Grants for Small Businesses

Transportation · Amount varies

This Illinois DOT program funds organizations to serve as Cycle Rider Safety Training Course Providers, delivering state-approved motorcycle safety courses to Illinois residents. Eligible applicants include community colleges, state universities, state/local government agencies, and for-profit or nonprofit businesses in good standing operating in Illinois, but motorcycle dealerships and businesses that derive income from motorcycle sales are not eligible.

DARPA - Information Processing Technologies Office · Amount varies

This DARPA program (DICE) seeks to develop theory and algorithms for decentralized coordination of heterogeneous AI agents that can operate under human control in contested environments. Eligibility is broad in principle: all responsible sources capable of meeting the government's needs may submit a proposal, subject to the detailed rules in the BAA, so research organizations and companies may apply. No specific award amount is stated; the deadline is August 25, 2026. Review the BAA for full eligibility and proposal requirements.

DARPA - Defense Sciences Office · Amount varies

This DARPA program (MMoMA) solicits innovative materials-analysis approaches, including surface and bulk analysis of molecular structure, composition, trace elements, and isotope ratios under ambient conditions without special sample preparation. Eligibility is broad in principle: all responsible sources capable of meeting the government's needs may submit a proposal, subject to the detailed rules in the BAA. Research that primarily yields evolutionary improvements is excluded. No specific award amount is stated; the deadline is August 26, 2026.

Workforce Development Board · Amount varies

This workforce development funding is open to businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies that form partnerships to build career pathway programs in the Quantum or Fusion technology sectors, covering everything from K-12 career exploration through community college credentialing and job placement. The Workforce Development Board plans to fund two or more partnerships, including both participant-serving and planning/development projects, but the listing does not specify a funding amount. Because the model requires multi-partner collaboration rather than a single applicant, solo organizations without partners may not fit the intended structure.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF PESOSE program supports turning open-source science and engineering research products into secure, sustainable ecosystems, and eligibility is broad: U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses), non-profit non-academic organizations, federal agencies and FFRDCs, state and local governments, U.S. institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Tribal Nations may apply. PIs generally must be U.S.-resident employees of the applicant; foreign organizations and overseas branch campuses are not eligible. No specific award amount is stated; the deadline is September 1, 2026.

Department of Pesticide Regulation · $100K–$1M

California's Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) 2027 Sustainable Pest Management Grants Program is open to a broad range of applicants, including nonprofits, businesses, individuals, universities, and government and tribal agencies. It funds projects that advance integrated pest management practices, such as alternatives to weed, rodent, and fumigant use, through research, outreach, and implementation in agricultural, urban, or wildland settings, with award budgets ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000. Principal investigators may submit at most two proposals per year, and all applicants must meet DPR's specific eligibility requirements outlined in the official solicitation. Applications are due by September 2, 2026.

CA Department of Food and Agriculture · Amount varies

California's Dairy Plus Program provides supplemental funding (about $34 million total, capped around $750 per cow and $1.25 million per project) for advanced manure management practices at commercial dairy operations, building on the state's Alternative Manure Management and Dairy Digester programs. Eligible applicants are California farmers, ranchers, and California Native American tribes operating a commercial dairy in the state; funds are paid on reimbursement. The deadline is September 14, 2026.

National Institute of Standards and Technology · Amount varies

This NIST program funds research and partnership activities across measurement science areas such as metrology, standards, nanotechnology, AI, advanced communications, and advanced manufacturing. Eligibility is broad, open to higher education, non-profit and for-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribes, hospitals, and foreign public entities and governments; individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not eligible. Award amounts are not specified here. NIST encourages minority-serving institutions and community colleges to apply.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency · $50K–$1.5M

Illinois EPA offers this Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant to a very wide range of applicants — individuals, small businesses, nonprofits, for-profit companies, schools/universities, and government organizations with legal standing to receive Illinois state funds — for projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution (like agricultural and stormwater runoff) in Illinois waterways. Awards range from $50,000 to $1,500,000, but applicants must provide matching funds, front project costs for later reimbursement, and be pre-qualified in Illinois' GATA portal (active SAM.gov registration, good standing, no debarment). Priority goes to projects implementing an already-approved watershed-based plan or TMDL plan; routine maintenance, permit-required activities, and pure habitat/flood-control projects are not eligible. Applications are due September 16, 2026.

Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) · $50K–$250K

Illinois-based nonprofits, small businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and public housing organizations can apply for this ICJIA grant, which funds capacity-building and violence-prevention work with awards up to $250,000. Applicants must have an annual operating budget under $2 million, must have already completed a structured capacity-building program and an independent organizational assessment, must be current in the state's GATA Grantee Portal, and must not have received ICJIA funding in the past 24 months. The application deadline is September 17, 2026.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program Idea Development Award funds early-stage, high-risk/high-reward research with the potential to advance outcomes for individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement, and offers separate categories for established and early-career or transitioning investigators. Preliminary data relevant to DMD are required, and clinical trials are not allowed. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program Clinical/Translational Research Award funds advanced translational research moving promising DMD ideas toward clinical application, at two funding levels by project size and complexity. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement, and a partnering PI option supports collaborations. Preliminary data are required for all applications, and pilot clinical trials and clinical trial readiness studies are allowed. No specific award amount is stated.

AGRICULTURE & MARKETS · Up to $16.9M

New York's Dairy Promotion or Research Program 2027 funds projects that market, promote, or research New York-produced fluid milk and dairy products, with a maximum award of about $16.9 million. It is open broadly to for-profit businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals. Applications are due September 18, 2026.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Clinical Trial Award funds clinical trials addressing congressionally directed FY26 topic areas, across three funding levels by trial phase and size. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement, so a range of research organizations may apply. Total cost caps run from about $800,000 for a planning phase up to roughly $20M for the largest trials, and animal studies are not supported. Applicants must complete all preclinical lab work before the award start date.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program Platform Clinical Translation Award funds translational development and early-phase clinical trials of broadly applicable clinical technologies addressing congressionally directed FY26 topic areas relevant to service members, veterans, and their families. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement, and multiple principal investigators are allowed. Total cost caps are about $15M per award, and a PI-convened external advisory board including a patient advocate is required. Funding is milestone-based and contingent on future-year appropriations.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Alzheimer's Research Program Transforming Research Award funds non-incremental research on reducing risk and preventing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, focused on risk factor knowledge or risk reduction solutions. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement. Clinical research is allowed but clinical trials and animal research are prohibited, preliminary data are required, and community collaboration is required when prospectively enrolling human subjects. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Alzheimer's Research Program Transforming Diagnosis Award funds solutions-oriented research that reduces barriers to diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognosis for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement. Clinical research is allowed but clinical trials and animal research are prohibited, preliminary data are required, and community collaboration is required when prospectively enrolling human subjects. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Alzheimer's Research Program Transforming Care Award funds clinical research and clinical trials evaluating interventions and solutions in dementia care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and their care partners. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement. Trials solely testing pharmacological interventions and studies using animal models do not meet the intent, preliminary data are required, and community collaboration is required when prospectively enrolling human subjects. No specific award amount is stated.

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · Amount varies

This Department of Defense (CDMRP) Kidney Cancer Research Program Idea Development Award funds high-impact, hypothesis-driven research that advances understanding of kidney cancer and aims to improve patient outcomes. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity type), subject to clarifications in the announcement, and a partnering PI option supports two-investigator collaborations. Project teams are expected to have a strong kidney cancer research background. No specific award amount is stated.

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · Amount varies

This NOAA/National Weather Service Broad Agency Announcement invites applications for special projects aligned with the NWS strategic plan and mission. Eligibility is broad and includes higher-education institutions, nonprofits, commercial organizations, international or foreign organizations and governments, individuals, and state, local, and tribal governments, subject to NOAA/NWS statutory authority for each activity. Federal organizations are generally outside the scope. No award amount is stated, and as a BAA it outlines a general framework rather than a single defined award; review the announcement for project-specific details.