Yahoo! Small Business is teaming up with Carolyn Kepcher (the ex-judge from “The Apprentice”) to help businesswomen, “who have the next breakthrough idea or a new small business.” If you think you have the next breakthrough idea or business, then you can apply for a chance to win one of three finalist grant prizes through the Empowering Women Entrepreneurs contest.

The Empowering Women Entrepreneurs finalist prize incluces:

• $20,000 cash grant to jumpstart your business
• Mentoring from Carolyn Kepcher and other business leaders and women entrepreneurs
• Up to $5,000 in free technical services to help the winner develop a website
• Free Yahoo! web hosting services for two years
• Promotional support from Yahoo! and Carolyn Kepcher’s fwm (Finding What Matters)

The three winners will then have a chance to use their new financial, technical and mentoring support. Yahoo! Small Business, fwm and the public will evaluate what each business does and the finalist whose business grows the most after six months will win the grand prize.

The Empowering Women Entrepreneurs grand prize includes:

• $10,000 more in cash
• More mentoring services from Carolyn Kepcher
• A trip to New York City to meet Carolyn Kepcher and Yahoo! executives
• Media support to give the winning business more press

Sounds like a great opportunity. Think you’ve got what it takes? Why not give it a shot? You can apply and get more details on the Empowering Women Entrepreneurs web page. You can also read the official rules here.

Good luck!

Tags: Carolyn Kepcher, fwm, Yahoo, Yahoo small business, empowering women entrepreneurs, small business grant, women business owners, women in business, women on business, women small business, female entrepreneurs