Women's Business Development Council Grant is a grant from the Women's Business Development Council that funds women-owned small businesses in Connecticut seeking to grow and scale. The Ignite program awards grants between $2,500 and $10,000 for clearly defined projects with measurable impact on business growth and profitability. Funds cannot be used for operating expenses, real estate improvements, or debt repayment.

To be eligible, businesses must be at least 51% woman-owned, headquartered in Connecticut, in operation for at least two years, and have annual revenues between $25,000 and $2,000,000. Applicants must have invested at least $2,500 in their business in the prior 12 months.

Ignite: A WBDC Grant Program Fueling Small Business Growth The Women’s Business Development Council offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualified women-owned small businesses in Connecticut. Inite is designed to help women-owned businesses grow! Grants between $2,500 and $10,000 will be awarded for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on the business, its growth and profitability.

The grant funds cannot be used towards operating expenses ( e.g. inventory, marketing expenses, salaries), real estate improvements ( e.g. construction costs), reimbursement for past purchases or debt repayment. Applicants are required to have invested at least $2,500 into their business in the last 12 months, unless located in a distressed municipality.

Please be aware: There is no need to pay a consultant to prepare your grant application for you. If you have questions on the application, please email Microgrants@ctwbdc. org and WBDC will answer your questions at no cost.

We also offer free one-on-one advising. After attending an information session, you may schedule an appointment by contacting info@ctwbdc. org.

Grant funds cannot be used to pay a consultant to prepare your application. This is a competitive process and WBDC may not be able to fund all applicants. The current round of funding is now closed.

Stay tuned for the next round of funding which is set to be announced in late summer 2026.

To be eligible, the business must: Be 51% or more woman-owned Be headquartered in CT, registered in the state of CT, and owned by a CT resident Have been in business for at least two years before the application round deadline, with a record of sales Have a record of annual sales/revenue in the last twelve months greater than $25,000 and less than $2,000,000 Be in good standing with the CT Department of Revenue Services (DRS) Have an established business bank account Currently utilize a formal, digital bookkeeping/financial system (e.g. QuickBooks, Sage, FreshBooks, Wave Accounting) Be owned by a woman at least 18 years old Have invested at least $2,500 into your business in the last 12 months, unless the business is located in a distressed municipality The following businesses are not eligible Childcare businesses are not eligible for the Ignite Grant.

If your business is in the childcare industry, WBDC has other programs for you. We encourage you to visit our Child Care Business Opportunity Fund page to learn more or reach out to us at childcaregrants@ctwbdc. org Any individual or business that has already received an Ignite Grant, Equity Match Grant or WBDC Municipal Grant is not eligible.

Non-profit organizations are not eligible. Businesses established as sole proprietors are not eligible; business must register as an LLC or other structure Current vendors or contractors of WBDC are not eligible. (Former vendors are eligible to apply a year after working with WBDC.)

Medical marijuana; liquor stores and alcohol distributors; adult businesses such as strip clubs; vape retailers; tobacco shops and smoking lounges; businesses having to do with gambling; gun stores and ranges; cash advance, check cashing, or pawn shops; bail bonds; collection agencies or services; and auction or bankruptcy or fire or “lost-our-lease” or “going-out-of-business” or similar sale Join us for a one-hour information session to learn about the Women’s Business Development Council’s Ignite Grant.

The information session will cover eligibility requirements, what the grant can be used for, the application process, and timeline. We will share the application questions and the required supporting documentation. There will also be time for questions at the end of the session.

The information session is designed to help you prepare your application. We will hold weekly information sessions in February and March, and the content will be the same for each . You only need to attend one session, although you are welcome to attend as many as you would like .

WBDC Business Advisors are available to help answer your questions after you have attended a live or on-demand information session . The live information sessions have concluded for this round. If you are interested in one-on-one business advising for support on your application, please email info@ctwbdc.

org or call (203) 353-1750 x140 to speak to our Program Specialist. P lease note you can book an Ignite advising session only after attending a live or on-demand information session. Las sesiones en español han concluido para este ciclo de solicitudes.

Si desea obtener más información sobre la subvención, envíenos un correo electrónico a microgrants@ctwbdc. org. Click here to watch the on-demand info session.

Ignite Grant – How to Calculate Projections Projections are a very important part for applying for any type of funding. Funders need to feel that the borrower understands their business thoroughly and their ability to grow it with the funds they are providing. Projections need to be done properly to accurately create that picture for the Funder.

Improper projections can show a lack of business stability, profits and overall growth. If you are applying for the Ignite Grant – join WBDC’s business advisors to get support . The how to calculate projections sessions have concluded for this round.

If you are interested in one-on-one business advising for support on your projections and application, please email info@ctwbdc. org or call (203) 353-1750 x140 to speak to our Program Specialist. P lease note you can book an Ignite advising session only after attending a live or on-demand information session.

To download our English FAQ: Click here Para descargar nuestro Español: Haga clic aquí If you have questions on your application, you can schedule an advising session with a Business Advisor at no cost to you, after you have attended an information session. Please reach out to info@ctwbdc. org to schedule an appointment.

Click here to download a PDF version of the application. Haga clic aquí para descargar una versión en PDF de la solicitud. We do not accept emailed applications; you must apply through our application portal.

No aceptamos solicitudes enviadas por correo electrónico; Debe presentar su solicitud a través de nuestro portal de solicitudes. There are four sections to the application: Section A: Business Description Section B: How you would use the grant Section C: Narrative of your business Section D: Supporting Documents WBDC Grant Application Tutorial – Wizehive (ecenterdirect. com) Are you applying for a WBDC Small Business Grant?

We use Wizehive Zengine as our grant application software for all of our grant programs. Join WBDC Opportunity Fund Team for a tutorial on how to navigate the software. What the review committee is looking for Thoughtful, complete, and well-developed picture of your business that shows a path to growth.

Exceptionally clear use of funds, with a direct link to growth, focused, strong supporting detail. Financial Projections are robust and reflect seasonality of business in projections where all numbers make sense.

Display the business’ long-term potential, with strong growth and potential for continued growth Job creation potential, with the business being on track to adding more jobs Return on investment, that the funds will unlock growth Grant will have a meaningful impact on the business and help the business grow and scale Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of experts from the community.

WBDC Business Advisors will not be making the decisions on who receives grants. Click here to download the projected profit and loss template (English & Spanish) This template is provided as a guide by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC). Applicants are welcome to use this template or their own format if they prefer.

How to Create Projections Access on-demand lessons about how to create projections based on your business type. eLearning: Pricing, Profitability, Projections for a Product Business eLearning: Pricing, Profitability, Projections for Service Business For additional assistance please email info@ctwbdc. org to request an appointment with a finance advisor.

How to Obtain Your Letter of Good Standing Please request your letter from the CT DRS myconneCT online center: 𝗺𝘆𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗖𝗧 (ct. gov) Here is a tutorial to on how to request the status letter: Requesting a Status Letter (of Good Standing) (ct. gov) Click here to see an example of what your status letter should like.

Please note that if it does not look like this – it is the wrong document. Learn about the impact of the Ignite Grant (formerly known as the Equity Match Grant) and how it has helped some of our amazing recipients! Meet Some of Our Grant Recipients!

Dr. Natacha Louis Charles Dr. Natacha Louis Charles Laurie Surprenant and Amy Kenkel Laurie Surprenant and Amy Kenkel