The Artisan Entrepreneurs Academy is a six-week virtual program providing creative entrepreneurs with capital, coaching, and connections to help grow their businesses.
Donor Name: Allies for Community Business
State: Illinois, Indiana
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 04/25/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
Artisan Entrepreneurs Academy welcomes 100 existing creative businesses owners who are passionate about sustainability and driving growth.
In 2025, this program will provide these business owners with:
- Six weeks of interactive webinars led by experienced business coaches
- Small group discussions with growth-minded creative entrepreneurs
- Access to one-on-one coaching appointments to address individual business needs.
Funding Information
A $5,000 business grant upon successful completion of the program.
Eligible Business Categories
Eligible business categories include:
- Arts & Crafts – businesses designing and/or producing works of visual arts
- Cosmetics & Personal Care – businesses producing cosmetics or personal care items or providing personal care services
- Barber shops
- Beauty, hair, and/or nail salons
- Makeup production/manufacturing
- Nail design
- Professional makeup art
- Fashion & Accessories – businesses designing and/or producing clothes, shoes, jewelry, and accessories
- Clothing and/or shoes design and/or production
- Fashion styling
- Jewelry design and production
- Wearable accessories design and/or production
- Fragrance & Candle-Making – businesses producing fragrances, perfumes, candles, or similar items
- Candle manufacturing
- Fragrances
- Home Decor – businesses designing and/or producing home decor goods or providing interior design services
- Furniture design & production
- Glassware & glass blowing
- Handmade home decor
- Interior design services
- Music, Video & Performing Arts – businesses engaged in creating or producing music, broadcasting, video or motion picture arts, or other creative activities performed in front of an audience
- Photography – businesses engaged in the art or practice of taking and processing photographs
- Plant & Foliage Art or Retail – businesses selling plants and/or businesses designing or producing artistic works using real or artificial flowers
- Florists & flower artists
- Landscape design
- Plant retailers
- Plant & Foliage Art or Retail – businesses selling plants and/or businesses designing or producing artistic works using real or artificial flowers
- Toy & Hobby Goods – businesses designing and/or producing toys and other hobby goods
- Doll, toy, and game manufacturing
- Gift, novelty, and souvenir stores.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible, a business must:
- Agree to participate in a 6-week virtual Artisan Entrepreneurs Academy consisting of weekly education sessions followed by optional small-group discussions.
- Be a for-profit business located and registered in Illinois or Indiana.
- Contribute to the creative economy.
- Have an existing product or service currently on the market.
- Be operational for at least 12 months and have filed a 2024 or 2023 business tax return.
- Show annual revenue between $10,000 and $500,000 on the tax return submitted.
- Have a business bank account.
- Businesses will be evaluated based on criteria which include:
- Your vision for the business over the next 2 years.
- How participation in this program will enhance your business growth.
For more information, visit Allies for Community Business.
