Quick Facts About The Government Grant Process
- Government grant applications and information about them are free.
- The names of agencies and foundations that award grants are available for free at any public library or on the Internet.
- The only official access point for all federal grant-making agencies is www.grants.gov.
- There are no fees associated with applying for a government grant.
- ALL government grants involve an application process to carry out projects with a public purpose and are not intended for personal use.
- You will not be contacted by the government to make you pay for a grant.
If you think that someone has fraudulently represented Grants.gov or HHS, contact the HHS Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477 and email .
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The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA’s archives.gov.
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Where Can I Find Information About Government Grants
Most government grants go to eligible nonprofit organizations, not to individuals. If you are an individual grantseeker, please click here.
Generally, U.S. government funders prefer projects that serve as prototypes or models for others to replicate local government funders look for strong evidence of community support.
Finding U.S. government grant opportunities
Learn how to find and apply for federal grants with Candid’s 2-part online training, Getting Started with Government Grants
For federal grants and funding, Grants.gov is the official site. Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the site offers a database of more than 1,000 grant programs administered by 26 federal grantmaking agencies, searchable by agency, category, eligibility or CFDA number. Users can also browse listings of grant opportunities by agency or category.
Grants.gov offers an overview of the grant application process, as well as answers to frequently asked questions and other resources. Organizations and individuals must register to apply for funding through Grants.gov.
Other official sources of information on government funding include the Assistance Listings, the Federal Register, and individual agency web sites.
Finding state and local grant opportunities
Things to consider before applying for government funding:
For more information and additional resources, see the curated links below:
Topic
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Benefits Of Using Federal Government Grant
Using the FGG system makes it faster, easier and more cost effective for grant applicants to electronically interact with federal grant-making agencies. It also provides the following key benefits, among many others, to the grant community.
Helping the grant community learn more about available opportunities.
- Centralizing more than 1,000 different grant programs across federal grant-making agencies awarding more than $500 billion annually.
- Standardizing grant information, application packages and processes for finding and applying for federal grants.
Facilitating interaction with the federal government.
- Streamlining the federal grants process by eliminating the need to navigate complex processes to find and apply for federal grants.
- Registering once to apply to as many federal agencies and grant programs as needed with just one secure login.
Simplifying the grant application process to save applicants costs, time and hassle.
- Eliminating the need to expend resources, time, postage and reproduction costs associated with traditional paper-based grant applications.
- Reducing training costs related to learning several different grant application systems and processes.
Making it easier to research and find federal grant opportunities.
Making electronic grant application processing easier.
Providing a secure and reliable source to apply for federal grants.
Why Us?
Your Choice Of Grant
How To Tell If A Government Grant Offer Is A Scam Or Legitimate

You get a call, email or letter from the federal government saying you are the winner of a free U.S. grant. All you have to do is pay a processing fee to receive the money.
How do you know if the grant offer is legitimate or a scam? In this situation, its wise to recall two adages: 1) If it appears too good to be true, it probably is, and 2) there is no such thing as a free lunch. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI and other Federal Agencies, fake U.S. grant scams are on the rise across the country.
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Success Story: Build Grant In Idaho And Wyoming
In 2020, USDOTs BUILD program awarded $20 million to Wyoming and Idaho for the Teton Mobility Corridor Improvements Project. This rural project will implement a series of multimodal improvements along the Idaho 33/Wyoming 22 corridor. The project includes the purchase of two electric local buses among many other improvements to the corridor.
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program provides an opportunity for USDOT to invest in road, rail, transit, and port projects that achieve national objectives.
The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors at the State and local levels to obtain funding for multimodal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional USDOT programs.
For FY21, RAISE increased program focus on zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, including EV charging.
