The Secret to Acquiring Business Grants

by: Michael Saunders

Since 2002, the federal government has been developing and implementing Grants.gov as a collaborative cross-government program focused on streamlining grants management for the Federal grant community.

Grants.gov is the one-stop-shop Website to apply for more than $400 billion in Federal grants.

Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Grants.gov is one of the 24 E-Government initiatives operating under the governance of the Office of Management and the Budget (OMB). The Website centralizes grant information and electronic submission for more than 1,000 grant programs across the Federal government.

Business grants could be one of the most important financial tools that nearly all businesses would need. They may not be the single most significant support businesses could have, but they can get definitely help you start the business right.

Business grants refer to a particular amount of money that is being granted by the government to a particular business. Some people may have thought of it as a “free financial support” from the government, but they are not. That is because there is an equivalent effort, time, and sweat entailed when requesting for grants.

Moreover, not all businesses can avail of business grants. Even if the government provides business grants to support businesses, certain qualifications are required prior to the approval of the business grants.

Primarily, your business should be a not-for-profit organization or it should include an expansion of a new knowledge or technology. If your business does not fall under these categories, you are not qualified for a business grant.

However, there are some instances that the government may award business grants if your business can prove that it can develop a new technology for economic advancement or if you can meet the requirements. You need to accomplish all the prerequisites at an agreed period to get the business grant. If in case you failed to meet the deadline, your request for a business grant will not be approved.

Secondly, your business should have a business plan. If you think you can qualify for business grants, you should consider having a business plan as well.

Getting the first stage of the application is just the start of your journey. You need to create a business plan in order to guarantee the government that you really intend to develop your business and help the economy. In this way, you can show them that your business aims to develop a knowledge that will boost the country’s economy.

What most unsuccessful businesses failed to realize is that business plans are extremely important when establishing a business. Statistical reports show that more than 85% of unsuccessful businesses do not have business plans.

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Did you know?

Applying at Grants.gov can reduce your costs and the time required to find government grant opportunities and process your application. The site provides access to multiple grantors and reduces paperwork.

By downloading a grant application package, you can view it offline, giving you the flexibility to complete the application when and where you want.

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The Secret to Acquiring Business Grants
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About The Author Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits a site on Government Grants for Women Owned Businesses and also edits HandsNet - A Human Services News Website.

Additional Government Grants Resources

Identifying Heart, Lung, and Blood Disease-Causing Variants
The National Institutes of Health has formed a partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to establish a program that aims to Identify Heart, Lung, and Blood Disease-Causing Variants.

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Special Research Grants Program - Pest Management Alternatives
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has recently established the Special Research Grants Program - Pest Management Alternatives in an attempt to provide support for the development and implementation of integrated pest management practices, tactics and systems for specific pest problems while at simultaneously reducing human and environmental risks.

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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: Centers for Oceans and Human Health
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has recently established a funding opportunity entitled Centers for Oceans and Human Health which provide linkages between members of ocean sciences and biomedical communities in the hopes of supporting interdisciplinary studies in areas where thorough understanding of marine processes and ecosystems harbor the potential to reduce public health risks.

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FirstHome Mortgage Program in North Carolina
One of the programs of the agency is the FirstHome Mortgage Program wherein they seek to offer 30-year fixed interest rate mortgages to first time home buyers in the State of North Carolina.

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Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo
USAID-DRC has established a program entitled Developing and Strengthening Services and Systems that Support Family Cohesion and Respond to the Separation of Children in Democratic Republic of Congo.

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HRSA: Reducing Loss to Follow-up after Failure to Pass Newborn Hearing Screening
Reducing to Loss of Follow-up after Failure to Pass Newborn Hearing Screening program enables eligible health care institutions to solicit funds by establishing project proposals that would greatly improve the number of infants receiving appropriate and timely follow-ups through the utilization of patient-centered interventions.

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Grants From The Department Of The Interior
The United States gives great importance to the natural resources of the country, including federal lands and cultural heritage and native tribal communities. In fact, the federal government has constituted an independent agency that would be responsible for the management and conservation of these resources.

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