Startup business grants to help you grow business, customers, and revenue

Grants for small businesses and startups are available to help you expand customer reach, grow inventory, and pay salaries. On the other hand, federal grants are designed to stimulate the economy, and draw from the U.S. general federal revenue. Local grants are given to directly stimulate the economy around a local business, However, most startup business grants are available only to existing businesses. If you haven’t started one, look for a loan instead. Most of them are awarded to businesses that are innovative, or that contribute to a social cause. Corporate grants have various requirement and are available to a broad range of businesses. In most cases, companies set aside money for startup business grants at the beginning of the fiscal year, and host competitions to distribute funds. Some foundation startup business grants are also available, wherein instead of a corporation, you get grant from a charitable foundation.

Grants offered by state agencies are easier to get, due to the smaller applicants’ pool. They can also run across several states, so check the fine print before ruling out simply because it is not available in your area. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources created Grants.gov in 2002, which is operated by the Office of Management and Budget. The program provides resources and assistance for grant seekers to find and receive funds. Your local chamber of commerce is a great place to start where you can find startup business grants that fit your situation. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a competitive grant program that helps fund entrepreneurs in the research and development industry to support scientific and technological innovation. In Phase 1, an award amount worth $50,000 to $750,000 is given for six months to one year, and in Phase 2, an award amount of $750,000 is given for two years.

Federal grants, and private grants

Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is similar to SBIR but startup business grant is given only to the businesses in the technology industry. Phase 1 grant $50,000 to $250,000 is given for six months to one year, while Phase 2 grant worth $750,000 is given for two years to the businesses who have previously received the Phase 1 grant. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) provides emergency financial assistance to eligible shuttered venues that include live venue operators, motion picture theater operators, live performing arts organizations, zoos and aquariums, etc. Economic Development Administration (EDA) offers grants, resources, and technical assistance to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. FedEx Small Business Grant contest provides a top prize of $50,000, to for-profit organizations in operation for at least six months, with no more than 99 employees.

More grant opportunities

You can get most accurate information on all startup business grants, and other grant opportunities from GovernmentGrants.us, which has the most comprehensive database of various grant opportunities, such as home improvement grants, land development grants, Pell grants, training & research grants, and more. To access all these grant opportunities, you just need to pay $29.95 monthly membership fee to GovernmengGrants.us, that you can cancel anytime. The membership fee will be refunded to you in case your grant application is rejected. The website also offers its professional grant writing services to applicants.