Are there grants specifically for minority- and women-owned businesses?

Yes, but the highest-value programs are contracting-access certifications rather than cash grants. The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program and the SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) federal contracting program certify eligible businesses for set-aside and sole-source government contracts. Corporate supplier-diversity certifications through NMSDC (minority-owned) and WBENC (women-owned) open access to private-sector procurement programs. For direct cash grants, WomensNet's Amber Grant and the NASE Growth Grant are established, verifiable programs. Rotating corporate programs like Comcast RISE and Hello Alice's demographic-specific grants exist but change cycle status frequently — verify current availability directly on the awarding organization's site.

What's the difference between a grant, a certification, and a set-aside contract?

A grant is cash you don't repay and don't give up equity for (though it may be taxable and come with reporting requirements). A certification (like NMSDC's MBE or WBENC's WBE status, or SBA's 8(a)/WOSB designation) isn't money — it's a credential that makes your business eligible to compete for contracts or vendor relationships specifically reserved for certified minority- or women-owned businesses. A set-aside contract is a competitively awarded piece of business — real revenue, but you have to win it, and it isn't free money handed to you.

Do I have to repay these programs?

Direct cash grants (Amber Grant, NASE Growth Grant) are non-repayable and non-dilutive, though they're generally taxable income — consult your CPA. Certification programs (8(a), WOSB, NMSDC, WBENC) don't involve repayment at all since they aren't funding — they're eligibility credentials. Any contract you win through set-aside or supplier-diversity access is ordinary business revenue for work performed, not a grant.

How do I get 8(a) or WOSB certified?

SBA 8(a) certification is applied for directly through the SBA at sba.gov — you'll need to document ownership/control, net worth (≤$850,000), adjusted gross income (≤$400,000), assets (≤$6.5 million), and at least two years in business. SBA WOSB certification can be completed through self-certification on SBA's certify.sba.gov portal or through an SBA-approved third-party certifier. Both require documentation of ownership and control by qualifying individuals — review the current requirements on sba.gov before applying, since documentation standards are updated periodically.

Is Comcast RISE still open?

At the time of this guide's most recent update, Comcast RISE's dedicated application page no longer resolved to program-specific content and redirected to Comcast's general corporate-impact page — which means current status could not be confirmed as open. Rather than guess, confirm directly through Comcast's corporate newsroom before assuming a cycle is active.

Minority & Women-Owned Business Grants 2026: Real Programs

The reality about minority- and women-owned business grants

Searches for "minority business grants" or "grants for women-owned businesses" surface a lot of noise — aggregator sites, expired program pages, and outright scams. The genuine picture is narrower but real: a small set of federal certification programs that unlock set-aside and sole-source government contracting (not grants, but real non-dilutive revenue), a handful of durable private/nonprofit cash-grant programs, and corporate supplier-diversity certifications that open doors to private-sector contracts. This guide separates the three categories and points to the awarding organization's own page for each — not an aggregator.

The three real paths, in order of typical dollar value:

Federal certification + set-aside contracting (SBA 8(a), SBA Women-Owned Small Business program) — the highest-value path if your business can pursue government contracts, but it's contracting access, not a cash grant.
Corporate supplier-diversity certification (NMSDC, WBENC) — opens access to private corporate procurement programs specifically seeking certified minority- or women-owned vendors.
Direct cash grants (Amber Grant, NASE Growth Grant, and rotating corporate programs like Comcast RISE) — smaller dollar amounts, genuinely non-repayable, but competitive and often narrow in cycle timing.

If your business doesn't fit a government-contracting or corporate-vendor model, your realistic path is the direct-grant category plus general small-business grants (SBIR/STTR, USDA Rural Development, state economic-development programs) — covered in our general small business grants guide.

Federal certification and set-aside contracting

This is the highest-dollar-value path for eligible businesses, even though it isn't a traditional "grant."

SBA 8(a) Business Development Program

The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program certifies small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals — a category that explicitly includes women, minorities (Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian Pacific, and Subcontinent Asian Americans, among others), Alaska Native corporations, tribal entities, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Certified 8(a) firms can compete for set-aside and sole-source federal contracts, access the SBA Mentor-Protégé program, receive one-on-one business development assistance from a dedicated Business Opportunity Specialist, and take free training through SBA's Empower to Grow program.

Eligibility thresholds, per SBA: at least 51% owned and controlled by a qualifying individual, personal net worth of $850,000 or less, adjusted gross income of $400,000 or less, assets totaling $6.5 million or less, and at least two years in business. The program runs a maximum of nine years (four development years, five transition years), and an individual may only participate once in their lifetime. Sole-source contract authority reaches $8.5 million for manufacturing-assigned acquisitions and $5.5 million for other acquisitions.

SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program

Women-owned businesses that don't fit the 8(a) economic-disadvantage thresholds can still access federal set-aside contracts through the SBA's WOSB federal contracting program. Certain federal contracts are set aside specifically for certified WOSBs (and Economically Disadvantaged WOSBs, or EDWOSBs, in industries where women are underrepresented). Certification can be self-certified through SBA's certify.sba.gov portal or completed through an SBA-approved third-party certifier.

Corporate supplier-diversity certification

Certification here doesn't hand you cash directly — it makes your business visible and eligible inside large corporations' supplier-diversity procurement programs, which is real non-dilutive revenue if you win contracts through it.

NMSDC — National Minority Supplier Development Council

NMSDC certifies Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and connects them with corporate buyers actively seeking diverse vendors, through a network of 23 regional councils that NMSDC says certify and match over 15,000 MBEs with member corporations. NMSDC is explicit that it "does not award contracts, guarantee business outcomes, or control procurement decisions" — certification opens the door; winning the business is still on you.

