💰 Grants

Find real funding. Federal, state, and private grants — we help you find them, check eligibility, and draft applications with AI.

$4B+
SBIR/STTR Annually
17%
SBIR Phase I Rate
1000+
Active on Grants.gov
$10B
SSBCI All States
✅ Grant Readiness ChecklistClick to collapse
🏛️ Federal Grant ProgramsClick to expand
🔬 SBIR / STTR

Phase I: up to $314K. Phase II: up to $2M. 11 federal agencies. Innovation & R&D focused.

Visit SBIR.gov →
🌱 NSF America's Seed Fund

Phase I: up to $305K. Highest SBIR success rate (~20%). Start with a 3-week Project Pitch.

Visit NSF Seed Fund →
🏥 NIH SBIR/STTR

Largest SBIR funder. Biotech, medical devices, health IT. Rolling deadlines (Jan, Apr, Sep).

Visit NIH SEED →
🌾 USDA Rural Development

Rural Business Development Grants. Ag innovation via NIFA SBIR. Quarterly deadlines.

Visit USDA →
📋 Grants.gov

Master federal portal. 1000+ active opportunities from 26 agencies. Free alerts by keyword.

Search Grants.gov →
📝 SAM.gov Registration

Required for ALL federal grants. Get your Unique Entity ID (UEI). Free. Takes 7-21 days to process.

Register at SAM.gov →
🏢 Private & Corporate GrantsClick to expand
🟡 Amber Grant (Women)

$10K/month, $50K/year. Women 18+ owning 50%+ of business. Even pre-revenue. Since 1998.

Apply Now →
📡 Comcast RISE

$5K cash + free marketing + tech makeover. Women & POC-owned. 1+ year in business. Quarterly.

Apply at Comcast RISE →
🐰 Hello Alice

Free platform hosting dozens of grant programs. Growth Fund for underrepresented founders. Check often.

Browse Hello Alice →
🏪 NASE Growth Grant

Up to $4K per quarter. 4 cycles per year. Must be NASE member. National Association for Self-Employed.

Learn More →
🌐 MBDA (Minority-Owned)

Federal agency for minority business. Grants, centers nationwide, financial resources.

Visit MBDA →
🎖️ Hiring Our Heroes (Veterans)

Grants for veteran-owned businesses. Part of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Learn More →
📍 How to Apply — Step by StepClick to expand
1
Get Your Business Basics Ready

Register your business (LLC etc), get your EIN, open a business bank account, prepare tax returns and financial statements. ⏱ 1-2 weeks

2
Register on SAM.gov

Get your Unique Entity ID (UEI). Required for ALL federal grants. Free but takes 7-21 days. Do this first. Register →

3
Research & Build Your Target List

Search Grants.gov, your state portal, and Hello Alice. Narrow to 3-6 grants you qualify for. Mix of small local + large federal. ⏱ 1 week

4
Read the FOA (Funding Opportunity Announcement)

Read EVERY word. Note eligibility, page limits, required attachments, review criteria. Missing one doc = instant disqualification. ⏱ 2-4 hours per grant

5
Draft Your Application with AI

Executive summary, problem statement, budget narrative, impact plan. BOB helps draft each section. You add your authentic voice. ⏱ 1-3 weeks per app

6
Review, Submit & Wait

Have someone else read it. Submit 48 hours early (federal). Corporate: 2-8 weeks. State: 2-4 months. Federal: 6-12 months.

⏱️ Realistic TimelineClick to expand
Grant TypeDecision TimeSuccess RateAward Range
Corporate (Amber, Comcast)2-8 weeksVaries$3K-$50K
State Programs2-4 months30-40%$5K-$100K
SBIR Phase I5-7 months~17%Up to $314K
SBIR Phase II6-9 months~60%Up to $2M
NIH Full Cycle~9 months~20%$150K-$2M
💲 What It CostsClick to expand

Most grants are free to apply. Some private grants have small fees ($25-$50). The real cost is your time — which AI dramatically reduces. Never pay someone hundreds of dollars to "find" you a grant. That's a scam.

ItemCostNotes
SAM.gov registrationFreeNever pay a third party for this
Grants.gov accountFreeFederal grant portal
Hello AliceFreeCorporate grant aggregator
Grant writer (traditional)$2K-$10KWhat you save with AOB + AI
AI-assisted writing (BOB)IncludedDrafts, edits, compliance checks
🤖 How AI Helps You WinClick to expand
✅ AI Does Well
  • Drafting narratives from your bullet points (saves 4-8 hrs)
  • Editing for clarity, killing passive voice and jargon
  • Summarizing FOA requirements into checklists
  • Generating budget narrative language
  • Creating letter of support templates
  • Reformatting content for different grants
⚠️ AI Limitations
  • Can hallucinate statistics — always verify numbers
  • Doesn't know agency-specific reviewer preferences
  • Generic AI text hurts you — reviewers can detect it
  • Can't fill SAM.gov or Grants.gov forms for you
  • Needs YOUR real business data — garbage in = garbage out
  • Can't make strategic decisions on which grants to target
🚫 Mistakes That Kill ApplicationsClick to expand

❌ Formatting violations — wrong font, margins, or page count = instant reject

❌ Missing the deadline — 1 minute late = disqualified, no exceptions

❌ Incomplete attachments — missing one required doc stops the review

❌ Vague goals — "grow our business" loses. "$180K revenue from 3 new clients by Q4" wins

❌ Budget doesn't match narrative — reviewers cross-check every line

❌ Only applying to one grant — success rates are low. Apply to multiple.

❌ Expired SAM.gov registration — must be renewed annually

❌ Not requesting feedback on rejections — reapplicants who improve often win 2nd/3rd try

🔗 Essential ResourcesClick to expand
📋 Grants.gov 📝 SAM.gov 🔬 SBIR.gov 🏢 Find Your Local SBDC 🐰 Hello Alice 📚 SBA Free Courses 🏛️ US Chamber Grant List 📰 NerdWallet Grants Guide

💡 The Bottom Line

Grant funding is a 6-18 month strategy, not a quick cash source. Apply to multiple grants simultaneously. Use AI to cut writing time by 50-70%. Start with SAM.gov registration today — everything else depends on it. Ask BOB to help you build your target list.