Are You “Grant Ready?”
As long as you follow the rules, a grant is money you don’t have to pay back. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to work for it. There is a lot of “leg-work” and decision-making that needs to happen prior to preparing a successful grant application. Both government and private grantors are far more likely to fund businesses with long-term stability and/or a formal business plan that specifies business goals, objectives, and priorities. Likewise, grantors are far more likely to fund projects that are carefully thought-out, planned, detailed, and supported by documented research. Before you consider pursuing a grant, it pays to have these things in place and to verify your initial eligibility. If you can answer the following questions, you are well on your way to becoming “Grant Ready.” - How long have you been in business?
- What professional associations does your business hold?
- What professional credentials / qualifications do your management staff and employees hold?
- Do your management staff and key-employees have current resume’s?
- Does your business retain the services of a professional accountant?
- Have you or any of your business’s principals:
Within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property? Within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default? A "Yes" answer to any of these questions will disqualify your business from government grant funding. - Are you or any of your business’s principals:
Presently delinquent on any payments to a government agency? Presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency? Presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any offense listed above? A "Yes" answer to any of these questions will disqualify your business from government grant funding. - Does your business have a formal operating plan that specifies goals, objectives and priorities?
- Have you identified and documented goals and objectives for the proposed project?
- What sort of a project are you proposing?
Energy Efficiency? Renewable Energy? Sustainable Agriculture? Business Development? Educational? Research & Development / Technology? (If so, please also address the specific questions on this link) Other? - What is the full scope of your proposed project? (I.e. is this project a component of a larger multi-faceted project?)
- Are there any additional grants pending or proposed for this project, or for additional projects on the proposed site?
- Has your business ever applied for a grant?
- Has your business ever received any previous grants?
- Has any business ever received a grant for a project completed on the proposed project site?
- Has a project schedule / time-line been completed?
- Will your project require or benefit from partners, strategic alliances or collaborators?
- Have you identified possible partners, strategic alliances or collaborators for your project?
- What are the benefits of the proposed project?
Environmental? Energy? Economic? Educational / Social? Other? - How will you measure the results of the proposed project?
- What is the total project cost?
- Do you have a complete, itemized project bid / budget?
- Why do you need grant funding for this project?
- What are your sources for required “matching funds,” or for project costs not covered by grant funding? Have you verified these sources?
- If awarded, who will administrate the grant? (preparing technical reports and satisfying other reporting requirements)
- What are the credentials / qualifications of the proposed grant administrator?
- Will the proposed project be for 100% commercial use?
- Has research been completed for the proposed project?
- If applicable, has a site assessment or an energy audit been completed?
- What specific actions and/or equipment have you chosen for this project?
- Why have you chosen the specific actions and/or equipment?
- If applicable, do you have technical data for the equipment you have chosen?
- If applicable, do you have warranty and service information for the equipment you have chosen?
- Do you have supporting documentation for the research that has been completed?
- If applicable, has a third-party feasibility study been completed for this project?
- If applicable, has an engineering report been completed for this project?
- If applicable, has an environmental impact study been completed for this project?
- Is your proposed project site located in a 100-year flood plain as defined by FEMA?
- Does the surrounding community support the proposed project?
- Can you acquire letters of support for this project from the surrounding community?
- Do any professional associations or government entities support this project?
- Can you acquire letters of support for this project from professional associations or government entities?
- Will your business be actively involved in the completion of the project?
If so, in what manner will your business be involved? - If contractors are required, have you chosen contractors for the proposed project?
- What criteria did you use to choose the contractor(s)? (I.e. why did you choose them?)
- What are your contractors’ credentials / qualifications?
- How long has your contractor been in business?
- Do you have at least 2 additional competitive bids from other contractors?
- Have any of your contractors’ business, or principals in their business:
Within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property? Within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default? A "Yes" answer to any of these questions will disqualify your contractor from receiving any government grant funding as payment for their products or services. - Are any of your contractors’ business, or principals in their business:
Presently delinquent on any payments to a government agency? Presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency? Presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any offense listed above? A "Yes" answer to any of these questions will disqualify your contractor from receiving any government grant funding as payment for their products or services. - What permits or additional regulatory considerations will be required for this project?
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