Hispanic & Latino Business Grants 2026
7 programs in the GrantCompass catalog specifically prioritize Hispanic and Latino founders, combining for up to $480,000. That is a smaller, honest number -- most "Hispanic grant" roundups pad their count with broad minority programs that mention Hispanic founders only as one example among several. To see which of these you actually qualify for alongside the rest of the catalog, use the free interactive eligibility map -- it checks your eligibility across all 736 programs in about 60 seconds.
7 programs specifically prioritize Hispanic and Latino founders, combining for up to $480,000: Camelback Ventures Fellowship ($50,000), digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH ($5,000, Black & Latina women, city-by-city cohorts), LEDC Small Business Loans (up to $250,000), LISC Small Business Relief Grants ($5,000-$25,000), PepsiCo's two Juntos Crecemos programs ($10,000 and $20,000+$100,000), and California's CUSP climate-relief grants (up to $40,000). As of November 1, 2026, two of them -- LEDC and CUSP -- are open on a rolling basis. The single best starting point for most applicants is LEDC's rolling small-business loan program -- no fixed deadline, first-time-applicant friendly, and it accepts pre-launch businesses through its SEED Loan tier. If you want a cash grant specifically, apply to whichever PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos track fits your business as soon as the next cycle opens.
What Is Actually Active Now (November 2026)
As of November 1, 2026, 2 of the 7 programs are accepting applications on a rolling basis: LEDC and California CUSP. The other 5 are between intakes or not currently offered: digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH's Nashville applications closed October 19, 2026 and its Northern California cohort has been selected, with no next city announced; Camelback Ventures' current cycle is closed and the funder says applications open next year, with no dates posted; PepsiCo's Greenhouse Accelerator has not run a Juntos Crecemos edition since 2024; and LISC and the PepsiCo Jefa-Owned grant have no announced reopening date. This guide covers only programs with confirmed status, cross-referenced against the GrantCompass catalog of 736 US funding programs.
| Program | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| LEDC Small Business Loans | $500-$250,000 | Active, rolling |
| digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH | $5,000 | Between cohorts — Nashville closed Oct 19, 2026; N. California cohort selected; next city not announced |
| California CUSP | Up to $40,000 | Active, rolling/quarterly (CA only) |
| Camelback Ventures Fellowship | $50,000 | Between cohorts — current cycle closed; funder says applications open next year, no dates posted |
| LISC Small Business Relief Grants | $5,000-$25,000 | Between intakes, opens in waves |
| PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator | $20,000 + up to $100,000 | Not currently offered — last Juntos Crecemos edition ran in 2024 |
| PepsiCo Jefa-Owned Business Grant | $10,000 (20 winners) | Between cycles, 2025/26 dates TBA |
What changed when we re-checked on November 1, 2026: LEDC and California CUSP remain open on a rolling basis. digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH's Nashville applications closed October 19, 2026 and its Northern California 2026 cohort has been selected; no next city is announced. PepsiCo's Greenhouse Accelerator is now listed as not currently offered: its Juntos Crecemos edition ran in 2023 and 2024 only, and PepsiCo lists no 2025 or 2026 edition. Camelback Ventures says applications open next year, with no dates posted.
What changed when we re-checked on October 9, 2026: LEDC and California CUSP remain open on a rolling basis. digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH no longer counts as open: its Houston, Atlanta and Detroit cohorts were prior cycles, and the only live links at our last verification (August 23, 2026) were Northern California and Nashville, with no published deadline. Camelback Ventures' Winter 2027 window closed September 18, 2026, and the catalog now lists a $50,000 seed grant (we previously showed $25,000), which raises the combined maximum to $480,000.
Where 7 dedicated programs sits among ownership groups
In July 2026, GrantCompass tagged 79 programs in its then 631-program catalog by ownership group; the rest were open to all businesses. Minority-owned businesses (an umbrella that includes Hispanic and Latino founders alongside Black, Native American, Asian American, and other groups) had the deepest bench at 48 dedicated programs. Women-owned businesses had 25. Veteran-owned businesses had 10. Hispanic/Latino-specific programs -- meaning programs that name Hispanic or Latino founders as an explicit, not incidental, priority -- numbered 7. Black-owned-specific programs numbered 5. Every founder is also fully eligible for the national and state programs open to all businesses regardless of ownership.
