ABSTRACT
At the start of 2010, cleantech grant experts Skipso has identified at least $26 billion in specific grants and other programs already available for green businesses. With the wealth of funding available and to be made available in the coming years, understanding government funding is a must for any green business. Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1000 federal government grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards. It allows one to segment grants into one of the 21 categories of government grants including Business and Commerce, Energy, Environmental Quality, Natural Resources, the Recovery Act, and Science and Technology, each of which may have specific applicability to green entrepreneurs. The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program offers business and industry guaranteed loans to improve, develop, or finance business, industry, and employment—and improve the economic and environmental climate—in rural communities.
