Black Business Accelerator
Grow your business with dedicated resources
Create a Professional selling account and certify your business as Black-owned to unlock a suite of resources that can help you find success in Amazon’s store.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Try our Amplify program.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Try our Amplify program.
"My advice to Black entrepreneurs who are looking at Amazon would be to definitely take that leap of faith. You can be like us and go from regional to national. It's definitely possible."
Tracey Richardson
Co-Founder
Available resources
Financial assistance
Credits and cash investment opportunities to help jump-start business growth and customer acquisition.
$500 credit to assist with start-up and operational costs for newly-registered Amazon Professional sellers.
3-year Sponsored Enhanced Digital Certifications for Black-owned businesses through SupplierGATEWAY.
Business education & coaching
Onboarding support, access to our education library, and monthly webinars with guidance to help you sell, scale, and find success in Amazon's store. Sessions cover topics ranging from hiring your first employee to strategies for securing and spending capital, customer acquisition, and more.
Marketing & advertising support
Free services and credits designed to help brand owners showcase their unique products and increase discoverability.
FREE imaging services for up to 50 products to help showcase your products.
Up to $3,000 in advertising credits to increase exposure for your brand.
Use a $1,000 Buy with Prime credit to offer ecommerce shoppers fast, free shipping and trusted checkout.
Empowering Black-owned businesses
Since enrolling in Black Business Accelerator, my account manager has been a coach, cheerleader, and strategist. It honestly doesn’t get any better than that.Karen BlackwellFounder and CEO, Sage & Alms: socially conscious cloths and chocolates
Black Business Accelerator has been valuable in identifying opportunities to increase revenue and save money. We’ve been able to hire another employee.Rodney MarshallPresident & CEO, Aldevra: commercial food service and medical equipment
Amplify your business with a cohort learning experience
Black Business Accelerator’s Amplify program is an impactful learning experience designed for Black-owned businesses.
Amplify offers:
Guidance from business consultants
A dedicated Customer Success Manager
Support from Amazon subject-matter experts
Peer group mentorship
A network of industry experts
Business education
Choose the Amplify track that meets your business’s needs:
Amplify Grow is for selling partners who have gained traction selling with Amazon and want to learn how to improve their business operations and optimize Amazon tools to grow their business.
Amplify Scale is for selling partners who are experienced selling in the Amazon store and want to learn how to expand their business operations and leverage Amazon tools and executive coaching to scale their business.
“I’m thrilled about this entire experience and I already miss it. I feel renewed, empowered, and motivated to go out there and make my millions now. I have immense respect for Amazon now and I almost don’t want this whole experience to end, but I know it’s time for us to soar higher.”
Simone Wright
Founder
“It was nice learning about things we may not have thought about yet in our business journey, and what is expected. For example, thinking bigger and the massive opportunity Amazon alone provides. It opened my eyes to have a bigger vision for my company."
Stephen Davis
Founder
Our partners
We’re proud to partner with organizations who will lead community engagement for Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator and help provide participants with mentorship, business development, training and educational resources to empower their success. Our partners will also continue to advise us as we enhance Black Business Accelerator based on their deep experience in supporting Black businesses, and help us as we create similar programs for other underrepresented populations of business owners in the future.
Ready to get started?
Step 1
Log in to Seller Central
Log in to your Seller Central account or sign up as a seller. Make sure you have a Professional selling account so you can take advantage of the resources offered through Black Business Accelerator.
Step 2
Add your certification
Use the certifications tool in Seller Central to upload the certification for your Black-owned business. Eligible certifications are usually added to selling accounts within one week.
If you don’t yet have a certification for your Black-owned business, you can use our SupplierGATEWAY to apply for one. The application process usually takes 1-2 weeks.
Step 3
Get resources
After adding your certification to your selling account, start exploring resources, events, and opportunities using the Black Business Accelerator Resource Center.
Step 4
Explore the Amplify program
Interested in cohort-based support? Learn more about the program model, eligibility criteria, and upcoming application deadlines by visiting the Black Business Accelerator Resource Center. You can also review our list of frequently asked questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the frequently asked questions about Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator
Overall program
Is it free to unlock Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator resources?
Yes, access to Black Business Accelerator resources is free for certified Black-owned U.S. businesses with a Professional Seller account selling in Amazon’s store.
Who can access Black Business Accelerator's resources?
All sellers in the U.S. who a) have an Amazon Professional Sellers account, b) have a physical product(s) ready to promote and sell, and c) have uploaded a valid minority-owned business registration or certification to their account in Seller Central from the U.S. System for Award Management, U.S. Small Business Administration, National Minority Supplier Development Council, or SupplierGATEWAY, demonstrating the business is Black-owned based on the criteria of the certifying body, can access Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator resources.
What is an Amazon Professional Seller account?
An Amazon Professional Seller account is required to access Black Business Accelerator resources. For a flat monthly fee of $39.99 per month, the Professional plan allows you to advertise your products, access advanced selling tools like APIs and reports, qualify for top placement on product detail pages, and more. Learn more about Amazon selling plans.
Does Amazon pay for the $39.99 monthly fee for Black Business Accelerator participants?
Amazon does not cover the monthly cost of a Professional plan. However, the $500 credit for recently-launched Professional sellers, can be applied toward this monthly fee.
What is a brand owner?