If you're a Latina-owned food and beverage founder, both PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos tracks are worth checking before anything else on this page -- one targets CPG accelerator-stage companies, the other targets small "jefa-owned" food businesses directly, and the eligibility criteria do not overlap (see the comparison below).
Food trucks, cottage food makers and packaged-food makers have their own section in food business grants for trucks, bakers and makers.
All 7 Hispanic/Latino-Specific Programs, in One Sortable Table
The GrantCompass catalog tracks 7 programs that specifically prioritize Hispanic or Latino founders (not merely list them as one example within a broader diversity definition). Click any program for its full profile, eligibility rules, and application steps.
| Program | Organization | Type | Max funding | Status / deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEDC Small Business Loans | Latino Economic Development Center | Loan | $500-$250,000 | Rolling, year-round |
| PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator (Juntos Crecemos) | PepsiCo | Grant | $20,000 + up to $100,000 | Not currently offered; last edition 2024 |
| Camelback Ventures Fellowship | Camelback Ventures | Grant | $50,000 | Between cohorts; next applications open next year, no dates posted |
| LISC Small Business Relief Grants | Local Initiatives Support Corporation | Grant | $5,000-$25,000 | Between intakes, opens in waves |
| California CUSP | California Dept. of Food and Agriculture | Grant | Up to $40,000 | Rolling/quarterly, CA only |
| PepsiCo Jefa-Owned Business Grant | PepsiCo Foundation / Hello Alice | Grant | $10,000 (20 winners) | Between cycles, 2025/26 TBA |
| digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH | digitalundivided | Grant | $5,000 | Between cohorts; next city not announced |
- Grants 6
- Loans 1
Median max award across these 7 programs is $40,000; the spread runs from digitalundivided's $5,000 grant to LEDC's $250,000 loan ceiling. 5 of the 7 are rated first-time-applicant friendly in the GrantCompass catalog. See our grants vs. loans vs. tax credits guide for how to weigh a loan ceiling against a grant amount before applying.
| Program | Max amount | Type |
|---|---|---|
| LEDC Small Business Loans | $250,000 | Loan |
| PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator | $100,000 grand prize | Grant |
| Camelback Ventures Fellowship | $50,000 | Grant |
The best Hispanic/Latino-specific program for most applicants is LEDC Small Business Loans (up to $250,000) because it accepts applications year-round with no fixed deadline, its SEED Loan tier is one of the few CDFI products in the country that lends to pre-launch businesses before a single dollar of revenue, and it is rated first-time-applicant friendly. Everyone else should watch the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos reopening dates for the highest-dollar grant on this list.
Federal Paths: MBDA Business Centers and 8(a)/SDB Certification
The strongest federal support for Hispanic and Latino founders is not a grant -- it is free advising through MBDA Business Centers and certification into SBA's disadvantaged-business contracting programs. Neither counts toward the 7 dedicated programs above because both serve minority founders broadly rather than naming Hispanic or Latino founders as the specific target, but both are real and worth pursuing.
The MBDA Business Center Program, run by the Minority Business Development Agency at the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides free consulting, contract-access support, and capital-connection services through a national network of 40+ Business Centers. There is no cash grant and no application deadline -- Hispanic and Latino business owners contact their nearest center directly at mbda.gov/businesscenters to request an intake meeting. Centers prioritize clients who can close a contract or deal within 6-12 months.
The SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program is a 9-year certification that unlocks sole-source federal contracts (up to $5.5 million for most industries) and set-aside competitions for socially and economically disadvantaged business owners. Under SBA regulation 13 C.F.R. 124.103, Hispanic Americans are one of several groups presumed to be socially disadvantaged -- defined to include persons with origins in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, or Central or South America. That presumption means a Hispanic American owner does not need to individually document social disadvantage, only economic disadvantage (personal net worth under $850,000 excluding home and business equity, among other tests).
Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) status is a related, narrower designation: it can qualify a firm for price-evaluation adjustments and contracting-goal credit in specific procurements, and since a 2020 rule change it uses a self-certification process rather than a separate SBA review. SDB and 8(a) overlap in the disadvantaged-owner presumption but are not identical programs -- 8(a) is the full 9-year development program with sole-source authority; SDB status alone does not include sole-source contracts.
