Top Small-Business Grants in Texas
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Using a grant to fund or expand your small business in Texas can be appealing. Unlike small-business loans, grants are free forms of funding that you don’t have to pay back. However, getting a Texas small-business grant can be competitive, and requires time to research and apply.
A number of Texas small-business grants can be found through state and city programs, but there are also business grants offered by Texas cities as well as a few national programs available to business owners anywhere in the U.S.
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Texas state small-business grants
Texas state grant programs tend to have specific requirements, so keep that in mind as you browse through this list.
Texas Workforce Commission’s Skills for Small Business Grant Program
The Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) Skills for Small Business Program provides grant funding to small businesses to invest in training full-time employees. Employees can enroll in training offered by their local community colleges, technical colleges or the Texas Engineering Extension Service.
Businesses can receive up to $2,000 per year for each new employee and $1,000 for every existing employee. Your business must have fewer than 100 employees to be eligible for the TWC grant. Online applications for this TWC grant program are accepted at any time during the year.
Veteran Woman Grant
A grant program offered by Texas Women's University, the Veteran Woman Grant is open to Texas-based small businesses that are women veteran owned. Five grants of $5,000 each will be distributed this year. Applications are open from Jan. 21 - Feb. 21, 2025.
» MORE: Top business grants for veterans
Texas Enterprise Fund
Businesses that want to open a new facility or expand an existing one may be eligible to receive a grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF). Eligible projects must generate at least 75 full-time jobs in urban areas or at least 25 full-time jobs in rural areas. Wages must meet or exceed the average county wage where the project will be located. The project must also be supported by the local county government where it takes place.
Awards typically range from $1,000 to $10,000 per qualified job. Amounts are calculated based on an analytical model that uses factors such as the average wage for new employees, the number of jobs created and the company’s total proposed capital investment.
The application process involves a lengthy due diligence that includes areas such as project competitiveness, estimated economic impact, financial standing, tax status, credit ratings and legal issues among other things. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Texas Rural Women Grant
The Texas Rural Women Grant — also offered by Texas Women’s University — is open to rural, women-owned businesses in Texas. It provides 10 grants of $5,000 each to women located in eligible counties with populations under 50,000. To qualify, your business must also be at least 51% women owned, for profit and you must document that you’ve invested at least $500 of your own capital into the project being funded. Applications will be open from May 20 - June 20, 2025.
Center for Women Entrepreneurs StartHER Grant
The Center for Women Entrepreneurs at Texas Women’s University offers StartHER Grants in the amount of $5,000 to Texas-based small businesses that are at least 51% owned/controlled by women who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Eligibility is also restricted to businesses with no more than five full-time employees — with two part-time employees equivalent to one full-time employee.
StartHER Grant funds can be used for a wide range of purposes from purchasing equipment, inventory or raw goods to marketing and social media campaigns. Applications for this year’s cycle will be open from Aug. 26 - Sept. 26, 2025.
BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Texas businesses that are located within 100 miles of a BMO full-service branch may be eligible for this grant program, which is a collaboration between BMO and Deloitte. In 2024, the BMO Celebrating Women grant program awarded $10,000 to 15 women-owned businesses around the U.S.
To qualify, your business must be at least 51% women-owned. Additional eligibility requirements include that your business must have been in operation for at least two years and cannot have more than $5 million in annual revenue. Application information for 2025 has not yet been announced.
Young Farmer Grants
Available through the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Young Farmer Grant program is designed to grow and support Texas agriculture. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $20,000 and are made on a reimbursement basis up to 50% of the expense.
Funds can be used to start or expand an agricultural business, not to simply maintain an existing operation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 45, and live and operate their business in Texas. Applications are currently closed.
Texas city-specific business grants
In addition to state programs, the following cities in Texas offer grants to small-business entrepreneurs located in their communities.
Santander Bank Cultivate Small Business Grant
The Cultivate Small Business grant from Santander Bank funds minority-, women- and immigrant-owned businesses in the food industry. Grants range from $2,500 to $13,000. In addition to funding, selected business owners will enroll in a 12-week virtual education program, with a food-focused business curriculum.
The fall cohort, which is open to businesses in Philadelphia, Dallas and Miami, runs from September through November, and will begin accepting applications in March.
To be eligible, your business must have been in operation for at least one year and have generated between $25,000 and $1 million in revenue in the last calendar year.
Open for Business Grant Program in Houston
The Wells Fargo Open for Business Grant Program is designed to advance the mission of the Houston Equity Fund by investing in diverse-owned small businesses with 100 or fewer employees located in vulnerable communities in Houston. Grants can range from $5,000 to $100,000 and can be used for the purchase of property, equipment and other assets. Applications are currently closed.
