Is Operation HOPE’s 1 Million Black Businesses (1MBB) program free?
Operation HOPE (in partnership with Shopify and a coalition of corporate partners)
Free program + lender connections
Researched for this program: 2 rejection traps · 2 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
Yes. Operation HOPE says 1MBB is provided to Black-owned businesses at no cost, and its program page lists coaching, workshops and Shopify access, not cash grants. Any capital comes from lenders it connects you to.
1 Million Black Businesses (1MBB) is Operation HOPE's no-cost initiative to start, grow, and scale one million Black-owned businesses in the US by 2030, launched in 2020 with Shopify as a founding partner (a 10-year commitment valued at roughly $130 million). Participants — both aspiring and existing Black entrepreneurs — receive personalized coaching and entrepreneurship training from certified financial coaches via webinars and workshops, credit and money-management coaching, access to a coalition of accounting, legal, e-commerce, technology, and marketing professionals, free technology (including the Shopify e-commerce platform), and structured pathways to small-business capital. It is a training, coaching, and access program rather than a direct cash-grant program; the 'access to capital' component connects participants to loans and lenders rather than writing checks.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- Free program + capital access
- Realistic amount
- Participants realistically gain free coaching, free Shopify/partner technology, and a credit/loan-readiness pathway. Any actual capital comes via partner lenders the program connects you to (loan amounts vary widely by lender and credit profile), not as a grant from Operation HOPE.
- Deadline
- Rolling — enroll anytime
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- in-kind
Who qualifies
- Black entrepreneur — aspiring (idea-phase) or existing business owner
- Based in the United States
- No minimum revenue, time-in-business, or industry requirement
- No cost to participate (donor/partner-sponsored scholarships cover the program)
Hard requirements
- Reserved for minority owned businesses
Common questions about 1MBB
Is there a catch to the free price?
No fee is charged; Operation HOPE says donor and partner scholarships cover the cost. Partners include Shopify, which made a 10-year commitment valued at about $130 million, and roughly 60 other corporate, government and private partners. The cost to you is time: coaching sessions, workshops and work plans take effort, and any loan you take later is a separate product with its own cost.
Does 1MBB give out money?
No, not as a grant. The official program page lists one-on-one coaching, group workshops, Shopify e-commerce, access to business experts, goal-specific work plans and self-paced online learning. Operation HOPE’s small business coaches say they help people gain access to funding and resources, so expect introductions and preparation, not a check. For cash awards that do exist, see the SoGal Black Founder grant.
Who can join?
Black-owned businesses, both aspiring and existing, according to Operation HOPE. The initiative describes its goal as starting, growing and scaling one million Black businesses by 2030. The small business program speaks to people held back by limited business knowledge, lack of access to loans or poor credit, so you do not need an established business or strong credit to start.
How is it different from a microloan?
A microloan is borrowed money you repay, while 1MBB is free help that can get you ready to borrow. If you already know you need cash for inventory or equipment, read our SBA microloan guide alongside 1MBB. Coaching first and a lender second is the usual order.
Where do I sign up?
Start from Operation HOPE’s own 1MBB page, linked at the top of this page as “Visit official program.” Enrollment steps are in the “How to apply” section below. The Deadline row above shows how enrollment is currently set.
How to apply
-
1
Create an Operation HOPE account
Register on the Operation HOPE portal (portal.operationhope.org) or connect through a local HOPE Inside location. Enrollment is free and open to aspiring and existing Black business owners.
~20 min
-
2
Get matched with a coach and program track
Work with a certified financial/business coach who assesses your stage and goals, then plugs you into entrepreneurship training, credit and money-management coaching, and the 1MBB resource coalition.
~1 hrs
-
3
Use the tools and capital pathway
Activate free technology (Shopify and partner products) and follow the loan-readiness pathway, which connects qualified participants to small-business lenders. Capital is obtained from lenders, not granted directly.
~4 hrs
Don't expect a check — 1MBB's leverage is the free Shopify stack plus a real loan-readiness pathway. Start with the credit coaching, since any loan comes through partner lenders and depends on your credit profile.
Deadline & timing
Enrollment is continuous and free via the Operation HOPE online portal or HOPE Inside locations. The initiative is committed through 2030, so it operates as an ongoing program rather than on grant cycles.
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