A $100,000 pitch prize opens next month for exactly six days. Entries run November 20 to November 25, and all you send is a video of 60 seconds or less.
Miss that window and there's no late entry. So put it on your calendar now.
Here's a hypothetical. Larkspur & Twine (a made-up gift shop in Newark) wants to run a free holiday craft market on its block in December. A Newark microgrant can cover part of it, and the deadline is two Fridays from now.
Also below: a $5,000 boost for small businesses nationwide, an equipment grant in Salem, Virginia, and a $30,000 contest for Utah high schoolers.
Grants are competitive. We opened every official page today; trust the page if a detail differs. Listed by deadline, soonest first.
1. Experience Newark Winter & Holidays Cycle (Newark, New Jersey)
- Amount: Microgrants of $1,000 to $5,000 per event.
- Who qualifies: Newark-based nonprofits, community groups, resident individuals, or Newark-based for-profit small businesses. Events must be winter, seasonal or holiday themed, open to the public, and free or low-cost.
- The catch: The event has to happen between November 28 and December 31, 2026. Think markets, block parties, festivals and arts nights, not your rent.
- Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026. Award notices go out November 18.
- Official link: https://www.newarkhappening.com/opportunities/
2. HelpBnk World's Biggest Business Competition (United States and dozens of other countries)
- Amount: Awards of $5,000 each across five tracks (App Builder, E-commerce, Creator, Education and Services). One entrant wins a $100,000 grand prize instead.
- Who qualifies: Anyone at least 18 who owns or controls the business, is a legal resident of a participating country, and is physically there when applying. The United States, Canada and the UK are on the current list.
- The catch: Your 60-second video is the whole scored pitch, and the rules say AI may be used in judging. Ten finalists must pitch in person on December 2, 2026. Entry is free.
- Deadline: Entries open November 20 and close Wednesday, November 25, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. UK time.
- Official link: https://accelerator.helpbnk.com/terms
3. Shophand Small Business Boost Grant (nationwide)
- Amount: A $5,000 package: $2,500 in cash plus $2,500 in Shophand tech and operations services.
- Who qualifies: For-profit, U.S.-based businesses that are actively operating, with fewer than 50 employees and under $5 million in annual revenue. Solo owners are welcome. You must follow Shophand on Instagram, X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
- The catch: It's free to apply, but the page says preference goes to applicants who used a paid Shophand service this cycle. Half the prize is services, not cash.
- Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026. The winner is announced December 15.
- Official link: https://www.shophand.com/small-business-boost-grant
4. Salem Small Business Equipment Investment Grant (Salem, Virginia)
- Amount: Up to 50% of equipment costs, capped at $5,000.
- Who qualifies: For-profit businesses at a permanent commercial or industrial location inside Salem city limits, operating locally at least one year, with at least two full-time-equivalent employees.
- The catch: It's a reimbursement with a minimum 1:1 match. Getting $5,000 back means spending at least $10,000 on approved equipment. Sales tax and shipping don't count.
- Deadline: Applications open Thursday, November 5 and close Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Grants are awarded February 1, 2027.
- Official link: https://www.salemva.gov/867/Salem-Small-Business-Equipment-Investmen
5. Tim Draper High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (Utah high schoolers)
- Amount: A pool of $30,000 in cash and scholarships.
- Who qualifies: Utah high school students ages 14 to 18. High school graduates and full-time college students can't enter.
- The catch: The top 20 make a video and face public online voting in February before the final event on February 20, 2027.
- Deadline: Saturday, January 9, 2027.
- Official link: https://lassonde.utah.edu/hsuec/
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 someone in Newark who throws a great block party? Send them #1 today.
Verified on each official page: October 23, 2026 (2026-10-23).