$4,000 Is on the table for women founders in 18 western Wisconsin counties. The window closes in 3 days, on October 12 at 11 p.m. The business has to be three years old or younger. Franchises are out.
Four more grants below run through Halloween: a Georgia pitch contest with prizes valued over $23,000, $10,000 cash in Tennessee, up to $6,000 in a North Carolina county, and a $5,000 national grant for women founders.
Grants are competitive. Treat each one like a lottery ticket you earn with careful paperwork. We opened every official page today. If a number below doesn't match when you click, trust the page. They're listed by deadline, soonest first.
1. Red Letter Grant (western Wisconsin)
- Amount: in each of two regions, three $2,000 grants and one $4,000 grant. Eight awards total for the Fall 2026 cycle.
- Who qualifies: women (51% or more ownership) in 18 western Wisconsin counties who want to start or expand a business three years old or younger. Region 1 covers Buffalo, Clark, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix, and Trempealeau. Region 2 covers Barron, Burnett, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn. Franchises and nonprofits are out. Expansions of businesses older than three years are out.
- Deadline: October 12, 2026 at 11 p.m. Finalists interview the week of November 2. Awards are announced November 9 and 10.
- Official link: https://www.redlettergrant.org/apply-info
2. Fayette Pitch Contest (Fayette County, Georgia)
- Amount: first place is a prize package valued at $23,250 or more, second at $14,250 or more, and third at $9,750 or more. The packages are mostly business services (website, branding, bookkeeping, memberships), not cash. Each judge also awards a $2,000 Wildcard to one entrepreneur they want to boost.
- Who qualifies: entrepreneurs planning to launch or grow in Fayette County, Georgia, who can pitch in person on October 20 and again on November 19. Note: there is a $20 non-refundable application fee.
- Deadline: October 13, 2026. The preliminary round is October 20. Five finalists pitch live November 19 at McIntosh High School.
- Official link: https://launchfayette.org/pitch-contest/apply-to-pitch/
3. Start Here Pitch Competition (Upper Cumberland, Tennessee)
- Amount: $10,000 for first, $5,000 for second, $2,500 for third, plus a $250 Fan Favorite voted by the room. Finalists also get a pitch shot with the Upper Cumberland Investment Alliance.
- Who qualifies: concept or startup-stage businesses with fewer than 50 employees that plan to reach or add $1 million in revenue and more than five employees within three years, serve a regional or national market, and have some tie to Tennessee's Upper Cumberland (started there, starting there, or looking to relocate there).
- What you send: an application plus a three-minute pitch video. Six finalists get free coaching before the live night.
- Deadline: October 28, 2026. Finalists are named November 4. Live pitches are November 18 in Cookeville.
- Official link: https://thebizfoundry.org/events/pitch
4. Wilkes EDC Entrepreneur Grant (Wilkes County, North Carolina)
- Amount: up to $6,000. Funds are reimbursement-based within one year of the award, against receipts the panel already approved.
- Who qualifies: new or existing for-profit businesses registered and operating in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Money can cover equipment, space changes, e-commerce upgrades, or capacity to deliver goods and services. Payroll, rent, inventory, and utilities are not eligible.
- What you send: a short business plan, a financial summary, and a three-minute pitch video emailed to the EDC, plus an initial application form.
- Deadline: October 30, 2026.
- Official link: https://wilkesedc.com/business/incentives-grants/local-programs/entrepreneur-grant-program/
5. Women Founders Grant
- Amount: $5,000 cash in a single lump sum, plus a mentor and go-to-market support. Free of equity.
- Who qualifies: women 18 or older based in the United States with a business idea or an existing business that is at least 51% women-owned and operated. Idea-stage and side hustles are welcome. Cannabis, vice, and hate-based businesses are out. Note: there is a $25 non-refundable application fee. There is no extra fee if you win.
- What you send: answers to two questions about your vision and how you'd use the money. Shortlisted founders get a blind interview.
- Deadline: October 31, 2026. Shortlisted candidates are contacted on the 15th of the following month.
- Official link: https://womenfoundersgrant.com/apply-now-women-grants
Before you apply
A real grant never asks for a processing fee, a gift card, or your bank login to "release" the money. Two grants above list a small application fee on their official pages ($20 and $25). Neither charges anything extra if you win. 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 9, 2026.