how do you go about getting a Federal grant?

Question

iv been trying to find a grant for my wife so she can start a bussnis and am haveing no luck

Answer 1

There are essentially only 3 sources for grants.

Federal grants are called Small Business Innovation Research grants. These are given primarily for some new innovation. You can find out what's available at:
http://www.sbirworld.com
There is also info on this site about how to apply.

Some cities offer grants to small businesses if they will locate in the downtown area, for the purposes of building up downtown traffic. Check with City Hall.

Finally, private foundations offer grants. You can get a list of most US Foundations and private grant sources at http://www.foundations.org/grantmakers.html.