Step Into September: Funding Opportunities to Grow Your Business

Let’s harvest some new opportunities for your business! This month’s roundup features a mix of eleven business grants and professional development programs for your perusal. You’ll find funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs, support for innovative startups and awards for organizations driving change.

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1. 2025-2026 SheScales Program

SheScales is a marketing advisory program powered by Rain the Growth Agency. This cohort is designed to support female founders through a one-year in-kind marketing program. Selected participants will receive guidance on brand strategy as well as paid and organic social media marketing.  

Deadline: September 15th

2. The Global Insurance Accelerator

The Global Insurance Accelerator is an equity-based accelerator for early-stage, insurance-focused startups. Based in Des Moines, the selected participants receive $50,000 in seed funding for 5 percent equity. They will also receive mentorship from over 75 industry experts and the opportunity to pitch at the Global Insurance Symposium. The program runs in a hybrid format from January to May 2026.   

Deadline: September 22nd

3. The HFSP Accelerator Grant 

This is a new initiative by the International Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) designed for teams that have been awarded a Research Grant in 2025. It supports the integration of an additional scientist from select member countries, thereby adding a new research line and skills to the project. The new team member joins during the grant’s second year and the expanded team receives an additional $100,000 per year. The application is submitted by the PI and the proposed team member. 

Deadline: September 23rd

4. The Global Solvers Accelerator

The Global Solvers Accelerator is a part of the Melton Foundation. This eight-month program is for young community development practitioners aged 20-35 who are leading social impact projects. The program offers a learning journey, expert advisory services and peer exchange to help participants refine and scale their projects for sustainable development.  

Deadline: Opens this September

5. Twilio’s AI Startup Searchlight 2025

This program is designed to recognize and celebrate AI startups that use Twilio’s platform in creative and innovative ways. The program is open to startups that have a working, functional product in the market, have raised less than $200 million in venture funding and can demonstrate how they utilize emerging technologies, such as AI, AI Agents, or LLMs, with Twilio’s products. Twenty honorees will be selected and receive various prizes, including up to $10,000 in Twilio credits, up to $5,000 in OpenAI API credits and a pitch session with the Twilio Ventures team. 

Deadline: October 15th

6.  The Fifteen Percent Pledge Achievement Award  

This is a grant competition for Black-owned e-commerce businesses. In partnership with Shop with Google, the program provides $250,000 in grant funding to three businesses. The winner receives $200,000, along with mentoring and consulting services, while the first runner-up gets $35,000 and the second runner-up receives $15,000. To be eligible, a business must be Black-owned (at least 50 percent equity), have an e-commerce presence on Google Shopping, a minimum annual revenue of $100,000 and have between two and 15 employees.

Deadline: Opens September 17th, closes October 16th

7. The CancerX Startup Accelerator  

The CancerX Startup Accelerator is a public-private partnership offering a program for startups with solutions for cancer. The program offers resources, networking opportunities and connections with industry leaders and the federal government. The accelerator offers a customized curriculum featuring virtual and in-person events, as well as mentorship from experts in digital health and oncology. The program runs from February to June 2026. 

Deadline: Opens September 9th, closes October 28th

8. Miller Center’s Accelerator

The Miller’s Center Accelerator, based in Silicon Valley, is a globally recognized program for social enterprises. The accelerator collaborates with mission-driven organizations that focus on empowering women’s economic power and/or enhancing climate resilience. The six-month, non-residential program provides executive mentorship, leadership coaching and a curriculum to help leaders develop a plan for scaling their business and preparing for investment.  

Deadline: November 1st

9. The Aurora Tech Award

The Aurora Tech Award, founded by inDrive, is an annual global prize for women founders of tech startups that are driving social change. The prize money for winners ranges between $15,000 and $50,000.

Deadline: November 12th

10. Hey Helen Grant

The Hey Helen Grant provides $10,000 in unrestricted financial support to one woman founder per grant cycle. The grant is for impactful, mission-driven for-profit businesses in the United States that are 100 percent women-owned and have an annual revenue of less than $1 million. Nonbinary applicants assigned female at birth or who feel aligned with the intent of the grant are also encouraged to apply. The application requires a $15 administrative fee. 

Deadline: December 30th

11.  The Wish Local Empowerment Program

This $2 million fund provides financial support to roughly 4,000 Black-owned small businesses. Selected recipients receive between $500 and $2,000 to help rebuild their small businesses. To be eligible, a business must be Black-owned, have 20 or fewer employees, be a brick-and-mortar shop in the United States and have an average annual revenue under $1 million. Recipients are required to join the free Wish Local program. 

Deadline: Rolling

Looking for more grants and funding opportunities? Check out our roundup from last month.