Open federal grants for small businesses
401 open opportunities as of Oct 16, 2026.
Independent platform. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Data from public federal sources.
Federal agencies list "small businesses" as eligible on many research, technology and economic development notices. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are the best known, but they are not the only ones. Most notices use the size standards of the U.S. Small Business Administration to decide what counts as small.
The list below shows every open opportunity in our database whose official notice lists small businesses as an eligible applicant type. Each listing links to a summary page and to the official notice.
Being in an eligible group is only the first check. Read the eligibility section of each notice for location, program focus, cost sharing and other conditions before you start an application.
Open opportunities
Pancreatic Cancer Detection Consortium: Management and Data Coordination Unit (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-28-057
NIA Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (ERA) Summer Research Education Program (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AG-26-011
NIA Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (ERA) Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AG-26-010
Centers for Structural Biology of HIV and Other Infectious Diseases (U54 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AI-28-031
U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program
Bureau of African Affairs · DFOP0019410
Enhancing Mechanistic Research on Precision Probiotic Therapies (R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-210
Enhancing Mechanistic Research on Precision Probiotic Therapies (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-211
NIGMS National and Regional Resources (R24 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-416
BRAIN Initiative: Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization- Next Generation Sensor Technology Development (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-MH-26-140
BRAIN Initiative: Reagent Resources for Brain Cell Type-Specific Access to Broaden Distribution of Enabling Technologies for Neuroscience (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-MH-26-120
Early-Stage Dissemination and Implementation Research in Communication Disorders (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DC-26-001
Preclinical Proof of Concept Studies for Rare Diseases (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-TR-25-002
Change of Recipient Organization (Type 7 Parent Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-254
NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-211
NHLBI Career Transition Award for Intramural Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Trainees (K22 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-209
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
U.S. National Science Foundation · 22-586
Cutting-Edge Basic Research Awards (CEBRA) (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-101
Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network (BPN): Biologic-based Drug Discovery and Development for Disorders of the Nervous System (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-293
D-START: Data Science Track Award for Research Transition (D/START) (R03-Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAS-25-236
Advancement and Innovation in Measurement of Language Development and Predictors (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-112
Frequently asked questions
Does being listed as eligible mean my organization qualifies?
No. The applicant type is only the first filter. Most notices add more conditions, such as location, program focus, matching funds or prior experience. Read the eligibility section of the official notice before you apply.
Is GovGrantsUSA a government website?
No. GovGrantsUSA is an independent platform operated by VRLY Ventures LLC. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Opportunity details are summarized from public federal sources such as Grants.gov.
Does it cost anything to apply for a federal grant?
Searching for and applying to federal grants on Grants.gov is free. Be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to "release" a grant or guarantees an award.
How current is this information?
Listings are refreshed from public federal data every day, and each page shows when it was last updated. Agencies can change or cancel a notice at any time, so always confirm details in the official notice.
What do I need before I can apply?
Most applicants through Grants.gov need an active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID (UEI), a Login.gov account and a Grants.gov account linked to their organization. Registration can take several weeks, so start early.