Source: sba.gov/8a; 13 C.F.R. Part 124 (8(a) Business Development Program); 13 C.F.R. Part 124 Subpart B (SDB self-certification, effective 2020)| Path | What it unlocks | Cash grant? |
|---|---|---|
| MBDA Business Center | Free advising, contract-readiness support, capital connections | No |
| SBA 8(a) | Sole-source and set-aside contracts up to $5.5M; 9-year program | No |
| SDB self-certification | Price-evaluation adjustments, contracting-goal credit | No |
None of these three paths pays a check directly, which is why they sit outside the 7-program count above -- but for a Hispanic or Latino-owned business that sells (or wants to sell) to the federal government, 8(a) certification is frequently worth more than any single grant on this page. Compare the tradeoffs in our 8(a) vs. WOSB certification guide before committing to the 9-year program.
PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos: Two Programs, Different Targets
PepsiCo runs two separate "Juntos Crecemos" ("together we grow") programs for Hispanic-owned businesses, and they are frequently confused because they share a name. They target different stages and different ownership profiles.
| Feature | Greenhouse Accelerator | Jefa-Owned Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Hispanic-owned CPG food/beverage startups | Latina-owned food & beverage small businesses |
| Amount | $20,000 each + up to $100,000 grand prize | $10,000 (20 winners) |
| Format | 5-month mentorship cohort, 8-10 companies | Cash grant + digital coaching, no cohort |
| Restriction | Ineligible if product overlaps a PepsiCo brand | None disclosed beyond ownership criteria |
PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator (Juntos Crecemos Edition) is an annual accelerator for Hispanic-owned CPG food and beverage startups. 8-10 companies receive $20,000 each plus 5 months of mentorship, and one company wins an additional $100,000 grand prize -- the 2024 grand-prize winner was ¡Ya Oaxaca!. The hard exclusion: if a product overlaps any PepsiCo brand (Gatorade, Tropicana, Lay's, Quaker, Pepsi, and others), the business is ineligible. The 2025/2026 cycle dates had not been announced as of May 2026; monitor greenhouseaccelerator.com.
PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos Jefa-Owned Business Grant, run through the PepsiCo Foundation and Hello Alice, is a separate $10,000 grant for 20 Latina-owned ("jefa," Spanish for a female boss) food and beverage small businesses, plus accelerator access and digital coaching for all 20 recipients. The 2024 cycle ran August 20 to September 27, 2024, with recipients announced in November 2024. Building a Hello Alice profile before the window opens gives you a head start when the next cycle is announced at helloalice.com.
The best PepsiCo program for an early-stage Hispanic-owned CPG brand is the Greenhouse Accelerator because the $100,000 grand prize and 5-month mentorship exceed what any single grant on this page offers, provided your product does not compete with a PepsiCo brand. The best PepsiCo program for a small, established Latina-owned food business is the Jefa-Owned Business Grant because $10,000 with 20 winners has better odds than a single grand prize, and the digital coaching is included at no extra cost.
Regional Standouts: LEDC (DC/MD/VA) and California CUSP
Two of the 7 programs are geographically restricted but disclose the deepest funding ceilings on this page. Both are worth a founder's time only if the business operates in the qualifying region.
Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) Small Business Loans serve Latino and underserved entrepreneurs in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) metro area with CDFI loans from $500 to $250,000, tiered from pre-launch through established businesses, at rates from 6.5%. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis via an online Airtable form at ledcmetro.org/lending. The SEED Loan (up to $5,000) is one of the few CDFI products in the country that lends to pre-launch businesses -- founders can apply within 3 months of their intended launch date, before generating a single dollar of revenue, which makes LEDC unusually accessible to immigrant entrepreneurs building their first US business.
California's Underserved and Small Producer Program (CUSP), run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, provides climate-relief grants of up to $20,000 for drought impacts and up to $20,000 for extreme-weather impacts (stackable to $40,000 within a 12-month period) for small and underserved California farmers and ranchers. CUSP's authorizing materials explicitly name Hispanic producers among the socially disadvantaged farmers the program prioritizes. Funding is distributed through regional technical-assistance providers rather than CDFA directly, with application windows that vary by provider (recent windows: September 1-October 31, 2025 and February 15-April 15, 2026) within a January 2024-December 2026 project period.
| Program | Region | Max amount | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEDC Small Business Loans | DC, MD, VA | $250,000 | Rolling, year-round |
| California CUSP | California only | $40,000 | Rolling/quarterly by provider |
If your business operates in the DC-Maryland-Virginia metro area, LEDC's rolling loan program is the single most accessible dedicated option on this page because it has no fixed deadline, funds pre-launch businesses, and its ceiling ($250,000) is the highest of the 7. If you farm or ranch in California and were hit by drought or extreme weather in the last 12 months, contact your county's CUSP technical-assistance provider directly rather than CDFA -- the relief is distributed through regional partners, not the state agency.
