August Amber Grant: $10,000 Hair Care & Skincare Grant
- August 5, 2026
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August Amber Grant: $10,000 Grants for Women
The August Amber Grant is a $10,000 monthly grant from WomensNet, with August’s Business Category Grant focused on Hair Care & Skincare businesses. Any woman-owned business based in the U.S. or Canada may apply through one simple online application. The 2026 application deadline is August 31, 2026, and a $15 application fee applies (fee waivers are available). One application makes you eligible for the Monthly Amber Grant, the Startup Grant, the category grant, and the year-end $50,000 Amber Grant.
This guide covers everything you need to know about the hair care & skincare business grants for women:
- What Is the August Amber Grant?
- About WomensNet and the Amber Grant Program
- Why the August Amber Grant Matters for Women Entrepreneurs
- August Amber Grant Award Details
- Types of Funding Available
- August Amber Grant Eligibility
- August Amber Grant Application Process
- How Professional Grant Writing Services Can Help
- How Winners Are Selected
- Application Deadlines and Award Information
- Our Experience With Women Entrepreneur Grant Applications
- Tips to Improve Your Chances of Winning
- Common Application Mistakes
- Best Alternatives to the Amber Grant
- Frequently Asked Questions
Funding Opportunity for Women-Owned Businesses
For women entrepreneurs, access to capital is still one of the biggest barriers to starting or growing a business. Traditional loans often require collateral, credit history, or revenue that early-stage founders simply don’t have yet. That’s where the August Amber Grant comes in.
Every August, WomensNet awards a $10,000 Amber Grant, a $10,000 Startup Grant, and a $10,000 Hair Care & Skincare category grant, all funded through a single application. This non-dilutive funding doesn’t require giving up equity or taking on debt, which is why the monthly Amber Grant consistently draws thousands of applicants. Whether you’re a first-time founder or a small business owner ready to expand, understanding how the August women’s business grant works can help you decide if it’s worth your time, and how to make your application stand out.
What Is the August Amber Grant?
The Amber Grant is a recurring women’s business grant awarded every month by WomensNet. Each August cycle includes three separate $10,000 awards: the general Monthly Amber Grant, the Monthly Startup Grant, and the Hair Care & Skincare Business Category Grant. All three come from one application, so applicants don’t need to submit multiple forms.
The program was founded in 1998 and has grown steadily since. Monthly winners also become eligible for one of three $50,000 Year-End Grants, meaning a single August Amber Grant application could ultimately lead to $60,000 in total grant funding.
WomensNet is the organization behind the Amber Grant program. Its mission centers on providing financial assistance and entrepreneurial support to women in business, particularly those who have been historically underserved by traditional lenders.
Why the August Amber Grant Matters for Women Entrepreneurs
Business funding challenges disproportionately affect women-owned businesses. Startup financing from banks and traditional lenders can be difficult to secure without an established credit history or physical collateral, which slows business growth for many founders. Grants like the Amber Grant offer an alternative path to funding, one built around merit, vision, and business potential rather than existing assets.
This matters for:
- Early-stage founders without startup capital or seed funding
- Existing small business owners looking for business expansion capital
- Women in business who want funding without giving up ownership
- Entrepreneurs seeking financial assistance to reach the next stage of business development
Because the August Amber Grant requires only one straightforward application, it’s a lower-barrier funding opportunity compared to many federal grants or lengthy business loan processes.
August Amber Grant Award Details
Per WomensNet’s official program information, the August cycle includes the following:
Grant Type |
Award Amount |
Frequency |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Amber Grant
|
$10,000
|
Every month, including August
|
Monthly Startup Grant
|
$10,000
|
Every month, for idea-stage or under-$10K-revenue businesses
|
August Category Grant (Hair Care & Skincare)
|
$10,000
|
Once per year, in August
|
Year-End Amber Grant
|
$50,000 (three awarded)
|
Annually, from among the 36 monthly winners
|
Beyond the cash grant itself, winners gain visibility through WomensNet’s recipient features and blog, which can serve as informal marketing and credibility for the business.
Types of Funding Available
WomensNet offers several related funding opportunities, all accessible through the same application:
Funding Type |
Who It's For |
Who It's For Award |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Amber Grant
|
All women-owned businesses
|
$10,000
|
Monthly Startup Grant
|
Idea-stage or early-revenue startups
|
$10,000
|
Business Category Grant
|
Businesses matching that month's category
|
$10,000
|
Annual Amber Grant
|
Top monthly winners of the year
|
$50,000
|
August’s Business Category Grant is reserved for Hair Care & Skincare businesses, including hair stylists, mobile hair services, cosmetology, estheticians, skincare product lines, and related beauty ventures.
