How to find and apply for small business grants

In the United States, federal grant opportunities from every grant-making agency are published in one place: Grants.gov. State and local programs are published by the relevant agency or economic development authority. In the European Union, funding calls and above-threshold tenders appear on TED and the EU funding portals.

Anything that asks you to pay a fee to "unlock" free federal grant money is a scam. The official portals are free to search and free to apply through.

Most federal grants fund a mission, not general operating costs: research and development, innovation, energy efficiency, workforce training, rural or regional development, and similar public objectives. Programs like SBIR/STTR fund R&D-heavy small businesses. If your need is working capital, an SBA loan program is usually the realistic route, not a grant.

Have these ready before a deadline appears: SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID, your financial statements, a short capability statement, and a description of the outcome you would deliver with the funding. Most missed grants are missed because the paperwork was not ready, not because the application was weak.

Grant reviewers score against published criteria. Address each criterion in its own section, quantify the outcome you promise, and show how you will measure it. Avoid marketing language: reviewers reward specific, verifiable plans.

New calls open and close constantly, and the useful window is often short. Rather than checking portals manually, Bidly scans official sources daily, scores each opportunity against your profile with an explainable 0–100 fit score, and highlights deadlines before they become urgent — so preparation time replaces search time.

Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and submission requirements on the official notice before applying.