recipients, giving you some helpful insight into what kinds of businesses Amazon selects for the grant program.

Check Out Amazon On Social Media

Another good place to search for grants provided by Amazon is their social channels. This is where they are likely to announce new and upcoming business grant programs.

This includes Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to name a few.

Follow Amazon on social media to stay updated with their latest announcements, news, and updates about grant programs.

Join Amazon’s Small Business Network

This community of small business owners uses Amazon services. You’ll get a chance to connect with, collaborate, and network with other small business opportunities and potentially learn about business grants!

Check Out Other Business Grants

You aren’t limited to just Amazon for finding Amazon small business grants. Seek out grant opportunities from other sources.

• Check your local Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Conduct a Google search to spot opportunities
• Get on social media to find new grants announced on the web
• Check business resources in your local community.

How To Apply To Amazon Small Business Grants

There’s generally a two-part process for applying to Amazon small business grants and other grant opportunities:

Step 1: Submit The Application

This involves filling out a form talking about your business. Expect to answer questions about who you are, what your business does, revenue, etc. This may include answering questions about what you expect to do with the grant money if you’re selected.

After answering a mix of basic personal questions and business-related questions, documentation may be needed, which is the second step in applying.

Step 2: Submit Documentation

Documentation needed, if any, may include:

• Business license
• Tax returns
• Business plan
• Business bank statements.

The purpose of submitting documentation is to prove that you are a legitimate business and you meet the outlined criteria for the grant. 

Before starting the grant application, review the process to get an overview of what happens and be ready with your documents when you apply.

Submission Deadlines:

Grants can be due at any point during the year. The 2023 Amazon Small Business Grant was due May 21, 2023 and they announced winners on July 17, 2023.

Check out our article on other sources of funding for business and tips for choosing your best option.

How To Maximize And Leverage The Benefit Of Grants

One of the benefits of the Amazon small business grants is that they provide small businesses with funding to put back into their businesses. 

Entrepreneurs can utilize this funding for uses like:

• Purchasing equipment
• Hiring staff
• Product line expansion.

By investing in your business, you'll be able to increase your revenue and grow your customer base over time.

Another way that Amazon small business grants can fuel your business is by providing you with access to a network of other small business owners. 

Through Amazon Small Business Academy, you'll be able to connect with other entrepreneurs who are facing similar challenges and learn from their experiences. 

This can be an invaluable resource, particularly if you're just starting out and looking for guidance on how to grow your business.

Bottom Line

Amazon small business grants can be a great way to take your business to the next level.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

• Amazon small business grants are for Amazon Business customers who make less than or equal to 1 million dollars in annual revenue.
• The grants can be used for a variety of purposes.
• These grants are competitive, so it's important to put together a strong application that highlights your business, including growth potential.
• They can be offered outside of Amazon in the form of another type of 3rd party grant, which you can use towards your Amazon business. There are many places that offer grant programs, so don’t limit yourself to searching on Amazon.com only

We just covered a number of Amazon small business grants you can apply to for your business and this is just scratching the surface.

Use some of our tips and advice shared above to conduct a thorough search for grant opportunities to uncover even more business grants you can apply for.

What kind of Amazon business do you run?

Will you be applying for Amazon small business grants this year?

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