Federal Grant Eligibility Checker: Which Open Grants Can You Apply For?
Choose the kind of applicant you are and, if you like, a category and a minimum award. The checker lists open and forecasted federal grants on Grants.gov that name your applicant type as eligible. It runs in your browser.
Open federal grants by applicant type
Counts from 1446 grants in our Grants.gov data (): 849 posted and 597 forecasted. One grant can list many applicant types.
| Applicant type | Posted | Forecasted | Plus unrestricted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public college or university | 449 | 413 | 117 |
| Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) | 436 | 417 | 116 |
| State government | 431 | 410 | 117 |
| Tribal government (federally recognized) | 422 | 419 | 116 |
| Private college or university | 434 | 406 | 117 |
| County government | 414 | 398 | 116 |
| Tribal organization (other) | 380 | 400 | 115 |
| City or township government | 410 | 347 | 116 |
| Nonprofit without 501(c)(3) | 411 | 342 | 116 |
| For-profit (not small) | 385 | 363 | 121 |
| Small business | 386 | 359 | 121 |
| Special district | 395 | 339 | 117 |
| Independent school district | 363 | 355 | 117 |
| Public or Indian housing authority | 350 | 354 | 119 |
| Individual | 7 | 7 | 188 |
How the checker works
Each Grants.gov listing names the applicant types that may apply. The checker matches your choice against that list only. It cannot read the extra eligibility text, cost-share rules or deadlines in the full notice, so treat a match as a starting point, not an answer. Before applying you will usually need a SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account; both are free.
FAQ
Can a small business get a federal grant?
In our Grants.gov data from , 386 posted grants and 359 forecasted grants list small businesses as an eligible applicant type. Being listed is only the first condition: many of these are research or program grants with further requirements in the full notice.
What does "Unrestricted" mean?
Grants.gov uses "Unrestricted" when any type of applicant may apply, subject to the notice's additional eligibility text. The checker includes these but marks them so you can read the details.
What does "Others (see text)" mean?
The agency describes eligibility in a separate text field. The checker shows these separately because the applicant types alone cannot tell you whether you qualify.
Does a match mean I will qualify?
No. A match only means your applicant type is listed. Notices often add conditions such as location, cost sharing or registration in SAM.gov. Read the full notice on Grants.gov before applying. This is not legal or tax advice.