Federal Grant Money

In this specific discussion we are going to focus on federal grant money and how you can obtain funding from the federal government in order to develop and launch your business operations. As we discussed before, as it relates to obtaining government grants and small-business loans, federal grant money is typically reserved for individuals have fall into a specific disadvantaged ethnic group or that the business will be owned by a woman. However, there are a number of exceptions to these rules as it pertains to receiving federal grant money for your business. Foremost, we strongly recommend that you should tenuously visit the grants.gov website when you're searching for federal grant money, for grant programs, and other federal benefits that may be available to your business so you can further your entrepreneurial activities that were seeking capital from the federal government. It should be also noted, a number of the federal grant money programs that are available are specifically geared towards individual firms that are operating on a for-profit basis to provide a tremendous general benefit to the community. Namely, a vast number of federal grant money programs that have been developed and approved by Congress are specifically geared towards the development of new energy technologies. This, of course, is primarily due to the fact that the United States is addicted to oil and finding new ways of improving the energy grid and other energy infrastructures is imperative to the ongoing security of the country.

 

As such, you can see that primarily when you apply for federal grant money that you are undertaking responsibility not only develop a profitable enterprise, but you also need to provide a tremendous benefit to the country for your localized community. There are a number of specific federal money grants out there that focus specifically on assisting businesses with developing new locations in underserved areas. This is primarily due to the fact that the federal government would rather have a small business entrepreneur develop services for a rural/urban area rather than having to spend the money to manage and develop services on their own. This is one of the tremendous benefits to federal grant money, and you may able to provide general business services imperative for a rural community in which are operating within so that you may be an excellent candidate to receive federal grant money programs. Of course, much like applying for any other type of grant, but you'll need to have a well structured business plan that clearly showcases how you intend to use these funds. Unlike our discussions as it relates to business loans, leasing, and investment, capital, and other forms of investing, federal grant money providers require that you can clearly showcases more so the benefit is going to provide to the community and less so the collateral that will be used to secure any type of equipment purchase that you will be undertaking. The other interesting things about receiving federal grant money are that you typically do not need to repay these funds provided you operate within the guidelines of the specific grant program. This substantially makes the process easier as it pertains to providing the appropriate financial statements that are going to be reviewed by the federal grant money program that you are applying to. However, while the financial requirements in order received a federal grant money are typically less stringent than those of traditional financial institutions, you still need to be aware that the federal government wants to see that you're developing a for-profit enterprise that has a long-term economic viability. This, of course, is due the fact that they want to ensure that their investment, through federal grant funds, will provide a better community, a technology business, minority owned business, or a female owned business with in ongoing stream of revenue throughout the life of the company. The federal government is not simply in the business of handing out money on it a free basis with no intent of providing a benefit to the general public, inner-city communities, rural areas and the other type of area in which they're seeking to improve partnerships with for-profit businesses.

 

In your search for federal grant money, you can certainly conduct a search on your own accord by going to the number of different websites are available and managed by the federal government in showcasing which grant programs are available to you and your business. You can also hire a gram search company as well as a grant writing company that actively assist you in finding the federal grant money programs that are most appropriate for your business. In one of our previous articles, we touched on the fact that you need to be careful when working with a grant search company or a grant writing business. Recently, the number of scandals involved pertaining to the usage of these terms in order to receive federal grant money capital that is being sought from the federal government. Issues pertaining to these firms primarily relates to the fact that they charge their customers substantial upfront fees, in some cases upwards of $10,000 before they are even able to secure capital on behalf of their clients. In many instances, these grant writing firms and grant search firms never actually produce anything of value that would leave the client receiving federal grant money. As such, and as we discussed before, any time you work with any firm that is actively assisting you with obtaining capital for your business should conduct a thorough search of people they work with in the past, their profile, their Better Business Bureau record, and their success rate as it pertains to securing federal grant money. Through these discussions, as relates to federal grant money and other grant programs, will continue discuss the issues as it pertains to working with these firms while concurrently showcasing new to you how you can save a tremendous amount of money by conducting this work on your behalf.

