Grants for Small Businesses

Natural Resources · $50K–$800K

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) grant to Great Lakes states, administered via Illinois Natural Resources, which funds habitat and species protection, conservation, and restoration priorities in the Great Lakes Basin. Awards range from $50,000 to $800,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH/NIEHS SBIR opportunity (R43/R44) supports small businesses developing e-learning tools for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and emergency response worker training. As an SBIR award it is restricted to qualifying small businesses rather than nonprofits or individuals; eligibility, funding amount, and deadline have not yet been published.

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

USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program (REAP) funds agricultural producers for renewable energy and efficiency projects, with awards ranging from about $1,500 to $500,000. Eligibility is limited to agricultural producers rather than nonprofits or businesses generally, and applicants should contact their State Energy Coordinator for full application requirements.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · Amount varies

This Army Research Laboratory special notice (under BAA W911NF-17-S-0003) seeks proposals to design, manufacture, and deliver a low-cost, battery-powered chip-scale atomic clock targeting under $300 per unit at volume for defense timing applications. Eligibility is restricted to for-profit firms (a consortium led by a for-profit firm is also encouraged), so nonprofits, universities as primes, and individuals are not the intended applicants. Funding is via a technology investment agreement; no specific award amount or deadline is listed, and applicants should review the full special notice.

Natural Resources · $30K–$2M

Open to government agencies, schools, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations for fish and wildlife management activities tied to Upper Mississippi River Asian carp control, in line with Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office priorities. Awards range from $30,000 to $2 million. No deadline is listed; broad eligibility across organization types.

Air Force Academy · Up to $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.

Ocean Protection Council · $200K–$1.5M

Open to businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments in California through the Ocean Protection Council's SB 1 Sea Level Rise Adaptation Grant Program (Track 1), funding planning activities like vulnerability assessments, data collection, and adaptation plans. Awards range from $200,000 to $1.5 million, and Track 1 proposals are accepted on a rolling, non-competitive quarterly basis. A companion technical assistance program is also available for applicants facing imminent sea level rise threats.

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery · Amount varies

Open to businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies in California, this program funds loans (not grants) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly landfill methane and upstream manufacturing emissions, with priority benefits for disadvantaged communities. No specific award amount or deadline is listed. Applicants should note this is a loan program, requiring repayment, rather than a non-repayable grant.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH small-business opportunity, the Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs (Parent R43/R44 SBIR, clinical trial optional), intended to help new entrepreneurs transition into small-business research. Eligibility, funding amount, and deadline are not yet published, so it is not currently open. SBIR awards are limited to U.S. small businesses meeting size and ownership requirements and typically exclude foreign firms; review the full notice of funding opportunity for exact eligibility.

NASA Headquarters · Amount varies

NASA's umbrella SpaceTech-REDDI-2026 announcement funds space technology research, development, demonstration, and infusion, with specific topics released as appendices throughout the year. Participation is broad — educational, industry, and nonprofit institutions, FFRDCs, UARCs, and other entities — and includes U.S. and, to the extent practicable, non-U.S. organizations, but NASA Centers, NASA civil servants, and JPL cannot receive awards. Each appendix may add its own eligibility limits and deadlines, so applicants must check the individual topic solicitation on NSPIRES.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Provides state cost-share funding to California businesses, individuals, and public agencies that are applying for a federal DOE clean hydrogen funding opportunity — it is only available alongside an active or pending federal award, not as a standalone grant. Applicants who already received federal funding and want retroactive cost-share are not eligible. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

State Water Resources Control Board · $1–$1M

California petroleum underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators — businesses and individuals — can apply for reimbursement of cleanup costs from leaking USTs, with grants up to $1,000,000 per site. This fund is not open to nonprofits or the general public; it is restricted to UST owners/operators meeting state financial-responsibility requirements.

Natural Resources · $50K–$800K

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) grant to Great Lakes states, administered via Illinois Natural Resources, which funds habitat and species protection, conservation, and restoration priorities in the Great Lakes Basin. Awards range from $50,000 to $800,000.

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.

Natural Resources · $30K–$3M

This Illinois Department of Natural Resources program (FY25) funds fish and wildlife management activities supporting Ohio River Basin Asian Carp control efforts, open to government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations, with awards from $30,000 to $3,000,000. Eligibility is broad across sectors. No application deadline is listed.

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.

Idaho Field Office · Amount varies

This is a Request for Information from the DOE Idaho Field Office, not a funding opportunity; it asks nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), higher education institutions, state governments, and small businesses to submit comments on nuclear energy research priorities via NEUP.gov. No funding is attached (amount shown as $0), so responding does not itself lead to an award. Eligible respondent types are broad, but this is input-gathering only, not a grant.

State Treasurer's Office · $1.5M–$550M

A tax-exempt bond financing program (not a grant) for California businesses of any size involved in pollution control, waste disposal, recycling, composting, or resource recovery facilities; smaller businesses (500 employees or fewer) may also qualify under separate federal size standards. Financed amounts range from about $1.5 million to $550 million, with strict rules on how bond proceeds may be used (e.g., at least 95% must go to the defined project). Final eligibility depends on review by bond counsel and tax counsel.

Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery · Amount varies

Open to businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies operating California-based recycling businesses that prevent, reduce, or recycle waste materials through value-added processing or manufacturing. This is a revolving loan program, not a grant, so funds must be repaid. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and eligibility is limited to California recycling-sector operations located within designated zones.

Department of Water Resources · Amount varies

Businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, public agencies, and tribal governments that own California dams rated below "Satisfactory" condition can apply for state grant funding to repair, retrofit, or rehabilitate dam infrastructure and restore lost water storage capacity. This is a forecasted program with no award amount or deadline specified yet; eligibility is broad but effectively limited to dam owners rather than the general public.