Brand owners manufacture their own products—or source goods to sell under a private label—to offer shoppers unique selection. Resellers, on the other hand, find popular products that already exist and offer them in Amazon's store. Lots of sellers do both. If you plan to sell your own brand in Amazon’s store, we have lots of resources and tools to help.
How do you define a Black-owned business?
We follow the definitions provided by the applicable certifying agency, including the U.S. System for Award Management, U.S. Small Business Administration, National Minority Supplier Development Council, and SupplierGATEWAY. Generally, this means that the business must be at least 51% Black-owned, managed, and controlled.
What if I don’t have a minority-owned business certification that demonstrates my business is Black-owned?
You can register your business as minority-owned on the U.S. System for Award Management or apply for certification through the U.S. Small Business Administration, National Minority Supplier Development Council, or SupplierGATEWAY, and demonstrate your business is Black-owned. Amazon is not a certifying body. Sellers are expected to determine their own eligibility requirements for a certification and how to obtain the appropriate supporting documentation depending on the certification.
Where are Amazon's Black Business Accelerator resources available?
Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator is currently available in the U.S. for U.S.-based sellers.
How can I reach business customers through the program?
You can reach millions of business customers in addition to consumers on Amazon Business, Amazon’s B2B online store. Once you become an Amazon Professional seller, you can join the Amazon Business Seller program at no additional cost. All Black-owned business sellers will be able to benefit from our customer-facing discoverability features, Diversity Certifications Policy experience, and other program benefits.
My product is not ready to promote and sell. When can I access Black Business Accelerator's resources?
There is no deadline for accessing Black Business Accelerator resources and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Once you have your product developed and ready to promote and sell in Amazon’s store, then you can begin using the Black Business Accelerator to help grow your selling business. In the meantime, free training and educational resources on how to start and build a successful business selling online are available through Amazon Small Business Academy, Amazon Seller University, and the Minority Business and Technology Initiative.
Resources
What financial assistance resources are available?
- A $500 credit for newly-registered Amazon Professional sellers (newly-registered sellers are those who became an Amazon Professional seller in the 12 months preceding enrollment in Black Business Accelerator).
- A 3-year sponsored Black-owned business certification through SupplierGATEWAY. To receive an Amazon-sponsored certificate, use the SupplierGATEWAY link provided in the email that your account manager will send you. This link will have your referral code. Additionally, you must indicate that your business is Black-owned. Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator is only sponsoring certification for Black-owned businesses at this time.
What business education and coaching resources are available to help me sell in Amazon's store?
- Eligible Black Business Accelerator sellers will have access to support specialists for assistance to launch and grow in Amazon's store with personalized insights and recommendations, operational support, and more.
- Free training and educational resources on how to start and build a successful business selling online are available through Amazon Small Business Academy, Amazon Seller University, and the Minority Business and Technology Initiative.
What marketing and advertising resources are available?
- Complimentary imaging services for up to 50 products to help elevate your products and ensure a professional presentation to customers. To use the imaging services, you are required to ship a sample of your products to the Amazon Imaging studio. Once product images are completed, you will be provided with a URL to access the images. Brand owners with unique product listings can then upload them to their detail pages. The Amazon Imaging Services Terms and Conditions apply.
- Up to $3,000 in promotional click credits are designed to help brand owners increase the discoverability of their products. Credits are applied to your account when you take the following four actions in any order within 90 days of enrolling in BBA: 1) become an Amazon-registered brand owner, 2) become advertising ready, 3) launch a Sponsored Products campaign, and 4) join Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). The Amazon Advertising Agreement applies.
Amplify program
What’s the difference between Black Business Accelerator and the Amplify program?
Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator provides Black-owned businesses a comprehensive range of resources to help them succeed in the Amazon store. Amplify is a cohort-based program that combines education, professional services, mentorship, and networks for eligible businesses that are ready to grow and scale.
How do I know which Amplify track I should apply for?
The resources and supports within each track are curated for a specific business profile.
- Amplify Grow is for selling partners who have gained traction selling with Amazon and want to learn how to improve their business operations and optimize Amazon tools to grow their business. Learn more.
- Amplify Scale is for selling partners who are experienced selling in the Amazon store and want to learn how to expand their business operations and leverage Amazon tools and executive coaching to scale their business. Learn more.
What types of resources are provided through the Amplify program?
Resources vary by track. Our goal is to ensure the resources we provide meet participants where they are.
The benefits provided may include:
The benefits provided may include:
- Guidance from business consultants
- A dedicated Customer Success Manager
- Support from Amazon subject-matter experts
- Peer group mentorship
- A network of industry experts
- Business education
Is there a cost associated with joining Amplify?
No. There is no fee associated with enrolling in Amplify, and participation is voluntary.
What is the time commitment for the Amplify program?
The duration of the program and associated time commitment is based on your track.
- Amplify Grow: approximately 65 hours over the course of 12 months
- Amplify Scale: approximately 40 hours over the course of 6 months
What are the expected outcomes for participating in Amplify?
Amplify provides participants with the tools to navigate Amazon and grow their business. Participants will develop a community of Black-owned businesses and industry leaders, sharing insights and best practices to lift each other to the next level.
How can I stay up-to-date on Amplify program announcements and application dates?
You can access Amplify announcements from Black Business Accelerator Resource Center after you enroll in Black Business Accelerator.
What resources are available to me if my business does not qualify for the Amplify program?
If your business does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Amplify program, you can still access other resources through Black Business Accelerator.
