Salt Lick Incubator Artist Project Grant (Summer 2026)

$5,000–$15,000 per grant; awarded twice per year

Runs biannually. The Summer 2026 cycle closed July 15, 2026. The next cycle opens January 2, 2027 and closes February 15, 2027.

AMOUNT

$5,000–$15,000 per grant; awarded twice per year

AMOUNT

$5,000–$15,000 per grant; awarded twice per year

DEADLINE

Runs biannually. The Summer 2026 cycle closed July 15, 2026. The next cycle opens January 2, 2027 and closes February 15, 2027.

DEADLINE

Runs biannually. The Summer 2026 cycle closed July 15, 2026. The next cycle opens January 2, 2027 and closes February 15, 2027.

FUNDING TYPE

Grant

CAN YOU GET THIS?

You must be an emerging U.S.-based musician who owns your masters, has released three or fewer full-length albums, and is not signed to a record label.

Salt Lick focuses on melody- and lyric-driven music in independent spaces—alt-folk, Americana, indie rock, R&B, soul, and similar genres. Artists working primarily in electronic, hip-hop, commercial country, or pure pop are currently out of scope.

YOUR REAL ODDS

Salt Lick openly states an award rate of approximately 1%, making this one of the most competitive artist grants in its category.

Even qualified applicants are frequently not awarded in a given cycle—the organization explicitly encourages eligible artists to reapply every round.

WHAT IT TAKES

Confirm eligibility: age 18+, U.S. work authorization, no label contract, three or fewer full-length albums, master ownership — 30 minutes
Prepare your application: submit your best work samples and clearly articulate your artistic vision and project proposal — Several hours to days
Submit before the deadline — Under 1 hour

WORTH KNOWING

The funder explicitly says strong applicants provide a variety of their best work and clearly articulate their artistic vision—vague or generic project proposals are a common weakness. Winners also receive mentorship and a personalized industry plan, not just cash.

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 →

$19/month · cancel anytime