Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 National Grant 2026: Applications Open for U.S. Small Business Owners

Small business owners across the United States and eligible U.S. territories can now apply for the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 National Grant 2026, a major funding opportunity designed to help entrepreneurs strengthen, stabilize, and grow their businesses.

Through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, Verizon is partnering with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to award $10,000 grants to selected small businesses throughout 2026. Unlike a traditional loan, the grant does not have to be repaid.

The 2026 funding model is particularly attractive because applicants do not have to repeatedly submit applications for every monthly funding round. An eligible entrepreneur can complete the required Digital Ready activities, unlock the grant application, apply once, and remain under consideration for subsequent selections during the year if they are not initially selected.

Verizon states that 10 small businesses will be selected each month from June through December 2026 to receive $10,000 grants. The initiative forms part of Verizon’s broader effort to equip small businesses with resources, education, expertise, and access to capital needed to compete in an increasingly digital economy.

About the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant 2026

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 National Grant is a funding initiative offered through Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready platform.

The Digital Ready initiative combines business education, events, expert resources, networking opportunities, and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs. Verizon reports that since 2021 it has awarded $15 million in grants to small businesses through its Digital Ready efforts, while more than 1,500 unique small businesses have received Digital Ready grants.

For 2026, Verizon and LISC have introduced a rolling application model intended to make applying simpler for small business owners.

Rather than having to prepare a separate grant application for multiple funding rounds, qualified entrepreneurs can submit one application and continue to be considered throughout the remaining 2026 selection periods.

How Much Funding Is Available?

Each selected business receives a $10,000 grant.

Verizon and LISC plan to select 10 small businesses per month between June and December 2026 under the national grant program.

Because this is grant funding rather than debt financing, recipients do not have to repay the $10,000 award.

However, recipients remain responsible for taxes associated with receiving or using the cash award. LISC states that a Form 1099 will be issued in connection with the grant.

Entrepreneurs should therefore treat the funding as taxable grant income where applicable and consult an appropriate tax professional regarding their individual circumstances.

Why Verizon Is Providing Small Business Grants

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant is part of a wider commitment by Verizon to support small businesses in adapting to the modern digital economy.

The initiative seeks to provide entrepreneurs not only with capital but also with knowledge and practical resources they can use to improve their businesses.

According to Verizon, the Digital Ready program contributes to the company’s goal of equipping one million small businesses with resources and tools to help them thrive in today’s economy.

The platform provides access to educational and entrepreneurial resources alongside potential grant funding, meaning applicants are required to participate in selected Digital Ready learning activities before they can unlock the grant application.

Key Benefits of the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant

The 2026 opportunity provides several advantages to eligible entrepreneurs:

• $10,000 in grant funding for selected businesses.
• No repayment requirement, unlike a business loan.
• One application for 2026, rather than applying separately each month.
• Continued consideration in later monthly selections if an applicant is not selected initially.
• Access to free Digital Ready courses and events before applying.
• Educational resources relating to areas such as marketing, intellectual property, digital tools, business development, and entrepreneurship.
• Funding administered independently by LISC, an established nonprofit organization with extensive experience supporting small businesses.
• Applications available in English and Spanish.
• A rolling selection structure extending through much of 2026.
• Potential access to Verizon Small Business Digital Ready’s broader ecosystem of courses, events, advice, and entrepreneurial resources.

How to Qualify for the $10,000 Verizon Grant

Applying for the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant involves more than simply submitting a funding form.

Applicants must first participate in the Small Business Digital Ready platform.

To become eligible to unlock the grant application, an entrepreneur must create or maintain a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready account and complete the required learning or event activities.

For the 2026 national grant, applicants must complete any combination of two qualifying courses or events on the Digital Ready platform.

Qualifying activities can include courses, virtual events, recorded virtual events, and eligible in-person events.

These activities must be completed between January 1, 2026 and December 7, 2026 to satisfy the grant-unlocking requirement.

For in-person events, only events identified as eligible on the Digital Ready In-Person Events page qualify. Attendees may also be required to scan an event QR code onsite so that their participation is properly recorded.

How to Apply for the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant

The overall application process is designed to be relatively straightforward.

Entrepreneurs should first register for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready.

