Visa Foundation’s $2m grants put hands-on technology support on the small-business agenda

Buying a tool is usually the easy part. A small-business owner can download a payments app or an AI assistant in minutes. Knowing which one fits, and having someone to call when it misbehaves, is where the harder work begins.

Visa Foundation’s latest funding commitment puts practical support in the frame. On 30 September, it announced $2 million for entrepreneurial support organisations (ESOs) serving small businesses across the United States. The programme covers business skills, access to capital, technology adoption and growth. However, it is not a dedicated AI or software fund.

The foundation expects to select up to 12 eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit ESOs, awarding grants of $100,000 to $250,000. Applications close on 21 October 2026 at noon Pacific Time. The initiative complements Visa’s broader small-business work through Visa & Main.

The money goes to support organisations, not directly to individual businesses.

Visa’s announcement says small and medium-sized businesses account for more than 98% of US enterprises, citing the US Small Business Administration. It describes ESOs as trusted sources of training, mentorship, funding and practical assistance, with knowledge of the communities they serve.

The approach is to strengthen the organisations business owners already turn to for help.

Why practical help matters

Technology choices are rarely clear-cut. In our comparison of PayPal POS, Stripe and SumUp, Barry Collins described different strengths for in-person payments, broader business-account features and online subscriptions.

He also offered a useful example of AI saving time. Using Claude with a connected Stripe account, his team created ten payment links in under a minute. He estimated the task would otherwise have taken 15 to 20 minutes. That is one team’s experience, not a general productivity benchmark, but it makes the potential benefit tangible.

The same review described a frustrating struggle to enable Tap to Pay on staff iPhones through SumUp. Access to a tool and the ability to make it work are different things.

That is where hands-on support can earn its keep.

Visa Foundation’s announcement explicitly recognises the need for modern tools and “hands-on training”. A useful programme should help owners choose, configure and use technology, rather than simply introduce them to another app.

Measure what changes after the workshop

For grant recipients, the opportunity is to connect support with business outcomes.

The advice in our guide to improving business cash flow offers practical starting points. Business coach Dwain Reid recommends automating payment reminders and reviewing software fees, subscriptions and inefficiencies each quarter. Entrepreneur Martin Port describes using automated follow-ups for overdue payments.

Those suggestions can become measurable programme goals: less time spent chasing invoices, fewer overdue payments and lower spending on underused software.

Workshop attendance records participation. It does not establish whether the business is better off.

Support organisations should record a starting point, agree what improvement would look like and follow up after owners have had time to apply what they learned. That would give funders a clearer view of results, while helping advisers identify where businesses still need assistance.