August Amber Grant Eligibility
Who Is Eligible?
Based on WomensNet’s official grant rules, eligibility generally includes:
- Women aged 18 or older who own at least 50% of the business
- Businesses based in the United States or Canada
- Pre-revenue, idea-stage startups
- Revenue-generating businesses of any size
- Certain revenue-generating nonprofit organizations
Who may not qualify:
- Nonprofits whose primary activity is charitable giving (rather than operating a business)
- Applicants who don't meet the 50% women-ownership requirement
- Businesses based outside the U.S. or Canada
For the August-specific Hair Care & Skincare category grant, your business should fall within that industry to be considered for the category award, though you remain eligible for the general Monthly Amber Grant and Startup Grant regardless of industry.
August Amber Grant Application Process
Applying is designed to be simple. Here’s the step-by-step process:
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
Review the eligibility requirements to confirm your business meets the women-ownership, location, and business-stage criteria. Grant research services can help you verify eligibility requirements and stay informed about any program updates before you apply.
Step 2: Gather Your Business Information
Collect the details needed for the application, such as your business name, website or social media profile, and a brief description of your business.
Step 3: Write Your Business Story
Prepare a compelling application that explains your business idea, your motivation for starting the business, and how you would use the grant funding. Grant proposal writing services can help you organize your ideas and present your business story in a clear and compelling way.
Step 4: Pay the Application Fee
Submit the required $15 application fee. If the fee presents a financial hardship, you may request a fee waiver by contacting WomensNet directly.
Step 5: Submit Your Application
Complete and submit the application. Grant submission support can help ensure your application is complete and manage the final submission process. A single submission is automatically considered for the Monthly Amber Grant, the Startup Grant, and any applicable category grants.
Step 6: Wait for the Review Process
After submitting your application, monitor your email for updates. Grant recipients are typically announced by the 21st of the following month.
Quick Checklist:
- Confirm 50%+ women ownership
- Confirm U.S. or Canada business location
- Draft your business story and funding-use explanation
- Review for clarity and completeness before submitting
- Pay the fee or request a waiver
- Submit before August 31, 2026
How Professional Grant Writing Services Can Help
A successful grant application involves much more than filling out a form. It requires careful research, clear writing, accurate documentation, and close attention to each funder’s requirements. Professional grant writing services can help simplify the process by providing strategic guidance at every stage.
Grant writing services typically help with:
- Grant research services to identify funding opportunities that align with your business goals.
- Eligibility reviews to confirm you meet program requirements before applying.
- Grant proposal writing and strategy to develop a compelling, well-structured application.
- Budget development to create a realistic funding plan that supports your proposal.
- Organizing supporting documents, such as financial records, business plans, and required attachments.
- Compliance and editing to ensure your application follows program guidelines and is free of avoidable errors.
- Grant submission support to help manage deadlines, application portals, and final reviews.
- Long-term grant strategy to build a sustainable funding pipeline beyond a single opportunity.
Professional support from a grant writing firm can help strengthen your competitive edge by improving the quality, clarity, and completeness of your application. A strong proposal gives reviewers a clear picture of your business, the value it creates, and why your project should be considered.
How Winners Are Selected
WomensNet’s judging criteria evaluate applications on several factors:
- Clarity and purpose of the business
- Passion, personal story, and vision
- Understanding of the target market and growth strategy
- How clearly the applicant explains planned use of grant funds
- Business viability and long-term potential
- Overall professionalism of the application
Judges independently review applications, select finalists, and score them; the highest aggregate score wins. All funding decisions are made solely by the official WomensNet review panel, and those decisions are final without an appeals process.
Application Deadlines and Award Information
Timeline
Stage |
Timeline |
|---|---|
Applications Accepted
|
August 1, 2026 – August 31, 2026
|
Application Deadline
|
August 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
|
Review Period
|
Following the close of the monthly cycle
|
Winner Announcement
|
By the 21st of the following month
|
Always verify the latest information on the official WomensNet website before applying, since deadlines and review timelines can shift.
Our Experience With Women Entrepreneur Grant Applications
After reviewing and helping strengthen a large number of women entrepreneur grant applications, we’ve noticed several recurring patterns that separate strong applications from those that fail to stand out.
"Women-Led" Is Not Enough
Simply stating that a business is women-owned or women-led doesn’t persuade a reviewer. What matters is what you’ve built, the decisions you’ve made, and the problems you’ve solved as the person leading the business. Eligibility gets your application considered; the strength of your business earns the funding.
Traction Speaks Louder Than Passion
Passion is valuable, but reviewers are looking for evidence that the business is gaining momentum. A first sale, repeat customers, a successful pilot, or a growing waitlist often carries more weight than several paragraphs describing your enthusiasm.
