Free download
The small-business grant-ready checklist
Assemble this kit once and every grant application drops from an hour to twenty minutes.
Get the checklist
Enter your email and the checklist unlocks right here — no spam, one list.
- Register your business with your state (if forming an entity), then get your free EIN from the IRS — never pay a site for one
- Open a dedicated business bank account (funders pay by ACH and collect a W-9)
- Have a recent tax return or profit-and-loss statement ready (projections are fine for a new business)
- Write a specific use-of-funds statement — exactly what the money buys
- Write a reusable two-paragraph story: your passion, your market, why this business
- For open private grants, apply in batches (Verizon unlocks after 2 free courses; Amber has a $15 fee; NASE needs membership)
- Only register on SAM.gov if you're pursuing federal money directly — and start a month ahead
- Plan for taxes: set aside a portion of any win and consult a tax professional
- Run the Green-Light Test and the Live-or-Dead Check before applying — confirm on the funder's own page
Grants go to the prepared, not the lucky. Build the kit once and reuse it forever. Enter your email and the checklist unlocks right here — no spam, one list.
Next step
Get matched when we launch
Stalwell + Amivale is launching soon. Join the waitlist and we'll match your small businesses to funding the day it opens — no spam, one email.