Grants.gov Federal Grant Search

Search and extract structured federal grant opportunity data from Grants.gov -- the U.S. government's central portal for over 1,000 grant-making agencies and more than $500 billion in annual federal funding. This actor queries the official Grants.gov REST API with keyword search, agency filtering, eligibility targeting, funding category selection, and opportunity status control, then returns clean JSON records ready for analysis, CRM integration, or grant tracking workflows.

No API key is required. No login. No web scraping. Every run delivers opportunity IDs, funding opportunity numbers, agency names, application open and close dates, CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers, and direct links to the full listing on Grants.gov.

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Why use Grants.gov Federal Grant Search?

Finding relevant federal grants is a time-consuming process. The Grants.gov website offers basic search functionality, but extracting structured data at scale -- filtering by eligibility type, cross-referencing agency codes, or monitoring new postings across multiple funding categories -- requires manual effort that does not scale. Grant writers, nonprofit program managers, and government affairs teams often spend hours each week browsing listings, copying details into spreadsheets, and checking for deadline changes.

This actor eliminates that manual work by querying the official Grants.gov REST API directly and returning machine-readable JSON output. You can filter by any combination of keyword, federal agency, applicant eligibility type, funding instrument, funding category, and opportunity status. Schedule daily or weekly runs on the Apify platform to automatically monitor new grant postings, feed results into your CRM or project management tool via API, or export CSV files for collaborative grant evaluation with your team.

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Key features

• Full-text keyword search -- query the entire Grants.gov database using any keyword or phrase such as "climate change", "STEM education", "rural broadband", "cybersecurity", or "workforce development"
• Federal agency filtering -- narrow results to a specific funding agency using standard codes like HHS, NSF, DOE, EPA, DOD, USDA, ED, DOI, DOC, or DOS
• 17 applicant eligibility types -- filter by your organization type: state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public institutions of higher education, tribal governments (federally recognized), public housing authorities, tribal organizations, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3), private institutions of higher education, individuals, for-profit organizations, small businesses, others, or unrestricted
• 23 funding categories -- search within Agriculture, Arts, Business and Commerce, Community Development, Consumer Protection, Disaster Prevention and Relief, Education, Employment/Labor/Training, Energy, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Health, Housing, Humanities, IIJA, Information and Statistics, Income Security, Law/Justice, Natural Resources, Other, Opportunity Zone Benefits, Regional Development, Science and Technology, and Transportation
• 4 funding instrument types -- filter by Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Procurement Contract, or Other to match your procurement needs
• Opportunity status control -- search forecasted, posted, closed, or archived opportunities for upcoming deadlines, open applications, or historical analysis
• CFDA/Assistance Listing numbers included -- every result contains the associated program numbers so you can track specific federal assistance programs across fiscal years
• Direct Grants.gov URLs -- each record includes a constructed link to the full opportunity listing page for quick access
• Up to 100 results per run -- configurable result count with automatic pagination against the API
• No API key or registration required -- the Grants.gov API is completely free and open to the public

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How to use Grants.gov Federal Grant Search

Using Apify Console

1. Navigate to the Grants.gov Federal Grant Search actor page on Apify and click Try for free.
2. Enter a search keyword in the Search Keyword field. This is the only required input -- for example, type "renewable energy" or "mental health services".
3. Optionally apply filters: select a Funding Instrument, choose an Eligibility type matching your organization, enter an Agency code, pick an Opportunity Status, or select a Funding Category.
4. Set the Maximum Results (1 to 100, default 25) and click Start to run the actor.
5. When the run completes, open the Dataset tab to view, filter, or export results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML. Use the API tab to get the endpoint URL for programmatic access.

Using the API

Send a POST request to the Apify API with your input configuration to trigger the actor programmatically. See the API and Integration section below for Python, JavaScript, and cURL examples using actor ID DMC8HyLcbAQnzRGB5.

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Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
keyword	String	Yes	"climate change"	Keyword or phrase to search for in grant opportunities
fundingInstrument	Select	No	All	Funding instrument type: Grant, Cooperative Agreement, Procurement Contract, or Other
eligibility	Select	No	All	Eligible applicant type (17 options including state/county/city governments, nonprofits, small businesses, individuals, tribal governments, universities)
agency	String	No	--	Federal agency code such as HHS, NSF, DOE, EPA, DOD, USDA, ED, DOI, DOC, DOS
status	Select	No	All (Forecasted + Posted)	Opportunity status: Forecasted, Posted, Closed, or Archived
fundingCategory	Select	No	All	Funding activity category (23 options including Agriculture, Health, Education, Energy, Environment, Science and Technology)
maxResults	Integer	No	25	Maximum number of grant opportunities to return (1 to 100)