- Eligible EV activities: LDV charging, infrastructure planning, commercial charging, public transportation charging
- Eligible applicants: States, Tribes, localities, transportation providers
- FY20 grant ranges:
Who Can Get A Grant
The federal government awards grants to organizations including:
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State and local governments
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Non-profit organizations
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Businesses
The intent of most grants is to fund projects that will benefit specific parts of the population or the community as a whole. What you might see about grants online or in the media may not be true. The federal government does not offer grants or free money to individuals to start a business or cover personal expenses. For personal financial assistance, the government offers federal benefit programs. These programs help individuals and families become financially self-sufficient or lower their expenses.
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Questions To Ask About A Legitimate Grant You Won A Legit Grantnow What
When you are the fortunate recipient of a legit U.S. grant, make sure you understand its purpose and requirements upfront.
- What can the money be used for? Most grants are not general-purpose funds, to be used for whatever the company determines. They are for specific purposes that meet the mission of the grantor. Make sure the grantors mission and your mission are in sync.
- What portion of the grant can be used for overhead? Grants are provided to undertake projects and activities. It takes administrative support to accomplish this, so make sure you understand what amount of the grant can be used for that.
- What is the timing of the payments? Many grants are provided upfront, so the company has the funds in hand to pay for the work. However, some grants are paid when agreed-upon milestones are accomplished or when specific expenditures need to be reimbursed.
Fraudulent Products Or Services
Some companies have more advanced schemes to sell additional âproducts or services,â usually accompanied by some sort of âguaranteeâ enticement. For example, once a consumer is told that he or she is âguaranteedâ free grant money to pay for the informational booklet, he or she may be contacted again to pay for âresearchâ to determine which grants he or she may qualify for. The consumer may then receive a listing that includes grants for which he or she is not eligible, for entities that do not exist, or for loan programs that require the consumer to repay money. If a consumer pays for this âservice,â the company might contact the consumer again to push them to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for the company to write grant proposals for them or teach them how to write their own grant proposals. In the end, the consumer ends up losing hundreds or thousands of dollars with no grant money to show for it. Even if a consumer is somehow able to obtain a refund when they do not obtain any grants, the company usually keeps several hundred dollars for their âwork.â
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Federal Grants Funding & Benefit Programs
To sort through the federal grant programs, the authoritative source is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance . This catalog lists all of the available funding programs to all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, and other eligible entities. Search Grants within Grants.gov allows you to search, filter, and apply for specific opportunities to receive funding from one of these programs.
Doj Grant Agency Sites
The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services is responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources. The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing professionals, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement.
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Current Federal Funding Opportunities
Grants.gov is a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities and also provides a learning center to help users apply for grant opportunities. Additionally, please select the following links below to learn more about available grant opportunities by agency:
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Success Story: Sep And Vw Settlement Funds In Alaska
In June 2021, the Alaska Energy Authority awarded nearly $1 million in grants to support EV charging station deployment throughout the State. The grants will enable the installation of eight Level 2 chargers and 15 DCFCs in nine communities across the State.
Funding for the project comes from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust Fund and the U.S. Department of Energys State Energy Program.
The DOE State Energy Program provides funding and technical assistance to States, territories, and the District of Columbia to enhance energy security, advance State-led energy initiatives, and increase energy affordability.
Some States allocate funds to projects that promote the buildout of EVSE in rural areas. A State energy office can provide information about program guidance and eligibility for a particular State.
- Eligible EV activities: LDV charging, infrastructure planning, commercial charging, public transportation charging
- Eligible applicants: States
- Eligible EV activities: Commercial charging public transportation charging vehicle acquisition
- Eligible applicants:
- Eligible EV activities: LDV charging
- Eligible applicants: Nonprofits, private sector, individuals
- Maximum credit amount: 30 percent of eligible project costs, maximum $30,000
- Frequency: Ongoing, through 2021
How Government Grant Scammers Try To Trick You
- Scammers reach you in lots of ways. You might see ads online for government grants. Scammers might call you, but use a fake caller ID so it looks like theyre calling from a federal or state government agency. Some send texts or emails, saying you may qualify for free money from the government.
