A student with a laptop and an idea for cancer patients can win $1,000 by November 30. The application is a short form plus a 1 to 2 minute video, about 20 to 30 minutes of work. You don't need a registered company.
The other four are for owners and student clubs. A Route 66 grant pays $5,000 to $10,000 with no match. A York County, Pennsylvania grant gives women-owned shops up to $1,500. Middle and high school business clubs can get up to $2,500, and a Virginia county offers up to $50,000 in matching money.
Grants are competitive. We opened every official page today; trust the page if a detail differs. Soonest deadline first.
1. Woman-owned Small Business BLOOM Grant (York County, Pennsylvania)
- Amount: Micro-grants from $500 to $1,500, based on need and potential impact.
- Who qualifies: For-profit businesses at least 51% women-owned, located and operating in York County, Pennsylvania, with revenue generated as of April 30, 2026. No more than 50 full or part-time employees. Past BLOOM winners from 2024, 2025 or 2026 can't apply.
- The catch: You must show 10% of the grant's value as your own commitment, spend the money within 6 months, and stay in York County for at least two years. An EIN letter alone doesn't count as proof of your Pennsylvania registration. Finalists pitch in person, and the page lists two different pitch dates, so confirm yours with BLOOM.
- Deadline: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 5 PM.
- Official link: BLOOM grant guidelines page
2. Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund (eight Route 66 states)
- Amount: Generally $5,000 to $10,000. No match is required.
- Who qualifies: Owners 18 or older of small, independently owned legacy businesses, or businesses in historic or old buildings, with a brick-and-mortar location along the Route 66 corridor in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California. You must be a registered business in good standing and not part of a national franchise.
- The catch: Digital-only businesses are out. Renters need a consent letter from the property owner, and money spent before the award doesn't count. Businesses owned by People of Color, women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ owners or veterans get preference.
- Deadline: Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM your local time.
- Official link: National Trust Route 66 grant guidelines
3. PIKO Youth Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund (school business clubs, U.S.)
- Amount: Microgrants of $250 to $2,500 per club.
- Who qualifies: Officially recognized student business clubs at accredited middle and high schools in the United States, including DECA, FBLA, BPA and school entrepreneurship clubs.
- The catch: It funds the club, not one student. Money can cover competition fees, supplies, marketing for a club-run business, speaker fees or startup costs. Some waitlist wording is still on the page, but it says applications are being accepted now.
- Deadline: Friday, November 20, 2026. Awards are announced by December 18.
- Official link: PIKO Youth Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund page
4. Student Health Tech Grant (students at any accredited university)
- Amount: $1,000. Half is paid upfront on selection and half is reimbursed after a 6-month check-in. No equity.
- Who qualifies: Currently enrolled students at accredited universities, undergraduate, graduate or PhD, working on a health tech project with a clear connection to cancer care or cancer patients. Broader health projects may be considered as a secondary category.
- The catch: The money covers deployment costs like APIs, software, cloud hosting and domains. Decisions come in mid-January 2027.
- Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026.
- Official link: Maleiha Carino Foundation Student Health Tech Grant
5. Business Growth Grant (Mecklenburg County, Virginia)
- Amount: Up to $50,000 in 1:1 matching funds for a one-time expense. Only 4 grants will be awarded.
- Who qualifies: Small, locally owned businesses in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, with 5 to 50 full or part-time employees. Your business license (if your location requires one) must have been active for at least one year before you apply. Nonprofits can't apply.
- The catch: It reimburses up to 50%, so you pay the full bill first. Work can't start before approval, and rent, payroll and routine replacements don't qualify.
- Smaller option: County home businesses can look at the Home-Based Business Transition Grant, up to $15,000 in matching funds to move into a commercial space. Only 2 will be awarded.
- Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026. Awards are announced in January.
- Official link: Mecklenburg County Business Growth Grant page
Before you apply: Real grants never charge a fee to release money you've won. None of these five lists an application fee on its official page. If someone calls about a grant you never applied for and asks for a "processing fee" or your bank login, hang up and go to the official page yourself.
Know a student building something for cancer patients, a DECA advisor, or an owner in an old building on Route 66? Send this to them today. For loans and other options beyond grants, see where to get business funding, and find every Grant Finder post in the grants hub.
Verified October 31, 2026 on each official page (2026-10-31).
