Business Resources
February 2025 Grants & Resources For Black-Owned Beauty Brands
Level up your business with these free grants and resources.
New year, new funding opportunities! Each month, Sadiaa Black Beauty Guide pulls up with a list of resources for beauty entrepreneurs and brand owners to which they can apply, pitch or submit. With Black-centered grants under fire, this list has become even more essential for start-ups and solopreneurs looking to get stable footing.
Click through for info on current opportunities you can apply or tap in to help your business thrive in 2025.
Next 1B: Founders
McKinsey’s Next 1B Founders program is an eight to12 week learning, connectivity, and capital introductions program designed to support smaller Black-owned brands in the United States. Eligible businesses are typically more than one year in maturity with anywhere from $250k-$5M in annual revenue, and sells consumer products. The Spring 2025 cohort is set to start at the end of March 2025, with 1x weekly sessions on Tuesdays from 12pm-2pm ET.
Application Deadline: ASAP
Apply here: mckinsey.com/bem/overview/next-1b
2025 Startup Bootcamp
Future Founders is hosting a free bootcamp to help 18- to 30-year-olds turn ideas, passions, and side hustles into functioning businesses with a series of workshops, mentorship opportunities, and peer support to help you launch and grow.
Early Consideration Deadline: January 7, 2025 at 11:59pm CT
Standard Deadline: February 2, 2025 at 11:59pm CT
Apply here: futurefounders.com
SPC Founder Fellowship Spring 2025
SPC’s Founder Fellowship helps entrepreneurs start a venture-scale company by targeting support at the “-1 to 0” idea stage. We give founders their first outside investment, help them ideate and iterate to a viable product, find early customers, and assist in raising funding from the best VCs in the world.
Deadline: February 2, 2025
Apply here: blog.southparkcommons.com/spc-founder-fellowship-spring-2025/
ReFashion Pitch Competition (D.C.)
D.C.’s Department of Small and Local Business Development is hosting a competition for brands to pitch a problem or opportunity in the sustainable fashion market with a viable solution. The pitch award will provide up to six businesses a grant between $2,500 and $6,000. Winner will be announced during National Small Business Week in May.
Application Deadline: February 7, 2025 at 2pm EST.
Apply here: dslbd.dc.gov/refashionpitch
Kohl’s Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program
Participants must be a US-based company that is diverse-owned or a small business that has been in business for at least two years
Application Deadline: February 14, 2025
Apply here: web.cvent.com
2025 Lenovo Evolve Small Grant
Lenovo Evolve Small is awarding 10 small businesses across North America with a grant that includes a Lenovo technology package, cash, and access to mentorship and community support. For the first time ever, the grant will also include AI technology and training. The application period is now closed. Sign up to learn more about how to start adding AI solutions into your small business.
Must be located in one of the following metropolitan areas: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; San Diego, CA; Houston, TX; Washington, D.C.; Toronto, Ontario; and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Application Deadline: February 17, 2025
Apply here: lenovo.com/us/en/evolvesmall
2025 The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge
Enter your small business for an opportunity to compete for a share of $35,000 in prizes to grow your business, a feature in Inc. magazine, expert mentorship, and more.
Application Deadline: February 19, 2025
Apply here: theupsstore.com/smallbizchallenge
Ascend.Her Beauty Cohort (D.C./Maryland/Virginia)
The Ascend Beauty Cohort is the first cohort designed by a beauty entrepreneur for beauty entrepreneurs. This program was developed in partnership with Rahama Wright from the Yeleen Beauty Makerspace, a beauty contract manufacturing and co-production facility in Washington, DC. The Ascend Beauty Cohort will help up to 15 women entrepreneurs from the Greater Washington, D.C. region navigate the complexities of the beauty retail space and build resilient businesses in an ever-changing marketplace. Ttailored for entrepreneurs in the hair care, skin care, and body care industries. This program provides tools and resources to help participants:
Application Deadline: February 21, 2025
Apply here: wacif.org/ascend-beauty
Black History Makers Grant
CitiTrends is acknowledging Black entrepreneurs who are making history in their community today. Their goal is to help advance and further the businesses of Black entrepreneurs with a $5K grant.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
Apply here: cititrends.com
Sengo Black Future Month Grant
This month’s grant from Sengo is offered in partnership with the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center and FundHER. The $3,000 Sengo Sprint grant is designed to support founders who are making a positive impact in their communities and industries. Whether you’re scaling operations, developing a new product, or investing in marketing, this grant is here to help you take your next big step.
Must be located in LA, Dallas or NY and subscriber to the Sengo platform.
