Founder-Coded Opportunities.

Prize / benefit: AFWERX SBIR/STTR contracts fund dual-use Air Force and Space Force innovation; Phase I awards can reach $323K and Phase II awards can reach $2.1M for qualified small businesses.

Eligibility: For-profit U.S. small businesses with 500 or fewer employees; STTR requires a U.S. research institution partner.

Prize / benefit: $500K standard YC investment, plus the YC batch, partners, alumni network, and investor introductions.

Eligibility: Startups globally; YC invests in U.S., Canada, Cayman, and Singapore corporations and helps accepted companies incorporate or flip if needed.

Prize / benefit: $2.5K grant with full discretion on use for operations and growth.

Eligibility: Entrepreneurs age 21+ with an active business registered and operating within a U.S. state or territory.

Prize / benefit: $1M investment prize at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale, plus investor and corporate-partner exposure through regional competitions.

Eligibility: Startups apply through regional competitions; U.S. founders are eligible through U.S. regional tracks and other applicable regions.

Prize / benefit: $220K investment package: $200K uncapped MFN SAFE plus $20K for a 5% post-money CEA, alongside the 3-month accelerator and network.

Eligibility: Startup founders accepted into a Techstars accelerator; Techstars invests in U.S. corporations or foreign equivalents/holding companies.

Prize / benefit: Up to $2M in seed funding with zero equity taken.

Eligibility: U.S. small business under 500 employees; at least 50% equity owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents; all funded work must occur in the U.S.; PI must be employed at least 20 hours/week by the company.

Prize / benefit: $500 no-strings monthly grant, feedback through Freed's 5C framework, two months of Freed Studio mentorship, and eligibility for a $2.5K year-end grant.

Eligibility: U.S.-based micro and small business owners; the program emphasizes overlooked entrepreneurs but describes the grant as open to U.S. small business owners.

Prize / benefit: $1K monthly grant for small business owners, selected on vision, impact, and how the funds accelerate the business.

Eligibility: Entrepreneurs and small business owners across the United States with a clear plan for how a microgrant can move the business forward.

Prize / benefit: $1K grants awarded through recurring live drawings, with several winners selected during each live event.

Eligibility: U.S.-based entrepreneurs age 18+ who complete the required entry questions before a live drawing; no purchase necessary.

Prize / benefit: Up to $4K for small business growth needs such as marketing, equipment, software, hiring, or expansion work.

Eligibility: Current National Association for the Self-Employed members; employees, sales associates, field representatives, contractors, and their immediate family are not eligible.

Prize / benefit: $500–$1K microgrant with no membership requirement.

Eligibility: U.S.-based active businesses or nonprofits that have been established for at least six months and can identify a specific growth challenge.

Prize / benefit: $5K quarterly grant for business growth and community impact.

Eligibility: U.S.-formed businesses operating in the United States, generating revenue, preferably operating for at least one year, and demonstrating positive community impact, especially in high-need ZIP codes or LMI census tracts.

Prize / benefit: $45K cash prize pool across five $7K track prizes, ten $500 blog-post awards, and ten $500 honorable mentions, plus cloud credits, Qwen Cloud blog featuring, swag, and AI Catalyst access for standout teams.

Eligibility: Individuals age of majority, teams, and organizations that can register for Qwen Cloud and are not in restricted jurisdictions or conflicts of interest.

Prize / benefit: $25K cash to the Top Business, $2K cash to each of 10 category honorees, CO— editorial visibility, event access, and U.S. Chamber membership.

Eligibility: For-profit U.S.-based businesses operating at least one year before May 4, 2025, with fewer than 250 employees and under $20M gross revenue in both 2024 and 2025; prior CO—100 honorees are not eligible.

Prize / benefit: $50K grand prize, one year of AT&T service with a device, mentorship resources, and four $5K runner-up grants.

Eligibility: Legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C. who are the sole or majority owner of a small business with 1–5 locations and 99 or fewer full- or part-time employees.

Prize / benefit: $2M cash prize pool, including $500K first place, $200K second, three $100K placements, 15 $50K runner-up awards, and five $50K category awards.

Eligibility: Individuals, teams, and small organizations under 25 employees; U.S. founders are eligible subject to Devpost/XPRIZE conflict and restricted-jurisdiction rules.

Prize / benefit: $10K People's Choice cash prize, sponsor prizes, mentorship, Silicon Valley pitch exposure, and follow-on connections at the live demo/job-fair day.

Eligibility: U.S.-only participants above the legal age of majority; teams of 1–5 building AI-powered social-good solutions.

