Small business grants across every level, all with one application
Free
Eligibility check after you sign up
4 routes
Grants, family offices, angel investors & VCs
US small business grants span thousands of federal opportunities on Grants.gov, state and local economic-development grants in every state, and private corporate and nonprofit programmes, typically $5K to $500K+.
The honest guide
The Truth About "Free" Small Business Grants
Let's be straight: there's no single pot of "free government money" to start any business, and the SBA rarely gives cash grants to launch or grow a company. But real, non-dilutive small business grants do exist, they're just specific. They come from federal agencies, state and local economic-development bodies, and private corporate or nonprofit programmes, usually tied to R&D, a location, an industry, or a founder demographic.
The work is in finding the few programmes you genuinely qualify for and ignoring the rest (and the scams). That's exactly what our free eligibility check does: it matches your stage, sector, and location to live US grant programmes, including SBIR/STTR, in minutes.
Where the money is
Types of US Small Business Grants
Most genuine grants fall into three buckets. Knowing which applies to you saves weeks of searching.
Federal Grants
The largest pool, mostly tied to R&D or a public mission. SBIR/STTR is the flagship for tech startups; thousands of other federal opportunities are listed on Grants.gov.
SBIR/STTR R&D awards
Agency grants via Grants.gov
Requires SAM.gov registration
Typical range$50K–$2M+
State & Local Grants
Every state runs economic-development programmes to attract and grow businesses: job-creation grants, sector funds, rural and opportunity-zone incentives, and matching programmes.
State economic-development agencies
County and city programmes
Job creation & relocation incentives
Typical range$5K–$250K
Private & Demographic Grants
Corporations and nonprofits run grant programmes, often for women-, minority-, and veteran-owned businesses. Smaller cheques, but less competitive and faster than federal grants.
Women-, minority-, veteran-owned
Corporate & foundation programmes
Industry and community grants
Typical range$1K–$50K
Which of these do you actually qualify for?Complete the application form and we'll automatically match you with the most relevant grants - including the one you're researching - in minutes. It's 100% free.
A focused process beats endless searching. Here's how to find the grants worth your time and apply well.
Step 1
Define What You're Funding
Grants fund specific things, R&D, hiring, equipment, a location. Be precise about your purpose, sector, and where you operate. Run the free eligibility checker to instantly shortlist programmes that fit.
Step 2
Register and Search the Right Sources
For federal grants, register on SAM.gov and search Grants.gov. For state and local, go straight to your state's economic-development agency. For private grants, check corporate and foundation programmes that fit your profile.
Step 3
Apply to the Right Few, Well
Read each grant's eligibility and purpose carefully and answer exactly what's asked. A handful of well-targeted, fully eligible applications beats dozens of scattergun ones. Reuse a strong core narrative, then tailor it to each funder.
Always
Avoid the Scams
No legitimate grant ever asks you to pay a fee to apply or "release" funds, and the government will not message you on social media about free grants. Stick to official .gov sources and vetted programmes. If it sounds too easy, it's not real.
Done-for-you service
Don't want to write it yourself? We build the application for you.
The steps above are the do-it-yourself route. If you would rather hand it off, our grant specialists write, package and manage the whole application for you, working alongside you so the technical detail stays yours while we handle the process.
1ApplyTell us about your startup and the grant you are targeting. It takes a few minutes.
2Chat with a specialistA grant specialist checks your fit, confirms the right programme, and scopes the work with you.
3We build your applicationWe write the narrative, budget and supporting documents to the funder's exact scoring criteria.
4We guide every stageMany grants run in several rounds (assessment, interviews, sometimes multiple phases, then reporting). We handle each step and explain everything as we go.
Transparent, mostly success-based pricingA modest upfront fee to scope and start the work (not always tied to your metrics), plus a success fee based on the grant, the amount awarded, and your business. Every engagement is quoted individually.
Apply and we'll come back with a tailored budget for your specific grant.
Interactive Tool
Check Your US Grant Eligibility in 30 Seconds
Every US programme is listed below by default. Tell us your stage and sector to narrow them to the SBIR/STTR, agency, and federal programmes that match your startup. Getting matched is 100% free - no fee, no commission, no credit card.
Choose your stage and sector below to see which US grants you may be eligible for
Want a definitive eligibility report? It's free.
This is a first-pass match based on stage, sector, and geography. Complete the application form and we'll automatically match you with the most relevant grants - including the one you're researching - cross-referencing your technology, IP, team, and traction against every active US programme. This matching service is completely free: no fee, no commission, no credit card required.
The strongest raises stack multiple non-dilutive programmes. Here are the other US grants you can apply for, all matched in one free eligibility check.
Real non-dilutive grants exist, but there's no universal "free money to start any business." Most US grants are tied to R&D (SBIR/STTR), a location, an industry, or a founder demographic. The skill is finding the specific programmes you qualify for, which is exactly what our free eligibility check does.
Rarely in the form most people expect. The SBA primarily backs loans and funds programmes like SBIR/STTR, nonprofits, and research, not cash grants to start or grow an ordinary business. Its local resource partners (SBDCs, SCORE) are genuinely useful for finding legitimate funding, though.
Many, mostly from corporations and nonprofits rather than the federal government, alongside state programmes and certification advantages (such as for federal contracting). Cheques are usually smaller but competition is lower and timelines faster than federal grants. Our check flags demographic-specific programmes that fit you.
No, genuine grants are non-repayable and non-dilutive. They do come with conditions: you must use the funds for the approved purpose and report on outcomes. Anything that requires repayment is a loan, and anything that asks for an upfront fee to apply is a scam.
Yes. Grants are non-dilutive, so they stretch your runway and de-risk your business before you raise. Once you're ready for equity, find US angels and VCs on AngelsPartners and combine the two.
The Full Capital Stack
Grants Are Only Part of the Stack
SBIR awards and federal grants cover early-stage R&D, but most US startups need equity capital to scale. The strongest raises combine non-dilutive grants with angel or VC investment.
AngelsPartners is the only platform where a founder can access all three capital pathways in one place: grants (this page), debt financing, and 120,000+ equity investors.
Equity funding
US Angels & VCs
Search a database of angels, micro-VCs, and funds investing in US startups. Filter by sector, geography, ticket size, and stage. Direct contact details included - no gatekeepers, no pay-to-pitch.
Venture debt, revenue-based financing, and startup loan programmes - without diluting your cap table. Our AI matches you to a curated lender network based on your revenue, traction, and geography.
