Business Grants for Women

 by: Rebecca Game

Many women in business find that in order to meet their business' financial needs, they turn to searching out a loan source. Business loans for women are widely available through the Small Business Administration and a variety of other sources such as banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Loans, however, are not the only source for financing. In some instances, business grants for women are available.

Business grants for women are a wonderful option for some women in business. Grants are an excellent source of funding because grants are not repaid. The funding is provided through government resources that have been budgeted for specific needs in our national community. Anyone is open to apply, so business grants for women are available to anyone regardless of gender, race, religion, or background.

The downside of grants is that business grants for women are not widely available. Rather, business grants for women are available only to select businesses and under very strict circumstances, mostly for research or development. Technologically-focused businesses, for example, will find it much easier to qualify for a grant than a craft or retail business. Still, because the money is readily available, even if your business is retail oriented, it may be of benefit to check into business grants for women available for various resources that could assist you in your business.

According to Denouement Solutions and Grants.gov, the United States government and its government organizations offer more 1000 grants totaling more than $400 billion in grant funding every year. Only 10 percent of citizens that qualify for these grants actually apply for grants, despite the fact that many more than that would qualify for a business grant for women. Therefore, even though not every individual or business is eligible for a business grant for women, it certainly can be beneficial to check into business grants for women.

According to grants.gov, the United States government's web site and main resource for grants that are available and can be applied for, there are more than 1000 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies. These programs fall into 21 different categories, as defined by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. While some agencies may list available grants under multiple grant categories, the Federal government lists these categories of grants as follows:
  (continued...)

Business Grants for Women
  Page 2

About The Author Rebecca Game is the founder of Digital Women ®, an online community for women in business. A 30 year entrepreneur and dedicated to helping other women find business loans and business grants. Visit her site: Business Grants for Women http://grants.digital-women.com

Additional Resources

category - Small Business Grants

Small Business Administration's Portable Assistance Program
The Small Business Administration has established the Portable Assistance Program wherein they seek to provide grants to Small Business Development Lead Centers that provide services to small businesses in an effort to increase the success of small business establishments and their viability in certain communities where economic hardship is apparent and is attributable to the impact of a major disaster.

---

How The Government Can Help Your Small Business
The United States Small Business Administration, otherwise known as SBA, is a United States government agency that was established on the 30th day of July, 1953.

---

Small Business Administration's Loan Guarantees Program
The Small Business Administration has established the Loan Guarantees Program wherein they aim to be able to provide guaranteed loans to small business establishments which are not capable of acquiring financing from a private credit marketplace but greatly manifests the ability to repay funds in a timely manner.

---

Department of Agriculture: Value Added Producer Grants
The Value-Added Producer Grants program is geared towards helping the Independent Producers of Agricultural Commodities, Agriculture Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures in developing techniques that would create marketing opportunities and establish business plans involving viable marketing opportunities that involve the production of bio-based products from agricultural commodities.

---