Veteran Entrepreneurship Series: VA Small Business Grants for Veterans

Welcome to Empire Resume’s series on Veteran Entrepreneurship, where we’re bringing the resources all veterans need to fuel their small business ideas. Today, we’ll talk about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) small business grants and how you can use them to get your business off the ground.

One way to support your business financially is by getting a loan. But don’t leave out grant opportunities as they don’t require repayment. A grant is free money gifted to an individual or entity to serve a unique purpose.

Thanks to the VA, you can use this advantage to make your veteran-owned business dreams a reality.

Types of VA Small Business Grant Programs

The VA may assist veterans with starting a business in the form of grants. They usually come with strict requirements and guidelines.

To find out if you’re eligible and what type of grants are available, reach out to your local VA office if you’re interested in getting help with starting a business and possibly receiving a grant through the Vocational Rehab & Employment Ownership Track and the VA Self-Employment Program.

How to Qualify for VA Grants

As a general rule of thumb, to qualify for VA grants, and any other grants for veterans, you must fall into at least one of these categories:

Honorably discharged veteran (note the conflict era)
Service-disabled veteran
Active duty service member currently in the transition assistance program
Reservist or National Guard member

How to Apply

The VA’s how to apply page states to sign into your eBenefits account to apply if you have a VA disability rating. They will then invite you to orientation. If you haven’t received your disability rating yet, you can still apply.

And, if you’re concerned whether now is not the time to join, claims are still being accepted during the coronavirus pandemonium.

If you enjoyed this article, go ahead and bookmark our military to civilian blog to come back and check out our next topic, veteran small business resources.

We’d love to hear how the VA small business grants will help you in your business venture. Let us know in the comments below.

Dr. Phillip Gold is President/CEO of Empire Resume and has vast experience writing resumes for service-members transitioning from the military into civilian roles. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force responsible for leading nuclear missile security. Phillip is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and holds a BA in Communications from The Ohio State University, an MS in Instructional Technology, an MBA in Finance, and a PhD in Finance.