Each day, I get inquiries about business grants. And my response is always the same: Unless your business involves the development of new technology or is a non-profit organization, you will be wasting your time looking for a grant. The government and grant-making organizations such as foundations do not generally provide funds for starting, expanding or maintaining a business. The reason? Grants basically exist to accomplish a public purpose or address a public problem. Businesses exist in order to make money.
Many business owners or wannabe business owners have heard about business grants through deceptive advertisements that promise "free government grant money for your business". And many of them spend considerable time and money searching for these business grants that don't exist.
But what they haven't heard much about is government contracts. We tend to hear about government contracts only when the media reports bad things about them (e.g., the non-competitive contracts given to Haliburton as a result of its relationship with Dick Cheney, or the $600 toilet seats that were sold to the government a few years back) or when a major contract for something in the national interest is awarded to a large firm whose name we are all familiar with, such as General Electric. But most of us never hear about the many thousands of government contracts awarded each year to small and mid-size businesses. And, like grants, government contracts provide "free money" -- you don't have to pay it back.
The federal government (and state and local governments) buys an amazing number of goods and services. Take a look here.
Interested in learning more? There are agencies and organizations in your state that can help you get started in government contracting:
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