Business grants you can apply for in December 2023: Opportunities from Verizon, DoorDash and more

Here’s a look at some of the top business grants seeking applications in December. 

$500,000 in grants from Verizon Small Business

Business owners that sign up for the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready online community will be eligible to apply for a $10,000 grant.

Here’s how it works: Business owners can sign up for the free online service, which provides technical assistance, mentoring and other resources to underserved small businesses. They can complete courses, coaching or participation in community events to be eligible to apply for the grant.

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant application process is open until Dec. 20.

$10,000 grants from the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

Small-business owners with less than $3 million in revenue that have been hit by a natural disaster are eligible for a $10,000 grant made possible by a partnership between DoorDash and small-business platform Hello Alice. The business must have a brick-and-mortar location, three or fewer locations, $3 million or less in revenue per location, and fewer than 50 employees per location.

Businesses must be experiencing hardship because of a state or federally declared natural disaster. Applications close at 6 p.m. EST on Dec. 31. Recipients will be announced in February.

$10,000 Feed the Soul’s Restaurant Business Development Grant program

Black- and Latino-owned restaurants and related businesses can apply for a financial stipend of $10,000 and free financial education, consulting and marketing assistance through Feed The Soul’s grant program.

Applications opened on Oct. 5 and run through Jan. 31.

Hello Alice to offer $1,000 in “American Dream” grants

Hello Alice has set up a new small-business recognition and grant program in an effort to push back against a lawsuit filed by America First Legal challenging one of its grant programs.

Visitors can nominate a small business, making it eligible for $1,000 grants and additional publicity and support in the form of a small-business accelerator.

Federal grant and loan options for small businesses

There are also several federal grants and loans from the federal government targeting small businesses.

The America’s Seed Fund program from the National Science Foundation, open to early-stage companies that need to prove their technology and find their market potential, has made about 3,400 awards to startups and small businesses since 2012, with 153 exits by those companies and $9.1 billion in private investment. The grant program gives out roughly $200 million per year to eligible businesses. 

For those looking for government-backed loans, the USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program — part of an umbrella loan program offered by the Agriculture Department, under its OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative — offers loan guarantees of up to 80% on everything from purchasing a building, modernizing equipment, working capital or acquiring a company. The Small Business Administration also recently added new lenders to its flagship 7(a) small-business lending program.

Small businesses looking to get in on the billions of dollars in potential opportunities in the CHIPS Act can take advantage of resources we laid out here.

Take advantage of these grant opportunities and share them with other Stakeholder as well!