🎓 US Grants.gov Funding Opportunity Changes Scraper

Scrape US Grants.gov federal funding opportunity changes: field changed, old and new values, and date. Run it once and you get the current records as a dataset — that is the default. Turn on watch mode and a scheduled run returns only what changed since the last run (see Optional: run it on a schedule).

Federal funding opportunities on Grants.gov as they move: new postings, a forecast turning into a live posting, deadline amendments, changes to the award ceiling / floor / estimated funding / number of awards, eligibility changes, cancellations and withdrawals, agency or CFDA programme changes, and changes to the attached documents. Each delta is typed, and you choose which types you want. Keyed on the Grants.gov opportunity id.

Output is one grant_opportunity_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one source check (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.10 per source check plus one $0.10 source check per run that reads the source). Source: api.grants.gov.

Who buys this

Buyers usually search for grants.gov changes or federal grant updates.

• Grant consultants and research-development offices tracking grants.gov changes.
• Universities, nonprofits and companies watching federal grant updates relevant to their field.
• Analysts and journalists following where public funding goes.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run 47cY16LGjmW1LjtFt on build 0.1.20 (2026-09-28), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

opportunity_number	agency	agency_code	cfda_list	open_date	doc_type
PAR-27-045	National Institutes of Health	HHS-NIH11	["93.121", "93.213", "93.273", "93.286", "93.473", "93.846", "93.853",	09/28/2026	synopsis
O-OJJDP-2026-172782	Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention	USDOJ-OJP-OJJDP	["16.543"]	09/28/2026	synopsis
USDA-NHQ-ACEP-26-NOFO0001456	Natural Resources Conservation Service	USDA-NRCS	["10.072", "10.928", "10.931"]	09/25/2026	synopsis
O-BJA-2026-172779	Bureau of Justice Assistance	USDOJ-OJP-BJA	["16.816"]	09/25/2026	synopsis
CDC-RFA-PS-27-0053	Centers for Disease Control - NCHHSTP	HHS-CDC-NCHHSTP	["93.116"]	09/25/2026	forecast
PAR-28-072	National Institutes of Health	HHS-NIH11	["93.867"]	09/25/2026	synopsis
HHS-2027-ACL-AOA-ADPI-0006	Administration for Community Living	HHS-ACL	["93.470"]	09/25/2026	forecast
HHS-2027-ACL-NIDILRR-ARCP-0300	Administration for Community Living	HHS-ACL	["93.433"]	09/25/2026	forecast

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s)

✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. grants:361304
• opportunity_id — e.g. 361304
• opportunity_number — e.g. PAR-27-045
• title — e.g. HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)
• agency — e.g. National Institutes of Health
• agency_code — e.g. HHS-NIH11
• cfda_list — e.g. ["93.121", "93.213", "93.273", "93.286", "93.473", "93.846", "93.853", "93.866"]
• open_date — e.g. 09/28/2026
• close_date — e.g. 10/30/2026
• opp_status — e.g. posted
• doc_type — e.g. synopsis
• detail_read — e.g. False
• opportunity_url — e.g. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361304
• record_type (string) — e.g. grant_opportunity_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. grants:363926
• opportunity_id — e.g. 363926
• opportunity_number — e.g. RFA-NS-28-009
• title — e.g. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Intermediate Patient Population Expanded Acc
• agency — e.g. National Institutes of Health
• agency_code — e.g. HHS-NIH11
• cfda_list — e.g. ["93.853"]
• open_date — e.g. 09/23/2026
• close_date — e.g. 11/03/2026
• opp_status — e.g. forecasted
• doc_type — e.g. forecast
• detail_read — e.g. False
• opportunity_url — e.g. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363926
• record_type (string) — e.g. grant_opportunity_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

✅ What you get

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. grants:363869
• opportunity_id — e.g. 363869
• opportunity_number — e.g. DE-FOA-0003657
• title — e.g. The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition
• agency — e.g. Office of Science
• agency_code — e.g. PAMS-SC
• cfda_list — e.g. ["81.049"]
• open_date — e.g. 09/17/2026
• close_date — e.g. 10/19/2026
• opp_status — e.g. posted
• doc_type — e.g. synopsis
• detail_read — e.g. False
• opportunity_url — e.g. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363869
• record_type (string) — e.g. grant_opportunity_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "delta_types": [
    "new-opportunity",
    "deadline-amendment"
  ],
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 10,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.10 source-check = $0.12 on the Free tier — snapshot preview rows are delivered unbilled; only the source check and the start fee were charged.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "delta_types": [
    "new-opportunity",
    "deadline-amendment"
  ],
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 5,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

Caps the run at 5 rows; same billing shape as the sample run above. opp_statuses narrows what the source is asked for.

