October Funding Opportunities

By Alyssa Goslee Business Growth, Funding and Finances, Microenterprises

As the year winds down, many organizations, including government agencies and private foundations, offer end-of-year financial support to help small business owners achieve their goals. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand, October is the perfect month to explore funding resources, as deadlines for various grant programs approach. In this post, we’ll dive into some of the best opportunities available this fall and tips for making the most of the grant application process..

Private companies and nonprofits are offering a number of grants for small businesses.

Please keep in mind these are offered by private organizations, not the City and County of Honolulu, and have their own eligibility rules and ways to apply. Read grant applications carefully – some organizations charge a fee to apply.

Grants

Support Latino Businesses Grant

Application Deadline: October 1, 2024

n addition to acknowledging and celebrating the significant contributions and economic impact of the Latino/x community, we will also be giving away $10,000 in grants through our SLB Impact Fund Grant program.

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City and County of Honolulu Grants in Aid

Application Deadline: November 22, 2024

The City Charter-mandated GIA fund administered by the Department of Community Services (DCS) was established by a voter initiative to serve economically and/or socially disadvantaged populations, or provide services for public benefit in the areas of arts, culture, economic development, or the environment.

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EmPOWER Grant

Application Deadline: December 31, 2024 or until funding runs out

High energy prices, perhaps now more than ever, mean reducing your electricity costs could be crucial to keeping your small business or nonprofit open here in Hawaii. An EmPOWER grant could help with just that as you continue to navigate the challenges of today’s economy.

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ZenBusiness 5k Grant Program

Application Deadline: December 31, 2024

Grantees receive $5,000 to help grow your business, ZenBusiness Money Pro access for 30 days (providing tools to manage your clients, cashflow, and taxes all in one place), and ZenBusiness Banking free for the first month (so you can separate your business and personal finances).

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Freed Fellowship Grant

Open Dates: Ongoing

E$500 grant to business owner in the US to invest in their existing business. No strings attached. No equity required.

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National Association for the Self-Employed Growth Grant

Open Dates: Ongoing

Need $4,000 To Help Your Business Grow?

Apply for a business development grant from the NASE worth up to $4,000!

If you’re a member, login as a NASE member then come back to this page for additional instructions below to apply for an NASE Growth Grant Today!

You could receive up to $4,000 for your small business through the NASE Growth Grants program.

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Wish Local Empowerment Program

Open Dates: Ongoing

[Wish] recognize that as a large e-commerce company we have the responsibility to help uplift others. Black-owned small businesses have long faced hardship due to systemic racism. But small businesses like yours are integral to the makeup of America. So we are dedicating a $2M dollar fund to give roughly 4,000 Wish Local small business partners financial support. The selected recipients will receive amounts between $500 – $2000. This program will only be open to Black-owned stores, to help promote equality and diversity in American business.

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Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Open Dates: Ongoing

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) provides loans, grants, and technical assistance resources to improve and support access to fresh, healthy, affordable food in urban and rural underserved communities.

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Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Open Dates: Ongoing

To help restaurants recover in times of critical need, DoorDash has partnered with Hello Alice to create the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. The fund supports restaurants impacted by natural disasters like fires, floods, and hurricanes, and provides relief through $10,000 grants.

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America's Seed Fund

Open Dates: Ongoing

“We focus on transforming scientific and engineering discoveries into products and services with commercial and societal impact. The deep technologies we fund show promise but their success hasn’t yet been validated. And, each year, we award $200+ million in research and development (R&D) funding to about 400 startups across the United States.”

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Binc Foundation Emergency Financial Assistance.

Open Dates: Ongoing

Binc helps bookstore owners, booksellers, and comic store employees and owners with unforeseen emergency financial needs. The Foundation assesses each request to determine how best to provide relief. If approved, grants are typically paid to third-party vendors.

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HerRise MicroGrant

Open Dates: Ongoing

The HerRise Micro-Grant provides financial assistance, with the help of our corporate sponsors and donors, to women of color creating innovative solutions that impact their community and that are often unable to secure funding for their small business.

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IFundWomen Universal Grant Application

Open Dates: Ongoing

Universal Grant Application Database is where they look first for qualified grant applicants. Here’s how it works: when IFundWomen partners with a brand, we match the partner’s grant criteria to businesses in the database. If you’re a match for one of their sponsored grants, you will be notified.

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Ladies Who Launch Grant Database

Open Dates: Ongoing

Ladies Who Launch focuses on four pillars: Inspiration, Education, Funding, and Community to help give women and non-binary entrepreneurs the motivation, resources, and connections to scale and sustain the businesses of their dreams.

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Loans

Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Open Dates: Ongoing

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USDA Business & Industry Loan Guarantees

Open Dates: Ongoing

This program offers loan guarantees to lenders for their loans to rural businesses.

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Mālama Business Loans-Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Open Dates: Ongoing

This is the most popular loan OHA offers that supports Native Hawaiian business owners. Loan amounts are $2,500-$149,999 with 4.00% APR and up to 7-year term.

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Hua Kanu Business Loan-Office of Hawaiian Affairs

Open Dates: Ongoing

The Hua Kanu Business Loan Program is available to Native Hawaiians who own established business. Created on July 17, 2013, the low-cost loans are intended to help these small-businesses expand. It is meant to provide them access to credit and capital that allow them to grow as well as remain financially viable. Loan amounts $150,000-$1,000,000

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Training

Healthy Food Financing Initiative

Ongoing

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Other

Hawai'i FoundHer Cohort 4

Application Deadline: September 30, 2024

Women are over-mentored and under-funded so we aim to provide grant funding to seed your business’ growth and empower you to build your future.

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2023-2024 Restaurant Business Development Program Application

Application Deadline: January 31, 2024

eed the Soul Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, developed to aid marginalized professionals in the culinary industry. Funding for the Restaurant Business Development Program (RBDP) is provided by external corporations with a vested interest in the creation and sustainability of culinary businesses that are owned and operated by marginalized individuals.

The awarded grant amount for the RBDP recipients is $10,000, plus 6 months of business development consulting and training, at a value of $15,000. Awarded recipients are determined through a comprehensive review process. It is not guaranteed that all those who apply will receive the grant.

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Cyber awareness training for companies

Dates: Ongoing

Cyber awareness training for companies to offer their employees, technical assessments of IT systems to identify vulnerabilities, and penetration testing to validate security, and recovery services if applicable.

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ON DEMAND

Learning

Watch Access to Funding: A Small Business Lifeline for an overview of the kinds of funding available to small businesses.

For more on demand learning, visit our Talk Story page.

Watch Now

Grants