Top 25 Grants for Early-Stage Startups in North America in 2025
Securing funding is a critical step for early-stage startups striving to bring their innovative ideas to market. North America offers various grants designed to support startups in different sectors. Below is a comprehensive list of the top 25 grants available in 2025, including essential details on grant amounts, eligibility, deadlines, and links to apply.
Write FREE SEO-optimized Blog Articles! Our Article Writer ensures your blog is loved by both Google and your readers, turning those clicks into customers.
👉 Write your article here
1. Grants.gov
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Must align with federal, state, or local government priorities
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Broad range of sectors
2. State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Small businesses looking to expand internationally
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: International trade
3. 500 Global Flagship Accelerator
Grant Amount: $150,000 for a 6% equity stake
Eligibility: Early-stage startup founders
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Technology and innovation
Boost Your SEO by listing your startup and get a FREE backlink.
Create a profile in the F/MS Startup Game, add the link to your website and submit.
👉 List your startup now!
4. Visa Everywhere Initiative
Grant Amount: $10,000 to $100,000
Eligibility: Tech startups using Visa products
Deadlines: Annual
Focus Areas: Financial technology
5. Build to Scale (B2S) Program
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Organizations scaling tech-driven businesses
Deadlines: Annually
Focus Areas: Technology commercialization
6. Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Small businesses partnering with research institutions
Deadlines: Annually
Focus Areas: Technological innovation
7. Start. Pivot. Grow.
Grant Amount: $2,500
Eligibility: Small businesses
Deadlines: Quarterly
Focus Areas: General business support
8. EIC Accelerator
Grant Amount: Up to €2.5 million
Eligibility: Startups and SMEs with innovative products
Deadlines: March 12, 2025, and October 1, 2025
Focus Areas: Innovation
9. EIC STEP Scale-Up
Grant Amount: €10 to €30 million
Eligibility: SMEs and small mid-caps
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Strategic tech sectors
10. EIC Pathfinder
Grant Amount: Up to €4 million
Eligibility: Multi-disciplinary research projects
Deadlines: Check website
Focus Areas: Research and development
Boost Your SEO with 1,500+ Free Business Directories: increase your DA, get backlinks and traffic.
We've compiled an exclusive list of directories and websites where you can submit your business and start building high-quality backlinks to boost your website traffic and get your SEO snowball rolling.
👉 Submit your startup now!
11. EIC Transition
Grant Amount: Up to €2.5 million
Eligibility: Research results turning into market-ready innovations
Deadlines: Check website
Focus Areas: Market innovation
12. Colorado Rural Jump-Start Program
Grant Amount: Incentives
Eligibility: Companies in rural areas
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Rural development
13. Opportunity Zone Program
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Investments in startups outside the Front Range
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Regional economic development
14. Startup Colorado's Entrepreneur Grant Program
Grant Amount: Up to $2,500
Eligibility: Early-stage resources
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Education and networking
15. Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Canadian tech businesses
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Research and development
Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.
We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Get featured now!
16. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
Grant Amount: Up to 40% of project costs
Eligibility: Sustainable tech companies
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Sustainability
17. SR&ED Tax Credit
Grant Amount: Tax incentives
Eligibility: Scientific research and experimental development
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Innovation
18. CanExport
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Canadian businesses expanding internationally
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Export development
19. Proof of Concept Program
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Early-stage companies
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Product development
20. Santander X Cultivate Small Business Grant
Grant Amount: Up to $13,000
Eligibility: Women, BIPOC, or immigrant-owned food businesses
Deadlines: January 2025
Focus Areas: Food industry
21. Pitch Perfect Grant
Grant Amount: $5,000
Eligibility: Female-owned businesses
Deadlines: January 2025
Focus Areas: General business support
22. Antler Global Startup Program
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Early-stage startups
Deadlines: Rolling
Focus Areas: Various
23. Awesome Foundation Grants
Grant Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: Innovative projects
Deadlines: Monthly
Focus Areas: Various fields
24. Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants (USDA)
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Urban agriculture projects
Deadlines: March 10, 2025
Focus Areas: Agriculture
25. Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program (Illinois)
Grant Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Socially and economically disadvantaged or very small businesses
Deadlines: April 7, 2025
Focus Areas: Business development
Remember, securing a grant involves diligent preparation and understanding the eligibility criteria. Stay updated on the latest opportunities and ensure your applications are meticulously crafted for the best chance of success.
Join F/MS: Startup Facilitator & Incubator and unlock your startup dreams today! Get your first customers, register you company in the Netherlands and get startup visas for the team.
FAQ
Q: Where can I find a comprehensive list of small business grants available in 2025?
A: LegalZoom's article lists 50 different small business grants for 2025. Read more on LegalZoom.
Q: Are there any specific grants for tech startups using Visa products?
A: Yes, the Visa Everywhere Initiative offers annual grants ranging between $10,000 to $100,000 for tech startups. Learn more about the Visa Everywhere Initiative.
Q: What opportunities are available for startups in Colorado in 2025?
A: There are various programs in Colorado like the Techstars Boulder, Innosphere Ventures, and the Colorado Office of Economic Development Programs. Discover funding programs in Colorado.
Q: What grants are available for startups in Canada in 2025?
A: Canada's top grants include the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), SR&ED Tax Credit, CanExport, and the Proof of Concept Program. Read about Canadian grants.
Q: Are there any grants specifically for women-owned businesses?
A: Yes, NerdWallet lists several grants for women-owned businesses, including the Santander's Cultivate Small Business Program. See the list of grants for women.
Q: What kind of funding is available for early-stage food businesses in 2025?
A: The Santander X Cultivate Small Business Grant offers up to $13,000 for eligible food businesses. Learn more about the grant.
Q: Are there grants available for urban agriculture projects?
A: Yes, the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants (USDA) support urban agriculture projects with a deadline of March 10, 2025. Find out more about this grant.
Q: What are the significant grant opportunities provided by the state of Illinois in 2025?
A: Illinois offers grants such as the Tech Incubator Enhancement Program and the Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program. Explore Illinois state grants.
Q: Where can early-stage tech startups find a grant that includes mentorship and accelerator programs?
A: The 500 Global Flagship Accelerator program offers a 4-month accelerator with a $150,000 investment for a 6% equity stake. Learn more about this accelerator.
Q: What options are there for Canadian entrepreneurs seeking substantial funding?
A: The Regional Economic Growth through Innovation initiative provides considerable funding for Canadian entrepreneurs. Read more about this initiative.
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.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