Beyond These 7: The Broader Minority-Owned Catalog
7 programs specifically prioritize Hispanic and Latino founders. That is the honest number, and it excludes programs where Hispanic or Latino is listed only as one illustrative example within a broader "minority group" or "people of color" definition. Hispanic and Latino founders remain fully eligible for those broader programs -- there are 48 minority-owned-specific programs in the GrantCompass catalog in total. Rather than duplicate that full list here, this section names the top few by award size; see the complete table on minority-owned business grants.
| Program | Max amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SBA 8(a) Business Development Program | Sole-source to $5.5M | Hispanic Americans presumed eligible (see above) |
| New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) | $2M-$20M below-market | Real estate/expansion in low-income census tracts |
| Black Ambition Prize | Up to $1,000,000 | Includes Hispanic-founded ventures as one of several qualifying traits |
| LISC Entrepreneurs of Color Fund | Up to $500,000+ | Names Latino as one illustrative example of "communities of color" |
The MBDA Business Center Program (covered above) and the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (which funds organizations serving Hispanic-Serving Institutions, not Hispanic farmers directly) also came up in our matching but were excluded from the 7-program count above for the same reason: the Hispanic/Latino connection is incidental to eligibility, not the target of the program.
Which Program to Prioritize First
Match the program to your situation. Each branch below is the highest-value first move for that profile.
→ LEDC Small Business Loans ($500-$250,000, rolling, pre-launch eligible via the SEED Loan tier).
→ watch for a new PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator Juntos Crecemos edition ($20,000 + up to $100,000 grand prize in 2024; none has run since) at greenhouseaccelerator.com.
→ build a Hello Alice profile now for the next PepsiCo Jefa-Owned Business Grant cycle ($10,000, 20 winners).
→ watch for the next Camelback Ventures Fellowship cohort ($50,000 seed grant, prioritizes Black, Latinx, and Indigenous founders; the Winter 2027 window closed September 18, 2026 and the next cycle is not yet announced).
→ check whether digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH is recruiting in your city ($5,000, revenue-generating businesses only; Nashville applications closed October 19, 2026 and the next city is not announced).
→ contact your county's CUSP technical-assistance provider (up to $40,000 stacked).
→ contact your nearest MBDA Business Center and evaluate 8(a) certification given the Hispanic American presumption of disadvantage.
→ check the 48 broader minority-owned programs or run the free eligibility map against all 736 programs.
How to Apply: Sequencing Your Hispanic/Latino Funding Stack
With only 2 of the 7 programs open as of November 1, 2026, sequencing matters more here than on broader demographic pages.
Map your eligibility first. Run the free GrantCompass eligibility check (~6 questions) to see every Hispanic/Latino, broader minority, and national program your business matches before spending time on any single application.
Apply to the 2 open programs now. LEDC (rolling, DMV region) and California CUSP (rolling/quarterly, CA agriculture) do not require waiting on an announcement; also check whether a digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH cohort is recruiting in your city.
Set reminders for the 4 between-intakes programs. Camelback Ventures, LISC Small Business Relief, the PepsiCo Jefa-Owned grant and digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH reopen on annual or episodic cycles with no fixed calendar date, and PepsiCo's Greenhouse Accelerator would need a new Juntos Crecemos edition -- subscribe to each organization's mailing list now.
Evaluate MBDA and 8(a)/SDB in parallel. These take longer to pay off (weeks to months for MBDA intake, up to a year for 8(a) certification review) but are not competing for the same limited application windows as the grants above.
Layer in the 48 broader minority-owned programs at minority-owned business grants -- particularly the SBA 8(a) program and New Markets Tax Credit if you need six- or seven-figure financing beyond what the 7 dedicated programs offer.
Three mistakes Hispanic/Latino applicants make
- Confusing the two PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos programs. The Greenhouse Accelerator targets CPG startups with a non-compete restriction; the Jefa-Owned Grant targets small Latina-owned food businesses directly. They have different eligibility criteria and different applications.
- Treating MBDA as a grant program. MBDA Business Centers provide free advising and contract access, not cash. Bring a specific contract opportunity to your intake meeting rather than a general funding request.
