FAQ

Existing Texas businesses directly owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents, with ten or fewer employees (excluding the owner), may apply.

See the complete list on the Grant Guidelines page.

Yes, your Texas business must be set up as a legal entity.  Businesses formed outside of Texas must also provide Texas Secretary of State registration.

No, the grant is only for a for-profit business.

Per legislation—a business concern must be a small business as defined in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 13 part 121 for its primary industry classification. 13CFR 127.200(a). 13CFR 121.105(a)(1) provides that a business concern must be organized for profit to meet the definition of a small business. A 501(c)3 or 6 is not organized for profit and, as such, does not qualify as a small business.

No, the grant is open to any legally formed business in Texas. TWU faculty/staff (or immediate household members) students, trustees, and advisory committee members are not eligible to apply. Other ineligible applicants include:

• Applicants who have participated in any CWE program in the last year, including CWE Accelerator, TechFW, CWE Virtual Accelerator, or Foundations EDC awardees.
• Current consultants (or their staff) with a contract with the CWE
• Anyone who has served as a judge for any CWE grant program

No, we want to hear about your business in your words. Our template should make it easy for you to answer the questions.

We have found that some people who charge for their services have never submitted a qualifying application or been awarded a grant from the CWE. One year, someone paid a grant writer, but no submission was ever made.

The only place to get accurate StartUP grant information is through cwegrants@twu.edu

Include legal entity formation documentation showing the business owners. Submit at least one of these documents showing all owners.

• Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) or similar PLLC, etc.  – Submit every page of your Certificate of Formation showing the company's managers or members. If there is more than one owner, you must also submit your operating agreement, company agreement, partnership agreement, or other legal document showing each owner's percentage of ownership. This document must be signed and dated and submitted with your Certificate of Formation.
• Corporation – Submit your Articles of Incorporation and corporate bylaws or other legal documentation showing the shareholders/owners. If ownership percentages are not shown, submit additional documentation establishing ownership.
• Assumed Name Certificate/Sole Proprietor/DBA – If your business is owned by an individual (sole proprietor), submit your Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) filed with the appropriate county clerk. No additional ownership documentation is required if you have one owner.  If you have multiple owners, you must show each owner's percentage. 
• DBA Owned by an LLC or Corporation – If your business operates under a DBA owned by an LLC or Corporation, you must submit both the DBA filing and the legal entity formation documents. The DBA alone is not sufficient to establish ownership.
• Businesses Formed Outside of Texas – Businesses formed outside of Texas (foreign entity) must be registered to transact business in Texas. Submit documentation from the Texas Secretary of State verifying the business is authorized to conduct business in Texas, along with the required formation documents from the state in which the business was formed.

Ineligible documentation that will disqualify your application:

• Entity documentation with business name only
• EIN
• Sales & Use Tax Permit
• IRS tax forms
• Driver’s license
• Credit card
• Passport
• Social Security Card

If you are unsure if your formation documentation qualifies, please email it to cwegrants@twu.edu for verification. 

No, only one application per person will be accepted.

10% owner investment  ($500) must be committed to the project. This can be in cash, start-up costs/licensing, supplies, office furniture, or equipment for the project.

You will find an example in the budget below. The owner’s investment shows the required 10%, $500 in the business.

Example:

Will your project add to the sales tax base, create jobs, or contribute to your community or Texas?

You can check the taxable entity search: https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/. If your business shows as forfeited, your business is not eligible for the grant. You can call the state to clear this.

No, Sales tax cannot be paid for with these grant funds.

No, the grant cannot be used for wages, salaries, contract labor, or compensation of any type for the owner or employees.

You can use funds for a consultant that is not an employee.

• Example: marketing consultant building out website and social media.

No, you cannot pay monthly bills with grant funding.  If you are purchasing a service for a year, such as QuickBooks, you must pay for the full year.

Examples of how our other grant winners have used funds include computers, software, pos systems, professional certification, marketing, and social media promotions, fixtures, a vehicle to pull a food trailer, office furniture, a lathe, a sonogram machine for pets, and a photo booth.

Grant applications are due at 5:00:00 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, through the grant portal only. All late submissions will be disqualified. Allow enough time for internet problems and time to complete the application.

Send all grant-related questions to cwegrants@twu.edu to ensure we have documentation of each question. This is the only way we will answer grant questions.