How To Apply for Small Business Government Grants
If you’ve ever been up late at night you’ve probably seen pictures of a crazy guy in a suit with question marks then you’ve seen Matt Lesko and he’s authored more books about grant money than I have fingers. The reason why he’s written so many books is the very same reason why the US government is always running a deficit - there are so many types of government grants that practically anyone who is of voting age can get some kind of financial assistance from the government as long as they are willing to jump through the hoops, fight through the red tape, and be persistant enough to fight through until the very end.
Whether you want to find out how to apply for a grant for a business, for education, because you are unemployer or simply between jobs; the key to getting your government grant is information.
The government runs a website where you can do all of this work yourself, it’s called Grants.gov. Grants.gov is really good if you already know how the game is played, it’s really scary, confusing, complicated, and crazy if you’re trying to learn. That’s why I turned to the free resources out there on Google and the like to figure out the game before I played it.
From eligibility requirements for a nanotechnology grant:
Only United States small business concerns (SBCs) are eligible to submit STTR applications. A small business concern is one that, at the time of award, for both Phase I and Phase II awards, meets all of the following criteria: 1. Is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operation in which it is proposing, has a place of business in the United States and operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to the US economy, and is organized for profit. 2. Is at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States. … The term “number of employees” is defined in 13 C.F.R. 121.106. A business concern may be in the form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, association, trust, or cooperative. Further information may be obtained at http://sba.gov/size, or by contacting the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Government Contracting Area Office or Office of Size Standards.
Can you understand that? If you can, go to Grants.gov but if you’d prefer that the above and the even more complicated application process is explained in simpler terms, then you’ll want to get a book that explains it or find a free service that will explain it to you. Grant Search Assistant is one of those types of free services and by giving them your information (put in your spam email address), they’ll send you a informational CD at no charge that will give you a head start on your search. While I know I’ll probably get some spam out of it, I’d rather get a free informational CD on goverment grants than spend money on a book.
What’s the catch? Your email will probably get spammed but that’s why you put in an email address that you use for signups of this nature. It’s small price to pay for free valuable information on government grants.
As for the crazy guy in the question mark suit, check out his library of books available on Amazon if that’s more your pace:
- Free Money to Change Your Life
- Free Money for Entrepreneurs: You Won’t Get Rich Working for Somebody Else
- Free Money to Pay Your Bills
- Free Money To Get A Better Home
- 2005 Uncle Sam’s Money Machine with Federal Grants and Government Assistance for People and Small Business
- Getting Yours: The Complete Guide to Government Money, Third Edition
- Free Money To Quit Your Job
- Bottom Line’s Big Fat Book of Free Money for Everyone
- Gobs and Gobs of Free Stuff
- Free Money and Help for Women Entrepreneurs
- Free College and Training Money For Women
Disclaimer: Blueprint for Financial Prosperity does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article.
