Grant Funding Truths and Resources

Are there Grants available to start my business?

There is a misconception that grants are available for starting a business. This myth is particularly strong among special populations such as minorities, women and veterans.  Although there are grants available to tribes and non profits contributing to the well-being of tribal communities, there are not many grant funded opportunities for individuals wanting to start a business.   There are several government agencies that provide grant funding for specific research proposals (see SBIR below) but these are generally for established businesses.  The following resources will educate you on what grants are available from different branches of the federal government.  Please note that these resources are FREE.  Do not fall prey to those sites or solicitations that charge you to obtain the same information which the government provides for free.  Also, be aware that legitimate government information is found at websites with the .gov extension not at a .com or .net, etc.

FedGrants site contains a list of all federal government agencies and grant opportunities from the agencies. It contains a search capability that allows you to search for funding opportunities.
Web site: fedgrants.gov/Applicants

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance gives you access to a database of all Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. Web site: www.cfda.gov

Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is the single access point for over 900 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.  Web site: www.grants.gov

Small Business Innovation Research program was originally established in 1982 by the Small Business Innovation Development Act. Ten federal agencies set aside a portion of their extramural R&D budget each year to fund research proposals from small science and technology-based firms. This web site gives you access to the ten federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program. Web site: patapsco.nist.gov/ts_sbir/links.htm

The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See www.sba.gov/financing  for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments. The Small Business Development Center is one program which receives SBA grant funds.


Taxation In Indian Country

This section links you to sites that address the complex issue of taxation on and off Indian reservations. Federally recognized Indian tribes are sovereign nations that have a unique relationship with the United States government. Through treaties, the federal government has a trust responsibility to provide certain services to Indian Tribes. As sovereign nations, tribes are not subject to most state taxes and regulations. Indian tribes do however negotiate compacts with states as it relates to gaming, cigarettes, liquor and gasoline. In most cases Native Americans are not taxed on treaty-related rights such as fishing and hunting.

Practical uses of the sites below include:

These sites will cover different tax issues and regulations as they pertain to individual Native Americans and non-natives doing business on and off reservations.

Internal Revenue Service - This site contains a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding taxation issues for Indian tribes and Native Americans. These frequently asked questions and answers are provided for general information only and should not be cited as any type of legal authority. They are designed to provide the user with information required to respond to general inquiries. Due to the uniqueness and complexities of Indian law and Federal tax law, it is imperative to ensure a full understanding of the specific question presented, and to perform the requisite research to ensure a correct response is provided.

Web site: www.irs.gov/govt/tribes/article/0,,id=108391,00.html

Empowerment Zones - This web site describes the areas that have been designated empowerment zones and explains the tax benefits available to businesses in those zones. The empowerment zone designations will generally remain in effect until the end of 2009. Many Indian reservations are considered empowerment zones.

Web site: www.irs.gov/publications/p954/ar02.html

This site is the national Indian law library. It contains several publications on taxation in Indian Country.

Web site: www.narf.org/nill/research/secondarylaw.htm

The SBDC also offers general business information and links that can be helpful as you develop your business idea.