Small Business Development Center

Grant Availability
The competition for grants to start or assist businesses can be fierce, the requirements stringent, and reporting difficult. Searchers should be aware that most grants go to governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations to assist businesses through technical help or revolving loan programs.

Federal Information
The vast majority of funding from federal sources for small business is from Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. Research skills and knowledge are a prerequisite.  Visit the SBIR Gateway web site for more information.

A good place to look for general federal assistance is on the official benefits web site of the U.S. government. This is a federal web site and allows searchers to complete a questionnaire and see if they are eligible for government benefits.

A great site for searching for grants is the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages Grants.gov, a site to learn the basics about federal government grants, find, and apply for them.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a list of grant related links on its web site. The Small Business Administration (SBA) also provides information about resources available to those starting a business. This site gives information on SBA loan guarantee and other programs.

The United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) has grant and loan programs available in the areas of rural development and value added agriculture. Most are for public entities, but value added and energy grants are available to businesses.

State of Washington Information
Visit Access Washington to learn about grant opportunities in Washington state. Access Washington also has a directory of grant opportunities.

Visit the Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED) web site for information about Washington childcare grants and loan funds.

The Washington Technology Center (WTC) web site has information about research and technology development grants.

Many communities have applied for "block grants" and have initiated some form of grant program such as "store front improvement" or other limited programs.  Check your local city hall.

Minority Information
Native Americans may be eligible for some specialized programs. O therwise, in the state of Washington there are very limited state and federal grant programs for the general funding of small businesses. Below are links to web sites with contacts for minorities and others:

Native American

Washington Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises

Center for Women’s Business Research

National Minority Business Council

Washington Assistive Technology Act Program

Washington State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development