L’Oréal USA partnered with the NAACP to launch the Inclusive Beauty Fund, a new grant program to support black-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs within the beauty community with one-time grants of $10,000 and professional mentorship. The first round will award 30 one-time grants.
Grants are available to new or existing beauty businesses of all kinds, including but not limited to salons, spas, barbershops, stylists, makeup artists, entrepreneurs, startup founders, haircare specialists and beauty schools.
“Black-owned small beauty businesses are the heartbeat of their neighborhoods, and beauty business owners are navigating tremendous challenges stemming from the COVID-19 and recent events," said Yumeka Rushing, chief strategy officer of the NAACP. "The NAACP is proud to partner with L’Oréal USA to help support these entrepreneurs and ensure the longevity of the services and community their businesses provide."
The professional mentorship and business development support component includes participation of top executives from its leading L’Oréal USA beauty brands and its professional beauty products distributor, SalonCentric.
How to Apply
Applications for the Inclusive Beauty Fund will be administered by the NAACP in partnership with Hello Alice, a platform for small business owners to identify the right path to start and grow their company. Applications for the financial grants end February 18, 2021. All submissions must be conducted through Hello Alice: https://hialice.co/LOreal-HelloAlice-Grant. The candidates selected to receive the grants will be announced in April 2021.