TLDR:
In business, a grant is non-dilutive funding awarded by government agencies, foundations, or organizations that does not require repayment or equity, typically tied to specific purposes like research, innovation, or social impact.
Grant Types and Strategies
Government grants for startups span a wide range of programs. In the US, SBIR and STTR programs provide up to $2M+ in non-dilutive funding for early-stage technology development. In Europe, the European Innovation Council Accelerator offers up to €17.5M in combined grants and equity. National programs in the UK (Innovate UK), Germany (BMWi), France (BPI), Israel (Israel Innovation Authority), and Singapore (Enterprise Singapore) provide similar support for domestic innovators.
Successfully winning grants requires understanding the evaluation criteria and aligning proposals accordingly. Government innovation grants typically prioritize technical novelty, commercial viability, additionality (would this work happen without the grant?), and economic impact (how many jobs, how much GDP?). Startups with strong technical co-founders and research institution partnerships tend to be most competitive for grants. Grant writing is a specialized skill — many successful grant-seeking startups hire dedicated grant writers to improve win rates.