Amex Shop Small Grants Program

Amex Shop Small Grants Program is sponsored by American Express in partnership with Main Street America. Provides grants to U. S.

small businesses, including retail and storefront operations, to grow, innovate, and support local communities.

Amex Shop Small Grants Program | Main Street America Amex Shop Small Grants Program Amex Shop Small Grants Program Providing grants for small businesses to grow, innovate, and support their local communities. The Amex Shop Small® Grants Program, in partnership with American Express®, is funding more than 500 grants of $ 20 , 000 each, empowering small businesses to grow, innovate, and support their local communities.

The program was initially launched with a $ 5 million contribution to support 250 small businesses in honor of America’s 250 th anniversary. Through a Small Business Saturday giving pledge, an additional $ 1 was given to the grant program for every eligible transaction made on Small Business Saturday, and American Express contributed an additional $ 5 .

1 million — expanding the program’s reach and impact to small businesses and the communities they serve. The Amex Shop Small Grants Program reflects the shared commitment of American Express and Main Street America to champion small businesses that strengthen communities and help local economies thrive.

The 505 recipients reflect the vitality of U.S. small businesses, spanning industries from retail and food service to healthcare and professional services. Grant funding will enable recipients to grow and innovate by expanding operations, investing in critical upgrades, introducing new offerings and strengthening their local communities.

Supporting Small Businesses Year-Round Since founding Small Business Saturday in 2010 , American Express has championed small businesses that fuel America’s local economies. The Shop Small Grants Program builds on that legacy, celebrating small business owners whose ambition and resilience drive impact in communities across the country.

U.S. consumers have reported spending an estimated $ 241 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday since tracking began. 1 In addition, American Express reached its goal of driving $ 100 billion in consumer-reported spending at small businesses from 2021 through 2025 through its global Shop Small initiatives.

2 According to the 2025 Small Business Economic Impact Study, 68 cents of every dollar spent at a U.S. small business stays in the local community 3 —underscoring the importance of supporting small businesses year-round. American Express and Main Street America will continue to spotlight and celebrate grant recipients throughout the year, sharing their stories and the impact they are making across local communities.

To follow along, visit @ShopSmall and @natlmainstreet on Instagram and Facebook. For more information about Small Business Saturday visit ShopS​mall​. com .

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country and is part of the larger Shop Small Movement. Founded by American Express in 2010 , this day is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Since its launch in 2010 , U.S. consumers have reported spending an estimated $ 223 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.

1 Meet the Grant Recipients Receive information about future grant rounds, as well as other small business resources and opportunities, by joining Main Street America’s Small Business Hub or by subscribing to our ​ “ Small Business Resources, Information, and Updates” list. Contact smallbizgrant@​mainstreet. ​org or call 708 − 515 − 4889 and leave a voicemail with any other questions.

Please allow up to five ( 5 ) full business days to respond to all inquiries. 1 This spend statistic is an aggregate of the average spend as reported by consumers who shopped small on Small Business Saturday in surveys commissioned by American Express reporting spend habits on Small Business Saturday since 2012 . It does not reflect actual receipts, sales or American Express Card Member spending data.

Each such survey was conducted online among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. The data was projected from the samples based on then-current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population ( 18 +). 2 Consists of estimated reported spending at U.S. and UK Small Business Saturday events in 2021 through 2024 .

In the U.S., the 2021 through 2024 , American Express Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Surveys were conducted anonymously on November 28 , 2021 , November 27 , 2022 , November 26 , 2023 , and November 30 , 2024 , respectively, by Teneo on behalf of American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business ( NFIB ).

The studies are nationally representative samples of 2 , 426 , 2 , 471 , 2 , 483 , and 2 , 601 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older, respectively. The samples were collected using an email invitation and an online survey. The studies gathered self-reported data and do not reflect actual receipts or sales.

The surveys have an overall margin of error of +/- 2 . 0 %, at the 95 % level of confidence. Projections are based on the current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population, age 18 years and over.

In the UK , American Express commissioned research from Opinium, who polled 4 , 000 UK adults between 5 p. m. on Saturday, December 4 , 2021 and 10 p.

m. on Sunday, December 5 , 2021 , on Sunday, December 4 , 2022 between 5 p. m.

Saturday December 2 , 2023 to 5 p. m. on Sunday December 3 , 2023 and between Saturday, December 7 , 2024 and Sunday, December 8 , 2024 .

The overall spend figure was calculated by taking the average spend of those who shopped at small, local, independent shops and businesses and multiplying by the total number of UK adults. The estimated UK spend was converted from Global British Pound (£) to U.S. Dollar ($) based on the daily exchange rates when the surveys were conducted.

The American Express 2025 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey was conducted by Teneo on behalf of American Express. The study is a nationally representative sample of 2 , 945 U.S. adults 18 years of age or older. The sample was collected using an email invitation and an online survey.

The sample was collected using an email invitation and an online survey. The study gathered self-reported data and does not reflect actual receipts, sales or American Express Card Member spending data. It was conducted anonymously on November 30 , 2025 .

Projections are based on the current U.S. Census estimates of the U.S. adult population, age 18 years and over. The spend figure is based on consumer self-report and does not reflect actual receipts or sales from Small Business Saturday or American Express Card Member spending data. 3 The 2025 Small Business Economic Impact Study was conducted by Econsult Solutions, Inc. ( ESI ) on behalf of American Express.

ESI calculated the share of national Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ), employment and employee compensation that small businesses with under 100 employees provide to the economy based on an analysis used by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

ESI also estimated how much of each dollar spent at the average small business remains in their local community, and used input-output analysis across 100 representative U.S. counties to calculate the additional impact that is generated locally as the result of the spending of employees and the spending of the small business with local suppliers and service providers.

Find Small Business Resources Through our Small Business Support work, Main Street America is equipping both small business owners and economic development leaders with tools, resources, and opportunities to build stronger and more resilient local economies.