Finally starting your small business can be really thrilling and both exciting at the same time. To finally see your idea  of a new venture come to life. However, it can be quite scary at the same time. Especially when talking about the budget. Not everybody has the resources they need to immediately begin with their venture and expect a profit. That is why grant proposals are usually a thing. Although grants are usually for the funding of academic papers and researches, some grants can also be for the sake of funding small and startup businesses. They are far from a slam dunk or a straight answer to a funding emergency, they do have a role in supporting the financial components of your venture.

Writing a grant proposal should mean that either you have a valuable research to do or a particular nonprofit to build and a community resource you are passionate about. You may have a distinct vision for how something could be improved or your business can be successful. You are ready to ask for funding or other means of support to bring your vision into reality. A grant proposal is a document or set of documents that you submit to an organization or corporation with the intent of securing funding for your project. Regardless of the document’s purpose, shape, or form, the document’s purpose is to gather just about the money you need and more to ensure the success of your business. Draft your business in a good well-written manner by checking out these small business grant proposal samples that we have listed down below. Once you’ve acquainted yourself with the document, what it looks like and how it works, feel free to use these samples as a guide or even as a template for your own small business grant proposal.

10+ Small Business Grant Proposal Samples

1. Small Business Grant Proposal Template

small business grant proposal template

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2. Small Business Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 99 KB

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3. Small Business Council Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 89 KB

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4. Small Business Continuity Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 148 KB

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5. Small Business Meeting Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 119 KB

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6. Small Business Development Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 151 KB

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7. Small Business Assistance Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 416 KB

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8. Small Business Community Grant Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 450 KB

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9. Small Business Marketing Grant Program Proposal

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  • PDF

Size: 46 KB

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10. Small Business Grant Program Proposal Form

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Size: 239 KB

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11. Small Business Grant Request for Proposal

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Size: 7 KB

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What Is a Small Business Grant Proposal?

Grant proposals are a set of applications, documents, or a set of documents that is submitted to external or internal companies and organizations with the intent of securing budget and funding for your project or venture. Grant writing varies across different disciplines. Most usually for researches and academic writings, grant proposals can also be for cases such as these, the funding for small businesses. Writing successful grant proposals involves a long process that stems from a single idea. It’s more of a circular process than linear. From the definition of your questions or problems, to the broad sense of your venture, then back to your original problem and why it needs to be dealt with.

You will then have to present and communicate this purpose to the committee in-charge of reviewing your application. That is why it is imperative that you have a crystal clear view of what you want to happen, and how your small business can contribute to achieving your goal. There are at least three different types of proposals, ranging from a letter to a full-blown proposal or application.

How to Write a Small Business Grant Proposal

Grant proposals are often divided into different sections with different titles depending on the guidelines that have been specified by the organization in-charge of reviewing your application. However, they frequently serve just about the same purposes. We will identify these main elements below.

  • Short overview
    Present the most important elements of your proposal in this section. Write it in as few sentences as possible, clear and concise. For longer proposals, you can dedicate a whole page for this section, but make sure to not cram too much information in such small space. Keep it clean, keep it clear, keep it straight to the point.
  • Examination of a problem
    Your project is important because it responds to a gap in resources, demand, or in an opportunity that really needs to be filled. To be able to establish the value of your project, clarify the need or problem that your project revolves around. Establish the context, the population it affects and their demographics. Include any form of data if appropriate of necessary.
  • Description of your project
    Now that you have established the need for your venture, it is time to describe it. State your goals, your projected outcomes, the methods you’ll need to achieve those outcomes, and the criteria of success that your project will be operating with. Highlighting the details of the outcomes of your project is important because funders would typically want to see how you’ve established the realistic benefits of your work together with how you plan to assess and verify your achievements.
  • Budget and resources
    You have to clarify what you’re asking for and why you’re asking for such amounts. That’s why it’s important to highlight what resources you are currently working with and how much additional resources you need. Budget is usually formatted in tables and figures. With each section clearly and properly labeled.
  • Other sections
    Depending on the committee that will oversee your grant proposal, they might need some additional sections to add to your report.

    • Cover Letter
    • Organizational Qualifications
    • Supporting Documents

FAQs

What is a standard grant?

A standard grant is a type of grant in which the NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support and funding for a specific period of time.

What are the three types of proposals?

  • Formally solicited
  • Informally solicited
  • Unsolicited

What is the format of a proposal?

The general structure of a proposal is as follows

  • An overview of the problem
  • The solution
  • Costs and budget
  • Benefits

Writing a grant proposal is no easy task. It requires close analyzation of your vision and consider how your project will serve as a solution in response to a gap, problem, or a deficiency in your chosen environment. However daunting, the process can be really rewarding on your ends. You just have to brace yourself from rejection, and learn to recover from your mistakes to try again.

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