The Femmy O Foundation is offering a €1,000 primary grant (and a €500 secondary grant) to small business owners operating in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. You must be over 18 and your business must be less than 3 years old. The deadline to apply is May 17, 2026.

Verified Source: Femmy O Foundation

Quick Facts

Funding Amount	€1,000
Funder	Femmy O Foundation
Eligible Region	International
Opens / Starts	May 5, 2026
Deadline / Closes	May 17, 2026 Closing Soon

Too many of us believe that nobody wants to fund our small dreams. We think our side hustles are too small, too ordinary, or not “corporate” enough to win free money.

Contents

The Story Behind this Funding Who is Actually Allowed to Take This Money?The €500 Twist for 2026 What the Official Website Will Never Tell You Exactly What You Need to Do Right Now Do Not Disqualify Yourself

If you are currently living in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, and you have a small business, I need you to drop whatever you are doing and pay attention.

There is a €1,000 lifeline sitting right in front of you this May.

The Story Behind this Funding

Before we talk about how to get the money, you need to understand whose money it is. The Femmy O Foundation Grant is not some faceless corporate handout.

It was created in memory of Femmy Olaniyi. She was a teacher, a deeply devoted Christian, and a young woman with the exact same hustling spirit many of you possess.

While she was studying for her Business degree at the National College of Ireland, she wasn’t just reading textbooks. She was actively running her own nail business.

Tragically, Femmy battled gastric cancer. But even through that unimaginable fight, she pushed forward and graduated. Her family and friends set up this foundation to keep her fire alive by funding people who share her resilience.

When you apply for this, remember you are speaking to people honoring a loved one. They do not want corporate jargon. They want heart, grit, and real dedication.

Who is Actually Allowed to Take This Money?

Let me be incredibly clear so nobody wastes their time. This specific grant is geographically locked.

If you are currently hustling in Lagos, Abuja, or Accra, this one is not for you. This grant is strictly for businesses operating within the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.

If you are in Northern Ireland and you win, your payout will be converted from Euros to the equivalent in Pounds based on the current exchange rate.

You must be at least 18 years old to apply. They are looking for fresh energy, meaning your business must either be in the planning stages or strictly under three years old.

If you have been running your venture for five years, you have aged out of this specific opportunity.

The €500 Twist for 2026

Usually, the foundation picks one person and hands them a €1,000 grant. It is a straight, clean process.

But this year, they have opened the door a little wider. They are introducing a second-place grant of €500 for another budding entrepreneur.

This means your odds of walking away with capital have literally doubled. For a student running a hair-braiding business or a freelance graphic design studio, €500 is enough to buy that ring light, pay for software subscriptions, or print proper marketing materials.

What the Official Website Will Never Tell You

Here is the secret about micro-grants that the official portals gloss over. The eligibility criteria states your business must have “capacity for growth” and you must have (or be willing to learn) management skills.

Most applicants will just write, “I am very passionate and I work hard.” That is a massive mistake. Passion does not equal capacity for growth.

When a foundation asks for growth capacity, they want to see your math. If they give you €1,000, how exactly will it increase your revenue? Will it buy a machine that cuts your production time in half?

Will it pay for local ads that bring in ten new clients a month? Do not just tell them you want to grow. Show them the exact stepping stones their money will build.

Furthermore, the application mentions that submitting a short video pitch is “optional.” Let me give you the best piece of advice you will hear today: in the world of grant applications, nothing is truly optional.

If they give you a chance to put your face on camera and show your passion, you take it. The person who submits a video will always be more memorable than the person who just submits a piece of paper. Visit official Femmy O Foundation website for more information

Exactly What You Need to Do Right Now

The deadline is May 17, 2026. Do not wait until May 16 to start gathering your thoughts. Here is your battle plan:

Validate your business idea right now. Ensure it falls under the three-year mark and is based in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Go to the official application portal and download the required Google Document. You cannot just write an email; you must use their specific template.
Fill out that document with brutal honesty. Focus heavily on how their capital will directly trigger growth in your operations.
Set up your phone near a window with good natural light and record a 60-second video explaining who you are, what your business does, and why Femmy’s story resonates with your hustle.
Go to the official Google Form, upload your completed document, attach your video link, and hit submit before the deadline.

Do Not Disqualify Yourself

The biggest enemy of the African entrepreneur is self-doubt. You look at your small food delivery business or your freelance tutoring gig and tell yourself it is not “professional” enough to win a grant.

Stop rejecting yourself before the judges even get a chance to see your name.

Femmy Olaniyi ran a nail business while studying. There is dignity in small beginnings. There is power in honest work. Put your application together, hit submit, and let the chips fall where they may.

You have absolutely nothing to lose and €1,000 to gain. Make it happen.