As a woman, you can get various kinds of grants that can help you fund your company. Because they’re notoriously hard to locate, knowing what type of business grant you need can improve your chances of finding and winning the money you need to build your company. These are the various types you can look for as a woman in business.
Technological Innovation
One of the most funded areas of business grants for women is geared toward technological innovation. These awards encourage small businesses to invest in the research and development of technological advances that have commercial possibilities.
Two programs that fund technological innovation are the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program. These programs allow companies to work alongside scientific geniuses at NASA, the National Institute of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and more. The goal of the programs is to stimulate technological innovation and increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal research and development.
Agriculture
There’s no doubt that agriculture is a big business in the United States, and there are many grants geared toward people who want to start or increase the size of their company in this field. One program is the Rural Energy for America Program that gives money to women and men looking to find new sources of renewable energy or make improvements to the existing technology.
Value Added Producer Grants are also an excellent choice for any woman who has a business in agriculture. This program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of bio-based, value-added products. Women who own a small- or medium-sized farm or ranch can apply for this grant and receive up to $75,000.
Health
Small businesses that are designated as a practitioner, technology developer, researcher, or something else in the field of health have a chance to receive funding through federal grants that promote discoveries to increase the health of citizens in the United States. One such grant is the Oral Diseases and Disorders Research grant.
The Oral Diseases and Disorders Research grant is designed to help small businesses that have a goal to improve oral, dental, and craniofacial health through research, research training, and the dissemination of health information.
The Department of Health and Human Services also has a number of grants that a small business can apply for as long as their goal is to improve health or the community. The HHS website can help you find grants that apply to your small business.
Foundation Grants
Women-owned businesses have access to funding that other companies many not. Corporations and organizations run by women have grants that are designated toward helping females in business. One such grant is the Eileen Fisher Grant, which gives 10 businesses an award of $12,000 every year. The eligibility requirements are that the company must be majority women-owned and that the revenues must not exceed $1 million.
