Is There Such a Thing as FREE Money From The Government?

Are government grants real? Is there such a things as free money from the government?

Like many persistent rumors, the one about government grants contains a grain of truth. The government does hand out grant money,  just not to folks like you and me. The government might give a grant to a university, for example, to explore the efficacy of an experimental drug. But money to help prop up your small business? Nope.

How do I know? Well, other than the fact that it’s completely illogical to expect taxpayer money to be given to for-profit businesses, Uncle Sam also says so in black and white.

Here’s a cut-and-paste from this page of U.S. Small Business Administration…

Grants
The federal government does NOT provide grants for starting and expanding a business.
Government grants are funded by your tax dollars and therefore require very stringent compliance and reporting measures to ensure the money is well spent. As you can imagine, grants are not given away indiscriminately.

Grants from the federal government are only available to non-commercial organizations, such as non-profits and educational institutions in areas such as, medicine, education, scientific research and technology development. The federal government also provides grants to state and local governments to assist them with economic development.

In short, there’s virtually no such thing as free money in the form of a government grant for a for-profit business or ordinary citizens. Anyone promising one in exchange for a fee is a liar and a thief.
If you’re trying to get financial help for your business, check out the SBA’s site at http://www.sba.gov/. You won’t get free money, but you will get free information on finding funding, including government-guaranteed loans.