Grant Deadlines

How to apply for a federal grant on Grants.gov

Grants.gov is the federal government's official site for finding and applying for federal grants. Applying is free. Here's how registration works, in plain English, with links to the official pages. Right now Grants.gov lists 881 open opportunities; our board sorts them by deadline.

This product uses the Grants.gov API but is not endorsed or certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Grant Deadlines is an independent site, not part of Grants.gov or any agency. Follow the official instructions on Grants.gov and SAM.gov.

Is Grants.gov legit?

Yes. Grants.gov is an official U.S. government website, run for the federal government by the Department of Health and Human Services. Grants.gov warns that scam artists promise access to "free money" from the government, often for a fee. In reality, it says, federal grants are rarely awarded to individuals seeking personal benefits, and applying for a grant is completely free. (Grants.gov: Grant Fraud)

Applying for an organization (nonprofit, school, business, local government)

  1. Register the organization in SAM.gov. Grants.gov uses SAM.gov to confirm who can apply for an organization. Registration is free, gives the organization a Unique Entity ID (UEI), and must be renewed every year. Grants.gov says to allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration to become active, and longer if information can't be verified.
  2. Name the main contact. The organization picks an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) in SAM.gov.
  3. Create the Grants.gov account. The EBiz POC creates a Grants.gov account with the same email used in SAM.gov and adds an organization applicant profile using the UEI.
  4. Give others access. The EBiz POC can assign roles such as Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) or Workspace Manager to people who will prepare and submit applications.

Source: Grants.gov: Applicant Registration. You can't start applying in Grants.gov until the organization's SAM.gov registration is active, so start early.

Applying as an individual

Grants.gov says most grants are for organizations, but some are open to individuals. Our list of federal grants open to individuals shows the current ones, by deadline. Check each listing's eligibility section carefully.

Don't miss the deadline

Every listing on Grant Deadlines shows the days left and offers a calendar file. Start with grants closing this week, the next 30 days, or forecasted grants that agencies expect to post. Browse by nonprofits, small businesses or agency and category.

Last reviewed Oct 14, 2026 against the Grants.gov pages linked above. Not legal or financial advice.