Example input

{
    "keyword": "renewable energy",
    "fundingInstrument": "G",
    "eligibility": "25",
    "agency": "DOE",
    "status": "posted",
    "fundingCategory": "EN",
    "maxResults": 50
}

Tips for input

• Use agency codes, not full names. Enter "HHS" for Health and Human Services, "NSF" for National Science Foundation, "DOE" for Energy, "EPA" for Environmental Protection Agency, "DOD" for Defense, "USDA" for Agriculture, "ED" for Education, "DOI" for Interior, "DOC" for Commerce, or "DOS" for State.
• Combine keyword with eligibility for targeted results. Searching for "workforce development" with eligibility set to "Small businesses" returns only grants that small business applicants can apply for, including SBIR and STTR programs.
• Check forecasted opportunities early. Setting status to "Forecasted" reveals grants agencies plan to release soon, giving your team a head start on preparation before the application window opens.
• Use funding categories to narrow broad searches. If a keyword like "health" returns too many results, combine it with the Health funding category filter instead of relying on keywords alone.

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Output

Each grant opportunity in the dataset follows this structure. Here is a realistic example showing two records from a "climate change" search:

[
    {
        "opportunityId": "352789",
        "opportunityNumber": "EPA-OAR-OAP-24-06",
        "title": "FY2024 Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program for States",
        "agencyCode": "EPA",
        "agency": "Environmental Protection Agency",
        "status": "posted",
        "documentType": "Grants Notice",
        "openDate": "04/01/2024",
        "closeDate": "07/01/2024",
        "cfdaNumbers": ["66.046"],
        "grantsGovUrl": "https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/352789"
    },
    {
        "opportunityId": "348210",
        "opportunityNumber": "NOAA-OAR-CPO-2024-2007540",
        "title": "Climate Adaptation Partnerships",
        "agencyCode": "DOC-NOAA",
        "agency": "Department of Commerce",
        "status": "forecasted",
        "documentType": "Grants Notice",
        "openDate": "",
        "closeDate": "",
        "cfdaNumbers": ["11.431"],
        "grantsGovUrl": "https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/348210"
    }
]

Output fields

Field	Type	Description
opportunityId	String	Unique Grants.gov identifier for the opportunity
opportunityNumber	String	Agency-assigned funding opportunity number (FON)
title	String	Full title of the grant opportunity
agencyCode	String	Abbreviated code for the funding agency (e.g., EPA, HHS, NSF)
agency	String	Full name of the funding agency
status	String	Current status: forecasted, posted, closed, or archived
documentType	String	Type of notice (e.g., Grants Notice, Modification)
openDate	String	Date the application window opened (MM/DD/YYYY)
closeDate	String	Application deadline date (MM/DD/YYYY)
cfdaNumbers	Array	CFDA / Assistance Listing program numbers associated with the opportunity
grantsGovUrl	String	Direct URL to the full opportunity listing on Grants.gov

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Use cases

• Grant writers and consultants -- search for open federal funding opportunities matching client eligibility profiles and program areas, then export structured data for proposal planning
• Nonprofit organizations -- monitor new grant announcements from agencies like HHS, ED, or USDA to stay ahead of application deadlines and prioritize funding opportunities
• State and local government agencies -- track available federal grants for infrastructure, public health, education, or emergency management programs across multiple funding categories
• Small businesses -- identify SBIR, STTR, and other procurement opportunities from DOD, DOE, NSF, and other agencies using the small business eligibility filter
• University research offices -- scan for new funding announcements in science, technology, health, and education categories to alert faculty and research teams
• Policy researchers and journalists -- analyze federal funding patterns by agency, category, and status for investigative reporting or academic study
• Government affairs teams -- monitor grant programs relevant to their industry sectors at corporations and trade associations
• CRM and pipeline integration -- feed grant opportunity data directly into Salesforce, HubSpot, or custom grant management systems via the Apify API
• Competitive intelligence -- track which agencies are funding which categories and how program priorities shift across fiscal years
• Grant aggregator platforms -- build searchable grant databases or email digest services by running scheduled searches across multiple keywords and categories
• Fiscal year planning -- analyze forecasted and posted opportunities at the start of each fiscal year to align your organization's proposal pipeline with available federal funding

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API & Integration

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")

run_input = {
    "keyword": "climate change",
    "eligibility": "12",
    "status": "posted",
    "maxResults": 50,
}

run = client.actor("DMC8HyLcbAQnzRGB5").call(run_input=run_input)

