The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance lists 2,078 assistance programs.
According to Grants.gov, a federal grant is a type of award. Federal agencies provide grants to eligible recipients for public purposes which are authorized by federal law. Grants are not entitlements, contracts, federal assistance, loans or benefits.
Grant Types
The type of a federal government grant depends on the eligible applicant. Formula grants are mandatory grants formula-based allocations made to states. Project grants are awarded for specific time frames. Legislation identifies the recipient, purpose and amount of earmark grants. Other grant types are direct payment for specified use grants, discretionary grants and individual grants.
Grant Eligibility
The entities eligible to apply for federal grants include: state, local and tribal government organizations; nonprofit organizations, education organizations, public housing organizations, for-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals.
Funding Opportunity Announcement
The CFDA provides public notification of grant funding availability through funding opportunity announcements (FOA). FOAs are posted in several locations, including on the funding agency's website and at Grants.gov, the federal portal for searching and applying for grants.
Applying for Grants
Grants.gov is the federal government portal for searching and applying for the more than 1,000 grants provided by 26 federal agencies. Not all federal agencies use Grant.gov; some provide on-line application processes on their respective websites. Many agencies still allow you to submit paper applications.
