Amber Grant for Women
Read our 2026 guide to the Amber Grant · See what is open now
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Winning means you must credit the funder publicly. 16 ask that.
- Scored mainly on market demand and growth. 19 lead with that.
- Publishes the score sheet reviewers actually use. Only 30 do.
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Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
Three $10,000 grants awarded monthly to women-owned businesses (main, startup, and business-category tracks). Every monthly winner qualifies for one of three $50,000 year-end grants. Simple application process with no business plan required.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be a women-owned business (majority owned and operated by a woman)
- Business must be based in Canada or the United States
- Open to any business stage (startup through growth)
- A non-profit qualifies only if at least 50% of its top leadership are women and its Board President or CEO is a woman
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- $10,000 USD monthly; $50,000 USD year-end (three monthly winners selected; total year-end pool $150,000 USD)
- Type
- Award
- Level
- Private
- Deadline
- Monthly (end of each month)
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Moderate — standard application process
High competition — many applicants
Easy — minimal documentation
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipApply at most once a quarter, and only when something material has changed: WomensNet's system refuses a second application from the same email inside 3 months.
Rejection Pitfalls 4
- Not women-owned/led
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How WomensNet judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents on ambergrantsforwomen.com, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-01.
6 of the sources
- Apply Now for an Amber Grant — the live Gravity Forms application
- Amber Grant Rules — Official Rules, Judging Criteria, Selection…
- Frequently Asked Questions — WomensNet
- All Grants — 2026 WomensNet's Grants
- The Amber Grant — about the grant and the live next cutoff date
- Tips for Writing a Winning Amber Grant Application
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What WomensNet favours
Show passion and business smarts◦
“Our judges are looking for passion as well as business smarts.”
The form
Contact and business details
- 1Full Nameshort answer
- 2Email Addressshort answer
- 3Business Nameshort answer
- 4Web or Facebook Pageshort answer
The two written answers
- 5Tell us about your business or business idea…written answer
- 6Tell us what you would do with the money if awarded a grant…written answer
Paying the $15 fee
- 7Application Feeshort answer
- 8Select Payment Methodselection
- 9Credit Cardshort answer
WomensNet states no length limits for these answers.
Judged against
WomensNet publishes its score sheet. in Premium
- 1
What is this business, and who buys it?
Show them Name the product, the customer and the size of the market, and back demand with sales, pre-orders, waitlists or market research.◦
In the funder’s words · 3
- 1. Clarity and Purpose of the Business The applicant clearly explains what their business does or will do. The business idea is understandable, well-defined, and purpose-driven. The product or service addresses a real market need or solves a relevant problem.
- 3. Market Understanding and Strategy Applicant shows an understanding of their target market, customer needs, and competition. There is a realistic go-to-market or growth strategy, even if it’s still early-stage. Judges consider how the business will attract, serve, and retain customers.
- 2. Plans for growing/starting your business. We’re not looking for a formal business plan. Just some explanation of how you’ll achieve business success. It might include some mention of your market, your team, the things you’ve overcome so far, and the challenges you still face.
- 2
Why you — what is the real story?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
What exactly will the $10,000 buy?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Can it last, and did you show care?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
Where applicants fail
“Don’t try to “sound corporate.” Past grant winners are women who have simply shared from the heart.”
“Don’t assume that the grant committee members are experts in your industry. It’s likely they’re not. So avoid jargon or buzzwords that only you will understand; you’ll likely end up confusing the individuals responsible for reading your application.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 11 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
7 more rules that can reject you · 6 more criteria · 2 more prompts
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
You
Woman 18+, owns 50%, US/Canada based
Open to women (18 years or older) who own at least 50% of a business based in the United States or Canada.
Submit before month-end, 11:59 PM ET
Each monthly grant runs from the 1st day of the calendar month until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the last day of the same month.
Your business
Every applicant enters the Amber Grant
All women-owned businesses that apply qualify for the Monthly Amber Grant
Your organisation
Not a charitable-giving nonprofit
Nonprofits whose primary activity is charitable giving are not eligible.
The money
Monthly Amber Grant$10,000 monthly; all women-owned qualify
$10,000, awarded every month — “All women-owned businesses that apply qualify for the Monthly Amber Grant”.
Monthly Startup Grant$10,000; idea phase, under $10,000 sales
$10,000, for businesses “(1) still in the idea phase or (2) have under $10,000 in gross sales”.
Business Category Grant$10,000; rotating category; 11 months
$10,000, for the category of the month; an application stays eligible “for up to 11 additional months” for any rotating Business Category Grant.
Year-End Grant$50,000 each; three monthly winners
$50,000 each to three of the monthly winners — “One winner from each of the three grant types will be awarded”.
Maximum per businessUp to $60,000 total
“women business owners like you can get up to $60,000 in Amber Grant money from WomensNet”.
Your shareExplain how you'll cover the rest
But if the grant won’t cover the majority of that expense, you need to make clear how you’ll make up the difference.
StackingOne application; all eligible grants
A single application qualifies an applicant for all grants for which they’re eligible, as described above.
Fees$15 application fee non-refundable
The $15 application fee is non-refundable, regardless of outcome.
What it pays for · 3
- Will you move into a larger space, renovate the space you’re in, outsource more of the production, build or update your website, upgrade equipment, or something else to address the bottleneck you’ve identified? Tell us.
- That capacity may come through being able to order more inventory, to stock up on raw materials, to invest in more equipment, or to hire more employees.
- Price out different items you would invest in, such as new equipment, Facebook ads, or materials.
From application to money
- Draft the two answersWrite business story and use-of-funds
- Submit and pay $15Submit and pay $15
- Winners announcedWinners announced by 21st next month
- Category grant windowup to 11 additional monthsEligible up to 11 additional months
- Year-end $50,000Chosen in December; announced in January
In the funder’s words · 5
- Draft the two answers
- Write the business story and the use-of-funds answer in a document you keep, then paste them into the form.
- Submit and pay $15
- The application is only complete once the $15 fee is paid inside the same form, by card if you are in Canada. (Each monthly grant runs from the 1st day of the calendar month until 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the last day of the same month.)
- Winners announced
- The $10,000 monthly grant winners (Amber Grant, Start-Up Grant, and Business-Specific Grant) are announced by the 21st of the FOLLOWING month.
- Category grant window
- Applications remain eligible for up to 11 additional months for any rotating Business Category Grant for which the business qualifies.
- Year-end $50,000
- Monthly winners go forward to the three $50,000 year-end grants, chosen in December alongside a public vote and announced in January. (selected in December and announced in January)
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win Amber Grant for Women
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 4 rejection pitfalls reviewers flag — so you catch them first
- 4-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 5-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 4-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 4
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
How Amber Grant for Women Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Grant for Women | $10,000 USD monthly | Easy | Advance Payment | Monthly (end of each... |
| BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program | $10,000 Grant | Moderate | Lump Sum | Between intakes —... |
| Cartier Women's Initiative | US$30,000 / US$60,000 / US$100,000 | Hard | Lump Sum | Annual — 2027 edition... |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about Amber Grant for Women