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Official program rules

The rules for the Spring 2027 cycle: who can apply, how we decide and what winners agree to.

Last updated October 1, 2026

2. No fees

It costs nothing to apply, to be considered or to receive a grant. We will never ask an applicant or a winner for any payment.

3. Who can apply

To apply, a business must:

  • be a for-profit business based and operating in the United States (the 50 states and the District of Columbia);
  • be independently owned, and not a franchise, a subsidiary or a publicly traded company;
  • have fewer than 100 employees and less than $5,000,000 in yearly revenue;
  • be able to receive money in a U.S. bank account in the business’s name; and
  • apply through an owner, or an officer allowed to apply, who is at least 18 years old.

Each grant also has its own requirements:

  • Spark Grant ($5,000 to $25,000): less than 2 years in business, or under $50,000 in annual revenue.
  • Growth Grant ($25,000 to $100,000): 2+ years in business and $50,000+ in annual revenue.
  • Expansion Grant ($100,000 to $300,000): 3+ years in business, $250,000+ in annual revenue and at least 2 people on the team. A business plan or pitch deck is required.

These can’t apply: franchises, subsidiaries and publicly traded companies; nonprofits and government agencies; businesses that mainly lend money, invest, or buy and hold property; gambling, adult entertainment and multi-level marketing; political campaigns, political action committees and lobbying; cannabis, and anything illegal under federal, state or local law; businesses owned by our staff, board or reviewers, or their close family; businesses that won one of our grants in the last 24 months.

4. How to apply

Apply online at saffrongrants.com/apply. We accept one application per business each cycle. We don’t consider applications sent by mail, email or social media.

5. Application period

The Spring 2027 cycle opens October 1, 2026 and closes January 15, 2027 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time. We can’t accept applications after the deadline. Our server clock is the official timekeeper.

6. Review and selection

We check every application against these rules. A review panel then scores eligible, complete applications on Community impact (30%), Business viability (25%), Use of funds (25%), Readiness to deliver (20%). We invite finalists to a video interview and ask them for documents that confirm they’re eligible. Reviewers never see the optional ownership questions, and they’re never used in scoring.

Saffron Grants Foundation, Inc. makes the final decisions. The number and size of grants depends on the money available and the strength of the applications, so we may give fewer grants than planned, or none, in any program.

7. Checks before an award

Before we award a grant, we check the business’s registration and standing, its tax ID, the applicant’s identity and right to apply, and the financial information given. We may turn down any applicant whose information we can’t confirm or find to be wrong.

8. Grant agreement and use of funds

Winners sign a grant agreement before we pay anything. The money must be spent on what the application and approved budget describe. Bigger grants are paid in parts tied to milestones. Winners send short progress updates at 6 and 12 months. Money spent on things we didn’t approve may have to be paid back.

9. Taxes

Winners are responsible for any taxes on grant money. Where the law requires it, we’ll send an IRS Form 1099, and we may need a completed IRS Form W-9 before we pay.

10. Publicity

We may share each winner’s business name, city, state, grant and amount, and, with their permission, their story and photos. We won’t publish anything about applicants who aren’t chosen.

11. Privacy

We only use the information you give us to run the Program, as our Privacy Policy explains.

12. Disqualification

We may disqualify an application that includes false or misleading information, is sent more than once, or tries to interfere with the review. Applicants may not contact reviewers about their application.

13. Changes to these rules

We may update these rules when we need to, for example to fix a mistake or follow the law. We’ll post any change on this page, and no change will shorten the time you have to apply.

14. Contact

Send questions about these rules to hello@saffrongrants.com.