The 2026 Loan Mantra She Leads SC Grant

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Loan Mantra reiterates its commitment to female small business owners and entrepreneurs by announcing a $5,000 grant to female business owners in South Carolina.

​Your Vision. Your Business. Your Mantra.

At Loan Mantra, we firmly believe that Main Street isn’t built on spreadsheets alone. It’s built on stories. Often, the most compelling stories come from founders who started their enterprises from a single ingredient or even a college assignment. To celebrate the women shaping the future of the Palmetto State, we are proud to announce The Loan Mantra She Leads SC Grant.

This $5,000 award is designed to provide high-impact seed capital to female entrepreneurs who are not only building businesses but also developing and uplifting their local South Carolina communities. Whether your business impacts a specific neighborhood or the entire state-at-large, we want to hear from you.

​Award Overview

• Grant Amount: $5,000 (Plus complimentary financial strategy and development sessions, up to three hours, with Loan Mantra CEO, Raj Tulshan and other team leaders).
• Eligibility:
• Current Business Owners: Applicants must have been in business for less than 3 years.
• Prospective Owners: Start-ups, concepts, and mission-driven initiatives are welcome.
• Location: Business must be owned and operated in South Carolina or planning to operate in South Carolina (priority given to projects with a strong community impact).
• Selection: The Loan Mantra She Leads SC Grant committee, comprised of female business owners, bankers, and financial professionals, will select three finalists using criteria shared below. In its inaugural year, the grant winner will be selected by the citizens and business owners of the Palmetto State. Voters will choose the recipient in a one-month virtual selection round, to take place in May 2026.
• Commitment: Funds must be used for the specific growth or community-focused needs outlined in the application.
• Timeline: Grant opens on March 10, 2026 and will close on April 14, 2026 at 5p.m. ET.

​Important Dates & Timeline

​How to Apply

First, register using the form below. Then to apply to the grant, please email the completed application package to hello@loanmantra.com with the subject line: [Your Name/Business Name]: She Leads SC Grant. Completed materials must be shared in the file types specified below. Incomplete packages will be returned to the applicant.

1. A "Main Street" Cover Letter

Submit a 1–2 page PDF to serve as your formal application. Please follow the directions as detailed below.

Directions: The letter must include your contact information (full name, email, phone, business or residential address) and directly answer the following five prompts:

• The Problem & Your Solution: What specific gap in the South Carolina economy or local SC community does your business address?
• The Financial Impact: What specific problem are you solving with $5,000? (e.g., equipment, AI integration, hiring).
• The “Ripple Effect”: Not all capital is equal. We want to know the measurable SROI of this funding could be for your business? We generally refer to this as a “social return on investment” or a “ripple effect” and some measurable KPIs include jobs created, people served, and communities impacted.
• Female Leadership: How and why does your leadership as a female founder matter, particularly in your industry or community?
• Your "Day 366" Plan: How will this grant help you reach a milestone that makes your business more self-sustaining? In other words, how will you leverage the $5,000 award to matter more for your business next year than it does the day you receive it?

Format: Please submit your letter in PDF format.

2. The 90-Second Video Pitch

Introduce yourself through a short video. While this doesn’t need to be professionally filmed, it should show us the heart and story behind your business. Share your “mantra” as a business owner or female founder.

• Content: Your background, business overview, and your “business mantra.”
• ​Directions: Film using horizontal (16:9) orientation and please ensure quality audio.
• Format: .mov or .mp4 (under 90 seconds).
• Note: Applicants must certify to potential, public sharing of video(s) on Loan Mantra’s channels later in the application cycle to generate community participation and selection.

3. The Mini-Deck or Visual Overview (5-Page Max)

Different industries require different types of business plans and leadership styles. This is an opportunity to showcase your innovation. We want to see a visual plan for your business and understand the alignment between your proposed use of funds and the business. Share a pitch deck, an Instagram carousel, a TikTok, an infographic or any other kind of visual map or asset to clearly communicate your project’s identity and its impact. Applicants will be judged on how clearly they share their problem and solution to the intended audience.

• Directions: PDFs should not exceed 5 pages; Videos should not exceed 30 seconds and, in this case, asset should be filmed vertically (9:16 aspect ratio, 1080×1920 pixels).
• Format: Acceptable files include jpg, pptx, pdf, png, mov, mp4

4. Professional References

Please include 2 references (personal and/or industry-related) who can validate your project and potential. These may be attached to the application as a pdf or included in an email to accompany your application package.

5. Certification & Acknowledgement

Applicants must include the following signed acknowledgement in their application materials:

• Applicant is 21-years-of age or older
• Applicant is U.S. citizen
• Applicant owns and operates a business (or prospective business) in South Carolina. If the prospective business is in South Carolina, the applicant resides in South Carolina.
• Applicant will use the grant funds for the project specified in the grant proposal.

Certification documents can be downloaded and signed by registering through the form in the step below.

6. Register & Finalize Your Application

Please begin the application process by registering your application. This will trigger an email with a submission guideline, a certification document, and any updates about the grant deadline. Please check your email spam folder if a message is not immediately sent upon form submission.

Send your final application materials to hello@loanmantra.com by April 14, 2026. If you have questions or need assistance prior to the grant deadline, please reach out.

Adjudication & Judging Criteria

The grant committee will evaluate applications based on:

1. Community Impact (30%) – How deeply are you woven into the fabric of your South Carolina community? How will/does the business benefit the community?
2. ​Feasibility (25%) – Is the $5k use-of-funds realistic and objective for the proposal?
3. Innovation & SROI (25%) – Is this a fresh solution to an old problem?
4. Video Pitch Quality (10%) – Your video doesn’t need to be Hollywood ready, but we are looking for you to clearly articulate your "why"?
5. Engagement Potential (10%) – Is your business concept shareable and inspiring?

In its inaugural year, the 2026 final award selection will take place through community engagement and voting through the month of May.