Business for All: Small Business Grants & Resources via Hello Alice & Verizon

SOURCE: BusinessForAll.HelloAlice.com

Business for All is committed to elevating the voice of small business in the U.S.

This collective movement, powered by Hello Alice in partnership with Verizon, is bringing together small business owners, enterprise partners, entrepreneur organizations, policymakers, and individual consumers who are committed to lifting up small business.

Apply for grants up to $50,000 to support business growth, including $10,000 emergency COVID-19 Business for All Grants to help small businesses in crisis. Join leaders such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Bell, Lisa Price, Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez, and Jeff Hoffman to empower every American with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Business For All Grants

$250,000 in grants will be awarded to Business for All applicants, as a critical step towards tackling entrepreneurs’ single greatest barrier to growth: access to capital. Grantees will be selected by an esteemed council of leaders from across the business ecosystem, representing diverse organizations, industries, locations and demographics.

Grants Allocation

• One grand prize winner will receive a $50,000 business grant • Two runners up will each receive a $25,000 business grant • Twelve finalists will each receive a $10,000 business grant • Three business / entrepreneur support organizations (nominated by you!) will each receive a $10,000 grant to continue their work in supporting business owners

Grants Eligibility

1. Must be a legal resident of the U.S., excluding Puerto Rico. 2. At least 18 years of age or older. 3. Must be a legal for-profit business entity based in the U.S. 4. Applicant must be the business owner who is the Founder and/or leading executive (President, CEO, CFO, COO, or any such other similar title.)

Refer to the full Terms and Conditions for all eligibility and criteria details.

Grants Selection Process

The Grants Council, with support from Hello Alice and Verizon, will review all grant applications through an objective and inclusive evaluation process based on the Grant eligibility points. Applications will be scored based on the following:

• Meeting the Business for All Grant Eligibility points included in the previous section • Preference will be given to companies that have launched and need support to scale. • At least 11 out of 15 grants will go to New Majority business owners, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, military connected business owners, and entrepreneurs with disabilities. • Degree of positive impact through business. • Quality and substantialness of your answer to how the federal and local governments can support your business. • Semi finalists will be asked to participate in a second round of applications that will focus on a pitch video. Criteria for the pitch will be shared given advancement to the semi finalist round. • Business / Entrepreneur Support Organizations will be nominated by business owners to be granted as well. Organizations will be nominated by business owners during the application process, and three of those demonstrating successful support to business owners will be selected by the Grants Council to be granted $10,000 each.

Mentorship

All businesses start small and need the support of networks and mentors to grow. Hello Alice provides mentorship, resources and networking opportunities within the Business For All community. Incredible leaders like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristen Bell, Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez, Lisa Price, Jeff Hoffman, Phyllis Newhouse, Jean Case, and Rebecca Minkoff will lend their voices through video mentorship to those who apply to Business for All Grants and are selected. As important, peer to peer mentorship is waiting for you through the Business for All digital community, where you can share your knowledge and answer questions from fellow owners.

COVID-19 Business for All Grants

The current COVID-19 crisis has been a game changer for small businesses. To ensure Business for All, Hello Alice with the support of Verizon, Silicon Valley Bank, Ebay, and others is offering $10,000 emergency grants, being distributed immediately to small business owners impacted by this pandemic. If your business has been severely impacted by COVID-19, please complete the full COVID19 Business for All Grant application to apply for immediate support in the form of $10,000 grants.

Additionally, we have set up the COVID-19 Business Resource Center, where you can access additional financial support, find resources and programs specific to where you live, learn how to pivot your small business, and more.

Small Business Advocacy

Advocate alongside small business owners and policymakers on priority issues critical to small business growth ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Join nonpartisan Business for All listening sessions with small business owners from across the country to inform a letter to both presidential candidates later this year, or a roundtable on Capitol Hill with influential policymakers to create an ongoing dialogue around small business needs. Elevate your favorite small business owners, and the organizations which support them, by tagging them on social media with #BusinessForAll. Your voice matters!

Interested in joining a Listening Session and becoming a Business for All Partner? Please email partnerships@hellolalice.com.

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