After creating an account, the business owner must complete any qualifying combination of two courses or events during 2026.

Once the required activities have been recorded, the grant application becomes available through the Funding section and grant details page.

The applicant can then submit the grant application.

After submission, no additional application is required for each monthly selection. The application remains eligible for future 2026 selections if the applicant is not chosen during the first review period in which the application is considered.

The official information indicates that an applicant may submit only one application for the 2026 national grant.

How Long Does the Application Take?

Verizon and LISC estimate that the grant application should take no more than approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Applicants are advised to use Google Chrome, allocate around 30 uninterrupted minutes, and carefully review all answers before submitting the application.

This last point is particularly important because LISC states that it cannot accept changes to an application after it has been submitted.

Entrepreneurs should therefore gather relevant business details in advance and proofread their applications carefully before final submission.

Only One Business Can Be Submitted

Business owners who own multiple companies cannot apply separately for every business.

The official eligibility rules state that owners of multiple businesses may apply for the grant on behalf of only one business.

Applicants should therefore select the business that best meets the eligibility requirements and for which the proposed use of grant funding can be clearly and credibly demonstrated.

What Happens After You Apply?

Grant applications are reviewed monthly.

For the 2026 program, reviews take place from June through December 2026.

Each month, Verizon and LISC intend to select 10 small businesses for grants.

An applicant who is not selected during one month’s review is not automatically rejected.

Instead, the application remains under consideration for subsequent 2026 grant selections.

This rolling structure gives applicants multiple potential opportunities for consideration without requiring them to repeatedly prepare and submit new applications.

How Are Grant Recipients Selected?

The grant selection process is administered by LISC and involves several stages.

The first stage includes an anonymous drawing designed to narrow the applicant pool and give eligible applicants an equal initial opportunity.

If necessary, an algorithm is subsequently used to help maintain a balanced representation of businesses across different industries and geographic areas, reducing the possibility that grants become excessively concentrated within one sector or location.

The program states that priority is given to businesses operating in under-resourced, low-to-moderate income communities, particularly businesses that may have difficulty obtaining flexible and affordable capital.

A subset of applications then undergoes a more detailed assessment.

Factors reviewed at that stage can include the accuracy of the application, potential community impact, and the proposed use of grant funding.

Selected businesses subsequently undergo verification to confirm that they are in appropriate financial and legal standing before an award is issued.

What Does It Mean to Become a Finalist?

Being identified as a finalist is an important step, but it does not automatically guarantee receipt of a $10,000 grant.

Finalists must successfully complete additional verification requirements before an award can be confirmed.

LISC may conduct a background search and request information necessary to verify the business and process grant payments.

Potential verification information may include the business owner’s date of birth, SSN, TIN or ITIN, EIN, W-9 information, and appropriate banking information for ACH payment.

The program specifically states that the verification process does not involve a credit check or credit-score pull.

LISC also states that it will not request copies of personal identity documents such as a driver’s license, passport, or green card as part of this verification process.

Applicants should nonetheless ensure they respond promptly to genuine finalist communications.

How Will Successful Applicants Be Contacted?

LISC primarily communicates with grant applicants by email.

Finalists may be notified within approximately six weeks following the end of each monthly selection period.

Applicants who are not selected in a particular month generally will not receive a rejection notice at that stage because their application continues to remain under consideration for future selections.

All applicants are expected to receive their final status by January 12, 2027.

Official grant-status communications are expected to come from an @lisc.org email address.

Applicants should therefore regularly monitor their inboxes and spam or junk folders after submitting their applications.

Important Requirement for Previous Applicants

Entrepreneurs who applied for a Digital Ready grant in a previous funding cycle should not assume that their older application automatically carries forward.

According to the 2026 program FAQ, anyone who applied for a Digital Ready grant before April 15, 2026 must submit a new application for the current $10,000 national grant.

For the current 2026 national grant process, applicants may submit only one application.

After the new application is submitted, it remains eligible for consideration for the rest of the applicable 2026 selection period.

Can Previous Verizon Grant Recipients Apply Again?

Previous Digital Ready grant recipients are not necessarily prohibited from submitting an application.

However, the official program states that priority is given to applicants who have not previously received a grant, and prior Digital Ready grant recipients are therefore less likely to receive a second award.

