Grants for Small Businesses

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $0

This NOAA Broad Agency Announcement for the Office of Education seeks applications for special projects tied to NOAA's strategic and mission goals, including education and environmental work. Eligibility is broad: higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments may apply, subject to the statutory authority for the specific activity. Federal organizations cannot be funded. No specific award amount is stated; contact program officials and submit to the appropriate line-office BAA.

Veterans Employment and Training Service · $0–$10K

The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service funds local Stand Down events that provide employment, social, and health services to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Eligible applicants are broad: state, territorial, county, city, local, special district, and tribal governments and agencies, nonprofit and for-profit entities, workforce boards, higher-education institutions, and public and tribal housing authorities; faith-based organizations may apply, but 501(c)(4) organizations are not eligible. These are noncompetitive, first-come awards of up to $7,000 (one-day) or $10,000 (multi-day), with up to $50,000 possible in federally declared disaster areas. Note that costs incurred before the award start date are not reimbursed.

Office of Naval Research · Amount varies

The Office of Naval Research's FY25 Long Range BAA solicits proposals for science and technology projects advancing Navy and Marine Corps operations. Eligibility is broad: responsible sources from academia, industry, and the research community worldwide may apply, and both small and large businesses are encouraged; HBCUs and minority institutions are encouraged but have no set-aside. Federally Funded R&D Centers and government laboratories are not eligible to receive awards directly, though some teaming arrangements are allowed. No specific award amount is stated.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $0

This NOAA/National Weather Service Broad Agency Announcement invites applications for special projects aligned with the NWS strategic plan and mission. Eligibility is broad and includes higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments, subject to NOAA/NWS statutory authority for each activity. Federal organizations are generally outside the scope. No award amount is stated, and as a BAA it outlines a general framework rather than a single defined award; review the announcement for project-specific details.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $0

This NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Broad Agency Announcement invites applications for special projects aligned with NOAA's strategic plan and mission. Eligibility is broad and includes higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments, though eligibility for a given activity depends on NOAA's statutory authority. Federal organizations are generally outside the scope. No award amount is provided, and as a BAA this describes a general framework rather than a single defined award; review the announcement for specifics.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $0

NOAA's Broad Agency Announcement seeks applications for special projects tied to NOAA's strategic and mission goals across its line offices. Eligibility is broad: higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments may apply, though eligibility also depends on the statutory authority for the specific activity. Federal organizations cannot be funded through this announcement. No specific award amount is stated, and applicants should review the relevant line-office BAA and contact program officials.

Office of Science · $50K–$5M

The DOE Office of Science runs this open, year-round solicitation supporting research across program areas including advanced scientific computing, basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research, fusion energy, high energy physics, nuclear physics, and isotope R&D. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to clarifications and to the requirements in 10 CFR 605. Awards range from roughly $50,000 to $5 million. The NOFO remains open until September 30, 2026 or until succeeded by a new issuance.

DARPA - Biological Technologies Office · Amount varies

DARPA's Biological Technologies Office solicits proposals leveraging biological properties and processes to advance national defense capabilities. Eligibility is broad: all responsible sources capable of meeting the government's needs may submit a proposal, with details in the BAA's eligibility section. Research limited to evolutionary improvements on existing practice is specifically excluded. No specific award amount is stated, so review the full BAA for scope and submission requirements.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $475K–$7.5M

NSF's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program supports education of technicians for high-technology fields, with a focus on two-year colleges. Eligible applicants are limited to for-profit organizations (including small businesses) with research or education capabilities, non-profit non-academic organizations tied to education or research, state and local governments, accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, and federally recognized tribal nations; individuals are not listed as eligible. Two-year college faculty must hold significant leadership roles (PI or Co-PI). Awards range from roughly $475,000 to $7.5 million.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF INCLUDES program funds collaborative, national-scale efforts to broaden participation and build inclusive infrastructure in STEM, supporting pilots, consortia, alliances, network connectors, and conferences. Eligibility is relatively broad: for-profit organizations including small businesses, nonprofit non-academic organizations, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, and federally recognized tribal nations may apply. No specific award amounts are listed. This is a research and capacity-building opportunity open to a range of organizations, though not to individuals.

