Grants, by program, agency and recipient
Contracts buy things; assistance funds them. USASpending publishes both, and SAM.gov lists the programs. This page is the assistance record: who funds what, who receives it, under which assistance listing, in which state. For nonprofits, universities, cities and the suppliers who sell to them.
Live numbers for grants and assistance appear here once the data engine has loaded award history. The public sources are being read now.
How assistance differs from contracts
A contract is the government buying something for itself; you compete on a solicitation and deliver. Assistance is the government funding an activity for the public benefit; you apply to a program and report on the work. The program is the assistance listing (the number that used to be called CFDA): 93.855 is NIH infectious disease research, 20.205 is highway planning and construction, 12.300 is Navy basic research. SAM.gov holds the listing and its eligibility rules; Grants.gov posts the open funding opportunities; USASpending records what was awarded.
This site carries what was awarded, which answers the questions a grant seeker has before applying: who funds this kind of work, at what size, to which kind of organization, in my state, and who got it last time. It also matters to suppliers: a university or a city with a large award is a buyer, and many awards flow down as purchases and subawards.
Coverage is grants and cooperative agreements for the most recent fiscal years, above a small floor, by recipient state. Direct payments, loans and insurance can be turned on by the site owner but are off by default because they are large and rarely something to pursue.
Read next
- Grants.govOpen funding opportunities, the place to apply.
- Assistance listings on SAM.govEvery program, its rules and its contact.
- AgenciesEach agency page shows its largest grant programs.
See who was last awarded in your NAICS
The free report shows who bought your part category, who won, and what is coming up for recompete.