Grants for Female Entrepreneurs: Amounts, Eligibility and Deadlines Checked for 2027
Grants for women-owned businesses are real, but most lists online are out of date: amounts change, rounds close and some programmes quietly stop. We checked every grant below on its official page in October 2026 and wrote down what you actually need to apply: the amount, who can apply, whether there is a fee, how often it runs and the latest deadline. Where a round has closed and the next one is not announced, we say so instead of guessing a date. Programmes from the 2025 version of this article that we could not verify, or that are not grants for women founders, are listed at the end.
Quick answer: if your business is in the US or Canada, apply for the Amber Grant (three $15,000 grants every month) and, if you have at least $75,000 in revenue, the free Tory Burch Foundation Fellows programme before 17 November. In Europe, deep tech founders can apply to Women TechEU (€75,000, next deadline 14 January). For the biggest single prize, watch for the next call of the Cartier Women's Initiative (up to $100,000, any country).
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Grants for Women-Owned Businesses Compared
Sources: each programme's official website, rules page or press release, checked October 2026. Amounts in US dollars unless marked. Check the official page again before you apply, because rules change between rounds.
The Best Grants for Female Entrepreneurs in 2027
1. Amber Grant: three $15,000 grants every month (US and Canada)
The Amber Grant from WomensNet is the best-known monthly grant for women, and it has grown since our last update. According to its grant rules, three $15,000 grants are awarded each month: the Monthly Amber Grant (open to any women-owned business), the Monthly Startup Grant (for idea-stage businesses or those with under $10,000 in sales) and a Business Category Grant whose industry changes every month. At the end of the year, one winner of each type receives an extra $75,000 Year-End Grant. You must be a woman aged 18 or over who owns at least 50% of a business based in the United States or Canada. There is a $15 non-refundable fee; a fee waiver is available by email, once every two years. Each cycle closes at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the last day of the month (the current one on 31 October 2026), and winners are announced by the 21st of the next month. Your application stays in the running for up to 11 more months for the category grant that matches your business.
2. Tory Burch Foundation Fellows: support plus a $2,000 education grant (US)
The Tory Burch Foundation Fellows programme is less about cash and more about a year of support. The foundation selects about 160 Fellows, who get an advisor network, business coaching, workshops, therapy access through BetterHelp, help with access to capital and a $2,000 education grant. The old figure of $5,000 is no longer what the programme lists. To apply you must be 21 or older, a legal resident of the United States, and own the largest or an equal stake in a for-profit business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by women, generating at least $75,000 a year. Applying is free. Applications opened on 22 September 2026 and close on 17 November 2026; the foundation reviews them over the winter and selects Fellows in May 2027.
3. Cartier Women's Initiative: up to $100,000 for impact businesses (any country)
The Cartier Women's Initiative is the largest international award on this list and is open to women-run and women-owned businesses from any country and sector that have a clear social or environmental impact. In the 2026 edition, the first-place awardees received $100,000 in grant funding, second place $60,000 and third place $30,000, and all 30 fellows joined a year-long fellowship, according to the Richemont press release. There are nine regional awards and a Science and Technology Pioneer Award. The call for the 2027 edition ran from 16 April to 16 June 2026 and is closed; the next call has not been announced (checked October 2026). Past calls opened in spring, so prepare your impact data over the winter.
4. Women TechEU: €75,000 for women-led deep tech startups (Europe)
Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme for women-led early-stage deep tech startups from Europe. Each selected startup receives €75,000 in non-dilutive funding plus a business development programme with mentoring, coaching and training. Applying has two steps: first the eligibility strand, with weekly cut-offs every Tuesday at 17:00 Brussels time until 15 June 2027, then a full proposal for those found eligible. The remaining full proposal deadlines are 14 January 2027, 1 April 2027 and 8 July 2027 (the 16 September 2026 deadline has passed), and results come within eight weeks. Our sister site follows it closely: see the Women TechEU deadline guide.
5. Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards: up to £75,000 (UK)
The Women in Innovation Awards from Innovate UK support women founders and co-founders of UK-registered SMEs with an innovative product or service. In the 2025/26 round, winners could request a grant of up to £75,000 for a 12-month project, together with business support, training and mentoring. That round opened on 26 November 2025 and closed on 4 February 2026. In August 2026, UKRI announced its largest cohort so far: 61 winners receive £75,000 each and 39 highly commended applicants receive the support package. The next round has not been announced (checked October 2026).
