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Entrepreneurship Grants – $12,000 To Help You Start Your Business

Apr 19, 2017 | 10 comments

Applications for all entrepreneurship grants have now closed. Congratulations to all the winners!

Between March 2017 and March 2018 I awarded 12 entrepreneurship grants of $1,000 each to help budding business owners launch or grow their dream. This page is the original post and details what applicants needed to do to apply. Note that applications are now closed.

All you need to do is:

  • Write a short essay (under 1,500 words) telling us about yourself and what the grant will enable you to do.
  • Send it to grants@sampriestley.com with the subject header “Grant Application”.
Apply For A Grant Now

How Will The Voting Work?

I will choose 15 finalists by the 15th of the month. Each application from the finalists will be published on SamPriestley.com and the public will be invited to vote. Voting will close at the end of the month and the top three applicants with the most votes will be awarded a grant.

For the Summer applications, you can see the now-closed voting here. The voting system wasn’t perfect and will probably be changed. Exact details will be released when the finalists are announced.

What Should You Include In Your Application?

What will the grant allow you to do?

  • Pay for the prototype of your great new product idea.
  • Give you the financial freedom to take an unpaid month off work to focus on your business.
  • Pay for you to visit four or five conferences for that all important networking.
  • Purchase the photography equipment needed for your business to compete.
  • Save you having to get a job while at university so you can spend your free time building your business.

The entrepreneurship grants are open to anyone. Absolutely anyone. Housewife, retiree, student, teenager, city slicker. Anyone who has a passion project that they want to build and dream of turning it into their main source of income.

Never started a new business before? No problem, please apply! Got a small side hustle you want to take to the next level? Great! Let me help fund your growth.

Probably The Easiest Grant Application Ever

We have tried to make it as easy as possible to enter. There really is no excuse:

  1. Write a short essay explaining who you are, what your business is and how you will spend the grant.
  2. Email your application to grants@sampriestley.com with the subject “Grant Application”.  Important – applications with a different subject may be ignored.
  3. Finalists will be chosen by me and the public will vote for their favourite three.
  4. Winners will be emailed and paid via PayPal.
  5. Spend your grant.

Why Am I Doing This?

This blog earns me money. And the amount it earns depends on the number of readers I have. These grants are an attempt by me to try and get more readers while at the same time supporting budding entrepreneurs.

I used to spend $1,000 a month on SEO. Now I spend $1,000 a month on these grants.

$1,000 isn’t going to make or break your business. But if it is enough to convince you to take that first step and start, I have done my job.

Key Dates

Phase 1 – Spring Applications

Three grants will be awarded in this phase. There will be six finalists for three winners

All applications need to be in by 31st May 2017. Finalists announced 15th June 2017. Winners will be announced 30 June 2017.

Winners have now been announced and paid. Read about them here.

Phase 2 – Summer Applications

Note: Phase 2 will be different to phase 1. Three grants will be awarded, but the winners will be chosen by a public vote.

Three grants will be awarded in this phase. There will be 12 finalists for three winners

All applications need to be in by 31st Aug 2017. Previous winners, finalists, and applicants are allowed to reapply. Finalists will be announced 15th September 2017 and voting will take place until 30 September 2017.

Winners have now been announced and paid. Read about them here.

PHASE 3 – Winter Applications

Note: The exact format of phase 3 has not been decided yet. It will once again be a voting system, but there may be extra requirements on who can vote.

Three grants will be awarded in this phase. There will be 15 finalists for three winners

All applications need to be in by 31st Nov 2017. Previous winners, finalists and applicants are allowed to reapply. Finalists will be announced15th Dec 2017 and public voting will being. Winners will be announced 31 Dec 2017.

Winners have now been announced and paid. Read about them here.

PHASE 4 – Autumn Applications

Note: The exact format of phase 4 has not yet been decided,

Three grants will be awarded in this phase. There will be 15 finalists for three winners

All applications need to be in by the 28th Feb 2018. Previous winners, finalists and applicants are allowed to reapply. Finalists will be announced 15th March 2018. Winners will be announced 30 March 2018.

Winners have now been announced and paid. Read about them here.

Want To Help sponsor Entrepreneurship Grants?

If you would like to contribute towards the entrepreneurship grants, either by donating money or by offering freebies to the winners, then please email Sam Priestley at hello@arbing.co.uk. 

 

Looking For Inspiration?

Here are some businesses I have tried to start.

Apply For A Grant Now