New eBay Grants Help Small Businesses onto Its Platform

eBay launched a grant program to help small businesses get up and running on its platform. eBay’s “Up & Running” grant program will provide 50 small-business sellers with a package composed of $8,000 cash and $2,000 worth of eBay credits.

eBay will also provide grant winners with training and coaching.

Monday’s announcement of the program included the following quote from Jordan Sweetnam, General Manager and Senior Vice President of eBay North America:

“Small businesses are the backbone of eBay, as well as the engine of jobs, progress, and prosperity for communities across the U.S. The launch of eBay’s Up & Running Grants program comes at a time when small businesses need investment and empowerment most. In such a challenging year, it was important for this program to provide a financial bridge and long-term support – so small businesses can keep their doors open today and lay the groundwork for future success.”

eBay is partnering with business accelerator Hello Alice to operate the program. Grant applicants will be enrolled in an online community of similar businesses for peer-to-peer networking and will also have access to its COVID-19 Business Center.

Interested in applying for an eBay Up & Running grant? Here are the details from the announcement:

“From Monday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, eBay small business sellers are encouraged to apply for Up & Running Grants via an online application. Business sellers will be asked to share details of their small business and how they plan to use the grant to accelerate their growth. eBay is looking to identify sellers who represent a diverse range of backgrounds, bring their unique experiences and inventory to the marketplace, and are committed to their communities and the eBay ecosystem. To apply or learn more about eligibility requirements, sellers can visit ebay.helloalice.com.”

You can find the full announcement on the eBay corporate blog.

Ina Steiner

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.