The Truth about Grants & Incentives
MOST GRANTS are for NONPROFIT organizations, not small businesses.
BE VERY CAREFUL of advertisements promoting “free money for your business.” These ads can be very misleading, often suggesting that you can receive a list of many grant sources for a fee of a few hundred dollars. This is often a list of microloan programs – which you must repay – or grants for nonprofit agencies.
SBA Small Business Grants
- SBA does not provide grants for starting and expanding a business.
- SBA provides grants to nonprofit, partners, and educational organizations that support entrepreneurship through counseling and training programs.
- SBA only communicates from email addresses ending in @sba.gov. If you are being contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA who is not using an official SBA email address, you should suspect fraud and report it.
Research and development
If your small business is engaged in scientific research and development, you may qualify for federal grants under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs encourage small firms to undertake scientific research that helps meet federal research and development objectives and have high potential for commercialization if successful.
Management and technical assistance
SBA’s 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program is for capable small businesses in Regions I – X interested in providing management and technical assistance and guidance to eligible small businesses.
Small U.S. businesses are eligible to participate in the SBIR/STTR program if they are FOR-PROFIT and have 500 or fewer employees.
Nonprofit organizations are not eligible.
Discover Grants & Incentives
The US Chamber of Commerce collected 50+ Programs, Loans, and Grants that benefit Small Business.
Our Resource Partners have provided a few places to look for grants.
Grants for Community Organizations
Learn about SBA grants for community organizations and cooperative agreements that support small business growth and development.
A variety of business assistance programs and resources are available through the cities and counties and partner agencies. Below are links to some of the regional opportunities.
Orange County Library System offers databases of grant opportunities. You must have an Orange County Library card to use this database, but you do not have to be a resident of Orange County. Non-residents can purchase a 3-month or annual membership card.
- Apopka
- Belle Isle
- Edgewood
- Maitland
- Oakland
- Ocoee
- Orlando
- Windermere
- Winter Garden
- Winter Park
- Cape Canaveral
- Cocoa
- Cocoa Beach
- Indialantic
- Indian Harbor Beach
- Malabar
- Melbourne
- Melbourne Beach
- Palm Bay
- Rockledge
- Satellite Beach
- Titusville
- Astatula
- Clermont
- Eustis
- Fruitland Park
- Lady Lake
- Leesburg
- Mascotte
- Minneola
- Mt. Dora
- Tavares
- Umatilla
- Daytona Beach
- Daytona Beach Shores
- DeBary
- DeLand
- Deltona
- Edgewater
- Holly Hill
- Lake Helen
- New Smyrna Beach
- Oak Hill
- Orange City
- Ormond Beach
- Pierson
- Ponce Inlet
- Port Orange
- South Daytona
Many funding opportunities require a solid business plan. Review the Startup Guide for tips and tricks to best assist in writing or strengthening your business plan.
Return to Funding Guide.