American Express Shop Small Grants Program

Amex Shop Small Grants Program | Main Street America

Eligibility

To apply, businesses must:

• Be a small business owner and have owned the business on or before January 1, 2025
• Operate out of a physical brick-and-mortar location in the U.S.
• Have 20 or fewer full-time employees

Grant Use

Grant funds must be used to help your small business grow and/or innovate and to support your local community.

• If your business already supports the community, the funds may go fully toward business growth/innovation.
• If not, a portion of the grant must support a community-focused initiative.
• All projects must be implemented and operational by the end of the grant spending period.

Program Timeline

• Applications Open: Saturday, November 29, 2025 (Small Business Saturday)
• Applications Close: Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT
• Grant Recipients Notified: March 2026
• Grant Period: April–September 2026 (6 months)
• Grant Reports Due: October 15, 2026

About the Grant

American Express is partnering with Main Street America to offer 250 grants of $20,000 each, funded by an initial $5 million.
Additionally, on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 29, 2025), American Express will donate $1 for every eligible AMEX Card transaction at a qualifying U.S. small business to fund even more grants.

This program supports Amex and Main Street America’s shared mission to help small businesses strengthen local economies and communities.

About Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday, created by American Express in 2010, is celebrated nationwide the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Since its launch, consumers have reported spending an estimated $223 billion at small businesses on this day.

Application Prep

If you plan to apply, it’s recommended that you prepare:

• A ready-to-execute project plan
• A detailed, itemized budget

Grant recipients will also have access to networking opportunities, self-guided learning modules, and storytelling support throughout the grant period.

More Information

Questions can be directed to:
📧 [email protected]
📞 708-515-4889 (leave a voicemail; responses may take up to 5 business days)

If you need any help from me or would like to talk through your idea for a project, please feel free to reach out.
Tracy Fishnick - [email protected]