WBENC — Women's Business Enterprise National Council

WBENC certifies women-owned businesses and describes itself as connecting certified businesses with 500+ corporations and government entities, operating through 14 Regional Partner Organizations across the country. WBENC certification carries an application/certification cost (check the current fee on WBENC's own certification page — pricing isn't published in a stable, quotable figure) — unlike a grant, this is a paid credential, not free money, but it's the credential many large-corporation supplier-diversity programs specifically require.

MBDA — Minority Business Development Agency

MBDA is a federal agency (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) dedicated exclusively to the growth of minority-owned businesses. It operates a national network of MBDA Business Centers that provide free counseling, capital-readiness assistance, and connections to contracting and grant opportunities — find your local center through mbda.gov.

Direct cash grants

These are the closest thing to genuinely free, non-repayable money — smaller dollar amounts than a federal contract, but no procurement relationship required.

Amber Grant (WomensNet)

WomensNet's Amber Grant program awards three $10,000 monthly grants across parallel tracks (the general Amber Grant, a Startup Grant, and a rotating monthly Business Category Grant), with three of the year's monthly winners each receiving an additional $50,000 year-end grant per track. All business categories qualify, including early-stage startups with under $10,000 in sales. One application covers multiple grant opportunities; there is no application fee.

NASE Growth Grant

The National Association for the Self-Employed awards Growth Grants up to $4,000 to NASE members across any industry, intended for specific growth expenses (marketing, hiring, equipment). Membership in NASE is a prerequisite to apply.

Comcast RISE

Comcast RISE has historically provided grants (reported in the $5,000–$10,000 range) plus marketing and technology services to eligible small businesses, with a particular focus on Black-, Hispanic-, Asian American and Pacific Islander-, and women-owned businesses in the program's stated criteria. Status flag, verified at the time of this update: the dedicated comcastrise.com application page no longer resolves to program-specific content — it redirects to Comcast's general corporate-impact page. Confirm current program status directly through Comcast's corporate newsroom before assuming a cycle is open.

Hello Alice

Hello Alice is a small-business platform that administers a range of demographic-specific and corporate-sponsored grant programs, including programs targeted at women- and minority-owned businesses, on a rotating cycle. Because Hello Alice's own program roster changes frequently, check current open programs directly on their site rather than relying on any specific dollar figure or deadline here.

State and regional programs

Every state has at least one economic development agency, and many run grant or matching-fund programs specifically for women- and minority-owned businesses — alongside their general small-business economic-development grants. We deliberately don't list specific state programs here because they change cycle dates, eligibility, and dollar caps frequently; a "best state programs" list would be stale within months. Your state's Small Business Development Center is the most current, free source for what's open in your state right now.

Quick-reference table

Program	Type	What it provides	Primary source
SBA 8(a) Business Development	Federal certification + contracting	Set-aside/sole-source contract access, mentorship, up to 9 years	sba.gov
SBA WOSB Federal Contracting	Federal certification + contracting	Set-aside contracts for certified women-owned businesses	sba.gov
NMSDC MBE Certification	Corporate supplier-diversity certification	Access to 15,000+ MBE network, corporate buyer connections	nmsdc.org
WBENC Certification	Corporate supplier-diversity certification	Access to 500+ corporations/government entities (paid certification)	wbenc.org
MBDA	Federal agency — counseling + connections	Free counseling, capital-readiness help, contracting/grant leads	mbda.gov
Amber Grant	Direct cash grant	$10K monthly (3 tracks) + $50K year-end per track	ambergrantsforwomen.com
NASE Growth Grant	Direct cash grant	Up to $4,000 for NASE members	nase.org
Comcast RISE	Corporate grant + services (status unconfirmed)	Historically $5K–$10K + marketing/tech services	corporate.comcast.com
Hello Alice	Grant-program aggregator (legitimate, not a scam)	Rotating demographic-specific and corporate-sponsored grants	helloalice.com

Certification and grant cycles take months — working capital doesn't have to

Winning an 8(a) set-aside contract or a competitive grant is a multi-month process even in the best case. If your business needs capital now for equipment, working capital, or growth, ClearValue Lending routes your application to the funding partner most likely to fund your use of funds.

Start an application→

Grant scam warning — read this before you pay anyone

Anyone who:

Charges an upfront fee to "find" you grants
Claims to "guarantee" grant approval or certification
Asks for your SSN, EIN, or bank account before you've verified them independently
Sends an unsolicited email saying you've "been selected" for a minority- or women-owned business grant

...is running a scam.

Real grants and certifications are listed at the awarding organization's own website. Direct cash grants are free to apply for. WBENC/NMSDC certification carries a published fee on the certifying organization's own site — anyone charging you a separate, unpublished "processing fee" outside that official channel is not legitimate. The FTC maintains detailed guidance at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/government-grant-scams.

What ClearValue Lending does (and doesn't do)

ClearValue Lending does not administer grants or certifications, charge for grant-finding services, or guarantee grant or certification approval. We are a small business funding platform — we point you to the official directories above and route financing applications to lender partners.

Most minority- and women-owned businesses end up combining financing with grants or certification, not relying on grants alone, because:

Federal certification (8(a), WOSB) is a contracting-access play, not immediate cash — it takes time to win your first set-aside contract
Direct cash grants like Amber Grant and NASE are real but modest relative to most working-capital or equipment needs
Financing is available for a broader set of uses and moves faster than most grant or certification cycles

If your capital need is immediate, start at small business financing to see which financing options fit your business's file while your certification or grant application is in process.

Small Business Grants for Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses: A 2026 Sourcing Guide