Live Your Dream: Educational Grant

Minority-owned beauty brands are eligible to apply for this accelerator program hosted by Ulta Beauty. In addition to the educational programming and workshops, selected businesses will receive $50,000 in grant funding.

The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) is a national SBA program to help small businesses enter or expand into international markets. Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and administered at the state level, this program provides direct reimbursement for the costs associated with "going global." Most states offer reimbursement grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 per year (though some states offer more) to offset export-related expenses. If your business currently makes any exports, or is looking to start exporting internationally, this is a fantastic program to explore. Please note that while this is a national program, the grants themselves are administered at the state level. The grant page that we have linked to provides a directory of the individual state websites where you can apply. Just click through to your state’s page to find specific details and eligibility criteria for your business.

The Wyoming SBIR Match Grant Program is designed to support companies that have received Phase I or Phase II federal funding through the Small Business Innovation (SBIR) or the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. With the intent of helping Wyoming businesses that are working to advance their groundbreaking technologies and looking to commercialize their research. The goal of this program is to catalyze innovation and business growth within the state, ultimately creating a lasting positive impact on the Wyoming economy.

The Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) is a discretionary incentive that provides funding and services to qualifying companies to support new job creation or upskilling in conjunction with new or expanding operations. The cash grant and accompanying services are intended to offset a company’s recruitment and training costs. The funding for each net new, full-time job created or full-time employee retrained is based on a customized budget determined by an assessment of the company’s recruiting and training activities, as well as the project’s expected benefit to the Commonwealth. The final budget and proposal are approved in advance of the project by the Secretary of Commerce and Trade. VJIP support is typically for a 36-month period. Companies can be reimbursed 90 days after the new employee is hired (for new jobs programs) or after the retraining activity is complete (for retraining programs).

Managed by the Academic Innovations Team, the objective of the Federal Matching Grant is further federal funds received by small businesses in South Carolina to advance translational research in support of one or more critical milestones towards commercialization. Preference given to SBIR/STTR awardees with initial datasets who identify gaps in commercialization activities that would help develop a compelling proposal for follow on funding. Other Federal matches will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Key milestones include developing the technology past the minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrating product-market fit, in the DEVELOP stage of startup development. In the ACCELERATE stage of startup development, key milestones include enabling product execution through testing and demonstrations. Federal Matching Grants can match funds up to 50% of a qualifying federal award, not to exceed $50,000.