Visa Everywhere Initiative — Small Business Competition Review 2026

We could not confirm that it is. The program's own cited application domain, everywhereinitiative.com, does not resolve (checked 2026-08-16), and Visa's U.S. Everywhere Initiative page (usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/innovation/everywhere-initiative.html) currently returns a 404. Visa continues to run region-specific Everywhere Initiative programs (Latin America/Caribbean, Africa, and a Europe-focused Visa Everywhere Pioneers program), so the brand is still active globally — but we can't verify an open U.S. small-business track right now. Check Visa's official newsroom directly before applying.

In past cycles it awarded a non-repayable cash prize (historically $50K+) plus a possible commercial partnership opportunity with Visa, targeting small businesses solving payments, loyalty, or merchant-services problems, with an in-person pitch event for finalists. Those figures are historical — we have not been able to verify a current, open cycle.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, run with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is currently active: $10,000 grants to 100 U.S. small businesses per month from June through December 2026. It isn't payments-specific like Visa's program was — any U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands for-profit business can apply after completing two courses or events on the Digital Ready platform. See our Verizon Small Business Digital Ready review for details.

Yes, but not confirmed for the U.S. general small-business track described in older coverage of this program. Visa runs region-specific editions — for example a Latin America/Caribbean Visa Everywhere Challenge and an Africa edition — plus a Europe-focused Visa Everywhere Pioneers program aimed at refugee women entrepreneurs. If you're outside the U.S., check Visa's regional site for your market.