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Community Grant
Houston-based businesses may be eligible for this $10,000 grant offered by Verizon. Applicants must sign up for Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready (it's free to join), and complete two small business resources. Applications are currently closed.
Amegy Bank Small Business Boost Program
The Amegy Bank Small Business Boost Program, created by Amegy Bank and the Houston Texan football franchise, is available to small businesses in the greater Houston area. Program winners receive a $5,000 grant, access to event opportunities and marketing and promotional support.
To be eligible for the program, the business must be small, operate for profit, have annual revenue of less than $20 million and fewer than 500 employees. Applications are currently closed.
Dayton Community Development Corporation grant programs
Dayton Community Development Corporation offers grants for small businesses that focus on the Downtown District of Dayton. To qualify for these programs, businesses must be within designated locations in the city.
The Dayton Downtown Improvement Grant provides up to $25,000, as a 50% match for activities such as interior renovations, signage, landscaping and improvement to the building and parking lot. Along the same lines, the Dayton Small Business Grant offers funding up to $7,500 for exterior projects and also $7,500 for interior projects — on a 50% match basis.
San Antonio Economic Development Department grant programs
The San Antonio Economic Development Department grant programs are available to small businesses in the city. A variety of grants are offered to assist businesses with exterior improvements, noise mitigations, improved outdoor amenities, increased staffing and expanding into new markets.
Grant amounts are available from $2,000 to $50,000, depending on the program. Specific details about each grant program including application deadlines are available on the EDD website.
The Alamo Small Business Grant Program
The Alamo Small Business Grant Program is available to businesses located in the city of Alamo. It provides 50% reimbursement, up to $2,500, for projects such as storefront improvements, signage, repairs, renovations and equipment purchases.
For a business to qualify for the Alamo Small Business Grant, it must have been in operation for a minimum of 24 consecutive months. Also, the business owner must have a yearly lease. In addition to completing an application, owners will need to describe their business, their project and the project budget. Tax returns for the past two years and documented leases from the business's landlord agreeing to the project are also required.
To apply, you have to submit an inquiry through the Alamo Economic Development Corporation website.
Cécred x BeyGOOD Salon Business Grant
The Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund is a collaborative grant program between Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s public charity foundation, BeyGOOD, and her haircare company, Cécred. The program is designed to promote professional stylists, and funds salon business grants for entrepreneurs around the country, including in Houston.
The Salon Business Grant awards five rounds of funding throughout the year — in each round, one salon owner operating in Houston will receive $10,000. To qualify, business owners must demonstrate financial hardship, be currently licensed and have been in business for one year. Applications are currently closed.
National grant programs available to Texas small businesses
There are a number of small-business grants that aren’t limited to specific states or cities, such as the following:
America’s Seed Fund
Small businesses in the technology sector can apply for America's Seed Fund offered through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. To be eligible for this grant, the business must be for-profit, operated in the U.S. and have fewer than 500 employees.
There are three phases of the program that include proof of consent, technology development and commercialization. Awards are given at different phases and amounts can range from $50,000 to $1.25 million.
Amber Grants
Amber Grants offered through WomensNet is a leading grant program for women entrepreneurs. Amber Grant awards are given out monthly and at year-end with amounts ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.
Businesses can apply online and be considered for all the available grant programs. To be eligible for an Amber Grant, a business must be at least 50% owned by women and based in the U.S. or Canada.
» MORE: Business grants for women
NASE Growth Grant
The National Association for the Self-Employed offers NASE Growth Grants of up to $4,000 to business owners in the U.S. who have been active members of the organization for a minimum of 90 days. Grant applications are reviewed quarterly and a new winner is awarded every month.
You can apply online and will be asked to describe your financial need and also explain how the funds will be used and the impact that the grant money would have on the success of your business.
How to apply for a Texas business grant
Understand your eligibility. Business grant programs are highly competitive. While this shouldn’t discourage you from applying, you’ll save time and effort by carefully reviewing the eligibility requirements of each program. Fully understanding your business’s eligibility may also lead you to find unique aspects of your business that you can highlight in the application process or even grants designed for your specific situation. For example, there are grants for nonprofits, startup business grants and business grants for people previously convicted of felonies.
Research grant programs. Once you have an idea of your business’s eligibility, you can narrow your search of grant programs in Texas based on what you’ll likely qualify for. Communications from your local small business development center (SBDC) can help you monitor available opportunities that may be specific to your business’s city or region.
Note application deadlines and awards dates. Grant programs generally have hard deadlines for application so you’ll need to set aside adequate time to complete the process. In some cases, you’ll also be asked to submit documentation for your business and the projects you plan to use the grant funds for. Award dates are also important. If you require the funds quickly, then a grant program with an awards date that’s six months away may not meet the needs of your business.
A version of this article originally appeared on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
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