Former recipients should take this into account when evaluating their prospects.

Are Nonprofits Eligible?

No.

The national $10,000 grant is specifically intended for for-profit businesses.

Nonprofit organizations are not eligible under the stated eligibility requirements.

Applicants should ensure that their organization’s legal and business structure is consistent with the eligibility rules before completing the Digital Ready requirements.

Businesses Must Be Able to Complete Verification

Eligibility does not end when the online application is submitted.

Finalists must be able to provide appropriate financial and business verification documentation.

Examples specifically mentioned by the program include a W-9 and information necessary to receive funding through ACH.

Business owners who cannot adequately establish their business identity or provide the requested verification information could lose their finalist status.

Application Available in Spanish

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant application is also available in Spanish.

Applicants who have unlocked the application can select the Spanish-language option.

For users browsing the Digital Ready platform in Spanish, the grant application is expected to default to Spanish.

This expands access for Spanish-speaking small business owners who may prefer completing the process in Spanish.

What Can Businesses Use the Grant For?

The official selection process reviews the proposed use of funds, meaning applicants should give careful consideration to how $10,000 would help their business.

The current public grant page does not provide a narrow, exhaustive list of permitted expenditures on the main funding page. Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that every possible business expenditure is automatically approved.

Instead, applicants should clearly explain how funding would create a credible business benefit and comply with the full program terms and conditions.

Potential needs should be described specifically and realistically rather than using vague statements such as simply saying that the money will be used for “business growth.”

A stronger application generally connects the requested funding to identifiable business needs, implementation plans, and expected outcomes.

Tips for Preparing a Strong Application

Because the program combines random selection with subsequent review and verification, no application strategy can guarantee an award.

Nevertheless, applicants should ensure that all submitted information is accurate, complete, internally consistent, and supported by business records.

When describing the proposed use of funds, business owners should clearly connect the $10,000 grant to their actual operations and explain how the investment could improve business sustainability, customer reach, productivity, employment, community impact, or growth.

Applicants should avoid overstating revenue, employment numbers, community outcomes, or other business information because finalists may be asked to verify important information before receiving the award.

Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Grant Deadline 2026

The current official page uses a rolling 2026 application structure rather than presenting one conventional application deadline for every applicant.

Applicants must complete the required combination of two qualifying Digital Ready courses or events between January 1, 2026 and December 7, 2026 to unlock the grant application.

The program states that applicants can submit the application during 2026 and remain eligible for available grant selections during the year. Grant applications are reviewed monthly from June through December 2026.

Therefore, prospective applicants should not wait until December. Completing the eligibility activities and applying earlier may allow the application to remain under consideration across more monthly selection periods.

All applicants are expected to receive their final decision no later than January 12, 2027.

Important Dates

The principal dates to remember are January 1 to December 7, 2026 for completing the required qualifying courses or events; June through December 2026 for monthly grant reviews and selections; and January 12, 2027 as the stated date by which all applicants should receive a final decision.

Why This Opportunity Matters for Small Businesses

Access to affordable capital remains one of the most difficult challenges facing small businesses, particularly those operating in communities that historically have had fewer conventional financing opportunities.

A $10,000 non-repayable grant can provide meaningful support to a small company without adding loan repayments or additional debt to its balance sheet.

The structure of Verizon Small Business Digital Ready also ensures that participants engage with educational resources before accessing the application.

This combination of entrepreneurship education and capital can be especially useful for small businesses that need both practical knowledge and financial resources to move to their next stage of development.

Conclusion

The Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 National Grant 2026 represents a significant opportunity for eligible for-profit small business owners based in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Through its partnership with LISC, Verizon will select businesses for $10,000 non-repayable grants throughout 2026, with 10 businesses expected to be selected each month from June through December.

The application process is comparatively accessible: business owners must register for Small Business Digital Ready, complete two qualifying courses or events, unlock the grant application, and submit one application for the 2026 funding cycle.

Because unsuccessful applicants can remain eligible for later monthly selections, applying earlier rather than waiting until the end of the eligibility period may maximize the number of selection rounds in which an application can potentially be considered.

Eligible entrepreneurs should begin by registering for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, completing the required activities, and preparing accurate business information before submitting their grant application.

View the official Verizon Small Business Digital Ready $10,000 Grant page

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