Welcome to SparkMint! These terms govern your access to and use of www.sparkmint.org including any content, functionality and services offered on or through www.sparkmint.org (the “Website”), whether as a guest or a registered user. Please read carefully before you start to use the Website. By using the Website or by clicking to accept or agree to the “Terms” when this option is made available to you, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by said terms. If you do not want to agree, you must not access or use the Website. By continued use of the website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms and conditions stated below.
Grant Terms & Conditions
Purpose of Grant
The SparkMint Grants are designed to provide financial support to eligible businesses for specific purposes that align with SparkMint’s mission to empower and support entrepreneurs. This grant is not a contest, sweepstakes, or any form of lottery. It is a merit-based funding initiative intended to foster business growth and development.
Not a Game of Chance
Receipt of this grant is not determined by chance, but by the merit of the application as judged by the established criteria. The selection process ensures that all applicants have an equal opportunity based on the merit of their proposals and adherence to the application guidelines.
Eligibility
- Applicant Eligibility: The grants are open to all women entrepreneurs who own and operate a business. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
- Business Eligibility: Businesses must be at least 51% women-owned and operated. Both startups and established businesses are eligible to apply. Non-profit organizations must be at least 51% founded and operated.
- Geographical Limits: Currently, grants are available to applicants operating within the United States.
Application Process
- Application Submission: Applicants must complete the specified application form and submit it along with required application fee(s) by the stated grant cycle deadline. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Late submissions will be considered in the next grant cycle.
- Documentation: No documents are needed to apply. However, winners may be required to provide proof of business ownership documentation to verify eligibility.
- Deadlines: Applications must be submitted between the 1st and 20th of each month for consideration in the current grant cycle. Applications received after the deadline will be held until the 1st of the following month and considered in that grant cycle.
Selection Not Guaranteed: Submitting an application does not guarantee that you will be selected to receive a grant. The selection process is competitive, and not all applicants will be awarded a grant.
Selection of Recipients
- Selection Process: Our advisory board, composed of several women who are leaders in various fields, reviews all applications. Winners are chosen based on the innovation, potential impact, and overall quality of their business plans.
- Notification: Winners will be notified by email and announced on our website at the end of each month. Recipients must respond within a specified timeframe to accept the grant and comply with any conditions attached. Failure to respond timely or to meet the conditions may result in forfeiture of the grant.
Grant Awards and Disbursement
- Grant Amounts: Grants are awarded in amounts of $2,000, $7,000, and $10,000. Not all grants may be awarded in each cycle, depending on the pool of applicants and available funds.
- Funds Disbursal: Upon verification of eligibility, grant funds are disbursed via ACH transfer. Winners must complete a form with their banking details to collect the funds. Funds are typically transferred within 10 business days of form submission.
Use of Funds
- Purpose: Grant funds must be used for business-related expenses as outlined in the application, such as expansion, product development, or marketing.
- Reporting: While no formal reporting is required, we ask winners to provide periodic updates on their business progress.
Reapplication Policy for SparkMint Grants
1. Policy for Non-Winners:
Non-winners of the SparkMint Grants are welcome to reapply in subsequent grant cycles. If you do not win a grant, you may submit a new application for the next available grant cycle.
2. Policy for Previous Winners:
Same Tier Grants: Winners of a SparkMint Grant are eligible to reapply for the same tier of funding 12 months after their initial win. This allows previous winners to benefit from our program while giving adequate time and opportunity to demonstrate the impact of the initially awarded funds.
Different Tier Grants: Winners may apply for grants in different tiers they have not previously won in the immediate next grant cycle following their win. This policy is designed to support the growth and scaling of initiatives at various stages of development.
Example:
Suppose an applicant won a $10,000 grant in January 2024 for a project under Tier 3. According to our policy:
Applicant can reapply for another $10,000 grant in January 2025, 12 months after the initial win.
If the applicant is interested in applying for a $2,000 grant (Tier 1) or a $7,000 grant (Tier 2), they may do so in the next grant cycle (e.g., the February 2024 cycle), provided applicant has not previously won grants in these tiers.
General Terms
Compliance: All applicants agree to comply with all local, state, and federal regulations regarding the operation of their business and the use of grant funds. Applicants agree to comply with all terms and conditions of the grant program. Non-compliance with any terms during the application or post-selection phase can result in disqualification or repayment of grant funds.
Liability: SparkMint is not liable for any damages or losses that may occur from the use of grant funds.
Changes to Terms: SparkMint reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. Changes will be reflected on this website, and it is the user’s responsibility to check for updates regularly.
