Grants & funding
Active programs sorted by deadline. Apply only through official links — legitimate grants never charge a fee.
U.S. Small Business Administration
The 7(a) program is the SBA's flagship capital-access program: the agency guarantees a portion of loans made by approved private lenders, reducing lender risk so small businesses c...
Loans up to $5 million (guaranty program) Existing United States
Eleven federal agencies (coordinated by SBA)
SBIR — "America's Seed Fund" — is the largest source of non-dilutive early-stage funding in the United States, awarding billions annually across agencies including DoD, HHS/NIH, NS...
Phase I typically up to ~$275K; Phase II up to ~$1.8M (varies by agency) Startup United States
USDA Rural Development
RBDG funds technical assistance, training, and infrastructure projects that support small and emerging businesses in rural communities — delivered through public bodies and nonprof...
No statutory maximum; smaller requests (under ~$500K) more competitive Existing United States
SBA via state and territory governments
STEP awards federal funds to states, which then reimburse small businesses for export-development expenses: trade-show exhibition, export training, website localization, and intern...
Reimbursements commonly $2,000–$25,000 per business (varies by state) Existing United States
U.S. Economic Development Administration
EDA's core programs fund the infrastructure that business growth depends on — industrial parks, workforce facilities, broadband, and disaster economic recovery — in distressed regi...
Project grants commonly $600K–$3M+ to eligible entities Ecosystem United States
U.S. Small Business Administration / Certified Development Companies
The 504 program finances major fixed assets — owner-occupied commercial real estate and long-life equipment — through a structure combining a bank loan, an SBA-backed debenture iss...
Typically up to $5–5.5 million (SBA portion) Existing United States
U.S. Small Business Administration / intermediary lenders
The Microloan program provides loans up to $50,000 through nonprofit community lenders, targeting startups, underserved founders, and businesses too small for bank credit.Intermedi...
Up to $50,000 (average around $13,000) Startup United States
Five federal agencies (coordinated by SBA)
STTR mirrors SBIR but requires a formal partnership with a university or nonprofit research institution, moving lab research toward commercialization through the small-business par...
Phase I/II award ceilings parallel SBIR (varies by agency) Startup United States
U.S. Small Business Administration
GAFC funds the organizations that support innovation-driven entrepreneurs — accelerators, incubators, and ecosystem builders — with prize awards tied to helping small businesses pu...
Prize awards typically $50,000–$200,000 to ecosystem organizations Ecosystem United States
U.S. Small Business Administration
The 8(a) program is a nine-year business-development program giving certified firms access to set-aside and sole-source federal contracts, plus mentorship through the SBA Mentor-Pr...
Access to set-aside and sole-source federal contracts (9-year program) Existing United States
USDA Rural Development
VAPG helps farmers and ranchers capture more of the food dollar by funding planning and working capital for value-added ventures — turning milk into cheese, grapes into wine, or gr...
Planning grants up to $75,000; working-capital grants up to $250,000 Existing United States
USDA Rural Development
REAP funds solar arrays, energy-efficient equipment, HVAC upgrades, and other energy projects for rural small businesses and agricultural producers through grants and guaranteed lo...
Grants up to 50% of project cost (renewables up to $1M); guaranteed loans also available Existing United States
U.S. Economic Development Administration
Build to Scale funds regional organizations that help technology startups launch and scale — venture development organizations, university commercialization programs, and capital-a...
Awards typically $400K–$2M to ecosystem organizations (matching required) Ecosystem United States
Minority Business Development Agency (U.S. Dept. of Commerce)
MBDA Business Centers provide minority-owned businesses with consulting for contract bidding, capital access, and market expansion — services funded federally and delivered locally...
Free/low-cost consulting services; center operator awards ~$300K+/yr Existing United States
U.S. National Science Foundation
NSF's America's Seed Fund awards non-dilutive R&D funding to deep-tech startups across virtually every field, with a founder-friendly Project Pitch pre-application that returns fee...
Phase I up to $305,000; Phase II up to ~$1.25M Startup United States