 

In regards to grant writing firms, this will be the best investment that you make as it pertains to securing federal grant money that they were able to produce for you the appropriate grant application while concurrently developing a business plan that is specifically focused on the grant program to which you're applying for. In many instances, you can anticipate that the fees associated with grant writing services typically range anywhere from $300-$3000 depending on the complexity of your business and the specific federal grant money program that you're applying to for funds for your entrepreneurial venture. When you are working for grant writing firms then you need make sure that the specific focus of the documentation that you will be required to provide to the federal government is very appropriate for the specific nature of your business and the specific nature of the federal grant money program that you need. Returning to our discussion as it relates to grant search firms, this is the part of the capital raising process, as it pertains to grants, that you should be very careful with. This is primarily due to the fact, again, that these firms to charge substantial upfront fees and often times not produce the results that are needed as relates to securing federal grant money. Again, a number of major grant search firms have recently come under a tremendous amount of scrutiny from the number of attorneys general among all states as it pertains to securing capital on behalf of their clients have investigated many of these firms. This is primarily due to the fact that these grant search firms have overinflated their ability to provide effective capital sourcing services as a relates to the federal government grants. Of course, it saddens us to have to continually mention these issues primarily due to the fact that there are a number of legitimate firms out there that are very helpful when you're searching for the appropriate grant. The most legitimate firms that work within the grant search industry only charged small upfront fees, but with a large contingency fee if they are able to place the federal grant money up on your behalf and on behalf of your company. As such, when you're working with these types of grant writing companies then may be in your best interest to focus on the working with an individual or company that works primarily on a contingency basis. This will ensure that the money that you're spending in order to effectively obtain federal grant money, what will be done appropriately and with your best interest and market. This, much like our discussions pertaining to business loan brokerages, more clearly as aligns the interest of the grant search for the fat of your company.

 

As you continue to apply for federal grant money, it is imperative that you not only have the appropriately developed business plan to showcases to the specific grant program a as to how you intend to use the funds, but also to develop a second piece of documentation that clearly outlines the benefits of the community that you're going to be operating with it. Many people often put this directly into their business plan, but in is our experience among clients are seeking federal grant money that the best results come from developing a unique document that showcases the specific area that you're working with and estimated benefit that it will be for the community at large as you receive federal grant money. This document should include clearly showcasing the geographic region that are operating and, especially if you intend to develop a for-profit enterprise, underserved area, or inner-city area. If you are seeking federal grant money for the development of new technologies, then you should also develop a second piece of documentation that clearly shows that the potential result that will occur once the grant money has come into place. This will drastically assist you in your search for federal grant money as it relates to receiving grant funds from the federal government. In the second document, especially if you are developing a business and you underserved area, you should focus on job creation, the overall economic benefit to you as to why you should receive federal grant money, and other issues pertaining to the benefits that will arise from your usage of the songs. Again, the primary reason why a number of federal grant money programs have been developed so that it entrepreneurs can specifically developed businesses, real estate ventures, and other ventures that seek to benefit the community without having to have the federal government actively develop and manage constructions, infrastructure developments, and other factors that go into the development of new enterprises. It should be noted that one of the recent pieces of legislation known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has provided for a number of different new federal grant money programs that allow entrepreneurs to specifically capitalize on the demands from the federal government to assist small and medium-size businesses with jumpstarting the struggling economy. We recommend that you check out these discussions, as they are related to small business administration loans as well the requirements for federal grant money which have dropped substantially as the federal government seeks to pump money into the economy with the intent to create new wealth for small business entrepreneurs who are creating new jobs and the economy at large. Again, within any piece of documentation that you develop in regards to your application for federal grant money, we strongly recommend that you focus substantially on the economic benefits that you intend to provide to the community job creation. With unemployment rates nearing 10%, the demand among politicians as well as federal government regulators has increased substantially for new programs that create economically viable jobs as long timeframe. As such, if you able to clearly showcase within the documentation that you are developing the you all stand it excellent chance of receiving the federal grant money that you are applying for as your primary funding source.

