FHLBank Elevate Grants

Getting access to capital is hard enough as a woman, and even harder at the very beginning stages of starting a business. The Women Founders Grant awards $5,000 merit-based grants to women founders and business owners.

This annual grant from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is open to all small-business owners. To be eligible, your business must have been in operation for at least one year, you must have fewer than 250 employees and your gross revenue for the previous two fiscal years must have been below $20 million. One grand-prize winner will receive a $25,000 grant, and 10 additional businesses will receive $2,000 grants.

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) Member Companies may apply for a variety of non-dilutive grants, each with its own eligibility and review criteria. The Academic Startup Grant is focused on startups advancing intellectual property from institutions of higher education. Managed by the Academic Innovations team, the objective of the Academic Startup Grant is to provide earlystage funding to academic startups to support one or more critical milestones towards commercialization and to advance the company’s pursuit of follow-on funding. Key milestones include developing the technology past the minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrating product-market fit, in the DEVELOP stage of startup development. Academic Startup Grants provide funding for up to $25,000.

Grant funding is now available for woman- and minority-owned businesses with five or fewer employees located in the City of Utica. A total of $150,000 from the City’s 2025-2026 federal Community Development Block Grant funds will support this program. Grants will range from $5,000 to $15,000 and can be used for capital assets like machinery, equipment inventory, working capital or soft costs.

Anyone who owns a farmers market in West Virginia can benefit from these grants of $5000. The money can be used towards either infrastructure, such as coolers, display cases, structures, etc., or marketing materials to promote your market. Besides traditional farmers’ markets, the grant is also open to roadside stands, consignment, on-farm stands, mobile markets, and online sellers.