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Want to get a grant for your business?

Submitting A Proposal

We want our process to be simple for each one of our veterans. Our goal is to make sure you make the best decisions for your life and your business and have the funding to do so.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts

Step 1:

Register for an Initial Consultation

Prior to submitting a proposal through the submission portal, click the button below to have an initial conversation about your project. 

This will allow you to be filtered to the correct coach/consultant and start along the process to determining the viability of the proposed project and give you guidance for step two.

Step 2:

Submit an Executive Summary

As part of the pitch competition application, you will create and submit a business one pager, utilizing The ATLVets business one-pager template.

Your business one-pager will be utilized during the initial selection process by ATLVets’ staff, and it will be provided to the judging panel during the quarterly Pitch Day.

Step 3:

Apply for Our next Pitch Day

Applications open at least 30 days prior to each event. Please check our event page to find the event closet to you.

Your application and business one-pager will be evaluated by a review panel. Once the panel makes their decisions, applicants will be informed if they were selected as a Semi-Finalist. 

Step 4:

Prepare Your Pitch

Once you receive the email that you were selected as a semi-finalist in the pitch competition, prepare for your pitch, so you can impress the judges during round 1 and be selected to move to the challenge round.

There are many resources to improve your stage presence and presentation as a whole, check out a few here: 

What to Expect on Pitch Day

  • Prepare a 7 minute pitch about your business.
  • Judges will have one to three minutes for specific questions and comments after your pitch.
  • Please feel free to bring prototypes, products, or visuals to aid your pitch.
  • Judges will deliberate and select three finalists for the final pitch competition.
  • Finalists will be announced immediately before the final pitch competition.

Your Successful Pitch Should Include:

  • Social impact on the entrepreneurial community
  • Personal story and business idea/potential
  • What customer need is being filled
  • Team and company history
  • How the entrepreneur plans to use the award and the potential impact on their business
  • What continued support the entrepreneur plans to give back to the veteran community
  • An overall analysis of the SWOT for your business and the project you are requesting funds for.
Grant Fund Contributions

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FAQs

  • Applicants must be at least 21 years of age at the time of application.
  • Applicants must be a veteran, Reservist, National Guardsman, or transitioning active-duty Military Member of any of the United States Armed Forces, the spouse of a Military Member, or the surviving spouse or child of a Military Member who died on active duty (i.e., a “Gold Star” family member). 

  • Applicants must be low-income and otherwise lack the financial means to start, or grow, an early-stage business or nonprofit.
  • Applicants must own at least 51% of the business entity described in the application.
  • Business entities, as defined in these rules, include sole proprietorships, legally incorporated LLCs, S-Corps or C-Corps (or formal partnerships) created under the laws of any U.S. jurisdiction.
  • If the Applicant is applying in conjunction with a nonprofit organization, the Applicant must be the organization’s senior executive director or equivalent in order to be eligible for the grant.
  • The nonprofit or business entity will also be evaluated on its positive social, community, educational, military-transition, veterans’ employment, health and wellness, or veterans’ mental health/spiritual impact on the American military and veteran community in addition to or in conjunction with the business or nonprofit functions.

The following are the criteria we look for in deciding which entrepreneurs receive funding:

  • Social impact on the military community
  • Personal story and business idea/potential
  • What customer need is being filled (product/market fit)
  • Team and company history
  • How the entrepreneur plans to use the award and the potential impact on their business.
  • The Second Service Foundation delivers an annual report to program sponsors on program impact based on continuous measurement and tracking of key outcomes to be identified in joint consultation. These outcomes include: 
    • Revenue increase for small business program beneficiaries 
    • Jobs created by small business program beneficiaries 
    • Veterans and military spouses hired by small business program beneficiaries 
    • Social impact on the military community
  • Pitch Competition Participants will be evaluated based on: personal story and business idea/potential, potential impact/use of award funds, product-fit, team/history, and social impact of the business on the military and veteran community. 
  • Pitch Competition Participants will be reviewed by judges. Our judges are comprised of the Second Service Foundation staff, the Board of Directors, sponsors, and industry experts. The judges will determine the Semi-Finalists of the Military Entrepreneur Challenge grant. 
  • The recipients of the grant are chosen from the Semi-Finalists of each award period and are determined by public vote on the Second Service Foundation website or at an in-person pitch competition event.

Grants and other prizes vary based on event. Please see our project page for specific grant amounts and other sponsor donated services. 

Grant Winners must complete all compliance to claim award money within three (3) months of competition completion, otherwise the grant will be forfeit.

Award amount will not be given directly to the grantee, it will be used to fund the project that is being proposed.**

ATLVets for veteran business owners

Creating big wins for small, veteran owned organizations

EIN: 92-0351235 

Phone: 404-503-3576
Email : Zack@ATLVets.org
Address: 10 Glenlake Pkwy., Ste 130, Sandy Springs, Ga 30328

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