 

The primary differentiation between federal grant money and federally sponsored loans is that in the event that you receive a grant you typically do not need to repay any of the funds that you received. However, this is not always the case as it pertains to the federal grant funds. In some instances, grants may come as abatements on interest rates, payment reeducation penalties, and other forms of protections in regards to your business operations. In these circumstances, you may be required to repay certain portion of the grant funds that you receive from the federal grant money program they used that specifically apply to when you were seeking grant funding. You should always review the documentation that is provided to you by the federal government, as it pertains to the federal grant money programs, as to whether or not there will be a repayment. Of course, if any of these terms seem foreign to you we strongly recommend that you work with a grant writing company, a grant search expert, a certified public accountant can further educate you as to the terms that you will face in regards to the grant that you intend to receive from the federal government. Additionally, these individuals and firms can assist you with developing the appropriate documentation when presenting your case to federal government and its related agencies. It should be noted that the documentation that is required when you are applying for a grant is typically substantially greater than applying for a conventional business loan, business line of credit, small business administration loan, or other type of traditional financing. Again, this due to the fact that there are a number of individuals out there that seeking the same financing as you are seeking through specific grant programs. Unlike banks and financial institutions which have a tremendous amount of capital to lend to your business, the federal grant money programs have a cap as to how much money they can provide the specific grants. Although these programs often allocate hundreds of millions of dollars for specific developments, the demand among individual entrepreneurs for this money is tremendous given the fact that, ultimately, it will never need to be repaid to the federal government. By providing your business with federal grant money you are receiving a no-cost, no repayment investment from  the federal government with the intent to better the community in which your business will reside.

 

It should also noted that many of the federal grant money programs that are out there are specifically targeted towards small businesses. The primary exception to this rule is for corporations are developing highly experimental pieces of technology that will provide promising results as a relates to improving infrastructure and improving the electrical grid area has become one of the hot topics among political debates as the United States currently uses a tremendous man of energy from foreign sources. However, certain large corporations do have access to certain federal grant funds especially for large-scale infrastructure development projects. However, again, a vast majority of federal grants are geared for small businesses and small business entrepreneurs. This is primarily due to the fact that large corporations have a much easier time sourcing the capital he needed from traditional funding sources such as banks and other financial institutions. When you're seeking the federal money grant program that you intend to apply to then you should clearly look to acquire the funds that have been set forth by the specific program. Upon many of the websites are operated by the federal government, the requirements for each federal grant money program are clearly spelled out in the description of the specific grant program. As such, you should make sure that your business falls into those categories prior to even applying for the grant as you would be immediately rejected should your business not fall within one of the acquirements that has been set forth by the specific grant program. Additionally, for some federal grant money programs you may need to have what is known as the SBA 8a certification. The certification, is granted by the small business administration, and allows that individual small businesses to work directly with the federal government as it pertains to receiving contracts for work, the federal government grants for small businesses, and other benefits that are outlined among a number of other pieces of legislation as it relates to the ongoing development of small businesses working with small business entrepreneurs. As we've mentioned previously in some of our other discussions, the U.S. Congress has introduced number of new pieces of legislation that require that a certain percentage of any federal government contract go to a business that is certified by the small business administration as an 8a certified small business. As such, as you continue to look at the requirements for federal grant money programs encourage you make sure that your business falls within the guidelines of the eight a small business administration program so that you can effectively receive the capital you need via a federally sponsored grant program. This is going to be one of our continued discussions as it relates to the SBA 8a program and how you can receive financing from the federal government walk on currently receiving contracts allow you business with the federal government on an ongoing basis. This is one of the beauties as to working with the federal government is that the only provide you with the money that you need to start your business, but also provide you with contracts that will provide your business with revenues and profits. Of course, it is not as simple as that as it relates to the program money and receiving federal contracts but the demand within in the federal government to provide this service for small business entrepreneurs and medium-size businesses.

 

There are also a number of different stimulus grants that are now available to you even if you're not directly serving the greater good of the community, but rather are looking to expand your business during the difficult economic times and we are currently experiencing. However, it should be noted that a number of these stimulus grants are specifically geared towards business is that intend to do a significant hiring as they receive the funding they are seeking. Again, the American Investment and Recovery Act has provided for a number of grants to small businesses that are growing and are economically viable, but are having difficulty finding the capital they need through traditional funding sources. As such, you can apply for one of these stimulus grants from a number of different federal grant money programs today are able to receive the funding need to expand your business not necessarily providing the greater economic benefits that we discussed earlier within this article. Of course, when applying for stimulus grants through federal grant money programs you will need to present much of the same documentation as if you're applying for any other type of federal financing program. This includes having a well-developed business plan as well as a secondary document that showcases how you intend to use these funds especially as it relates to the hiring of new workers. In the second piece of documentation as it relates to stimulus grants as well as federal grant money programs, you should clearly indicate that he will are going to hire new people with the funding that you receive. Again, by showcasing a benefit to the federal government, via your grant request, you put yourself in a much better position of being accepted into one of these programs as relates to receiving money from the federal government. Of course, you also need to show the federal government the economic benefit they'll be rendered to you and your company by receiving a stimulus grants. The best candidates for stimulus grants, as we discussed above, are typically individuals that fall into any minority category for that the business is owned by a female.

