Hiring Our Heroes Small Business Grant Program

$10,000 (four awards) or $25,000 (one award); one-time grants, awarded annually

Runs annually; the last cycle closed December 15, 2025. Check hiringourheroes.org for the next round.

AMOUNT

$10,000 (four awards) or $25,000 (one award); one-time grants, awarded annually

AMOUNT

$10,000 (four awards) or $25,000 (one award); one-time grants, awarded annually

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last cycle closed December 15, 2025. Check hiringourheroes.org for the next round.

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last cycle closed December 15, 2025. Check hiringourheroes.org for the next round.

FUNDING TYPE

Grant

CAN YOU GET THIS?

You qualify if you own at least 51% of a for-profit small business as a veteran or military spouse.

Your business must have 3–20 employees (including contractors), annual revenue under $5 million, and be located in an economically vulnerable community or otherwise demonstrate financial need. You must reside in the contiguous US, Alaska, or Hawaii.

YOUR REAL ODDS

Only five businesses win per cycle — four receive $10,000 and one receives $25,000.

With just five awards annually and an open national pool of eligible veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses, competition is significant. The small number of winners makes this a selective program.

WHAT IT TAKES

Confirm eligibility — verify ownership stake, employee count, revenue, and community need criteria — 1–2 hours
Prepare your application — gather business documentation, financials, and a compelling growth narrative — 3–5 hours
Submit application before the deadline — 30 minutes

WORTH KNOWING

The program explicitly highlights community impact and contributions to local economies — applications that clearly articulate local community benefit alongside business growth plans align directly with what the judges are looking for.

Apply on the funder’s site →

Freed Fellowship

$500 grant monthly; winners also eligible for a $2,500 year-end grant.

Any US small business owner can apply for a $500 monthly grant with no equity or repayment required.

Texas Job Creators Quest Grant

$100,000 total pool distributed across ~30 recipients; individual awards have ranged from $1,500 to $10,000.

Texas-based small businesses led by underrepresented founders with $100K–$3M in annual revenue can apply for this grant.

BELLE Capital USA Grant

Grant amount varies; no specific figures disclosed.

Early-stage startups in tech, health, or cleantech with at least one female founder or female C-suite executive.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

$50B+ in available capital across grants, VC funds, CDFIs, and accelerators. Filter by your industry, stage, and region, and see everything you qualify for.

Explore the funding database →

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