Prize / benefit: Three grand prizes with $6K approximate retail value each, including $3K cash/payment value, business consultations, and creative production support.

Eligibility: Legal residents physically located in the contiguous U.S. or D.C. as of July 6, 2026 who own an SBA-classified small merchant business; void in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and other U.S. overseas territories.

Prize / benefit: $1M+ global prize pool split 50% cash and 50% Alibaba credits; selected finalists receive $10K for making the cut, covered finalist travel, buyer exposure, and Hello Alice support.

Eligibility: U.S.-based small business owners with product-driven businesses; General track is for established product businesses and AI Entrepreneur track is for founders building a new product inside Accio Work.

Prize / benefit: $5K grant for revenue-generating women founders ready to invest in growth-critical resources, operations, inventory, systems, or other scaling needs.

Eligibility: U.S.-based, woman-owned or woman-led companies that have operated for at least one year, generate at least $100K annually, and have not previously received the grant.

Prize / benefit: $10K cash prize to the winner plus direct connection to values-aligned investors at SENT Summit.

Eligibility: Angel, pre-seed, and seed-stage startups with Catholic founders and a venture-scale roadmap.

Prize / benefit: $4.25K grant, free application, and access to Galaxy of Stars founder resources and community.

Eligibility: Women and minority entrepreneurs, including aspiring founders and existing small business owners, applying through Galaxy of Stars / Hidden Star.

Prize / benefit: $10K unrestricted cash grant, no strings attached, plus Visionaries platform visibility.

Eligibility: Women-owned, for-profit U.S. businesses making less than $1M per year; legal U.S. resident age 18+ with a U.S. business bank account.

Prize / benefit: 30 honorees receive media featuring, Twilio Ventures 1:1 engagement, co-marketing opportunities, and Ramp gift cards up to $2.5K or $5K depending on track.

Eligibility: AI startups using or integrating with Twilio, SendGrid, Segment, or Twilio Platform products; must have raised less than $200M in venture funding.

Prize / benefit: $20K cash prize for each winner, plus data and insights, technical training, mentorship/support, marketing and brand activations, and Global Citizen / PayPal network visibility.

Eligibility: Owner, founder, or CEO of an independent small-to-medium business with an online sales presence, fewer than 50 full-time employees or under $1M annual revenue, and 1–5 years of tangible community impact; franchises, chains, and sanctioned entities are excluded.

Prize / benefit: Three $10K grants awarded monthly, with three $50K year-end grants awarded to monthly winners.

Eligibility: Women age 18+ who own at least 50% of a U.S. or Canada-based business; idea-stage, pre-revenue, startup, and revenue-generating nonprofit ventures can qualify under the rules.

Prize / benefit: $5K no-strings grant paid in one lump sum, plus founder mentorship, GTM support, and on-demand resources for selected grantees.

Eligibility: Women age 18+ based in the USA with an idea-stage or existing business that is at least 51% women-owned and operated.

Prize / benefit: $1K monthly microgrant for business needs such as equipment, marketing, software, websites, staffing, or growth expenses.

Eligibility: Under-resourced women entrepreneurs, including women of color, with a U.S.-registered business that is 51% women-owned and under $1M in gross revenue.

Prize / benefit: No-cost, non-dilutive 10-week accelerator focused on enterprise decision-maker access, defensible strategy, investor readiness, and milestone execution.

Eligibility: Pre-seed through Series A+ startups in security and resiliency areas; companies outside the U.S. may apply if able to travel to required U.S. events.

Prize / benefit: One $100K startup investment, subject to due diligence and a startup-friendly term sheet; all finalists get mentoring and visibility.

Eligibility: Technology startups aligned with Kingdom Founders' values and willing to engage with its High Tech Ministries partnership.

Prize / benefit: $80K cash prize pool plus matching AWS credits, with $10K first-place cash prizes across B2C, B2B, global-scale, and open innovation tracks.

Eligibility: Individuals, teams, and organizations age-of-majority or legally organized at entry; U.S. participants are eligible unless they fall into sponsor, judge, conflict, or restricted-jurisdiction exclusions.

Prize / benefit: $125K investment for the winning company plus national stage exposure and investor feedback.

Eligibility: Early-stage technology startups; finalists pitch live at Invest Fest before Open Opportunity Fund / Earn Your Leisure judges and investors.

Prize / benefit: Phase I awards are up to $225K for technical and commercial feasibility work, with NASA I-Corps and TABA commercialization support available on eligible submissions.