- Inflating the dedicated-program count by including broad "minority" or "diversity" programs. Programs like Black Ambition Prize and LISC Entrepreneurs of Color Fund list Hispanic/Latino as one of several qualifying traits in an open-ended definition -- worth applying to, but not equivalent to the 7 programs that target Hispanic/Latino founders specifically.
Hispanic & Latino Business Grants FAQ
How many grants specifically target Hispanic and Latino founders?
GrantCompass tracks 7 programs in its 2026 catalog that specifically prioritize Hispanic or Latino founders: Camelback Ventures Fellowship ($50,000), digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH ($5,000, Black & Latina women, city-by-city cohorts), LEDC Small Business Loans (up to $250,000), LISC Small Business Relief Grants ($5,000-$25,000), PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator ($20,000 + up to $100,000), PepsiCo Jefa-Owned Business Grant ($10,000), and California's CUSP climate-relief grants (up to $40,000). Combined, these 7 programs represent up to $480,000 in funding; as of October 9, 2026, two of them (LEDC and CUSP) are open on a rolling basis. A larger number of broader minority-owned programs (48 at our July 2026 count) also list Hispanic/Latino as one example within an open definition -- see the broader-catalog section above.
What is the SBA 8(a) program, and are Hispanic Americans presumed eligible?
The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program is a 9-year certification unlocking sole-source federal contracts up to $5.5 million and set-aside competitions for socially and economically disadvantaged owners. Under 13 C.F.R. 124.103, Hispanic Americans (defined to include persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, or South American origin) are one of several groups presumed socially disadvantaged, meaning an applicant does not need to individually document that element -- only economic disadvantage (personal net worth under $850,000 excluding home and business equity, among other tests).
What does the MBDA Business Center Program offer Hispanic-owned businesses?
The Minority Business Development Agency, part of the US Department of Commerce, funds a national network of 40+ Business Centers offering free consulting, contract-readiness support, and capital-access connections. There is no cash grant and no application deadline -- contact your nearest center directly at mbda.gov/businesscenters. Centers prioritize clients who can close a specific contract or deal within 6-12 months, so bring a concrete opportunity rather than a general request for help.
What is PepsiCo's Juntos Crecemos program, and how do the two tracks differ?
PepsiCo runs two separate programs under the "Juntos Crecemos" name. The Greenhouse Accelerator targets Hispanic-owned CPG food and beverage startups with $20,000 per company (8-10 companies) plus a 5-month mentorship and up to a $100,000 grand prize; a hard exclusion applies if the product competes with any PepsiCo brand. The Jefa-Owned Business Grant, run through the PepsiCo Foundation and Hello Alice, awards $10,000 to 20 Latina-owned food and beverage small businesses plus digital coaching, with no accelerator cohort. Both had 2025/2026 cycle dates unannounced as of May 2026.
Are there Hispanic/Latino grants specifically for farmers or agricultural producers?
Yes. California's Underserved and Small Producer Program (CUSP), run by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, provides climate-relief grants up to $20,000 for drought and up to $20,000 for extreme weather (stackable to $40,000 within 12 months) for small and underserved California farmers, with Hispanic producers explicitly named among the prioritized socially disadvantaged groups. This program is California-only; the federal USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program funds organizations building training programs (not individual farmers directly), and its Hispanic-Serving Institution eligibility is incidental rather than a farmer-ownership target.
What if none of the 7 dedicated programs fit my business?
Check the 48 broader minority-owned programs at minority-owned business grants, which include the SBA 8(a) program (sole-source contracts to $5.5M), the New Markets Tax Credit ($2M-$20M below-market financing), and other programs where Hispanic/Latino founders qualify alongside other underrepresented groups. Every business is also eligible for the national and state programs in the 736-program GrantCompass catalog that are open to all businesses regardless of ownership -- run the free eligibility map to see your full matched list in about 60 seconds.
What this means for your Hispanic or Latino-owned business
7 programs specifically prioritize Hispanic and Latino founders, but the most accessible move right now is LEDC's rolling loan program if you're in the DC-Maryland-Virginia region, or watching the PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos reopening dates if you run a Hispanic-owned food or beverage business anywhere in the US. Layer in MBDA advising, evaluate 8(a) certification, and check the 48 broader minority-owned programs for anything the dedicated list doesn't cover. Check your eligibility across all 736 programs in about 60 seconds with the free GrantCompass eligibility map.