9 Best Small Business Grants for small business owners in USA

Updated October 2026

2026 update: where small business grants really come from

Grants are the most searched and most misunderstood kind of startup funding. Here is the current picture.

The SBA itself rarely gives grants to start or expand a business. Its main tools are loan guarantees, microloans of up to $50,000, free counseling, and help winning government contracts. Most grant money comes from the programs below.

Federal research grants: SBIR and STTR

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, known as America’s Seed Fund, fund small companies developing new technology for federal agencies. Their authority lapsed on September 30, 2025 and new awards stopped for about six months. On April 13, 2026, the programs were reauthorized through September 30, 2031.

What changed in the 2026 law:

• Roughly $4 billion a year in SBIR funding continues, and unspent 2026 money can be used in 2027, so the next cycle may be larger than usual.
• Stricter screening of foreign ownership, foreign ties and cybersecurity risk.
• New limits on how many proposals one company can submit.
• A new “Strategic Breakthrough” award for companies that already hold a Phase II award.

SBIR and STTR suit research-driven businesses: software, medical devices, energy, defense and similar fields. They are not designed for restaurants, retail or local services.

State, local and industry grants

States, cities, utilities and economic development agencies run grants for specific goals, such as hiring in a certain area, energy upgrades, exporting or reopening after a disaster. They change often, so search your state’s economic development website and Grants.gov, and ask your local Small Business Development Center, which offers free advising.

Avoid grant scams

A real grant never asks you to pay a fee to receive it, and government agencies do not cold-call or message people offering “free grant money”. If someone asks for a processing fee or your bank details, walk away.

If grants don’t fit your business

Most founders fund their start with savings, early revenue and small loans. Our Start a Business A–Z guide compares every option, and the business idea finder shows ideas you can start for under $5,000.

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The original article follows. Program names, deadlines and amounts in it may have changed; use the update above for current information.

Sources Where you can find Small Business Grants

So you are ready to get started with your small business and now you must be thinking how to get money for your business or find funding for your small business? Well, small business grants are available from many different sources for small businesses in various categories.

It can make a huge difference if you can find small business grants to raise capital for your small business.

There are also government grants available for specific types of businesses and categories such as not-for-profit, research based grants if you are involved in developing some new technology or your work is related to science or education.

But what if your business category doesn’t fall under the ones listed above? Don’t lose hope. There are agencies and small business grants available that you can get to fund your small business.

Here’s a list of small business grants that are available to help you get started:

CFDA or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance – It’s a government database that has over 2248 federal assistance programs available to the organizations and individuals. You may find many small business grants that may not be for you but it is a good place to get started with your search for funding your small business.

Economic Development Directory – It’s a directory of websites that contains links to the websites of your local government such as county website, city or state website and you can use it to find if your local government has any small businesses grants of funding programs available.

Grants.gov – is a US government website which was setup for the grant seekers with the aim to simplify the process of finding and applying for grants in one centralized location. You can find information on over 1000 federal grants available and apply accordingly.https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html

There are other specific types of SMALL BUSINESSES grants that are available:

Amber Grant for Women – It’s a unique grants programs started specifically for women and you can get $500 – $2500 in grants. The Amber Grants for Women was started in 1998 to help women getting started with their small business. The amount is not big but still you can pay for your business cards, office supplies or setting up a website.

Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant – As we all know Eileen Fisher is a women’s clothing brand but very few of us know that it offers $100,000 in grants to 10 women who already own a small business for at least 3 years. To be eligible a woman must be a at least 51% stake holder in a small business and annual revenues must not exceed US $1 million.

USA Grant Application – It’s a great website to get started if you are looking to raise capital for your small business. It’s not affiliated to any US government agency but it can help you get connected to the right source of funding for your small business.

FedEx Small Business Grant – FedEx offers $25000 each annually to 10 small businesses. The grant is offered to the 10 deserving small businesses through a contest. As a small business owner you can apply by sending your business details, pictures of your business and explain how you would plan to use the funds. It’s a great way of raising capital for small business.

Mission Main Street Grants – Chase bank offers $150,000 in grants to 20 small businesses owned by women. To be eligible to apply for the grant you must be running a business for at least 2 years and have less than 100 employees.

The Awesome Foundation Grant – Awesome foundation offers $1000 grants every month to the people who have a brilliant business idea. It’s simple to apply for the grant and you just need to present your business idea and how you plan to use the funds and some. 2975 project have been funded to date

The Zach Grant – Fundera.com, a website for small business financial solutions awards $2500 every year for the best video entry that answers the question, “Why did you start your own business?”

 The Bottom Line

If you do some research for finding grants for small business then it is not that hard to find a grant for your small business or raising capital to get started with your business. Finding small business grants is not at all luck. All it requires is research and digging deeper online to find a grant or a funding program available for your business.

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Sources

1. NCMBC, SBIR/STTR reauthorization update
2. Mondaq, SBIR/STTR programs reauthorized after six-month lapse
3. SBIR.gov, America's Seed Fund
4. Grants.gov, federal grant search
5. America's SBDC, find free local advising

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.