Total Federal Spending
$1.08 trillion#1 federal grants to state and local governments in FY2023, the latest final year in CRS's series.
Source: CRS R40638, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments (2025)
$616 billion#2 Medicaid federal share in FY2023, about 57% of all federal grants to state and local governments.
Source: CRS R40638, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments (2025)
26.5%#3 of state and local government revenue came from federal grants in FY2022.
Source: CRS R40638, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments (2025)
1,183#4 funded federal grant programs open to state and local governments in FY2025.
Source: CRS R40638, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments (2025)
1,536#5 funding opportunities on Grants.gov on September 26, 2026: 925 posted and 611 forecasted.
Source: Grants.gov search (posted and forecasted) (2026)
26#6 federal grant-making agencies use grants.gov as the central application portal.
Source: Grants.gov agency directory
$194.2 billion#7 federal R&D obligations in FY2024: DoD $97.9B, HHS $48.8B, DOE $16.9B, NASA $10.9B, NSF $7.0B.
Source: NSF NCSES, Federal Funds for R&D (2026)
$4.73 billion#8 in SBIR ($4.12B) and STTR ($618M) awards in FY2022, the latest SBA annual report.
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
3.2%#9 of participating agencies' extramural R&D budgets is set aside for SBIR every year since FY2017; STTR's set-aside is 0.45%.
Source: 15 U.S.C. 638(f) and (n)
Per-Agency Breakdown
$47.1 billion#10 NIH FY2024 budget, the largest federal funder of biomedical research.
Source: CRS R43341, NIH Funding (2024)
$9.06 billion#11 NSF FY2024 enacted budget, the primary funder of non-medical basic research.
Source: NSF FY2024 Budget (2024)
$50.2 billion#12 DOE FY2024 enacted budget, including the weapons stockpile, the Office of Science and energy programs.
Source: CRS R47553, Energy and Water Appropriations FY2024 (2024)
$228 billion#13 USDA estimated FY2024 outlays, about 84% of them mandatory; Rural Development is a major grant and loan pipeline.
Source: USDA FY2024 Budget Summary (2024)
$73.3 billion#14 HUD FY2024 gross budget; CDBG, HOME and Continuum of Care are major grant lines.
Source: CRS R47687, HUD Appropriations FY2024 (2024)
$79.1 billion#15 Department of Education FY2024 discretionary budget; Title I and Pell Grants are the largest lines.
Source: CRS R47936, Education Appropriations FY2024 (2024)
$9.16 billion#16 EPA FY2024 enacted budget (P.L. 118-42).
Source: CRS IF12626, EPA FY2024 Appropriations (2024)
$13.9 billion#17 DOL discretionary budget requested for FY2025; apprenticeship, YouthBuild and reentry grants are competitive lines.
Source: DOL FY2025 Budget in Brief (2024)
$1.18 billion#18 SBA FY2024 appropriation, separate from its loan-guarantee authority.
Source: CRS R43846, SBA Appropriations (2025)
~$2.6 billion#19 BIA FY2024 operating level under the continuing resolution; tribes also receive funding through HUD and IHS.
Source: Interior FY2025 Budget in Brief, BIA (2024)
SBIR/STTR Economics
11#20 federal agencies participate in SBIR; a smaller group, including DoD, HHS, DOE, NASA and NSF, also runs STTR.
Source: CRS R48629, SBIR and STTR Programs (2025)
$323,090#21 SBIR Phase I award cap without an SBA waiver (guideline updated April 2026).
Source: SBIR.gov About (2026)
$2,153,927#22 SBIR Phase II award cap without an SBA waiver (April 2026).
Source: SBIR.gov About (2026)
31%#23 of SBIR Phase II proposals were selected in FY2022 (2,344 of 7,476).
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
17.6%#24 program-wide Phase I selection rate in FY2022 (SBIR 16%, STTR 23%).
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
6-12 months#25 typical SBIR Phase I period of performance.
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
24 months#26 typical SBIR Phase II period of performance.
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
$2.15 billion#27 DoD SBIR awards in FY2022, the largest agency; HHS $1.14B, DOE $337M, NSF $203M and NASA $190M follow.
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
2,927#28 new SBIR Phase I awards in FY2022 (3,859 including STTR).
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
2,344#29 new SBIR Phase II awards in FY2022 (plus 356 STTR).
Source: SBA SBIR/STTR Annual Report FY2022 (2024)
$0#30 equity dilution required for SBIR/STTR funding; awards are non-dilutive grants and contracts.
Source: SBIR.gov About
Small Business Grants
$5 million#31 SBA 7(a) loan-guarantee maximum (a federally backed loan, not a grant in the strict sense).
Source: SBA 7(a) program
$50,000#32 SBA Microloan maximum, administered through nonprofit intermediaries.
Source: SBA Microloans
$0#33 direct cash grants offered by the SBA to for-profit small businesses; SBA grants are restricted to nonprofit intermediaries and special programs.
Source: SBA Grants
$200,000#34 FY2026 USDA Value-Added Producer Grant ceiling for working capital ($50,000 for planning).
Source: USDA RD VAPG FY2026 NOFO (2026)
$10,000-$500,000#35 typical USDA Rural Business Development Grant range; there is no set maximum, and smaller requests earn priority points.
