The Amber Grant might be the best-known grant program for women business owners, and for good reason.
Unlike other grants that accept applications for only a small part of the year, the Amber Grant always accepts applications. That’s because it rewards new grants every month, whereas most grants have an annual award. Those two facts make the Amber Grant more accessible than most.
Plus, the Amber Grant doesn’t require a complicated application, and it doesn’t have many applicant requirements. Just about any female entrepreneur can apply (as long as you’re not a nonprofit). And you only have to answer a couple of questions about your business and what you’d do with the money. Easy peasy. (Yes, you should take time to answer carefully. But it’s still easier than other applications.)
Now, the Amber Grant is the only grant program on this list that has an application fee. You have to pay $15 to apply. That fee helps keep the grant fund going, so it’s probably a worthwhile $15. Still, it’s something to be aware of.
You should also know that Amber Grants are smaller than most other grants. In 2020, grant recipients get $4,000 (normally, it’s just $2,000). At the end of the year, one of those recipients will get an additional $25,000 grant. But for most recipients, it’s just the one-time $4,000.
So no, the Amber Grant is not the biggest, and it’s not entirely free. But with few restrictions on who can apply and one of the easiest applications we’ve seen, the Amber Grant is our favorite small-business grant for women.