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AMEX Shop Small Grants Program Opens Nov. 29, 2025-Jan. 16, 2026

Program Overview

To help small businesses grow, innovate, and support their local communities, American Express is teaming up with Main Street America this Small Business Saturday® to launch the Amex Shop Small Grants Program. The Program will provide an initial $5 million to fund 250 grants of $20,000 each to eligible small business owners across the U.S. Plus, every time an American Express Card Member shops with their eligible Card at a qualifying U.S. small business on November 29, 2025, American Express will donate an additional $1 to fund additional grants.1

The Amex Shop Small Grants Program reflects the shared commitment of American Express and Main Street America to champion small businesses that strengthen communities and help local economies thrive.

Applications will be open from Small Business Saturday, November 29, 2025, to Friday, January 16, 2026 at 11:59 CT.

About Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country and is part of the larger Shop Small Movement. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Since its launch in 2010, U.S. consumers have reported spending an estimated $223 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.2

To celebrate, American Express created I SHOPPED SMALL stickers for small businesses to share with their shoppers on November 29. You can order the complimentary stickers here.3

Eligibility

The eligibility information below is a general overview. Additional information about the grant program, including detailed eligibility requirements, FAQs, and Terms & Conditions, will be released on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

To stay up to date about announcements regarding this program, sign up for our Small Businesses Resources email list.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must:

  • Own a for-profit, independently owned small business
  • Operate out of a physical “brick-and-mortar” storefront
  • Be located in one of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, DC (businesses located in U.S. territories

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Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Roanoke Rapids is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center.  Main Street Roanoke Rapids is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.