SEDI grants are designed for small businesses and social enterprises owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI), generally requiring 51% or more ownership by individuals facing systemic, financial, or geographical barriers. Eligible entities often include very small businesses (fewer than 10 employees) and those located in, or serving, underserved communities.
What are grant requirements?
You're eligible to apply for funding through America's Seed fund if your company: Is a for-profit entity located in the U.S. Has fewer than 500 employees (most applicants have fewer than 10). Is owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Eligibility: Individuals must have a permanent physical disability. Applicants are eligible to choose one category each year. Sports expense grant is eligible every year. Equipment grant is eligible every five years (18 and over) or every three years (under 18) after last Equipment grant award.
The government does not offer "free money" for individuals. Federal grants are typically only for states and organizations. But you may be able to get a federal loan for education, a small business, and more. If you need help with food, health care, or utilities, visit USA.gov's benefits page.
The three main types of funding for businesses are Equity, where investors buy ownership; Debt, which involves borrowing money to be repaid with interest; and Retained Earnings, using the company's own profits, often with a hybrid option blending debt and equity. For students, common types include scholarships, bursaries, and study loans, while grants and crowdfunding are other sources.
NSF grant eligibility varies widely by program, but generally requires applicants to be U.S. citizens/permanent residents (for many individual awards like GRFP), affiliated with a qualified U.S. institution (like universities or non-profits), and meet specific criteria for their career stage (student, postdoc, early-career) or business type (SBIR/STTR), focusing on STEM/STEM education fields and demonstrating strong research or innovation potential, with some programs targeting low-income students or specific institutional types.
How to raise seed money for a startup
How to Apply for Grants
For the purpose of this Scheme, a Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SME) is an enterprise that has asset base (excluding land) of between N5million –N500 million and labour force of between 11 and 300. All Deposit Money Banks and Development Finance Institutions (DFIS) shall be eligible.
Most of the funding opportunities on Grants.gov are for organizations, not individuals. If you are looking for personal financial assistance or other types of funding, check out the Grant Programs section to learn about how to find other forms of funding from the government.
If you're struggling financially, you can get free money through government programs (like SNAP, LIHEAP for utilities, TANF), charitable grants (via 211 or Turn2Us), local assistance (council schemes for rent/bills), or earning quick cash by selling unwanted items or doing gig work (delivery, babysitting). Focus on immediate needs with utility/rent help and long-term stability with benefits and job training.
What: The EIDL advance grant is a form of small business relief providing $10,000 dollars in grants, i.e., completely free and non-repayable money, to select small businesses. The grant program was part of the initial CARES Act in 2020, but funds were exhausted within weeks.
The 4 Types of Grants
Type 1 — New — provides PHS support for a new research project grant. Type 2 — Renewal — extends a project period that would otherwise expire for one or more grant budget periods; applications are peer reviewed and compete for funding.
In general, soft funding can be described as funding without the requirement for dilution of ownership or return on investment from the funding body. Grants are the most common form of soft funding, often given by public bodies or institutions for a specific end.
Series C funding has the goal of preparing a company to be acquired, go public on the stock market or undergo significant expansion, possibly through acquisition. It's usually the last stage of fundraising a startup goes through, although some businesses pursue additional rounds to raise more capital.
Equities have a higher potential for growth even though more volatile in the short-term as compared to hybrid and debt funds. A well-diversified equity fund is more likely to offer stable growth over the long-term.
The Targeted EIDL Advance provided funds of up to $10,000 to applicants who were in a low-income community, could demonstrate more than 30% reduction in revenue during an eight-week period beginning on March 2, 2020, or later, and had 300 or fewer employees.