Eligibility: U.S. small businesses; STTR requires a U.S. research institution partner.

Prize / benefit: $100K equity-free prize for the champion, plus TechCrunch visibility, investor access, a free exhibit table, and Disrupt passes for selected startups.

Eligibility: Early-stage startups globally; U.S. founders are eligible. Most selected companies are pre-Series A, and a functional MVP/demo is expected.

Prize / benefit: $10K non-dilutive cash to each track's grand prize winner, no equity taken, plus mentor and investor-judge access; travel support is available for some participants.

Eligibility: Early-stage energy startups worldwide, including U.S. founders, with less than $2M annual revenue and a business tied to electricity or fuel-molecule supply chains.

Prize / benefit: Up to 250 entrepreneurs join a 12-week virtual Boost Camp; 100 participants receive $20K grants.

Eligibility: Leading executives of for-profit businesses registered and located in the U.S., D.C., or Puerto Rico with at least $25K revenue in 2025, demonstrated funding need, and willingness to join the July 2026 virtual Boost Camp.

Prize / benefit: $2.5K toward startup costs plus Bizee's Standard formation plan, including incorporation services, a year of registered agent service, and a tax consultation.

Eligibility: U.S. residents age 21+ planning to start a new business or grow an existing business in a significant way.

Prize / benefit: 2026 USA program advertised at least $50K in investment capital, tens of thousands in seed services, and a path to the World Championship.

Eligibility: CodeLaunch USA is aimed at U.S.-based founders; finalists pair with professional hackathon teams.

Prize / benefit: $1M cash prize pool: $400K first, $250K second, $150K third, $125K fourth, and $75K fifth, plus national finalist visibility and a Washington, D.C. live pitch.

Eligibility: U.S.-headquartered and operated small businesses with at least 3 years in operation, at least $100K annual gross revenue, 100% U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident ownership, and qualifying SBA capital product history.

Prize / benefit: Five $5K grants, plus 25 finalists receive Sky's the Limit accelerator mentorship, Launchpad tools, and business resources.

Eligibility: Small business owners across the United States applying through the Simply Business and Sky's the Limit Big Dreams Grant program.

Prize / benefit: $42K cash prize pool, Dreamforce 2026 ticket vouchers for top teams, Slack developer certification vouchers, Slack newsletter/social featuring, and marketplace-oriented distribution paths.

Eligibility: Builders creating a Slack agent or significantly updated Slack Marketplace app using Slack AI capabilities, MCP integrations, or the Real-Time Search API; U.S. participants are eligible subject to Devpost rules.

Prize / benefit: Cash prizes, complimentary FIFA World Cup 2026 Final access for finalists, regional pitch visibility, and Verizon Digital Ready support; the grand prize winner receives the cash award.

Eligibility: Small business owners age 18+ registered on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready who complete a Winning Customers course/event and submit the required social video and entry form during the open window.

Prize / benefit: $100K business grant, a personalized consultation with Jon Taffer, and a complete Shift4 POS system for the winner.

Eligibility: U.S. restaurant and bar owners facing operational or financial challenges; applicants submit a short video explaining the need and intended use of funds.

Prize / benefit: Regional fellows receive Cartier Women's Initiative funding, fellowship support, visibility, and human/social capital; official award materials list $100K/$60K/$30K grant levels for ranked fellows.

Eligibility: Women-run and women-owned, for-profit impact businesses from any country; Regional Awards require revenue traction, 5–250 team members, $50K–$5M annual revenue, and no more than $2M in equity or quasi-equity raised.

Prize / benefit: $3K quarterly grant, automatic entry for a $10K November 2026 bonus grant, and 30 days of weekly strategic coaching for winners.

Eligibility: Leading executives who are legal U.S., D.C., or Puerto Rico residents age 18+ (19 in AL/NE) with a registered U.S. LLC or 501(c)(3), an existing product or service, under $500K annual revenue, and under $125K revenue in the last quarter.

Prize / benefit: Over $20K in startup prize funding, including $10K, $5K, $3K, $2K, $1K, and $500 placements, plus pitch coaching and investor exposure.

Eligibility: U.S.-based early-stage startups in AgTech, BlueTech, Biotech, AI/SaaS, or collegiate startup categories that can participate in the live Gainesville competition if selected.

Prize / benefit: 2026 prizes included a $25K grand prize, Inc. editorial feature, and two $5K finalist awards.

Eligibility: Prior official rules opened the 2026 contest to U.S. and D.C. legal residents age 18+ who owned and operated an independent, non-franchised small business meeting the challenge requirements.