3. Optional watch mode (changes only, for a schedule)

{
  "delta_types": [
    "new-opportunity",
    "deadline-amendment"
  ],
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 10,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": true,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The first run seeds a private baseline and emits zero deltas; every later run emits one row per change, billed at $0.10 each plus the $0.10 source check; billed deltas are capped at 500 per run.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run 47cY16LGjmW1LjtFt, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "grants:361304",
  "opportunity_id": "361304",
  "opportunity_number": "PAR-27-045",
  "title": "HEAL Initiative: Whole Joint Health Program (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)",
  "agency": "National Institutes of Health",
  "agency_code": "HHS-NIH11",
  "cfda_list": [
    "93.121",
    "93.213",
    "93.273",
    "93.286",
    "93.473",
    "93.846",
    "93.853",
    "93.866"
  ],
  "open_date": "09/28/2026",
  "close_date": "10/30/2026",
  "opp_status": "posted",
  "doc_type": "synopsis",
  "detail_read": false,
  "opportunity_url": "https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361304",
  "record_type": "grant_opportunity_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads api.grants.gov — endpoints: https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/fetchOpportunity, https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/search2. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Watch semantics. Snapshot mode (watch_mode: false) returns a preview capped at 25 records. Watch mode keys every record on a source-native id, stores a private baseline in a named key-value store, and on each later run emits one delta row per change (new / changed / removed). A blocked fetch is never diffed, so a source outage cannot show up as a mass removal.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each source check is charged at the moment it is pushed (source-check); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count. One source-check is charged per run that actually read the source.

🔧 How it works

🔧 How it works

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

⏰ Optional: run it on a schedule

A single run returns the current records. If you also want to be told what changed over time, open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with the watch-mode input above (watch_mode: true) so each run returns only the changes, and pick a cadence:

• Daily — 0 7 * * * (07:00 UTC): catch changes within a day.
• Weekly — 0 7 * * 1: a Monday digest.

The baseline persists in a named key-value store between runs, so every scheduled run compares against the last one; use a different baseline_id for independent watches. Schedules can also POST results to a webhook (Console → Integrations).

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Source check (source-check)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.067

Worked at the live Free-tier price (watch mode, one delta per change):

• 8 source checks: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 8 × $0.10 = $0.92
• 25 source checks: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.10 = $2.62
• 1000 source checks: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 1000 × $0.10 = $100.12

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee plus the $0.10 source check (the source was read and reported empty). A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 1024 MB.

Yield on the sample run: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s). max_items is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target. Snapshot output is capped at 25 records regardless of the cap you set; watch mode is the full feed.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by api.grants.gov. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (api.grants.gov) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input (in watch mode the first run always seeds the baseline and returns zero deltas); BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee plus one source check.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to max_items (default 1000); snapshot previews stop at 25. Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: What does watch mode remember between runs?
A: A private baseline of source-native record ids in a named key-value store (baseline_id names it, so several independent watches can coexist). Each later run diffs the live source against it and emits only changes.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs except the watch baseline. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other grant and research-funding scrapers actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers api.grants.gov. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (max_items) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.
• First watch run shows no deltas → expected: it seeds the baseline; changes appear from the second run.

🔗 Related Actors

• US Grants.gov Award Amount Changes Scraper — Scrape US Grants.gov award funding range changes: opportunity, agency, old and new award floor and ceiling. Every run returns the current records as…
• US Grants.gov New Funding Opportunities Scraper — Scrape new US Grants.gov funding opportunities: agency, title, category, award ceiling and close date. Every run returns the current records as a dat…
• US Grants.gov Cancelled Opportunities Scraper — Scrape cancelled US Grants.gov funding opportunities: opportunity, agency and cancellation date. Every run returns the current records as a dataset.…
• US Grants.gov Opportunity Documents Scraper — Scrape US Grants.gov opportunity documents and attachments: opportunity, file, version and update date. Every run returns the current records as a da…
• US NSF Award End Date Changes Scraper — Scrape US NSF award end date changes: award, PI, institution, old and new end date. Every run returns the current records as a dataset. Optional watc…
• US NSF Award Obligation Changes Scraper — Scrape US NSF award obligation changes: award, institution, old and new obligated amount. Every run returns the current records as a dataset. Optiona…
• 🏢 About NexGen Watch — NexGen Watch is a catalog of more than 300 public data actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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