“Show Me The Money!" Win Millions: Our Government Grants Playbook (Part 2)
From selection to submission, join us behind the scenes as we demystify the process of winning government funding. Funders: send this series to those you cannot fully fund. Funding roundup at the end!
Scroll to the bottom for our weekly funding roundup! And don’t miss the KungFu Panda meme - especially if you’ve been avoiding government funding…
Dear Impact Star,
Let's be real — winning a grant isn’t easy. It's a mix of having game-changing ideas and sweating the tiny details. Mess up one little form, and you're disqualified before you can say "but wait!"
If you read the first issue in this “Show Me The Money!” government grant series last week (https://findfundingfaster.substack.com/p/show-me-the-money-win-millions-our), you know we are in the throes of applying for a $1.2 million grant for one of our revolutionary clients.
It has been an intense few weeks and we are close to the finish line. If we win this grant, the team gets capital from the US government to fund their research. No equity, no strings attached. Just pure money to bankroll the reinvention of a filthy commodity-priced industry that pollutes and sickens into a regenerative and profitable one.
The Devil is in The Details
I'm combing through the grant instructions with a fine-tooth comb, highlighting every little thing that could trip us up. Stumbling upon a crucial detail, I snap a screenshot and shoot it over to Jeff, one of the principal investigators.
"Hey Jeff, check this out. It says, 'The forms you need to submit have changed. If you submit the old forms, you will be disqualified.’”
“Thanks, Neesha. I’ll make sure to inform Jessica - she’s the one who will be submitting the grant on our behalf.”
One of our other clients bootstrapped their research and development with $10 million in federal grants as their timeline didn’t align with venture capital’s 5-7 year window. Meanwhile, an almost-identical company accepted VC funding but failed to deliver. The CEO was ousted, and the company folded. The takeaway here isn’t that venture capital is bad. It is simply that seeking the right capital at the right time is key. If you’re a funder or serve as an advisor to impact innovators, you’ve likely seen this play out over and over again — and after a while, patterns begin to emerge.
Keep Calm and Carry On
Spinning multiple plates with deadlines looming? It's a lot. Especially when my dog is shamelessly sunbathing on the back porch while we fill out a particularly boring form. So I use her as fuel to keep us going:
Why Innovators Don’t Grok Grants
When you apply for a government grant, there are TONS of forms that must be completed accurately and submitted on time. In the US alone, applicants must navigate a trifecta of bureaucratic systems – eRA Commons, SAM.gov, and Grants.gov – each with its own set of protocols and technological hurdles. There are similar steps in other countries. Some of this paperwork is complicated and cumbersome. The technology isn’t always the most user-friendly.
Sometimes I will admit, the process has me cursing like a sailor in a storm. So much damn paperwork, so many steps to follow.
It's a tedious reality at odds with the big-picture visionary mindset that often catalyzes groundbreaking innovation. Most pioneers are skydiving philosophers, not detail-oriented draftspeople.
I have the same tendencies so that's why I developed a robust process to manage these intricacies. It’s impossible to be strategic and tactical at the same time without a system to keep things organized.
Three Kinds of Leaders Struggle With Grants:
The Avoider
I once found the perfect federal grant for a brilliant clean tech founder - a dream funding match. Yet he passed on millions in equity-free capital. For this engineering visionary, the paperwork labyrinth felt too intimidating. He was rejected by over 100 investors, ran out of personal savings, and gave up on his vision.
Sometimes, an impact investor encounters an exceptional visionary that needs additional capital they cannot provide. This is when we leverage grant money to cross over the first or second 'valley of death'."
The Procrastinator
There are those who wait till the very last minute to do this onerous paperwork. Then at the 11th hour, they realize they can’t submit the grant due to some technical or paperwork snafu.
Most visionary-types tend to procrastinate on these things. That’s why we have calendar reminders set up. Because, trust me, if I can, I WILL wait till the last minute…
The Lone Ranger - Superhero
There are innovators who try to do the entire grant by themselves. They suffer from what I call ‘The Lone Ranger - Superhero’ complex.
This grant we are working on is incredibly complex and none of us could have pulled it off alone. We divided and conquered so the lead researchers could focus on the technical sections. It was truly inspiring and incredible to witness how the team came together as one united entity. We did have a couple of hiccups, but we didn’t allow them to take us off track.
There’s nothing wrong in getting help when you’re writing your first grant or your next one. In fact, trying to do ALL. THE. THINGS. will likely make you lose your mind.
In next week’s episode, we’ll share how to win… even if you don’t win the grant. Even funders will likely find this idea intriguing and useful because it transcends money.
Warmest,
Neesha
P.S. What filling in grant paperwork feels like…
FUNDING ROUNDUP
United States:
🌊 Marine Energy University Foundational R&D: Advance marine energy and offshore wind technologies through foundational research. Eligibility: Open to public and private institutions of higher education, including Minority Serving Institutions. 💰 Funding: $14.5M available for 32 awards, ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000.
📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024
🌐 PDS Annual Program Statement 2024, U.S. Mission to France, Department of State: Open competition for organizations to submit Statements of Interest (SOIs) including Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability: Activities aimed at encouraging understanding of climate change, promoting civic activities supporting environmental sustainability, promoting innovation and economic opportunity related to climate change, and demonstrating collaborative efforts between the United States and France to achieve climate goals. Deadline: Apr 29, 2024 💰 Total Funding: $100,000
EUROPE:
EU-Funded "Co-developing Pathways towards Climate Resilient Regions in Europe" (PEERS): Total Funding: €8.4 million, Support 40 European regions to co-design climate-resilient visions, focusing on vulnerable areas. Maximum grant per subgrantee: €210,000 for 18 months. Eligibility: Open to EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Public authorities, bodies governed by public law, non-profit organizations, and SMEs can apply. Deadline: May 6, 2024
Innovation Fund: Support highly innovative technologies for deep decarbonization toward climate neutrality. Activities include pilot projects in various sectors such as carbon capture, renewable energy, and innovative energy storage, with grants up to EUR 40 million for eligible projects exceeding EUR 2.5 million in capital expenditure.
Deadline: April 9, 2024, 17:00 Brussels time
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Only Because The Lawyers Made Us:
Impact Stars and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.
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