# At least $1,000 for a five-minute video, plus $10,000 awards for founders 18 to 30 > A venture fund pays students and dropouts at least $1,000 for a five-minute video. Plus four dated grants, from a Michigan microgrant due Oct 30 to youth awards due Dec 18. By Jordan Menlo · Published October 21, 2026 Section: Business Funding › Grants · Series: Grant Finder (https://mcafax.com/notebook/category/grants) Canonical: https://mcafax.com/notebook/grant-finder-2026-10-22-1k-video-grant-10k-movenow Source: MCAFax, The Broker's Notebook (https://mcafax.com/notebook). MCAFax is not a lender or a law firm. --- A venture fund will send at least $1,000 to students and dropouts for a five-minute video. No business plan, no pitch night. You email a Loom video about the project you can't stop thinking about, and why you want to build it. That one has no deadline. The other four do, and the first closes Friday, October 30. Here's a hypothetical. Bramblequill Robotics (a made-up student project) is two college sophomores building a cheap robot arm in a dorm. They record a five-minute video on a Sunday, send it Monday, and use the money for motors. Also below: a $100,000 beauty grant that closes in two weeks, up to $10,000 in Erie, Pennsylvania if you can match it, and a Michigan Main Street microgrant. Grants are competitive. We opened every official page today; trust the page if a detail differs. Listed by deadline, soonest first. ## 1. Bridge Builders Main Street Microgrants (Michigan) - Amount: Up to $5,000 per Main Street project. A separate Community Microgrant pays up to $1,500. - Who qualifies: People or organizations in Michigan Municipal League member communities. Main Street projects bring together small businesses, artists and local government. - The catch: This pays for a project that brings people onto Main Street, not your rent or payroll. Projects run January through September 30, 2027. In Lapeer County you apply through the Lapeer County Community Foundation. - Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026, per the League's announcement at https://mml.org/about-us/press-releases/bridge-builders-press-release-2026/. Grantees hear in December. - Official link: https://mmlfoundation.org/projects/bridge-builders-microgrants ## 2. Sephora Beauty Grant (Fifteen Percent Pledge) - Amount: One $100,000 grant, plus pro-bono consulting and a meeting with Sephora merchants. - Who qualifies: Beauty, haircare, makeup, skincare, fragrance or bath and body brands located in the United States, selling a consumer product, in business at least a year, with at least $100K in annual revenue. At least 51% must be owned by underrepresented founders, a group the page defines broadly. - The catch: Only one brand wins. You must build a profile in the Pledge's Business Equity Community to see the questions. - Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026. Finalists hear in early January 2027. - Official link: https://15percentpledge.org/award/sephora ## 3. The Flagship Fund (Erie, Pennsylvania) - Amount: From $2,500 up to $10,000. - Who qualifies: Businesses registered in Pennsylvania and located inside Erie city limits. Preference goes to for-profit, brick-and-mortar businesses with 25 or fewer employees. Locally owned franchises can apply. - The catch: You need a 1:1 cash match and you get paid back after you spend. Asking for $5,000 means spending $10,000 first. Nothing bought before the award counts. - Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. - Official link: https://erie.pa.us/FlagshipFund ## 4. Allianz x Social Shifters MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge (ages 18 to 30, worldwide) - Amount: Awards of $5,000 or $10,000, from $30,000 in each of three categories. - Who qualifies: Youth-led startups or projects with a measurable social or environmental goal. Founders must be 18 to 30 and young people must hold at least 51%. Categories are financial confidence, health equity and climate resilience. - The catch: It's slow. Finalists pitch in May 2027 and the money goes out in June 2027. Entries must be in English, and a few sanctioned countries are excluded. No entry fee. - Deadline: Friday, December 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. UTC. - Official link: https://www.socialshifters.co/allianz-movenow-social-innovation-challenge/ ## 5. 1517 Medici Project (students and dropouts) - Amount: A stipend of at least $1,000, paid by Venmo. No equity and no claim on your IP. - Who qualifies: High school students, college students and dropouts working on a project that isn't for school, a grade or admissions. It can be science, tech, math or art. - The catch: You email a five-minute Loom video. Grants go only to teams based in North America. - Deadline: Rolling. The page lists no closing date. - Official link: https://www.1517fund.com/medici **Before you apply** A real grant never charges a fee to release money. None of these five pages lists an application fee. If someone asks for a gift card or your bank login to unlock a grant, hang up. Know a college kid with a side project? Send them #5 tonight. We can help you find grants and apply: https://mcafax.com/apply Verified on each official page: October 22, 2026 (2026-10-22). ## Questions readers ask **How do I apply for a 1517 Medici Project grant?** Email the 1517 team a five-minute Loom video covering who you are, why you want to build your project, and how a grant would help. Grants go only to teams based in North America. **Who can apply for the Allianz MoveNow Social Innovation Challenge?** Youth-led startups or projects with a measurable social or environmental goal. Founders must be 18 to 30, and young people must hold at least 51% of the project. **When do MoveNow winners get paid?** Finalists pitch in May 2027, winners are announced in May, and grant awards go out in June 2027. Submissions close December 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. UTC. **How does the Erie Flagship Fund cash match work?** For every grant dollar you need one dollar of your own. If you ask for $5,000, you spend $10,000, then submit paid invoices to get $5,000 back. **Who is eligible for the Sephora Beauty Grant?** Beauty brands located in the United States, selling a consumer product, in business at least a year, with at least $100K in annual revenue, and at least 51% owned by underrepresented founders. **What can a Michigan Bridge Builders Main Street Microgrant pay for?** Projects up to $5,000 that bring small businesses, artists and local government together on Main Street, with economic benefit and places for people to gather. Applications close October 30, 2026.