Fund Her Future Grant

Purpose: CAEATFA supports California's mission to provide financial incentives to cutting-edge companies by offering a sales and use tax exclusion to manufacturers purchasing equipment to promote alternative energy, advanced transportation and recycling, as well as advanced manufacturing. These manufacturers create tens of thousands of high-paying, permanent jobs that bolster the state's economy. Description: The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA) Sales and Use Tax Exclusion (STE) Program (the “Program”) excludes from sales and use taxes purchases of Qualified Property if its use is either to process Recycled feedstock or using Recycled feedstock in the production of another product or soil amendment; or that is used in an Advanced Manufacturing process; or that is used to manufacture Alternative Source products or Advanced Transportation Technologies. Eligible manufacturers planning to construct a new manufacturing facility or expand or upgrade a currently existing manufacturing facility may apply to CAEATFA for an STE award, and if approved, the purchases of Qualified Property for the project are not subject to state and local sales and use tax.

The M&F Bank Empowering Growth Small Business Grant awards a $10,000 grant to one small business owner in each of the bank's North Carolina markets through annual application rounds rotating by geography. Administered by M&F Bank — a North Carolina-based community development financial institution founded in 1907 — the program supports small business owners across the bank's footprint in Durham, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Charlotte, with the goal of strengthening the local communities the bank serves. Each application round is open to businesses located in one specific market and the surrounding counties, and a single winner is selected per round. To qualify, applicants must be an M&F Bank business customer with accounts in good standing, have been an M&F Bank customer for at least one year prior to applying, have gross annual revenues of $750,000 or less, have been in business for ten years or fewer, employ 25 people or fewer (including the owner), and maintain an active business website. Previous grant recipients are not eligible to reapply. Nonprofits, real estate investment firms, businesses with M&F Bank vendor ties, and M&F Bank employees or their relatives are also ineligible.

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.

The Secretsos Small Business Grant offers $2,500 to help entrepreneurs overcome challenges and accelerate growth.

The Accelerate Grant Program is designed to take your business to the next level! This grant program is open to women-owned businesses that received a WBDC Equity Match Grant, Ignite Grant or Municipal Grant at least 12 months ago and have demonstrated revenue growth as a direct impact of receiving WBDC grant funding. A select number of applicants will be given the opportunity to participate in a Pitch Event, where an external review committee will select the grant recipients. The grant funds cannot be used towards operating expenses (e.g. inventory, on-going marketing expenses, salaries), or for past purchases or debt repayment.