Grant Guidelines

Applicants must review the Grant Guidelines and FAQ before beginning an application.

Update to video: Business must be formed as a legal entity.

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Purpose:

To provide Texas startups with the financial support to fuel their growth and drive success.

Grant amount:

10 $5,000 grants totaling $50,000

Who can apply?*

Eligible businesses must satisfy all of the following conditions:

• Existing Texas businesses owned and controlled by one or more U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents with 10 or fewer (FTE) employees (excluding the owner) may apply.
• The business must be set up as a legal for-profit Texas entity.
• The business must be legally formed before August 11, 2026.  No date exceptions. 
• The business must be five years or less and formed before our grant was announced (formed between August 11, 2021, and August 10, 2026) – No date exceptions
• The business must be located and operated within the state of Texas.
• Businesses formed outside Texas must be registered to transact business in Texas and provide the additional documentation from the Texas Secretary of State verifying their registration  
• All property taxes for the business must be current.
• All sales, payroll, and other taxes must be current.
• Business owner(s) must not have any felonies or convictions for a crime of dishonesty or breach of trust.
• The business, business owner, and applicant must not be involved in any pending or current litigation.
• The business, owner, and applicant must operate with all required permits and licenses and comply with all state laws

Please check the Texas Taxable Entity Search page to verify your business is in good standing with the state:  https://mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/

Ineligible applicants/entities

• Non-profit organizations and other 501(C) entities.
• TWU faculty/staff (or any immediate family member of the applicant’s family, including spouse, child, parent), trustee, and advisory committee member.
• Current TWU Students.
• Prior grant winners of any CWE grant program.
• 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

What can the funds be used for?

• Purchase of machinery, equipment, or technology.
• Inventory or raw materials.
• Merchandising fixtures and display units.
• Professional business certifications or development.
• Property improvements that will increase sales and revenue.
• Marketing, advertising, and social media campaigns.
• Any other business-related activity that CWE deems is aligned with the stated purpose of this program.

Funds can’t be used for:

• Wages, salaries, bonuses, or compensation of any kind
• Real Property – including land or buildings
• Paying your regular monthly bills
• Sales tax

Required uploads

Acceptable business formation documentation

Business formation documents must establish the business’s legal formation date and identify the business owner(s). Applications without acceptable formation documentation will be disqualified.

We will only accept one or more of the following:

• 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 have been signed and dated before August 11, 2026 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 (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 one owner.
• DBA – Assumed name/sole propietor/DBA showing ownership. 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.
• One PDF with the Company Background and Project Information (just copy this information and answer each question)
• Matching documentation for all expenses in your budget. These could include vendor proposals, quotes or estimates, pictures from Amazon, preliminary invoices, etc.

Ineligible documentation that will disqualify your application:

• Entity documentation with business name only, or if multiple owners are missing articles of organization along with the initial formation document.
• EIN
• Sales & Use Tax Permit
• IRS tax forms
• Driver’s license
• Credit card
• Passport
• Social Security Card
• Birth Certificate

Company Background and Project Information

Copy & paste the information below into a PDF that you will upload to your online grant application — each question must be answered; put N/A if not applicable. This information is mandatory. If the judging committee can’t easily find the answer to these questions your application may be disqualified.

Company Background

• Description of the company’s current operations including products, markets, etc.
• Description of the company’s current operating facilities – both owned and leased
• Summary of the company’s current full- and part-time employment
• Description of the company’s need to undertake the proposed project

Project Narrative

• Budget for the project, including project cost of 5,000 attributed to the grant and anything over to owner investment
• Physical description of the proposed project, including any business or residential relocation that may result from the undertaking of the project
• Projected new employment for each of the three years following project completion, including job title
• Explanation of how your project will contribute to the economy of Texas

What are the grant requirements?

• Funds must be matched by a minimum of 10% ($500) owner investment (cash, property, or equipment). The investment must not be associated with debt of any kind and must be committed and available to the project at the time of the grant application. The amount can be added to your budget as owner investment. (see FAQs)
• All grant funds must be spent and documentation submitted before April 23, 2027.

Application process:

• Applications accepted September 1 – through September 23, 2026, only through our grant software
• Applications close automatically at 5:00:00 p.m. Central Time
• One PDF for company information & project narrative
• No revisions after submission or a second application
• All questions must be answered, and all required documentation uploaded
• The applicant must attach documentation for all requested funds (e.g., vendor proposals, quotes or estimates, Amazon pictures, preliminary invoices, etc.). The amounts the grant will be used for cannot be estimated or rounded up. Incomplete and/or second applications will be rejected.

After you’ve been awarded:

• The successful applicant will receive two installments of the award:
1. $2,500 after signing the grant agreement, a photo release, and all required TWU paperwork for payment.
2. $2,500 is conditional upon completing a small business training course starting Oct. 27, 2026, hosted by the Center for Women Entrepreneurs, receiving 3 hours of small business advising, and submitting an approved business plan with three years of financials and provide the itemized paid receipts or proof of purchases made with the initial grant funds of $2,500 (costs must have been incurred after receiving grant funding).
3. Use the spreadsheet provided by the CWE to document receipts, advising, and other requirements to receive round 2 of funding.
• Each grant awardee is responsible for understanding and completing all grant requirements within the designated timeframe. Awardees are expected to manage deadlines, track their progress, and reach out if questions arise. Failure to meet the requirements will result in loss of remaining grant funds.
• The University will send winners a 1099 for the grant funds received

Questions?

All questions must go to cwegrants@twu.edu for documentation purposes. Please do not call, as we will just refer you to the email.

See FAQ Apply now!

Page last updated 9:36 AM, September 2, 2026