Many U.S. government agencies, including the DOE, USDA, and HUD, offer competitive grant funding for a wide range of project types. These grants are highly desirable because, unlike loans or bonds, they do not require repayment.

Who’s Eligible?

Federal grant funding is available across many industries, including affordable housing, renewable/green energy, education/workforce training, and infrastructure development. Eligible applicants may include nonprofits, local governments, and private for-profit companies. Though it is crucial to note that applicant, activity, and cost-sharing eligibility criteria will vary from program to program.

How Does Grant Writing Work?

  1. Identify Opportunities: Our team monitors federal funding announcements (called NOFOs or Notices of Funding Opportunities) to identify grants that align with our clients’ goals.
  2. Check Eligibility: Not all organizations qualify for every grant. We confirm that our client meets the specific requirements, including applicant and activity eligibility.
  3. Stakeholder Alignment: When needed, we coordinate with local municipalities, community organizations, and partner entities to form a united effort.
  4. Develop Application Narrative: Depending on the program requirements, we write a concept paper and/or detailed project narrative explaining the project’s goals, program priority alignment, community impact, budget, team capacity, and how federal funds will be used.
  5. Submission and Ongoing Compliance: Our team will submit the completed grant application package and assist with any follow-up questions or documentation requested by the federal funding agency.
  6. Monitoring Application Progress: We utilize close relationships with agency representatives to monitor the progress of our clients’ applications. Our team leverages these relationships to adjust applications when needed to meet new government administration priority changes.

Why Federal Grants Are So Impactful

Federal grants are a valuable tool for getting projects off the ground because, unlike loans, they do not have to be repaid or accrue interest. Grants usually come in two forms: cash grants, which provide funding before the money is spent (most desirable), or reimbursement grants, where the project team fronts the cost and receives repayment afterward. Federal grants can fund early-stage work like planning and design, construction, equipment, or staff during the project, and build long-term credibility that can help attract other funding. Overall, federal grants can close project financing gaps and make ambitious projects more realistic.