Small Business Grants: What Is Real and What Is Not
Network Navigator · July 13, 2026
Grants are real, competitive, and far smaller in volume than the internet suggests. Prepare for them the way you would prepare for a loan and you will win more of them.
Where legitimate grants come from
Corporate programs, community foundations, municipal and county recovery funds, industry associations, and occasionally federal pass-through dollars administered locally.
Federal grants for starting an ordinary for-profit business are effectively nonexistent. Federal money reaches small businesses through lending and contracting, not free capital.
How to be ready before one opens
Most windows are open two to four weeks. Assemble the packet now.
- Entity registration and EIN documentation.
- Current business and city licenses.
- Last two years of tax returns, or year-to-date financials if newer.
- A one-page business summary with a clear use of funds.
- A short, specific impact statement: jobs, customers served, neighborhood.
How to spot a scam
Never pay a fee to apply. No legitimate grantor requires payment, guarantees an award, or asks for banking credentials over social media. If it arrived in a direct message, assume it is fake.
Your next step
Local grant windows and cohort deadlines are posted there as they open.
Watch the events and opportunities calendar