How to apply/qualify for government grant for small business?

Question

I have spoken with different companies that help your write a grant app, but cost about $5000 and you are not guaranteed anything...is there any other way?
Not a loan - a GRANT.

Answer 1

Use your $5000 to fund your business instead.

I would be EXTREMELY WARY of companies that claim you can get grants for whatever purpose you want because that is absolutely false and not how federal grants work. And I would be SCARED all the more that this company wants you to apply for grants through them because there is only ONE site where you can apply for grants legitimately - and that is Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for a for-profit business.

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Even if you buy books on "how to get grants" or list that supposedly has information on grants -- all of them are mere rehash of what CFDA has, albeit packaged differently. But still the info is the same - hardly any grants for starting a for profit business.

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/expanding/grants.html

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business -- THERE'S NONE.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT - Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women's Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women's business center that will train women entrepreneurs

I suggest you read the following books to get ideas of how to finance your business:

Financing Your Small Business http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1572484500/powerhomebizguid
Small Business Financing: How and Where To Get It http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0808007386/powerhomebizguid
Financing the Small Business: A Complete Guide to Obtaining Bank Loans and All Other Types of Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580626815/powerhomebizguid
The SBA Loan Book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158062202X/powerhomebizguid
Angel Capital : How to Raise Early-Stage Private Equity Financing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471690635/powerhomebizguid
Financing Your Small Business (Barron's Business Library Series) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764124897/powerhomebizguid

For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center's Foundation Grants for Individuals Online http://gtionline.fdncenter.org . It's a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don't have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.

Answer 2

The govt not often - with ease under no circumstances - presents offers to new, for-profiit, small trade begin-ups. When govt offers are to be had, they are (a) in help of a few governmental target, e.g. making improvements to literacy in K-12 pupils wherein English is a moment language or casting off hazardous matters like lead paint chips from low earnings housing, and (b) issued to big, based associations like faculties, hospitals and non-gains like Goodwill. So if your online business is repairing Harleys or promoting video video games, you are toast. If you are a contractor or in any other career that realistically would support meet a central authority target, then you've a pair probabilities. The trick is to spot the big tuition(s) for your field which are receiving supply cash for a few undertaking wherein your corporation would possibly be handy as a sub-contractor. They get the supply, however you receives a commission via them with the supply cash. A extra competitive method is to touch such an tuition and invite them to co-write a supply with you. Bottom line: ZERO supply bucks to support you begin a trade, POTENTIALLY a few "moment-hand" supply bucks if you'll support a supply recipient satisfy its ambitions.

Answer 3

There is no such thing as a "government grant for small business", unless you qualify for disaster relief assistance. To see what government grants really are, check out http://www.grants.gov/

Answer 4

go to www.hud.gov/grants, there is a packet that you can download and it will walk you though the writing process.