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6. BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program: $10,000 (Canada and US)
BMO runs this programme with Deloitte in two versions. In Canada, ten women-owned businesses that show community impact and advance at least two UN Sustainable Development Goals receive $10,000 each, a BMO for Women advocate and an invitation to a two-day summit in Toronto. In the United States, 15 small businesses receive $10,000 each and a BMO business advisor; applicants describe their growth plans and how the business supports the advancement of women. In 2026 both versions accepted applications from 2 to 23 April 2026. The next round has not been announced (checked October 2026), but the programme has run every year since 2020, so watch for it in spring.
7. EmpowHer Grants: up to $50,000 for impact-focused founders
The Boundless Futures Foundation gives EmpowHer grants to female founders whose business makes a social impact through its product or business model. The business must already earn revenue and be no more than five years old. Applicants may request up to $50,000; the money is paid as reimbursement after you submit receipts for business expenses, and you need a business plan and a detailed budget. Before funding, you self-report a credit score and agree to a background check. Grantees can also ask for up to $2,500 within a year for events, courses or coaching. The foundation runs application rounds; check its Apply page for the current one. The old version of this article said "up to $25,000, quarterly", which is no longer how the programme is described.
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8. HerRise MicroGrant: $1,000 a month (US)
The HerRise MicroGrant from HerSuiteSpot gives $1,000 each month to under-resourced women, including women of color. The business must be 51% owned by women, registered in the US and earn less than $1 million in gross revenue; nonprofits, franchises, direct sellers, resellers and independent consultants cannot apply. Apply by 11:59 pm on the last day of the month; winners are announced at the next month's HerSuiteSpot First Friday Mixer. There is a $15 non-refundable administrative fee. Note that the most recent winners shown on the HerSuiteSpot homepage are from April 2024.
9. YippityDoo Big Idea Grant: $1,000 a month (US)
The YippityDoo Big Idea Grant is a monthly $1,000 grant for women entrepreneurs aged 18 or over in the United States. Your business can already be running or still be an idea, and the money can be used for any business purpose. YippityDoo says it has no corporate sponsors and is not a nonprofit, so it charges a $15 application fee; applicants also get free mindset coaching and a discounted listing in its SheBiz directory.
10. Women Founders Network Fast Pitch: $25,000 cash grants (US)
The Women Founders Network Fast Pitch is a pitch competition with cash grants. There are two tracks, tech and tech-enabled companies and consumer or other non-tech businesses, and the first-place winner in each receives a $25,000 cash grant; a panel of junior VCs picks one more finalist for $5,000. All ten finalists get pitch coaching, a financial mentor and professional services. The founder or CEO must be a woman (or the business majority-owned by a woman), the business must be based in the US and have raised no more than $750,000 in outside funding (non-dilutive grants do not count), and finalists must pitch in person in Los Angeles in October. Nonprofits, life sciences and cannabis companies cannot apply. Applications for the 2027 competition are accepted from 1 April to 31 May 2027.
11. Visa She's Next: up to €50,000 (Ireland and other countries)
Visa runs She's Next for women-owned small businesses in different countries and years. In Ireland in 2026, one grand prize winner received €50,000 and four more winners €10,000 each, with mentoring; the winners were announced on 8 September 2026. The next round has not been announced (checked October 2026). Watch Visa's page for your country, because the amounts and partners differ from one country to another.
12. Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award: €25,000 (Africa, Asia, Latin America)
The Bayer Foundation award, called the Women Empowerment Award in earlier years, is no longer only for Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the foundation's July 2026 announcement, 15 women from Latin America, Africa and Asia working on health and food solutions each received a €25,000 cash prize and a six-month accelerator focused on investor readiness, run with the Impact Hub network. The next call has not been announced (checked October 2026).
Grant Deadlines for Women Founders: What Is Open Next
Most of these grants follow a yearly rhythm. Monthly grants (Amber, HerRise, YippityDoo) are always open; the larger awards open once a year, often in spring. Here are the dates confirmed on the official pages:
Programmes Discontinued, Closed or Not Verifiable
The 2025 version of this article listed some programmes that we have removed or changed:
- Galaxy Grant: listed twice in the old article with $10,000 to $50,000. We could not reach an official page, and current listings describe small awards of a few thousand dollars, so we left it out.
- Comcast RISE: a grant for small businesses in general, not for women. Its website now redirects to Comcast's Project UP page, and we found no confirmed new round.
- MBDA Women's Entrepreneurship Program: it funded nonprofit organisations that support minority women entrepreneurs, not founders directly, and its last funding notice on Grants.gov is archived.
- AIM-HI Women's Venture Competition: it offers investment for women-led oncology companies rather than a grant, so it belongs with investors and competitions, not here.
