StreetShares Foundation Veteran Small Business Award
StreetShares Foundation
$4,000–$15,000
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
$15K grant for veteran entrepreneurs
The StreetShares Foundation, a veteran-run 501(c)(3), awards grants of $4,000 to $15,000 to veteran entrepreneurs whose businesses create social impact within the American military community. Applicants must be a veteran, active-duty or reserve member, or a military spouse, and must own at least 50% of the business. The foundation has helped over 5,000 veteran small business owners since its founding on Veterans Day 2016. Applications typically open annually in late summer with an October deadline.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $4,000 – $15,000
- Realistic amount
- Most awards are in the $4,000–$10,000 range. The maximum $15,000 grant is awarded to the most compelling applications demonstrating strong veteran community impact.
- Deadline
- The program is discontinued: its operator, formerly the StreetShares Foundation (now the Second Service Foundation), has shut down.
- Status
- discontinued
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- Must be a veteran, active-duty or reserve member of any US Armed Forces branch, OR a spouse of a military member or veteran
- Must be a US person (citizen or legal resident), at least 21 years old
- Must own at least 50% of a legally established business entity (sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, partnership, or 501(c)(3) nonprofit)
- The business must create demonstrable social impact on the American military veteran community — not just commercially serve veterans, but meaningfully support the veteran community
- Both for-profit businesses and 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible
Hard requirements
- Veteran ownership required
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Working capital and business operations
- Equipment and inventory
- Marketing and business development
- Hiring and payroll
- Technology and software
- Any legitimate business expense supporting growth
Ineligible expenses
- Personal expenses unrelated to the business
- Businesses not meeting the veteran/military community social impact requirement
How to apply
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1
This award is discontinued — there is nothing to apply to
StreetShares Foundation has shut down and this award is no longer offered. Its former domain, streetsharesfoundation.org, lapsed and is now occupied by an unrelated gambling site — do not visit it or send it any personal information. There is no cycle to monitor and no newsletter to subscribe to.
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2
Submit online application
Complete the online application addressing: the veteran's personal story, the business's social impact on the military veteran community, how the grant funds will be used, and basic business details.
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3
Community vote (if applicable)
Past cycles have included a public community voting component for finalists, in addition to foundation review. Finalists may be asked to mobilize their networks to vote.
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4
Award announcement
Winners are announced publicly in connection with Veterans Day (November 11) or near the October deadline. Multiple grants awarded per cycle.
The key differentiator is social impact on the military veteran community — not just being veteran-owned. Applications that articulate how the business actively helps other veterans (hiring vets, serving vet families, advocacy) score significantly higher.
Deadline & timing
The application cycle typically closes in October each year. As of late May 2026, the current cycle is between intakes. Subscribe to the StreetShares Foundation newsletter for notification when the next cycle opens.
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Last updated October 17, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. This program has been discontinued and has no official page to confirm against. Its former domain, streetsharesfoundation.org, lapsed and is now occupied by an unrelated gambling site — do not visit it or send it any personal information.