Funding opportunities for May 2024 💰
Dear entrepreneurs, here is your curated list of funding opportunities for May 2024. Total funding available: $15.5 MILLION!
Welcome back to another month full of funding opportunities for you and your business. We are pleased to be sharing 32 new options this month for a RECORD total of over $15,543,000 of funding!
Without further ado, time to chase the opportunities! 💰
1. The Halstead Grant
Category: Grant
Target: Silver jewelry entrepreneurs.
Comments: Applicants must submit design portfolios.
Value: $7,500
Deadline: May 1, 2024
2. VentureWell E-Team Program - Summer
Category: Accelerator
Target: Open to student-led teams with innovative technology ideas.
Comments: Offers seed funding, training, and mentorship to help validate and launch ventures.
Value: Up to $25,000
Deadline: May 1, 2024
3. Chick-Fil-A True Inspiration Awards
Category: Grant
Target: Non-profits in the US and Canada.
Comments: Sixteen organizations will be awarded for their work across four categories: 1. Caring for People; 2. Caring through Food; 3. Caring for Communities; 4. Caring for our Planet.
Value: $5 million in grants ranging from $30,000 to $350,000.
Deadline: May 1, 2024
4. Urban Future Prize Competition
Category: Competition
Target: Climatetech startups.
Comments: Awardees will also receive admission into the ACRE Incubator, New York's longest-running and most successful climatetech program.
Value: 2 x $50,000
Deadline: May 1, 2024
5. The Sparkplug Foundation Social Action
Category: Grant
Target: Non-profits based in the US working on projects addressing institutional injustices.
Comments: Potential recipients must focus on educating or supporting communities, making systemic change and shifting power to create justice.
Value: $10,000
Deadline: May 2, 2024
6. Alchemist Accelerator
Category: Accelerator
Target: B2B startups with scalable technologies.
Comments: Provides funding, mentorship, and a six-month accelerator program focused on enterprise sales and growth. Typically offer $25k in funding. The average ask is 5.0% of equity, but they’re willing to adjust the economics for later stage companies.
Value: 25 x $25,000
Deadline: May 3, 2024
7. NHSCA Artist Entrepreneurial - Q2
Category: Grant
Target: Creative professionals. Applicants must have been New Hampshire residents for at least one full year.
Value: Up to $2,500
Deadline: May 3, 2024
8. Visa Everywhere Initiative - Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Category: Competition
Target: Fintech startups in Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
Comments: Visa will select one global finalist per each region that will move forward to the global finals event in San Francisco, California.
Value: Global prizes: 1 x $100,000 + 1 x $20,000 ; Local prizes: 1 x $20,000 + 1 x $10,000.
Deadline: May 6, 2024
9. Black Ambition Prize Competition
Category: Competition
Target: Black and Hispanic founders across 5 categories: AI, Healthcare, Consumer products and services, Media and Entertainment, Technology. Must apply as a team (2+ members).
Comments: Provides access to capital, mentoring, coaching and a community of other founders.
Value: 250 x $15,000 + 1 x $1,000,000
Deadline: May 6, 2024
10. Greenhouse Accelerator - Juntos Crecemos program
Category: Accelerator
Target: Hispanic-owned food & beverage small businesses.
Comments: 5 month accelerator program for up to 8 high-potential emerging Hispanic-owned food and beverage CPG companies. Selected companies must pitch their product in person in Plano, TX.
Value: 7 x $20,000 + 1 x $100,000
Deadline: May 6, 2024
11. ReadyLaunch grant from Readymag
Category: Grant
Target: Women project designes (newsletters, YT channels, podcasts, etc.).
Comments: Grantees will receive one-year access to a Female Design Council membership, mentorship and assistance in securing media coverage.
Value: 4 x $2,000
Deadline: May 8, 2024
12. Creators’ Momentum Business Accelerator
Category: Accelerator
Target: US-based entrepreneurs in the creative economy. Must have been operational for at least one year, have an annual revenue equivalent of less than $500,000 and be employing 5 or fewer full- or part-time employee.
Comments: 8-week virtual program, networking opportunity and a $5,000 business grant upon successful completion of the program.
Value: 100 x $5,000
Deadline: May 13, 2024
13. TiE Women Pitch Competition
Category: Competition
Target: Women founders.
Value: Not specified
Deadline: May 15, 2024
14. Roddenberry Fellowship - Round 1
Category: Fellowship
Target: Innovators addressing social and environmental challenges. Organizations must have <$2M budgets and been in operation for <5 years. All proposals must be for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes and may not be for lobbying or legislative purposes.
Comments: All fellows receive flexible funding, a team of coaches to work with throughout the year, two all-expenses paid retreats in the spring and fall, a cohort of peers and a network of over 100 other fellows.
Value: Multiple $50,000 grants
Deadline: May 17, 2024
15. HubSpot Million Dollar pitch competition
Category: Competition
Target: SaaS startups that have raised a pre-seed or seed round. Must be incorporated in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, or Ireland.
Comments: Six startup leaders will present their startups to a panel of judges.
Value: Up to $1,000,000 investment.
Deadline: May 17, 2024
16. Techstars Accelerators
Category: Accelerator
Target: Early-stage startups with innovative technology solutions.