- Scammers make big promises. They might say you can use this so-called free money or grant to pay for education, home repairs, home business expenses, household bills, or other personal needs.
- Scammers try to look official. Besides faking their phone number, theyll pretend theyre with a real government agency like the Social Security Administration. Or, theyll make up an official-sounding name of a government agency, like the Federal Grants Administration, which doesnt exist.
- Scammers ask you for information or money. Government grant scammers might start by asking for personal information, like your Social Security number, to see if you qualify for the grant . Then theyll ask for your bank account information maybe to deposit grant money into your account or to pay for up-front fees. But sometimes, scammers will ask you to pay those fees with a gift card, cash reload card, money transfer, or with cryptocurrency. And thats always a scam.
- Scammers try to be convincing. They might even promise a refund if you arent satisfied. But thats a lie. Once you give your bank account information, or pay fees, your money will disappear. And, youll never see the grant they promise.
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New Grants And Payment Management Systems Now Available
The Justice Grants System is now available for all award management activities. Award recipients with the Department of Justice can login to JustGrants or visit the informational website for further resources and support. Additionally, the Department of the Treasurys Automated Standard Application for Payments is now available for enrolled DOJ award recipients to request funds. For more information on how to request funds in ASAP, please reference this user guide.
Do Not Fall For Refund Promises
Some grant scams attempt to lure consumers with the promise that they will receive a refund if they do not obtain a grant. These guarantees may be carefully worded so that it is unlikely that the consumer will ever qualify for a refund. For those companies that actually do provide refunds, the âguaranteeâ may be for only a partial refund, so a consumer may still be out several hundred dollars. Do not be fooled by the promise of a refund.
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Protect Your Financial Accounts
You should never give your banking or credit card information to unknown parties over the phone or otherwise. Nor should you submit such information as part of a grant application, unless you know you are submitting it to a legitimate organization that can demonstrate a need for such information. Once scammers have obtained your credit card number, check routing information, Social Security number, or bank account number, they may be able to make repeated withdrawals from your account without your knowledge or consent. They also may sell your information to third parties who will try to market other scams to you. Check out the Attorney Generals Offices publication What to Do When Your Personal Information is Breached for more information.
Note From The Victim:
Following is the email i received from. First they called me on my cell phone telling that they are calling from “US Government Grants” and i have been selected randomly for $5000. For that they need some security amount to be sent to them through western union and after 3 minutes they are going to send me $5000 along with the securtiy money. When i started asking questions about there office location and phone number they sent be the following document to my email id . When they called me after sending an emial again i got doubt and told them that i am going to inform about this to cops they than thay started abusing me with filthy language. Person spoke to me gave his number as 605-884-5940 and told me his name as steve wilson.
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Here Are Five Ways To Spot A Grant Scam:
Its Eric From The Department Of Government With Your Free Money

MANCHESTER, NH Maybe this has happened to you: Youre sitting at home thinking about Christmas, or bills, or work-related stuff, when your cell phone rings.
You love to answer your cell phone because its usually someone you like, someone who has your number its one of the perks of abandoning your landline in an age of wireless technology.
But you see No Caller ID flashing on the incoming call screen. You hesitate to answer, but then you think back to other calls that register that way often local police or other government agencies which have blocked incoming numbers.
You think about your loved ones, and hope nobodys in trouble.
So you answer.
On the other end, a person with a heavy accent introduces himself as Ahc Tomxyx and you hear something about congratulations and government grant money.
I have received many of these calls lately. Sometimes the person on the other end is from the IRS and warning me that Im going to be very sorry if I dont respond to their calls.
But on Dec. 6, I learned that it was Eric Thomas of the U.S. Government who was congratulating me as one of only 1,500 people selected to receive a $9,000 government grant because of my good record.
I resisted the urge to hang up on Eric.
Oh-kaaaaay? I said.
Eric had me at gambling and drinking.
But I already knew he was up to no good, so I started taking notes.
I had questions.
What department of the government did you say was giving away this money? I asked.
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