One climate idea can chase $250,000 before Friday, November 20, with no equity taken. The winner is not picked until September 2027, so this is patient money.
Here's a hypothetical. Marlow Lane Studio (a made-up shop) sells refills from a cart and wants a small solar setup. A prize like Wilkes fits that test, but it does not fit a shop with no climate plan.
Denver pays sooner, with a final round of $7,500 or $15,000 closing Tuesday, November 10. Chicago opens a new storefront window on November 1, and UNO students close first on October 30.
Grants are competitive, and we opened every official page today. If a detail does not match when you click, trust the page.
| Grant | Amount | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch 4 Progress (UNO students) | $1,700 + $500 Stipend | October 30, 2026 |
| Business Impact Opportunity Fund (Denver) | $7,500/$15,000 | November 10, 2026 |
| Wilkes Climate Innovation Prize | $250,000 | November 20, 2026 |
| Small Business Improvement Fund (Chicago) | Up to $150,000 or up to $250,000 | November 30, 2026 |
| IFW Startup Accelerator Grant | $5,000 | November 30, 2026 |
1. Pitch 4 Progress (University of Nebraska at Omaha students)
- Amount: a $1,700 microgrant for the project, plus a $500 stipend shared by the lead team.
- Who qualifies: UNO students enrolled now and through May 2027. You can apply alone or in a team of up to four.
- The catch: this funds a community service project, not store sales, and it must partner with a Nebraska-based community group from January to May 2027.
- Deadline: October 30, 2026.
- Official link: https://www.unomaha.edu/community-engagement-center/news/2026/09/pitch4progress.php
2. Business Impact Opportunity Fund (Denver, Colorado)
- Amount: $7,500 if 2025 revenue was $100,000 or less. The grant is $15,000 if 2025 revenue was over $100,000.
- Who qualifies: for-profit Denver shops in retail, arts, food service, or other listed services, within 350 feet of East Colfax Avenue from Roslyn Street to Yosemite Street.
- The catch: show a revenue drop of 20% or more across two 90-day stretches, with 2025 revenue of $30,000 to $5,000,000 and at least six months open.
- Deadline: November 10, 2026.
- Official link: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Economic-Development-Opportunity/Business-Support/Fund-and-Finance-Your-Business/Business-Impact-Opportunity-Fund-RD-4
3. Wilkes Climate Innovation Prize (worldwide)
- Amount: one grand prize of $250,000 in non-dilutive funding. Wilkes takes no ownership share.
- Who qualifies: for-profit firms, nonprofits, school teams, and public-sector teams anywhere. Early ideas and growing firms can apply. Your plan must solve a real climate problem.
- The catch: finalists present on May 13, 2027. The winner is announced in September 2027. Overhead is capped at 15% of prize funds.
- Deadline: November 20, 2026 at midnight MST.
- Official link: https://wilkescenter.utah.edu/prize/2027-climate-innovation-prize/
4. Small Business Improvement Fund (Chicago, Illinois)
- Amount: 30% to 90% of project costs, paid back after work. Commercial sites can get up to $150,000. Industrial sites can get up to $250,000.
- Who qualifies: commercial and industrial tenants and owners in a November district: Lawrence/Broadway, Little Village East, Midwest, Pulaski Corridor, or Stockyards SEQ, with commercial sales averaging $9 million or less over three years.
- The catch: this window opens at 9 a.m. on November 1. Homes do not qualify. Only lasting building work counts.
- Deadline: November 30, 2026 at 5 p.m.
- Official link: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/small-business-improvement-fund/home.html
5. IFW Startup Accelerator Grant (nationwide)
- Amount: one grant of $5,000, paid to one winner. It is not a loan. No equity is taken.
- Who qualifies: U.S.-based owners age 18 or older. You must own at least 50% of the business. Idea-stage and pre-revenue firms can apply.
- The catch: only one winner is picked. There is a one-time $5 application fee. The fee is not refunded if you lose. The rules let you ask for a fee waiver by email before you apply.
- Deadline: November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Official link: https://www.ifundwomen.com/grants/startup-accelerator-grant
Before you apply
A real grant never asks for a gift card or your bank login to release a prize. IFW lists its $5 application fee on its own page and rules, and no other grant here lists one. If a caller asks for cash to unlock a grant, hang up.
Funding map: https://mcafax.com/notebook/where-to-get-business-funding
Verified on each official page: October 17, 2026.