Sephora Beauty Grant Opens With $100,000 for Founders

Beauty, haircare, skincare and fragrance founders can apply for $100,000, pro-bono consulting and a meeting with Sephora merchants. Applications close November 6.

The Sephora Beauty Grant is now accepting applications for 2027. The Fifteen Percent Pledge and Sephora opened the call on October 6, 2026, and the application window closes November 6, 2026. The $100,000 grant is designed to support and elevate beauty businesses led by underrepresented founders, giving one brand the funding and visibility it needs to scale.

What the Recipient Receives

One founder will be selected for this year’s grant. Along with $100,000 in grant funding, the recipient receives pro-bono consulting support and an opportunity to meet with Sephora merchants. The Pledge does not expect an equity stake in return, so the founder keeps full ownership of the business.

Last year’s grant went to Denise Vasi, founder of the lip care brand MAED, who was recognized for her leadership, innovation and dedication. The 2027 grant builds on that legacy by backing another founder ready for the next stage of growth.

Who Can Apply

The business must sell a consumer packaged goods (CPG) product in at least one of these categories: beauty, haircare, makeup and makeup tools, skincare, fragrance, or bath and body. It must bring in annual revenue of at least $100,000, be located in the United States, and have been in business for at least one year. Service businesses are not eligible.

The business must also be at least 51% owned by an underrepresented founder or founding team. The Pledge’s definition includes, but is not limited to, Black, African and African American, AAPI, Hispanic and Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, women, and first-generation immigrant founders, along with founders whose parents earned income below the poverty level and founders from any other background historically overlooked in venture capital funding. Founders who are not U.S. citizens can apply as long as the business is incorporated and legally operating in the United States.

Timeline

• Applications open: October 6, 2026
• Applications close: November 6, 2026
• Finalists notified: Early January 2027
• Winner notified and announced: Early February 2027

Applicants will be notified of their status by email, and finalists will be contacted through the main email listed on their Business Equity Community profile. Due to the volume of submissions, the Pledge does not provide feedback on individual applications.

How to Apply

Applications run through the Pledge’s Business Equity Community, where founders must create, update or complete a business profile to access the application questions. Start on the Sephora Beauty Grant page, and review the Pledge’s application tips and resources before submitting.

Videos should be shared as public links through a platform like YouTube, Vimeo or Box, and pitch decks and financials can be uploaded as PDF files. Product samples are not accepted, and applications submitted after November 6 will not be considered. Answers to common questions are on the grant FAQ page, and technical issues can be sent to brands@15pp.org.

About the Fifteen Percent Pledge

The Fifteen Percent Pledge is a racial equity and economic justice nonprofit working to close the racial wealth gap across the American consumer economy. Since Black Americans make up nearly 15% of the U.S. population, the Pledge calls on major retailers and corporations to commit at least 15% of their shelf space, sales revenue and annual spend to Black-owned businesses. In 2022, the organization received Fast Company’s Most Innovative Company of the Year Award.

For more open funding, see Bacon Magazine’s list of grants for women-owned businesses. Founders can also apply to the Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program, which closes November 17.