Make a Strong First Impression
The opening section of your application is critical. Reviewers often decide early whether an application is clear, credible, and worth their full attention. Clearly explain what your business does, who it serves, and why it deserves funding from the start.
Write With the Evaluation Criteria in Mind
Every sentence should help demonstrate your business’s strengths. The most competitive applications clearly address factors such as business viability, market opportunity, use of funds, and growth potential instead of including unnecessary background information.
Keep Your Information Consistent
Small inconsistencies can reduce confidence in your application. Revenue figures, timelines, business goals, and your proposed use of grant funds should all align throughout the submission to present a reliable and well-prepared business plan.
Tell One Clear Story
Your business description, funding request, and future growth plans should reinforce one another. When every section supports the same narrative, reviewers are more likely to see a focused business with a realistic plan for using the grant effectively.
These are the areas we focus on when helping entrepreneurs prepare women’s business grant applications, not by changing their story, but by making it clearer, more compelling, and easier for reviewers to evaluate.
Tips to Improve Your Chances of Winning
- Tell your real story. Judges consistently favor authenticity over polished corporate language.
- Be specific about fund use
- Show measurable goals
- Present realistic financial planning
- Avoid generic answers
Expert Checklist:
- Business description is clear and specific
- Personal story feels authentic, not scripted
- Fund-use plan is concrete and realistic
- Application is proofread and error-free
- Submitted well before the deadline
Common Application Mistakes
- Missing the application deadline
- Weak or vague business descriptions
- Generic answers that could apply to any business
- Incomplete applications or skipped fields
- Ignoring stated eligibility requirements
- Failing to justify how grant funds would be used
To learn about other frequent errors and how to avoid them, see our guide on Common Application Mistakes.
Best Alternatives to the Amber Grant
Grant Program |
Focus |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
General small business grants
|
Annual competition; verify current cycle
| |
Women-led, impact-driven businesses
|
International; competitive
| |
Women and underrepresented founders
|
Check current program status
| |
Grants and crowdfunding for women entrepreneurs
|
Rolling opportunities
| |
Federal grants and loan programs
|
U.S.-based government resource
|
Always verify current eligibility, deadlines, and requirements directly on each program’s official website, since terms change frequently.
Final Thoughts
The August Amber Grant offers a genuine, low-barrier funding opportunity for women entrepreneurs, whether you’re just starting out or scaling an existing business. Because a single application covers multiple grants, including the Startup Grant and August’s Hair Care & Skincare category award, it’s worth the time to prepare a thoughtful, specific submission. Apply early, be authentic, and consider exploring additional business grants and funding sources alongside the Amber Grant to build a well-rounded funding strategy.
Ready to strengthen your application?
Grant Writing Company can help you prepare a stronger grant application, refine your business story, and build a broader funding strategy, so you’re not relying on a single opportunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the August Amber Grant?
It’s the August cycle of WomensNet’s Amber Grant program, awarding a $10,000 Monthly Amber Grant, a $10,000 Startup Grant, and a $10,000 Hair Care & Skincare category grant through one application.
Is the Amber Grant legitimate?
Yes. WomensNet has run the Amber Grant since 1998 and publishes verified monthly winners on its official site.
Who can apply for the August Amber Grant?
Women aged 18+ who own at least 50% of a business based in the U.S. or Canada.
How much funding is available?
Up to $30,000 across the three August awards, plus eligibility for a $50,000 year-end grant.
Is there an application fee?
Yes, a $15 fee applies. Fee waivers are available for financial hardship.
When is the August Amber Grant deadline?
August 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
How are winners selected?
Judges score applications on clarity, passion, market understanding, fund-use plans, and viability.
Can startups apply?
Yes, idea-stage and early-revenue startups qualify for both the Monthly Amber Grant and the Startup Grant.
Can existing businesses apply?
Yes, businesses at any revenue stage may apply for the general Monthly Amber Grant.
Can nonprofits apply?
Revenue-generating nonprofits may apply, but nonprofits whose primary activity is charitable giving are not eligible.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only. Always verify the latest deadline, eligibility, award amount, and application requirements on the official WomensNet website before applying.
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Author-Emily Carter
Senior Grant Strategist
Emily Carter is a Senior Grant Strategist with more than 20 years of experience helping nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations secure competitive grant funding. She specializes in developing funding strategies, evaluating grant opportunities, and creating winning proposals for government, corporate, and private foundation grant programs.
Her work focuses on aligning organizational goals with funder priorities, developing competitive grant strategies, and ensuring every proposal meets program objectives. By combining strategic planning with deep knowledge of grant funding, she helps organizations pursue high-value funding opportunities with confidence.
Reviewed By-Michelle Bennett
