Photos of Grantees placed in the letters L A U N C H — Applications for the 2026 Launch Program are open from February 17, 2026 - March 17, 2026. For more information, view this page.

ABOUT THE LAUNCH PROGRAM

A Small Business Grant & Mentorship Program

Women and non-binary small business owners often lack the funding and resources they need to scale and grow their operations. That's why the Launch Program exists: to remove barriers to access that prevent them from succeeding. The Launch Program provides women and non-binary small business owners capital through a $10,000 grant, mentorship from industry experts, and six months of free education that supports them on their unique journeys.

The 2023 Launch Program is open to women- and non-binary-owned consumer packaged goods businesses—selling items like food and beverages, household goods, apparel, and more—with an annual gross revenue between $100,000 and $499,000. Joining the Launch Program means joining a diverse and supportive community of founders.

Irene Li of Mei Mei Dumplings handcrafting dumplings with three generations of family. — Mei Mei Dumplings, Boston, 2020 Launch Program Recipients

2023 Cohort / 2022 Cohort / 2021 Cohort / 2020 Cohort

2023 Launch Program Benefits

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$10,000 Cash Grant

A one-time cash grant of $10,000 to help you scale your business

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Six-Month Program

Education from industry experts to answer your biggest questions and support your small business growth

Mentorship

Opportunities for one-on-one coaching and mentorship to learn from experts who can help you overcome challenges and plan for growth

Community

The opportunity to network with an authentic, inclusive community of small business owners who understand your journey

Program Criteria

Applicant Criteria

Applicant must be a woman or non-binary founder or co-founder of the company.
Applicant must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States or a US territory.
Applicant must be 21 years or older.
Only one entrepreneur per business may apply and/or participate.
Business must be at least 51% owned by participating founder or co-founder.
Business must be a Consumer Packaged Goods company (all CPG industries are welcome to apply).
Business must have an annual gross revenue between $100,000 and $499,000 (should you be selected as a semi-finalist, you will be asked to submit your financials for verification).
Business cannot currently be raising, have previously raised funds from, or intend to seek, venture capital or angel investment, or a liquidity event, in next 12 months.
Business must be registered and located in the US or a US territory as a for-profit entity.

Note: The aim of this grant is to help independent small businesses and entrepreneurs - locations owned by publicly-traded corporations do not qualify, Nonprofit organizations do not qualify, and Subsidiary businesses or franchisees do not qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions

For the 2023 Launch Program, the eligibility requirements are below:
- Applicant must be a woman or non-binary founder or co-founder of the company.
- Applicant must be a legal resident and citizen of the United States or a US territory.
- Applicants must be 21 years or older.
- Only one entrepreneur per business may apply and/or participate.
- Business must be at least 51% owned by participating founder or co-founder.
- Business must be a Consumer Packaged Goods company (all CPG industries are welcome to apply).
- Business must have an annual gross revenue between $100,000 and $499,000 (should your business be selected as a semi-finalist, you will be asked to submit your financial statements for verification).
- Business cannot be currently or have previously raised funds, or intend to seek venture capital or angel investment, or a liquidity event, in next 12 months.
- Business must be incorporated, located and operated in the US or a US territory as a for-profit entity.
Note: The aim of this grant is to help independent small businesses and entrepreneurs - locations owned by publicly-traded corporations do not qualify, Nonprofit organizations do not qualify, Subsidiary businesses or franchisees do not qualify.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are items used by individuals in their everyday lives that need to be regularly replaced or repurchased.
Categories of goods / products include food, beverages, clothes, cosmetics, beauty products, makeup, household products, cleaning products, and other items. (CPG does not include services.)
If your business offers both products and services, we look for businesses where the product component is the largest / primary source of revenue, and meets our minimum revenue requirement.
Products can be made by the business owner/employees or manufactured in some or all by a third party. For example, you could make loose leaf tea, self-produce, and sell to customers. You could also make stationary in your garage using a press that you sell to customers, or you could work with a third-party manufacturer in the U.S. or elsewhere to produce your goods.
If you are not sure if your business falls within this category, and you meet the other eligibility requirements, we encourage you to apply!
No, all applicants must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States or of a US territory, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and other US territories.
Applications for the 2023 Launch Program can be submitted online here no later than March 31, 2023, at 11:59:59 ET. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Please note that once you start your application, you won’t be able to save your draft. We highly recommend composing and saving your answers in a Word or Google document first, then submitting those answers in your application. For your convenience, our application can be downloaded here. However, only online submissions will be eligible for consideration.” Feel free to edit as you’d like!
Ladies Who Launch will be hosting three informational sessions on the Launch Program on these following dates and times:
- Wednesday, Feb 15, 1:30pm-2pm ET
- Tuesday, March 7, 5:30pm-6pm ET
- Thursday, March 23, 9:30am-10am ET
No, once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to edit it.
Absolutely! We understand that applicants may be providing us non-public, confidential information about their business as part of the application and we commit to keeping that information confidential.
All applicants will be notified of the status of their application. Selected applicants will be notified by June 2023
The Launch Program consists of one monthly live session (90-120 minutes), one monthly meeting with LWL staff (30 minutes), and optional Office Hours with industry experts, which are strongly recommended. In addition, LWL offers optional community gatherings with Launch Program alumni, interactive webinars throughout the year, and more.
The program will run from July through December 2023, with an in-person retreat held in March of 2024.
If selected as a Launch Program grantee, you will receive 50% of the grant within 30 days of returning the signed participation agreement. After the program ends and if you have met the participation requirements of the program (see main components and time commitment below), you will receive the second 50% of the grant within 30 days of the last day of the program.
Recipients will use the grant funding for business expenses that support scale or sustainability. Please note that some expenses like rent, utilities, and debt repayment are not allowed.
No, we do not take equity in any company.
No, only for-profit businesses are eligible for the Launch Program.
Yes! We are expanding support for women and non-binary entrepreneurs through several upcoming initiatives in 2023. The best way to stay informed about these opportunities is by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Please email us at hello@ladieswholaunch.org with any technical difficulties or questions.