Grant Application Fee Disclaimer
Please note that a non-refundable application fee is required to process each grant application. This fee covers the administrative costs associated with the review and handling of applications and is not contingent on the outcome of your application.
Site Use Terms & Conditions
SPARKMINT LLC and its members, officers, directors, owners, employees, agents, representatives, suppliers and service providers (collectively “SM”) provides this website (the “Site”) for informational purposes only. Use of and access to the Site and the information, materials, services, and other content available on or through the Site (“Content”) are subject to these terms of use and all applicable laws.
Changes to Terms
SM reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. Changes will be reflected on this website, and it is the user’s responsibility to check for updates regularly.
No Guarantees
SM makes no guarantees about the results of taking any action, whether recommended on this Website or not. The Company provides educational and informational resources that are intended to help users of this website succeed in life, business, and otherwise. You nevertheless recognize that your ultimate success or failure will be the result of your own efforts, your particular situation, and innumerable other circumstances beyond the control and/or knowledge of SM. You also recognize that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome and SM makes no guarantee that you or any other person or entity will be able to obtain similar results.
No Financial/Investment Advice
Site content and resources available for download is for educational and informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
All Content on this site is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the Site constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the Site constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. SM is not a fiduciary by virtue of any person’s use of or access to the Site or Content. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other Content on the Site before making any decisions based on such information or other Content. In exchange for using the Site, you agree not to hold SM, its affiliates or any third party service provider liable for any possible claim for damages arising from any decision you make based on information or other Content made available to you through the Site.
No Warranties
SM makes no warranties regarding the performance or operation of this website. The company further makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the information, contents, materials, documents, programs, products, books, or services included on or through this website. To the fullest extent permissible under the law, the company disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
No Endorsements
Occasionally, SM may refer to other products, services, coaches, consultants, and/or experts. Any such reference is not intended as an endorsement or statement that the information provided by the other party is accurate. SM provides this information as a reference for users. It is your responsibility to conduct your own investigation and make your own determination about any such product, service, coach, consultant, and/or expert.
Testimonials
On this Website, you may find testimonials from recipients, clients and customers of the products and services offered on this Website or by the SM. The testimonials are actual statements made by clients and/or customers and have been truthfully conveyed on this Website. Although these testimonials are truthful statements about results obtained by these clients and/or customers, the results obtained by these clients and/or customers are not necessarily typical. You specifically recognize and agree that the testimonials are not a guarantee of results that you or anyone else will obtain by using any products or services offered on this Website or by SM.
Third Party Linked Sites
As a convenience to you, SM may provide hyperlinks to web sites operated by third parties. When you select these hyperlinks you will be leaving the SM site. Because SM has no control over such sites or their content, SM is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or their content, and SM does not adopt, endorse or nor is responsible or liable for any such sites or content, including advertising, products or other materials, on or available through such sites or resources. Other web sites may provide links to the Site or Content with or without our authorization. SM does not endorse such sites and shall not be responsible or liable for any links from those sites to the Site or Content, or for any content, advertising, products or other materials available on or through such other sites, or any loss or damages incurred in connection therewith. SM may, in its sole discretion, block links to the Site and Content without prior notice.
YOUR USE OF THIRD PARTY WEB SITES AND CONTENT, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, YOUR USE OF ANY INFORMATION, DATA, ADVERTISING, PRODUCTS, OR OTHER MATERIALS ON OR AVAILABLE THROUGH SUCH WEB SITES, IS AT YOUR OWN RISK AND IS SUBJECT TO THEIR TERMS OF USE.
Site and Content Not Warranted
THE SITE AND CONTENT, ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. YOU BEAR ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THE SITE AND CONTENT, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY RELIANCE ON THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR USEFULNESS OF ANY CONTENT AVAILABLE ON THE SITE. SM AND ITS EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, , PARTNERS, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPLIERS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, USEFULNESS, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE, AND WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE FROM COURSE OF DEALING/PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE.
Errors & Omissions
The internet is a public resource of general information that is intended, but not promised or guaranteed, to be correct, complete, and up-to-date. We have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained in this Website is accurate, but we cannot represent that this Website is free of errors. You accept that the information contained on this Website may be erroneous and agree to conduct due diligence to verify any information obtained from this Website and/or resources available on it prior to taking any action.
Limitation of Liability
YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SITE AND CONTENT IS TO STOP USING THE SITE AND CONTENT. SM IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, USE, DATA, OR LOSS OF OTHER INTANGIBLES. IN PARTICULAR, AND WITHOUT LIMITATION, SM WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE OR CONTENT.
Contact Information
For any questions, please contact us via our Contact Page.