National Institute of Standards and Technology · Amount varies

This NIST CHIPS Incentives Program funds construction, expansion, or modernization of commercial facilities for semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment. Applicants must be a 'covered entity,' defined as a nonprofit, private-sector entity, or a consortium of such entities with demonstrated ability to substantially finance and build large semiconductor-related facilities. This is aimed at established firms and consortia capable of major capital projects, not individuals, researchers, or small or new organizations; applications go through the CHIPS Incentives Portal. No award amounts are specified, but the program targets large-scale industrial projects.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH U01 grant funds research using expanded-access data for investigational drugs to help intermediate-size populations of ALS patients who are not eligible for ongoing clinical trials; a clinical trial is required. Eligibility is narrow: applicants must be clinical trial sites participating in a phase 2/3 or phase 3 trial sponsored by a small business that is the FDA-designated sponsor of the relevant drug. Foreign organizations and foreign components are not eligible. No award amounts are listed. This is a highly specialized opportunity tied to an existing small-business-sponsored ALS drug trial, not a general grant.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award funding studies that could meaningfully advance spinal cord injury research, patient care, or quality of life, from basic through translational science. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; an early-career partnership option allows two principal investigators. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad.

Office of Naval Research · $250K–$500K

Office of Naval Research Broad Agency Announcement funding applied research on communications and networking technologies for naval operations. Open to academia, industry, and the research community worldwide, including small and large businesses; federal labs and FFRDCs cannot receive awards directly but may team with eligible applicants. Awards range from about $250,000 up to $500,000. Eligibility is broad, with the noted exclusions for certain government and federally funded entities.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Orthopaedic Research Program Applied Research Award funding applied research to improve treatment and restore function for service-related orthopaedic injuries. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; preliminary data are required and clinical research is not allowed under this mechanism. No award amount is specified. Projects must demonstrate military relevance, but the stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Toxic Exposures Research Program Translational Research Award funding research that moves promising military toxic-exposure findings toward clinical applications such as products, interventions, or practice guidelines. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice; a partnering principal investigator option supports two-PI collaborations. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

Department of War (Defense Health Agency) Toxic Exposures Research Program Investigator-Initiated Research Award funding studies on diseases and conditions linked to military-related toxic exposures, spanning basic, translational, and preclinical/human research. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted/open to any entity type subject to clarification in the full notice. No award amount is specified. The stated eligibility is broad, though projects must be relevant to military toxic-exposure research.

DARPA - Information Innovation Office · Amount varies

DARPA Information Innovation Office (I2O) office-wide Broad Agency Announcement for advanced information-science research, open to all responsible sources including academia, industry, and the research community. Note this BAA is currently under a temporary pause and is not accepting new abstract submissions until further notice, except from proposers with explicit written government encouragement. No award amount is specified. Eligibility is broad, but the active pause is a key limitation to verify before applying.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency · Amount varies

This is a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Broad Agency Announcement seeking research on hard geospatial-intelligence problems in foundational GEOINT, advanced phenomenologies, and analytic technologies. Eligibility is open to any responsible source capable of meeting the government's needs, but the work is highly specialized defense/intelligence R&D and proposals are accepted only in response to specific Topic Calls, some of which are classified and require security clearance. No award amounts are stated. This suits research organizations and contractors with relevant technical and security capabilities rather than general nonprofits.

Office of Science · $500K–$16M

The DOE Genesis Mission funds interdisciplinary teams using novel AI models to accelerate scientific discovery in areas like advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear energy, quantum information, and semiconductors. Eligibility is broadly open to any entity type, subject to clarification in the RFA, with Phase I small-team and Phase II large-team awards. Awards are large, roughly $500,000 up to $16 million. It is aimed at research teams able to leverage national-laboratory, industry, and academic resources.