Small Business Government Grants
Grants are available from governments at all levels, including local, state and federal government. This article lists some grant types that are available. However, because information about small business grants is constantly changing, it is outside the scope of the article to discuss specific information.
For detailed information, we recommend that you check out the official US government’s grants website. There, you can electronically find and apply for grant opportunities from all federal grant-making agencies, including many small business government grants, such as the ones outlined below.
Research and Development Government Grants
These are grants that support companies when developing new
products. Normally, companies must be involved in developing a completely new
product, where the concept is unproven at the time the small business
government grant is received.
It is important to note that research and development grants
cannot usually be used for pure commercialisation of existing technology. In
other words, there must be a research component involved in order to qualify
for the small business government grant.
Marketing and Export Development Grants
These small business government grants are normally provided
in order to develop new markets, particularly export markets. Governments are
normally interested in supporting the industry to develop lucrative overseas
markets in order to increase the competitiveness of the local industry.
Employment Grants
Employment grants are often provided in order to encourage
companies to hire more people. For example, the government may provide a small
business grant if you hire an apprentice or somebody who has been unemployed
for an extended period of time. It is fair to say that small business
government grants that are provided for the purpose of hiring more staff may
reduce long-term unemployment.