Comments: Each year, more than 700 early-stage companies join one of the 3-month, mentorship-driven accelerators, receiving $120K and hands-on mentorship and access to the Techstars network. Many locations and industries are available.
Value: $120,000
Deadline: May 22, 2024
17. Disability Inclusion Fund
Category: Grant
Target: U.S. groups run by and for people with disabilities leading transformational change.
Comments: This funding opportunity will provide two-year grants.
Value: $150,000
Deadline: May 29, 2024
18. Fast Pitch Competition (Women Founders Network)
Category: Grant
Target: Women-led companies divided in two tracks: (1) Tech and (2) Consumer/CPG/Other Non-tech
Comments: 10 finalists, $55,000 cash grants, $100,000 in services.
Value: $155,000
Deadline: May 31, 2024
19. Halcyon EquityTech Fellowship
Category: Fellowship
Target: For-profit ventures using technology to close equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility.
Comments: 2-month in-person residency in Washington, DC. The fellowship empowers entrepreneurs across the United States and the globe leveraging technology to increase social and financial inclusion and close equity gaps in wealth, education, and accessibility.
Value: 8 x $10,000
Deadline: May 31, 2024
20. HerRise MicroGrant
Category: Grant
Target: U.S.-registered businesses that are majority-owned by women of color. Nonprofits, franchises, direct sellers, authorized resellers, and independent consultants are ineligible to apply.
Comments: Applications are reviewed monthly, with winners announced during the subsequent month's HerSuiteSpot First Friday Mixer.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: May 31, 2024
21. Start.Pivot.Grow. Accelerator - cohort 8
Category: Grant
Target: Must be actively in business for 2 years or more.
Value: $2,500
Deadline: May 31, 2024
22. Merchant Maverick Grant Opportunity
Category: Grant
Target: US-based 10 to 18 year old entrepreneurs.
Comments: Awardees will also be offering free mentorship and business coaching advice from the CEO of Merchant Maverick.
Value: 5 x $2,000
Deadline: May 31, 2024
23. Skip Monthly Grant - May
Category: Grant
Target: U.S.-based small business owners and entrepreneurs. Must have a Skip account and add the monthly grant to Funding Assistant, as well as be subscribed to Skip’s YouTube channel.
Comments: Grants are typically set at $1,000, though the exact amount varies by Skip’s monthly YouTube revenue.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: Monthly
24. The Big Idea
Category: Grant
Target: Women small business owners, entrepreneurs and creative professionals over 18 based in the US.
Comments: Funding can be used as a start-up grant, marketing grant or operational grant. Entry fee: $15.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: Monthly
25. Hustler’s MicroGrant from HerSuiteSpot
Category: Grant
Target: Us-based small business owners (<$1M revenue).
Comments: Applicants must follow the Deja Vu show on all social media platforms and submit application before the last day of the month.
Value: $1,000
Deadline: Monthly
26. Y Combinator - Summer
Category: Accelerator
Target: Open to early-stage startups with scalable ideas.
Comments: 3-month program in San Francisco leading up to a Demo day. Provides seed funding, mentorship and networking opportunities.
Value: $500,000 investment
Deadline: On-time deadline is April 22, but YC continues to accept applications until late June.
27. National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) Growth Grant - Q2
Category: Grant
Target: Membership with NASE is required to apply. You must be a member for 90 days before you are eligible to apply.
Value: Up to $4,000
Deadline: Quarterly basis; Completed applications received in April, May and June will be reviewed in July.
28. 500 Global Flagship Accelerator Program
Category: Accelerator
Target: Startups in the tech industry, from marketplaces to SaaS, from media to AI.
Comments: Offers funding, mentorship, and a four-month accelerator program focused on growth and traction. The accelerator deal is a $150,000 investment in return for a 6% stake. They charge $37,500 to participate, but the fees can be deducted from the investment. The program is hosted in Palo Alto, California.
Value: $150,000
Deadline: Rolling
29. Plug and Play - Silicon Valley Incubator
Category: Accelerator
Target: Stage-agnostic startups across all industries and locations.
Comments: Very large accelerator platform providing equity-free funding, mentorship, network and physical office space in the Silicon Valley.
Value: $25,000 to $500,000
Deadline: Rolling
30. SOSV HAX Accelerator
Category: Accelerator
Target: Startups in manufacturing, healthcare, and climate tech.
Comments: The HAX program provides 6-months collaborative residency, hands-on engineering support, and an initial investment package of $250,000-525,000 with millions available in SOSV follow-on funding. The program hosts 20 companies per year.
Value: Up to $525,000
Deadline: Rolling
31. SOSV IndieBio Accelerator
Category: Accelerator
Target: Startups in human and planetary health.
Comments: IndieBio works virtually or in-person with founders for four-months, providing daily, 1:1 support from staff scientists engineers and mentors in laboratory spaces shared with a cohort of 10-15 companies. Companies receive an investment package of $250,000 – $525,000, and their choice of IndieBio locations, either New York City or San Francisco.
Value: Up to $525,000
Deadline: Rolling
32. The Brandery Accelerator
Category: Accelerator
Target: Open to startups in marketing, branding, and consumer goods sectors.
Comments: The Brandery runs a 12-week accelerator program for a group of 5-7 startups. Startups receive an equity investment, a year of free office space, and additional benefits.
Value: $200,000
Deadline: Rolling
