L’Oréal U.S. is doubling down on small business support with the third edition of its Inclusive Beauty Fund, offering 12 beauty entrepreneurs across the United States grants of $25,000 each, plus mentorship and business resources. The 2026 round, launched on March 23, 2026, in New York, raises the individual grant amount and keeps the focus on barbers, braiders, aestheticians, stylists, students, and other independent professionals who often struggle to access capital.
Inclusive Beauty Fund Enters Third Year
Created in 2021 as a direct response to the pandemic’s impact on the beauty sector, the Inclusive Beauty Fund has already supported 73 small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide with funding and guidance. Past recipients have used grants to grow inventory, open new locations, upgrade marketing, and build more resilient businesses that can withstand economic shocks.
The 2026 edition stays true to that mission but goes further, with L’Oréal USA increasing the grant size…
to $25,000 per business to give winners more capacity to invest in their teams, services, and communities.
Who can Apply and What Winners Receive The fund is open to a broad spectrum of beauty professionals and entrepreneurs across the U.S., including extension artists, braiders, aestheticians, barbers, salon and suite owners, students, and stylists.
In total, 12 grants will be awarded this year, administered in partnership with the NAACP’s Economic Empowerment Fund and Hispanic Federation through social impact platform Deed.
Beyond the cash, grantees gain access to mentorship and business development support from senior leaders across L’Oréal’s portfolio and from SalonCentric, its professional distributor, help they can leverage long after the one time grant is spent…
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