Grants for Small Businesses

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

This component of Pennsylvania's PA SITES program provides planning grants to fund a plan or feasibility study for a prospective development site within the Commonwealth. Eligible applicants are municipalities, economic development organizations, redevelopment and municipal authorities, industrial development agencies, and for-profit organizations; individuals and nonprofits are not the target. Award amounts are not specified.

Community & Economic Development · Amount varies

The Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority (PEDFA) Tax-Exempt Bond Program provides access to low-interest financing through tax-exempt and taxable debt. Eligible uses and applicants include manufacturing, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, solid waste disposal, wastewater treatment, transportation facilities, and assisted living/housing projects. This is bond financing rather than a grant; no specific dollar amounts are listed.

Air Force -- Research Lab · Amount varies

The Air Force Research Lab's CHEERS announcement funds science and technology work in human performance and aerospace medicine, spanning basic research through technology maturation, via multiple open solicitations accepting white papers. Eligibility is generally broad, but note specific constraints: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers face restrictions and must obtain sponsor and AFRL determinations, foreign-owned firms should contact the Contracting Officer first as restrictions may apply, and the Commercial Solutions Opening track is not grant-eligible. No award amounts are stated; review the paired solicitations for scope and instructions.

Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons · $0

This is a Notice of Intent for the State Department's Program to End Modern Slavery (FY 2025); the TIP Office is NOT accepting applications at this time. When it opens, eligibility is expected to be broad, covering commercial, international, educational, and non-profit organizations, including faith-based, community-based, and public international organizations. A valid Unique Entity Identifier will be required for any organization selected for an award. No award amounts are listed in this notice.

Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons · $0

This is a Notice of Intent for the State Department's Program to End Modern Slavery (FY 2023); the TIP Office is NOT accepting applications at this time. When opened, eligibility is expected to be broad, including commercial, international, educational, and non-profit organizations, plus faith-based, community-based, and public international organizations. A valid Unique Entity Identifier is required for any organization selected for an award. No award amounts are listed in this notice.

Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons · $0

This is a Notice of Intent for the State Department TIP Office's 2020 funding opportunity; no applications are being accepted at this time. When posted, eligible applicants are expected to include U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, public international organizations, institutions of higher learning, and for-profit organizations. No award amounts are provided in this notice. Watch for the actual funding announcement before preparing anything.

Office to Monitor-Combat Trafficking in Persons · $0

This is a Notice of Intent for the State Department's Program to End Modern Slavery (FY 2022); the TIP Office is NOT accepting applications at this time. When opened, eligibility is expected to be broad, including commercial, international, educational, and non-profit organizations, plus faith-based, community-based, and public international organizations. A valid Unique Entity Identifier is required for any organization selected for an award. No award amounts are listed in this notice.

Air Force Academy · $0–$99M

The U.S. Air Force Academy uses this Broad Agency Announcement to fund research that supports cadet learning, faculty development, and Air Force mission needs across diverse fields such as hypersonics, cybersecurity, spatial disorientation, athletic performance, and homeland defense. It is open to non-government firms and partners (universities, businesses, and other non-federal entities); federal agencies are not eligible and should pursue internal government channels instead. The stated award range is very broad (from $0 up to about $99 million), so funding varies widely by project, and applicants typically begin by submitting a white paper.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted (not yet open) NIH opportunity (PRIMED-AI, UG3/UH3 mechanism) supporting academic-industrial partnerships, likely applying AI to biomedical research. It is intended for research institutions partnering with industry, so applicants typically need both an academic research team and an industry collaborator. Specific eligibility, funding amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published; check the full announcement when released before applying.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH IGNITE opportunity funds early translational research for assay development and identification of candidate therapeutic agents, supporting the earliest stage of drug discovery. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet published; these awards generally support universities, research institutions, and small businesses doing therapeutic discovery. Review the official notice of funding opportunity when released to confirm eligibility and terms.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH IGNITE opportunity supports early translational research to characterize therapeutic agents and conduct preclinical efficacy studies, helping move candidate treatments toward development. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet announced; these awards typically support universities, research institutions, and small businesses engaged in therapeutic development. Check the official notice of funding opportunity for eligibility and application details before applying.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, public agencies, and tribal governments, this California Energy Commission program provides matching (cost-share) funds to support applicants pursuing federal geothermal energy funding opportunities. It targets energy science, technology, and R&D projects. Award amounts are not stated; applicants should consult the application manual, and because it is a cost-share program, recipients must secure the corresponding federal award.

Ocean Protection Council · $200K–$1.5M

California's Ocean Protection Council offers this Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation grant (Track 1) to fund planning activities such as community visioning, vulnerability assessments, data collection, and adaptation plans to prepare coastal and San Francisco Bay communities for sea level rise. Eligible applicants are businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, and awards range from roughly $200,000 to $1.5 million. Track 1 proposals are accepted on a rolling, non-competitive quarterly basis if they meet program criteria, and projects must address California coastal or Bay shoreline impacts.

Administration for Community Living · Amount varies

This is a forecasted Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I opportunity from the Administration for Community Living. SBIR Phase I grants are restricted to U.S. small businesses (for-profit) meeting SBA size and ownership rules and fund early-stage feasibility research. Specific funding amounts and deadlines are not yet posted; note SBIR programs commonly require the company to be U.S.-owned and that work be performed in the U.S.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Thermal Transport Processes program funds fundamental engineering research on thermal transport phenomena (heat and mass transfer, convection/diffusion/radiation, phonon transport, and related thermodynamics). Eligibility is unrestricted in type of entity, but in practice NSF research awards go to universities, research institutions, and qualifying organizations and businesses submitting strong research proposals. Specific award amounts and deadlines are not stated in this listing; confirm current deadlines on the NSF program page before applying.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs (Parent R41/R42 STTR, clinical trial optional). STTR awards are restricted to U.S. small businesses (for-profit) partnering with a research institution, and this notice targets new entrepreneurs transitioning into the small-business research space. Specific funding amounts and deadlines are not yet posted; note STTR programs carry U.S. small-business ownership and size requirements plus a required research-institution partner.

Environmental Protection · Amount varies

Agricultural producers and landowners with eligible land in designated Pennsylvania CREP project areas may apply for this state cost-share funding for agricultural conservation practices. The land must meet environmental-sensitivity and conservation-potential criteria, and applicants must be able to implement and maintain the proposed practices. As a cost-share program, participants are expected to contribute toward project costs, and eligibility is limited to qualifying farmers and landowners in specific project areas. No specific award range or deadline is listed here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

Eligibility is unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to NSF clarifications) for this National Science Foundation Communications, Circuits, and Sensing-Systems program. It funds innovative research in circuit and system hardware, signal processing, communications, and sensing systems across applications such as healthcare, communications, transportation, energy, and security. No fixed award amount or deadline is stated, and standard NSF limits on foreign organizations apply, so awards typically go to U.S. institutions.

Rural Business-Cooperative Service · $1.5K–$500K

Open to agricultural producers, the USDA REAP program funds renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, with awards ranging from about $1,500 up to $500,000. Eligibility is limited to agricultural producers (and, under the broader REAP program, certain rural small businesses), so general applicants and urban organizations typically do not qualify. Review the application package and contact a State Energy Coordinator for required forms and current terms.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER) program funds fundamental research to advance resource and energy conservation and recovery and to protect the environment and human health, including circular-economy, waste-reuse, contaminant-fate, and related topics. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to NSF clarifications, though the work is research-oriented and best suited to universities and research organizations. No award amounts or deadline are listed. Projects focused mainly on earth systems or human/social behavior are directed to other NSF directorates.