 

As it pertains to federal grant money funding, with a focus on solar grants because they have become the most popular programs that are available through the federal government as an alternative funding source. Solar energy has become an extremely popular method of generating electricity, at very little cost, for the electrical grid. As we discussed above, the demand for grants among entrepreneurs are developing new technologies while expanding the energy infrastructure the United States is tremendous. Additionally, on a political basis the demand among congressmen to have the United States have been all but foreign sources of energy has also increased substantially. As such, if you are an alternative energy entrepreneur, as stated earlier, then you excellent chance of receiving the federal grant money that you are seeking if you are developing solar energy programs. The costs that are associated with launching a solar energy business are relatively low as they can be scaled up quickly to any size provided that you have the necessary space. In many of our future articles, to discuss solar grants on a much greater detail so that you can have a clear understanding as it pertains to receiving federal grant money for alternative energy programs. As it pertains to alternative energy, there are a number of programs available out there beyond solar grants that apply to biodiesel companies, companies are developing new forms of energy, as well as businesses are looking to produce energy-efficient products that substantially reduce the draw of electricity from the electrical grid. As time progresses, it is anticipated that the government will aggressively ramp up its programs as it pertains to solar grants and other forms of federal grant money in relation to alternative energy sources and alternative energy projects.

 

In conclusion, the demand for federal grant money is tremendous primarily due to the fact that there are very few stipulations that are tied to receiving this type of funding. As such, you will be in competition with a number of different entrepreneurs as well as large corporations are seeking to capitalize on these programs while concurrently providing an economic benefit and a social benefit to the United States with the local community. As such, it is imperative that you have well prepared documentation so you can clearly present your case to the federal government and its related agencies so that you become the most viable candidate for receiving federal grant money. If you are struggling in your search for before grant capital, then we strongly recommend that you do work with a legitimate grant writing for as well as a grants search firm that will assist you and guide you through the process of finding the appropriate program is available for you while concurrently assisting you with developing the appropriate documentation that you'll need to submit with your grant application. Again, prior to working with any of these firms, you must be your due diligence with any group that you're working with is operating in your best interest in that they are looking for capital on your behalf and there are no conflicts of interest as it pertains to sourcing grant capital on behalf of your company. In doing so, you'll save yourself a tremendous amount of headache and a tremendous amount of money as you progress through this type of capital raising activity and time in your business. Also, it should be noted that unlike financial institutions which typically provide lending decisions investment decisions within a matter of days or weeks, federal grant money programs can take up to six months to one year before rendering a decision as to whether or not to disperse funds that have. As such, we strongly recommend that as you are looking for federal grant money that you also work with a number of different funding sources such as angel investors, small business investment companies, venture capital firms, and other funding sources that can provide you with additional financing as it pertains to your entrepreneurial activities. In most instances, you'll receive a decision from these traditional funding sources much quicker than any federal grant money program that you are applying to for your funding needs.

 

Additionally, you should never be discouraged as you progress through your capital raising activities especially as it pertains to federal grant money. For many businesses, the capital raising phase of these businesses typically does take anywhere from three months to one year to complete. As such, and again, is very important that you're prepared to discuss at length with any individual, investment firm, federal government agency, or state government agency exactly what you intend to do with the proposed funds that you are seeking. This is going to include our article as it pertains to federal grant money and related grant programs.

 

 In several of our subsequent articles will further discuss specific grant programs that you can use as it relates to enact new technology in improving the economy at large. Thank you again for tuning in and we look forward to continuing to provide you with information as it relates to all of your business planning, sourcing, and funding needs.