2.15.23 | SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS YOU CAN APPLY FOR NOW!! 

Outside of the Employee Retention Credit, virtually all remaining Covid-19 relief options for businesses have been exhausted at this point.

But there are several small-business grants and loan programs businesses can apply for at a time of high inflation and an uneven economy.

Here's a look at some of the options:

Ladies who Launch will dole out $10K grants

Women and non-binary-owned small-business owners across the country have a chance to win a $10,000 grant and six months of educational programming.

The award, courtesy of nonprofit Ladies who Launch, is open to any business that operates in consumer packaged goods, such as food and beverages, household goods, apparel and more, with gross annual revenue between $100,000 and $499,000. 

Apart from the cash and educational programming, winners will get one-on-one coaching from the Ladies who Launch staff and industry experts, as well as networking with fellow program participants through an in-person retreat and peer networking. 

The program will award 20 business owners. The Deadline to apply is March 31, and business owners can do so here.

Mastercard's Fearless Strivers contest will dish out $20,000 grants
The Fearless Strivers Grant Contest, in partnership with Mastercard Inc., is officially back for another year and awards $20,000 grants as well as one-on-one mentorship.

The first grant period application deadline is Feb. 22, 2022, and another one opens in April.

Click here for more information and to apply.

FedEx's Small Business Grant Program will award $30,000 grants

The FedEx Small Business Grant Program will award $30,000 to 10 winners, along with $1,000 in print credits at FedEx Office and access to free consultation services.

One additional winner, a veteran-owned business, will get an additional $20,000 from USAA Small Business Insurance.

Business owners must sign up for a FedEx account and apply by Feb. 21, 2023.

Accion Opportunity Fund teams with LegalZoom on $10,000 grants
The Fast Break for Small Business grant program is a partnership between the Accion Opportunity Fund and LegalZoom, which offers $10,000 grants to 50 black-owned businesses.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 17, 2023.

Sage partners with The Boss Network for $10,000 grant program
The Boss Network, in partnership with global technology company Sage, is offering up grants for black, women entrepreneurs of $10,000 plus mentoring resources.

The deadline is Feb. 24, 2023.

Click here for more details or to apply.

National Science Foundation's America's Seed Fund dishes out $200M per year
America's Seed Fund is a decades-long grant program powered by the National Science Foundation.

The National Science Foundation grant program, open to early-stage companies that need to prove their technology and find their market potential, has made about 3,400 awards to startups and small businesses since 2012, with 153 exits by those companies and $9.1 billion in private investment.

The grant program gives out roughly $200 million per year to eligible businesses. Click here to learn more.

Small-business loan options and tax credits 

There are also still loan programs and tax credits small businesses might be unaware of.

• The USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, part of an umbrella loan program offered by the USDA under its OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative, offers loan guarantees of up to 80% on everything from purchasing a building, modernizing equipment, working capital or acquiring a company.

It also only applies to eligible areas — essentially rural areas not in cities or towns of more than 50,000 — although businesses based in larger cities are eligible as long as the project is in a rural area.

• TheInflation Reduction Act includes a tax credit for qualifying electric vehiclesof up to $7,500 for vehicles weighing less than 14,000 pounds, and up to $40,000 for vehicles that weigh more than that, subject to certain limitations. The credit is slated to last until the end of 2032, according to the legislation.
• Theact also doubled the research and development tax creditfrom $250,000 to $500,000. The tax credit is refundable and applied against payroll taxes and includes expenditures for a wide variety of expenses, including the improvement or development of products, processes, techniques or even software.

Here are some other tax credits small businesses might want to take a closer look at.