Application deadline: February 28, 2025
Apply here: bysengo.com/grant
Breakthrough Grant
The Honeycomb Credit Breakthrough grant is offering up a $10K Grant to help small business owners level up. Funds can be used to expand a product line, move to a new space, purchase new equipment, or anything else that will help you breakthrough in 2025!
Application Deadline: April 2, 2025
Apply here: honeycombcredit.com/breakthrough
The MSP Equity Accelerator
Sponsored by Allianz invests in high-growth startups founded by undervalued entrepreneurs. For each cohort, we invest $100K in each of five startups who receive a concierge experience during our 12-week accelerator program.
gener8tor is a nationally ranked accelerator that invests in high-growth startups and supports the growth of these startups through its network of experienced mentors, technologists, corporate partners, angel investors and venture capitalists.
Deadline: April, 2025
Apply here: gener8tor.com/investment-accelerators/msp-equity-accelerator
EmpowHer Grant
Just launched a clean beauty brand built around sustainability and the environment? Boundless Futures Foundation grant program may be just the right fit for you! This early-stage capital grant will award $25K in funding to female entrepreneurs with U.S.-based businesses operating for three years or less.
Deadline: May 15, 2025 (apply quarterly)
Apply here: boundlessfutures.org
ONGOING DEADLINES
Amazon Black Business Accelerator
If you’ve got a shop on Amazon (or are thinking about starting one), then this grant program is for you. Accepted businesses get access to mentorship along with FREE imaging services for up to 50 products, $500 credit for start-up and operational costs, and up to $3,000 in advertising credits. Select sellers will also be able to apply for additional cash grant opportunities.
Deadline: None, but don’t wait!
Apply here: sell.amazon.com
Etsy Disaster Relief Grant Application
The Etsy Fund at CERF+ provides disaster relief grants of up to $2000 to U.S.-based Etsy sellers on a rolling basis based on available funds. Sellers are eligible to apply for a disaster emergency relief grant within one year of experiencing a natural disaster. Must be an active seller on Etsy for at least one year with an Etsy account in good standing.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Apply here: advocacy.etsy.com
Wish Local Empowerment Grant
U.S.-based Black-owned businesses with a brick-and-mortar shop can apply for microgrants ranging from $500-$2000. Must have 20 or fewer employees and under $1M average revenue.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Apply here: wish.com
Business Funding
Many small businesses are underserved by traditional lenders, with Black business owners continuing to have a higher rejection rate than White business owners. We’ve connected with a service that offers financing and term loans to businesses that have been in operation for at least four month and AI-Powered Platform to help make your business more bankable.
Not sure if you qualify? Click through to create a free borrower profile and generate a Bankability Index Score which shows how attractive your business is to potential lenders (and what you need to work on).
Deadline: None
Apply here: wardfreedompath.com
Bank Of America “Access To Capital Connector”
Bank of America has partnered with Community Reinvestment Fund, a national nonprofit CDFI, to help small business owners find capital via loans ranging from $10K to $1M, coaching, and support.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Apply here: accesstocapitalconnector.com
Small Business Readiness for Resiliency
The U.S. Chamber Foundation and FedEx teamed up to create the Small Business Readiness for Resiliency Program (R4R) to help small business owners prepare for disasters and offers quick-turn relief funding of $5,000 for those prepared businesses after a federal disaster declaration is made in their region.
Deadline: Ongoing
Apply here: uschamberfoundation.org
Amazon Amplify
The Amazon Black Business Accelerator also offers Black-owned businesses access to its Amplify program. The business education program offers a cohort learning experience, including a dedicated Customer Success manager, a network of industry experts and business consultants, and peer group mentorship.
Deadline: None, but don’t wait!
Apply here: sell.amazon.com
S.P.U.R. Pathways
Shared Purpose, Unlimited Reach (S.P.U.R.) Pathways is a multiyear, multifaceted funding program in partnership with Momentus Capital to provide financial support to diverse-owned and underrepresented growth-stage businesses. The program is currently offering loans or investments of $20K and above, along with access to an advisory network for strategic growth advice such as business strategy and planning, financial reporting, daily operating challenges, opportunity evaluation, and other personalized services.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Apply here: macys.com
Start Small, Think Big
The nonprofit has established partnerships to offer free legal, finance, and marketing resources and small business support to BIPOC entrepreneurs, women, LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, immigrants, veterans, entrepreneurs with disabilities, low-income entrepreneurs, and formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs.
Must be currently operational and have at least $500 in sales within the past three months. Applicant must also have a household income under 750% of federal poverty guidelines.
Apply here: startsmallthinkbig.org
Minority Business Circle
Here’s another digital platform dedicated to empowering and connecting minority-owned small businesses, providing access to curated funding partners, resources, and virtual events.
Sign up here: minoritybusinesscircle.com
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