Small business grants are available through federal agencies, state programs, corporations, and nonprofits, but finding and winning them takes targeted searching and a strong application. Unlike loans, grants don’t need to be repaid, which makes them highly competitive. Most grant programs fund specific types of businesses, industries, or owner demographics, so the first step is identifying which programs you actually qualify for.
Where to Find Small Business Grants
There is no single database that lists every grant available to small businesses. Instead, funding is spread across several categories, each with its own application process and eligibility rules.
Federal grants are listed on Grants.gov, the central hub for all federal funding opportunities. Most federal grants go to nonprofits, research institutions, and local governments rather than to individual for-profit businesses. The major exception is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which provide equity-free funding to small businesses developing new technology or conducting research. Phase I SBIR awards can reach up to $323,090, while Phase II awards can go as high as $2,153,927. These programs are run through participating federal agencies like the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.
State and local programs are often more accessible to everyday small businesses. The State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), funded by the U.S. Treasury, distributes money through state-level agencies that run their own programs. These include loan participation programs, equity and venture capital programs, and collateral support programs. You can find your state’s specific programs and contact information on the Treasury Department’s SSBCI Capital Program list page, which lets you filter by jurisdiction.
Corporate grants are funded by large companies that run annual or periodic competitions. FedEx, for example, partners with the platform Hello Alice to run an Entrepreneur Fund that selects 150 businesses for a training cohort, then awards $10,000 grants to 30 participants. These programs typically open applications once a year, with review periods lasting several weeks and announcements a few months later. Other companies like Visa, UPS, and Amazon have run similar programs in past years.
Nonprofit and foundation grants target specific demographics or business types. The Amber Grant awards $10,000 monthly to women-owned businesses and gives out three $50,000 year-end grants. Galaxy Grants support women and minority business owners. The Kitty Fund Mompreneur Business Grant offers $1,000 to businesses founded by mothers with at least one year of operations and fewer than 100 employees. Award sizes from nonprofits tend to range from $1,000 to $10,000, though some go higher.
Eligibility Requirements to Check First
Before you spend hours on an application, verify that you meet the program’s eligibility criteria. Most grants specify requirements in several areas.
- Business size: Federal programs typically use the SBA’s size standards, which vary by industry but generally cap at 500 employees for most sectors. Corporate and nonprofit grants often set their own limits on revenue or headcount.
- Business type: Some grants only fund specific industries like technology, agriculture, or clean energy. SBIR and STTR awards, for instance, require a research or innovation component.
- Owner demographics: Many private grants are reserved for women, minorities, veterans, or other underrepresented groups. Read the fine print carefully, as some programs further narrow eligibility by location or business stage.
- Business stage: Certain grants target startups (often defined as under two years old), while others require a track record of revenue. The Kitty Fund grant, for example, requires at least one year of operation.
- Location: Some grants are restricted to specific cities or states. The EmpowerHer Fund, for example, is limited to New York City.
How to Register for Federal Grants
If you plan to apply for any federal grant, you need to register on SAM.gov (the System for Award Management) before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This process takes time, so start well before any deadline.
First, create a SAM.gov account. Your login credentials are managed through Login.gov, so you’ll set up or sign into a Login.gov account and then be redirected back to SAM.gov to complete your profile. During registration, the system assigns you a Unique Entity ID (UEI), which is the identification number the federal government uses to track your business. You’ll need to provide detailed information about your business, including legal name, physical address, and financial data.
Registration can take up to 10 business days to become active, and you must renew it every 365 days to keep it current. If your registration lapses, you won’t be able to submit applications until it’s renewed. Plan to start this process at least three to four weeks before you intend to apply for anything.
Building a Strong Application
Grant applications are competitive. Corporate programs may receive thousands of submissions for a few dozen awards. Federal research grants have acceptance rates in the low single digits for some agencies. What separates winning applications from the rest comes down to preparation and specificity.
Start with a clear project narrative. Grant reviewers want to know exactly what you’ll do with the money, how you’ll measure success, and why your business is positioned to deliver results. Vague statements like “we’ll use the funds to grow” won’t cut it. Instead, describe specific uses: hiring a certain number of employees, purchasing specific equipment, launching a defined marketing campaign, or completing a research milestone.
Prepare a detailed budget that matches your narrative. Every dollar you request should tie back to a specific activity. If you say you’ll use $5,000 for marketing, break it down: $2,000 for digital advertising, $1,500 for a website redesign, $1,500 for print materials. Reviewers look for budgets that are realistic, detailed, and aligned with the project description.
Gather supporting documents before you start writing. Most applications require some combination of a business plan, financial statements, tax returns, proof of business registration, and a personal statement or bio. Having these ready prevents last-minute scrambling that leads to weak submissions. For demographic-specific grants, you may also need documentation proving veteran status, minority ownership, or other qualifying characteristics.
Tailor every application to the specific program. Reusing the same generic narrative across multiple grants is a common reason applications get rejected. Read the program’s evaluation criteria, usually published alongside the application, and structure your response to address each criterion directly.
How Long the Process Takes
Grant timelines vary widely. Corporate grants with annual cycles typically announce winners two to four months after the application deadline closes. Federal grants can take six months or longer from submission to award notification. State programs fall somewhere in between.
Many grant programs also disburse funds in stages rather than all at once. SBIR awards, for example, are structured in phases: you apply for Phase I funding first, complete that work, and then apply separately for the larger Phase II award. Some nonprofit grants pay out quarterly or upon completion of specific milestones.
Because timelines are long and competition is fierce, treat grants as one piece of your funding strategy rather than your only option. Apply to multiple programs simultaneously, and don’t count on any single award until the money arrives.
How to Spot Grant Scams
The popularity of small business grants has created a thriving ecosystem of scammers. Grants.gov warns that legitimate federal grants are never awarded based on a drawing, raffle, or unsolicited phone call. If someone contacts you claiming you’ve won grant money you never applied for, it’s a scam.
The federal government never charges a fee to apply for a grant. Any request for an upfront payment, processing fee, or “small fee to release your funds” is fraudulent. Scammers sometimes claim to represent government bureaus that don’t actually exist, and modern technology lets them spoof caller ID to make it look like calls are coming from Washington, D.C.
Every legitimate federal grant requires a formal application submitted through a government website like Grants.gov. You cannot apply for federal grants over the phone or via email. If someone tells you the process is just a quick phone call, hang up. The same general principle applies to legitimate private grants: real programs have published application processes, clear eligibility criteria, and never ask for money from applicants.
Finding Grants That Match Your Business
The most efficient way to find relevant grants is to search by your specific characteristics. Use Grants.gov’s search filters for federal opportunities, filtering by eligibility (small business), category (your industry), and funding type. For state programs, visit the Treasury’s SSBCI program list and your state’s economic development agency website. For demographic-specific grants, platforms like Hello Alice, the SBA’s resource partner network, and curated lists from financial publishers organize opportunities by owner type.
Set calendar reminders for programs with annual cycles. Many corporate and nonprofit grants open applications at roughly the same time each year. The FedEx Entrepreneur Fund, for instance, typically opens in the fall with announcements in early January. Amber Grants accept applications on a monthly rolling basis. Tracking these windows lets you prepare materials in advance rather than rushing when a deadline appears.
Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) can also help identify grant opportunities and review your application before you submit. These centers are funded by the SBA and offer free one-on-one advising. There are roughly 1,000 locations across the country, and you can find your nearest one through the SBA’s website.