Grant to Empower Inclusive FinTech & Defi Startups & Scaleups

Grant to Empower Inclusive FinTech & Defi Startups & Scaleups is sponsored by State of Alabama. This program provides funding to empower startups and scale-ups in the financial technology (FinTech) and decentralized finance (DeFi) space within Alabama.

144 Tichenor Ave, Suite 2 entrepreneurial & technology programs manager Alabama Launchpad : Competition for $25,000 and $50,000. Multiple cycles per year.

Alconics Awards : for AI startups CEMEX Ventures : construction industry solutions CodeLaunch : software and apps SPIE Startup Challenge : light-enabled products; $85,000 Startup World Cup : grand prize $1M TechCrunch Startup Battlefield : $100,000 youngStartup Ventures : Tech, Life Sciences/Healthcare, CleanTech, and FinTech startups pitch to VCs. Seed Pitchfest up to $1M; Top Innovators for $2-30M.

Other Financial Assistance Continually accepting applications. American Medical Loan : Small business loans for medical practices Grow America : Access responsible term debt loans with competitive rates, low down payments and longer terms to keep more cash at work in your business.

Food Truck Lender : Loan opportunities for food trucks and other mobile vendor businesses Lee-Russell Council of Governments Military Financial : Small business loans for veterans Small Business Development Center : They do not provide financing, but can help you prepare a well-organized loan package. SBA 7(a) Loans, MicroLoan Program, SBA 504 Loans.

VA Financial : Small business loans for veterans U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Acquisition Planning Forecast System: Program to encourage small businesses to submit to be a federal DHS contractor or subcontractor for larger programs U.S. General Services Administration : Federal database of economic assistance listings, wage determinations and contract opportunities Women's Business Assistance Program : Grants, funding options for small businesses owned by women There are Alabama organizations that offer training and assistance for grant writing and fundraising.

Some resources are membership-based, while others offer free assistance. Amazon Launchpad : $20,000 America's Seed Fund : up to $2 million FedEx Small Business Grant Contest : $30,000 award Grants. gov : Database of federal grants Hello Alice : Features various grants National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Growth Grants : Awarded to NASE members who can demonstrate a specific need for the money.

Multiple prizes of $4,000 each. (A basic NASE membership costs $120 per year and includes networking, mentorship, discounts on business products and legislative advocacy.) Applications due quarterly.

DoorDash Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund : $10,000 grants Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) : supports scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of federal research funds to small businesses that are engaged in research and development and have commercial potential. Grants start at $150,000 and can reach over $1 million.

Small Business Readiness for Resiliency Program : $5,000 awards Visa Everywhere Initiative : For startups and fintech companies to solve payment and commerce challenges of the future. Prizes range from $10,000 to $50,000. For Women-Owned Businesses 37 Angels : Angel investment group that invests $50,000 to $200,000 into each company.

Amber Grant : A small business grant for women business owners created in honor of a young woman who died before she could fulfill her entrepreneurial dreams. The program awards two $10,000 grant to a woman business owner each month. One winner will also be awarded an additional $25,000 at the end of the year.

Applications reviewed monthly. Association of Women's Business Centers : Works to secure entrepreneurial opportunities for women by supporting and sustaining a national network of more than 100 Women’s Business Centers that provide training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities to over 150,000 women entrepreneurs each year.

Cartier Women's Initiative Award : Awarded to 18 female entrepreneurs around the world each year. All 18 finalists will receive either a first prize of $100,000 and one-on-one mentoring or a second prize of $30,000 in prize money. There are two awards: Science & Technology Pioneer and Regional .

Female Founders Fund : Invests in business-to-business (B2B), consumer, fintech, and health care businesses that have at least one female founding member, and they primarily focus on investing in seed-stage businesses. Open to reviewing pitches from businesses in a variety of industries, and occasionally even before those businesses are ready for a formal funding round.

They average between six to eight investments per year, with investments ranging from $500,000 to $750,000. Halstead Grant : For women entrepreneurs in the jewelry industry. A cash grant of $7,500 plus $1,000 toward Halstead jewelry supplies.

IFundWomen : Funding marketplace for women-owned businesses with access to small business grants from corporate partners, online fundraising, coaching and connections. KKR Small Business Builders : $10,000 grants and mentoring to help owners sustain their businesses, maintain and create jobs, and spur economic opportunity. Office of Minority Business Enterprise : Resource for small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

Opportunity Fund : Microloans to underserved small businesses, particularly those owned by low- and moderate-income immigrants, people of color, and women. Red Backpack Fund : In response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, fund is donating at least 1,000 grants of $5,000 each to female-identified entrepreneurs in the U.S. whose businesses have been impacted by the health crisis.

For Minority-Owned Businesses Coalition to Back Black Businesses Fund : Grants for those impacted by Covid-19. IFundWomen of Color : Help diverse, early-stage entrepreneurs bring their dreams into reality through raising capital via crowdfunding and providing grants, coaching, and the connections needed to launch and grow successful businesses.

Kapor Capital : Focusing on African American and Latino communities that have lack of funding, this organization offers to help tech companies in the seed stage who are looking to close gaps in their local community. Kiva : Crowdfunds loans up to $10,000 with 0% interest for borrowers who are either financially excluded or creating social impact in their communities.

Minority Business Development Agency : Access to expert assistance on securing financing, grants and other business essentials. National Black MBA Association Scale-Up Pitch Challenge : Competition with prizes up to $50,000. Membership required.

Office of Minority Business Enterprise : Resource for small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

For College Students/Faculty LAUNCH (Auburn University faculty only) Tiger Cage (Auburn University students only): $50,000 prize pool Hivers and Strivers : angel investment group for grads of U.S. Military Academies ($250k to $1M) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization : help find federal contracting opportunities VA Financial : Small business loans for veterans Veterans Business Outreach Centers : workshops, mentorship to launch businesses Veteran Readiness and Employment Blue Ocean High School Entrepreneurial Leaders : $1,000 Harbert Management Corporation (information technology focus) Lee-Russell Council of Governments CDFI (Community-Based Lender)