Source: USDA RBDG (2026)
$500,000#36 USDA REAP grant ceiling for renewable energy systems under the standing rule ($250,000 for efficiency); USDA rescinded the REAP grant funding notice on April 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register 2026-07332 (2026)
36.2 million#37 small businesses in the United States.
Source: SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile (2025)
$44.8 billion#38 in SBA 7(a) ($37B) and 504 ($7.8B) loans approved in FY2025.
Source: SBA FY2025 lending release (2025)
Nonprofit Funding
1.92 million#39 IRS-recognized 501(c) organizations in FY2025, 1.60 million of them 501(c)(3).
Source: IRS Data Book 2025, Tables 1 and 2 (2026)
$2.62 trillion#40 total US nonprofit revenue in 2016, the latest NCCS sector estimate (public charities: $2.04 trillion).
Source: Urban Institute NCCS, Nonprofit Sector in Brief (2019)
29%#41 of nonprofit revenue came from government grants and contracts in 2022; 68% of nonprofits received government funding.
Source: Urban Institute, Nonprofit Trends and Impacts (2024)
23 of 50#42 programs in the GrantProbe federal grant audit explicitly allow 501(c)(3) nonprofit applicants.
~46%#43 of audited federal programs allow 501(c)(3) applicants, the largest single eligibility tag.
Source: GrantProbe 2026 audit
5x#44 a community's latest CDBG grant is the cap on its HUD Section 108 loan guarantees, less outstanding balances.
Source: HUD Exchange, Section 108 (2026)
Tribal & Minority Grants
575#45 federally recognized tribes on the January 30, 2026 list.
Source: Federal Register 2026-01899 (2026)
15 of 50#46 programs in the GrantProbe audit explicitly include tribal entities; the BIA layer adds more.
Source: GrantProbe 2026 audit
$20 billion#47 DOE Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee authority (IRA 2022); one loan has closed, and the 2025 reconciliation law rescinded the unobligated IRA credit subsidy.
Source: GAO-25-108720 (2025)
$75 million#48 HUD Indian Community Development Block Grant appropriation in FY2024 and FY2025.
Source: HUD FY2026 Congressional Justification (2025)
13.0 million#49 minority-owned (Hispanic or racial minority) US businesses; many can use SBA 8(a) and HUBZone contracting programs.
Source: SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 Small Business Profile (2025)
8(a)#50 SBA program provides up to 9 years of preferential federal contracting access for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses.
Source: SBA 8(a)
State-Specific Programs
50+#51 jurisdictions run SSBCI programs: all 50 states, DC, the territories and Tribal governments.
Source: Treasury SSBCI (2024)
$10 billion#52 SSBCI funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Source: Treasury SSBCI (2024)
$3.3 billion#53 CDBG formula grants in FY2024 and FY2025, flowing to states and entitlement communities.
Source: HUD FY2026 Congressional Justification (2025)
$1.25 billion#54 HOME Investment Partnerships funding in FY2024 and FY2025.
Source: HUD FY2026 Congressional Justification, HOME (2025)
~$3.35 billion#55 EPA Clean Water SRF funding for FY2026: $746M base after earmarks plus $2.6B from the Infrastructure Law, whose final year is FY2026.
Source: CRS IF13177, SRF Appropriations FY2026 (2026)
$7.2 billion#56 EPA FY2026 allotments across the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs combined.
Source: EPA FY2026 SRF allotments memo (2026)
$56.8 billion#57 FHWA formula contract authority apportioned to states for FY2026, the last year of the Infrastructure Law's authorization.
Source: FHWA IIJA funding (2026)
$178 billion#58 appropriated to the HHS Provider Relief Fund by the CARES Act and later laws; providers kept about $135 billion.
Source: GAO-23-106083 (2023)
Foundation Grants
$117 billion#59 given by US foundations in 2025, on top of the federal layer.
Source: Giving USA 2026 (IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy) (2026)
5%#61 minimum payout requirement for private foundations, anchoring the annual grantmaking floor.
Source: 26 U.S.C. 4942
$8.47 billion#62 Gates Foundation total charitable support in 2025, the largest US private foundation.
Source: Gates Foundation fact sheet (2026)
19%#63 of US charitable giving came from foundations in 2025 ($117B of $617B).
Source: Giving USA 2026 (IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy) (2026)
Application Success Rates
27%#65 NSF funding rate for all competitive proposals in FY2023 (25% for research grants).
Source: NSF FY2025 Budget Request, performance data (2024)
17.5%#66 average NIH SBIR Phase I success rate over the National Academies study period (range 13.7% to 27.1%).
Source: National Academies, SBIR/STTR at NIH (2015)
Time-to-Award
7-11 months#67 from an NIH application due date to the earliest project start date on a standard cycle.
Source: NIH Standard Due Dates (2026)
90 days#69 SBIR policy target for notifying Phase I applicants at most agencies; NIH and NSF may take up to a year.
Source: SBIR/STTR Policy Directive (2026)
Up to 10 business days#70 for a new SAM.gov registration to become active; it is required before any federal grant or contract submission.
Source: SAM.gov entity registration (2026)
20%#71 of the 50 programs in the GrantProbe audit accept applications on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline.
Source: GrantProbe 2026 Federal Grant Reality Audit (2026)
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