How to Apply for Government Grants Online

Though a lot of people think that applying for government grants is complicated, it's actually quite easy. The US government has created a website for individuals, businesses, schools, and other entities to use as a means of finding and applying for grants from a number of different government agencies. This website allows you to search for a multitude of grant opportunities and even lets you sign up for email alerts for when new grants become available.If you've never visited the federal grant website and are interested in trying to find one or more government grants, here is everything that you'll need to know in order to get started.

Things You'll Need

• A computer with internet access
• Adobe Acrobat Reader software
• PureEdge Viewer software

Instructions

1. Navigate your web browser to the federal grants website. You'll be able to find a lot of information about grants and the application process by checking out the various links on the site, but if you don't want to spend time reading through all of that information right now then you can simply click "Get Registered" in the Applicants section on the left side of your screen.

2. The registration page gives you two options: you can register on behalf of an organization, or you can register to use the site as an individual. Select the option that describes you, then work through the steps that follow and fill out the registration information where prompted.

3. Once you are registered, return to the main page of the website. Choose "Grant Search" from the Applicants section of the quick links menu on the right side of the screen. Should you wish to sign up for e-mail alerts later, the link to do so is directly beneath the "Grant Search" link in that same menu.

4. The Grant Search page defaults to the Basic Search, which will give you three options... you can search by keyword, by funding opportunity number, or by CFDA number. If you're looking for a specific grant and have either of the mentioned numbers then you can use them to search for that grant. Most likely you will be looking for basic grant information based on a certain keyword, though, so the keyword option is what you will use most of the time. Fill in the keyword that you are looking for, leaving the other two options blank, and press "Search."Should you wish to browse grant opportunities instead of searching by a basic keyword, the other tabs on the Grant Search page allow you to browse by category or by the agency that is supplying the grant. You can also use the Advanced Search tab which is also a keyword search but allows you a few more options to better define your search.

5. The search results will display all of the grants which meet your search criteria. You can click on the names of the grants to read a synopsis that provides the relevant details, as well as tabs to allow you to read the full grant announcement and apply for the grant. When you find a grant opportunity that you like, click on the apply tab and it will take you to the application page.

6. In order to view grant applications, you will need both the Adobe Acrobat Reader and PureEdge Viewer software installed on your computer. Links for both of these pieces of software are provided on each grant application page. Once they are installed, you can view grant applications and application instructions; simply complete the application as per the instructions and submit.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that some grant opportunities may require you to submit additional information in addition to your application

• The listing of eligibilities in the grant synopsis tells who is able to apply for the grant; make sure that you aren't trying to apply for a grant that you aren't eligible for

Resources

• US Federal Grant Website