$100,000 Goes to one beauty founder. Applications for the Sephora Beauty Grant open October 7 and close November 6, so you get four weeks to make your case.
The strangest grant on today's list works the opposite way. Nobody reads an essay. Entreprenista draws one $5,000 winner at random from a short online form, and the window runs through November 30.
Grants are competitive. Treat each one like a lottery ticket you earn with honest paperwork. We opened every official page today. If a number below doesn't match when you click, trust the page.
1. Sephora Beauty Grant (Fifteen Percent Pledge)
- Amount: $100,000 to one recipient, plus pro-bono consulting and a chance to meet with Sephora merchants.
- Who qualifies: U.S. businesses that sell a consumer product in beauty, haircare, makeup or makeup tools, skincare, fragrance, or bath and body. You need $100K in annual revenue, at least one year in business, and 51% or more ownership by an underrepresented founder or founding team. The page's list includes Black, AAPI, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, women, and first-generation immigrant founders. You apply through a business profile on the Pledge's site.
- Deadline: opens October 7, 2026 and closes November 6, 2026. Finalists hear in early January 2027.
- Official link: Sephora Beauty Grant
2. Business Freedom Grant
- Amount: $1,000 for startup costs, marketing, equipment, software, coaching, or a website. Free to apply.
- Who qualifies: anyone with a clear business idea and an actionable plan, or an existing small business, in any industry. The page says location, experience, and background don't matter. Judges score clarity (3 points), feasibility (3), impact of the grant (2), and passion (2).
- Deadline: next deadline November 15, 2026. Final deadline December 31, 2026.
- Official link: Business Freedom Grant
3. Entreprenista Evolve Grant
- Amount: $5,000 cash to one winner, drawn at random. Free to enter.
- Who qualifies: woman-owned or woman-led U.S. businesses (a woman founder or co-founder counts) with at least $100,000 in annual revenue and 12 months of operation. Read the official rules before you enter: you must be an LLC, corporation, or limited partnership, sole proprietorships are out, and P.O. boxes or virtual offices don't count as your address. Nonprofits are welcome.
- Deadline: November 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern. The winner is picked on or around December 10. One catch: the landing page calls this a quarterly grant, but the official rules describe a single drawing for the July 1 to November 30 window. Go by the rules.
- Official link: Entreprenista Evolve Grant
4. LookUp Innovation Challenge (ages 18–25)
- Amount: microgrants of up to $2,500 for an expected 8 to 10 teams, plus five months of mentorship and a peer cohort.
- Who qualifies: people 18 to 25, alone or in a team, with an idea for a healthier, safer digital world. Think mental health, social media harms, or responsible AI. The summary says you can live in the U.S. or Canada, but the FAQ says U.S.-based, so email LookUp first if you're in Canada. Most sessions are live and remote, and the program recommends a team lead near Pacific time.
- Deadline: December 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Interviews run December 8 to 11.
- Official link: LookUp: how to apply
5. Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator (Pennsylvania)
- Amount: a Growth Grant of up to $4,000, or an Impact Grant of up to $17,000. Funds are paid up front in one lump sum after you finish the required tasks, not as a reimbursement.
- Who qualifies: creative business owners in Pennsylvania, 18 or older, with at least one year of state residency and business history. Designers, makers, musicians, filmmakers, game developers, writers, and marketers all fit. The Growth tier needs $10,000 to $2 million in yearly revenue. The Impact tier needs $50,000 to $2 million, favors projects with community impact, and requires a two-month peer cohort. You apply at keystonecreatives.org.
- Deadline: December 31, 2026 at 9:00 PM Eastern. Decisions are expected by March 1, 2027.
- Official link: 2026–2027 application guidelines (PDF)
Before you apply
A real grant never asks for a processing fee, a gift card, or your bank login to "release" the money. None of the five above lists an application fee on its official page. If someone cold-calls you about a grant you never applied for, hang up. Don't pay for a list of grants.
Pick the one or two you actually qualify for. A tight, specific application beats ten rushed ones every time.
Verified on each official page: October 6, 2026.