- IFundWomen: it pairs founders with grants paid by partner brands, but its website shows a bot check to automated visitors, so we could not confirm which grants are open. Check it yourself before applying.
- Fearless Fund Strivers Grant: closed permanently after a court settlement in September 2024, as NPR reported. Lists that still include it are out of date.
Which Grant Should You Apply For?
- You have an idea but no revenue yet (US or Canada): the Amber Monthly Startup Grant and the YippityDoo Big Idea Grant.
- Your business is small and growing, under $1 million revenue (US): Amber Grant, HerRise MicroGrant and EmpowHer if your business has a social impact.
- You have at least $75,000 in revenue and want mentors more than cash (US): Tory Burch Foundation Fellows, before 17 November.
- You build deep tech in Europe: Women TechEU; see also gender equality EU grants and the EmpoWomen deep tech grants.
- You run an impact business anywhere in the world: Cartier Women's Initiative, plus Bayer if you work on health or food in Africa, Asia or Latin America.
- You are a UK founder with an innovative product: Innovate UK Women in Innovation, once the next round opens.
- You like to pitch: Women Founders Network Fast Pitch (US), and the startup competitions in North America we track.
- You are based in Asia: see our separate guide to grants for women entrepreneurs in Asia.
How Women Founders Use Grants Without Wasting Months
Grants are competitive: thousands apply for the monthly grants and only a handful win. Treat them as one part of your funding plan, not the plan. Our Playbook guide to female founder grants covers how to write the application itself, and grant-grants.com keeps a longer list of business grants for women. Never pay someone who promises EU money for a fee: read how to spot an EU funding scam aimed at female entrepreneurs. Small fees like Amber's $15 are disclosed in their official rules; anything bigger is a warning sign.
Combine grants with other money: crowdfunding strategies for women-led startups, alternative funding sources, angel investors in North America and early-stage VC firms. If you want structure, look at accelerators and incubators for women, and for European calls keep our EU grant calendar for 2027 open. The numbers behind the funding gap are in our female founder funding statistics.
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FAQ About Grants for Female Entrepreneurs
How much is the Amber Grant in 2027?
When we checked in October 2026, WomensNet awarded three $15,000 Amber Grants every month and three extra $75,000 Year-End Grants. It is open to women who own at least 50% of a business in the US or Canada, and the application fee is $15.
Are there grants for women entrepreneurs with no application fee?
Yes. Tory Burch Foundation Fellows, the Cartier Women's Initiative, Women TechEU, Innovate UK Women in Innovation, BMO Celebrating Women, EmpowHer and the Women Founders Network Fast Pitch are free to apply. Amber, HerRise and YippityDoo charge $15.
Which grants for female entrepreneurs are open right now?
In late October 2026: the monthly Amber Grant, HerRise MicroGrant and YippityDoo Big Idea Grant, the Tory Burch Foundation Fellows programme until 17 November, and Women TechEU, whose next full proposal deadline is 14 January 2027.
Are there grants for women entrepreneurs outside the US?
Yes. The Cartier Women's Initiative is open to any country, Women TechEU covers Europe, Innovate UK Women in Innovation covers the UK, Visa She's Next has run in Ireland and other countries, and Bayer covers Africa, Asia and Latin America.
What is the biggest grant for women entrepreneurs?
On this list, the Cartier Women's Initiative pays the most per winner: $100,000 for first place in the 2026 edition. Women TechEU (€75,000), Innovate UK (up to £75,000) and the Amber Year-End Grant ($75,000) follow.
Can I get a grant for a business idea with no revenue?
Yes. The Amber Monthly Startup Grant is for idea-stage businesses or those with under $10,000 in sales, and the YippityDoo Big Idea Grant accepts ideas. Tory Burch, EmpowHer and Women Founders Network require an operating or revenue-generating business.
How much does the Tory Burch Foundation give its Fellows?
The programme lists a $2,000 education grant plus coaching, advisors, workshops and help with access to capital. You need at least $75,000 in annual revenue and must be a US legal resident.
Is the Galaxy Grant still available?
We could not find an official page for it, and current listings show small awards, not the $10,000 to $50,000 older articles mention, so we removed it from this list.
Are grants for women legal in the US?
Many grants are open to women-owned businesses, but programmes limited by race have faced lawsuits: the Fearless Fund closed its Strivers Grant in September 2024 after a court settlement. Some programmes now describe eligibility more broadly, so read each programme's rules.
Where can I get a backlink by writing about my startup?
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About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