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(f"{item['opportunityNumber']} - {item['title']}")
    print(f"  Agency: {item['agency']} | Closes: {item['closeDate']}")
    print(f"  URL: {item['grantsGovUrl']}")

JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_API_TOKEN" });

const run = await client.actor("DMC8HyLcbAQnzRGB5").call({
    keyword: "STEM education",
    agency: "ED",
    fundingCategory: "ED",
    maxResults: 25,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.log(`${item.opportunityNumber} - ${item.title}`);
    console.log(`  Agency: ${item.agency} | Status: ${item.status}`);
});

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/DMC8HyLcbAQnzRGB5/runs?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "keyword": "rural broadband",
    "fundingInstrument": "G",
    "status": "posted",
    "maxResults": 25
  }'

Integrations

• Zapier -- trigger automated workflows when new grant opportunities are found
• Make (Integromat) -- build multi-step scenarios routing grant data to your CRM or project management tools
• Google Sheets -- export results directly for collaborative grant tracking and team evaluation
• Webhooks -- POST results to your endpoint on run completion for real-time alerting
• Slack / Email -- connect via Zapier or Make to notify your grants team when new opportunities match criteria
• REST API -- call the actor programmatically from any language using the Apify API endpoints

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How it works

The actor follows a straightforward pipeline: validate input, build the API request, call Grants.gov, paginate if needed, transform the results, and push to the dataset.

1. The actor receives your input parameters -- keyword, optional filters for agency, eligibility, funding instrument, funding category, and opportunity status.
2. It constructs a POST request body matching the Grants.gov REST API specification, mapping your input selections to the API's expected field codes (e.g., eligibility code "12" for nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, funding category code "EN" for Energy).
3. A POST request is sent to https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/search2 with a JSON body containing the search keyword, row count, and any active filter parameters.
4. The API returns matching grant opportunities along with a total hit count, faceted metadata, and error code for validation.
5. The actor checks the API response error code. If non-zero, it throws a descriptive error with the API's message and code.
6. If more results are requested than a single response contains, the actor paginates using startRecordNum offsets, incrementing by the number of records received until the requested count is reached or no more results are available.
7. Each raw oppHit record is transformed into a clean output object with standardized field names, a constructed Grants.gov URL (https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/{id}), and extracted CFDA number arrays.
8. All transformed records are pushed to the Apify dataset for export in JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML format, or for programmatic access via the Apify API.

Input Keywords & Filters
         |
         v
  Build POST Request Body
         |
         v
  POST api.grants.gov/v1/api/search2
         |
         v
  Parse Response + Check Error Code
         |
         v
  Paginate if Needed (startRecordNum)
         |
         v
  Transform oppHit --> Clean JSON
         |
         v
  Push to Apify Dataset

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Performance & cost

Scenario	Results	Approx. Time	Memory	Estimated Cost
Quick keyword lookup	10-25	5-10 seconds	128 MB	~$0.001 per run
Filtered agency search	25-50	8-15 seconds	128 MB	~$0.002 per run
Full extraction	100	15-30 seconds	256 MB	~$0.005 per run
Daily scheduled monitor	25 per run	5-10 seconds	128 MB	~$0.03 per month
Hourly deadline tracker	50 per run	10-15 seconds	128 MB	~$0.72 per month

The Grants.gov API is completely free with no rate limits documented for normal usage. You pay only for Apify platform compute time. The actor completes quickly because it calls a single REST API endpoint with server-side filtering -- no web crawling or browser rendering is involved.

Memory usage is minimal because the actor processes JSON responses in memory without launching a browser. For most use cases, 128 MB is sufficient. The 256 MB estimate for full 100-result extractions provides a comfortable margin.

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Limitations

• Maximum 100 results per run -- the Grants.gov API limits responses to 100 records per request. For broader data collection, run multiple searches with different filter combinations.
• Keyword search only -- the API does not support advanced query syntax such as boolean operators, phrase matching, or field-specific search. Use the filter parameters to narrow results instead.
• Single agency per search -- you can filter by one agency code per run. To search across multiple specific agencies, run the actor once per agency.
• No full-text grant descriptions -- the API returns summary metadata (title, dates, agency, CFDA numbers) but not the full opportunity description or application package details. Use the grantsGovUrl link to access complete details.
• Date format is MM/DD/YYYY -- open and close dates are returned in U.S. date format as provided by the Grants.gov API.
• Single eligibility type per search -- you can filter by one applicant eligibility type per run. Organizations that qualify under multiple types may need multiple searches.
• API availability depends on Grants.gov -- the actor relies on the official government API. During government shutdowns, maintenance windows, or unexpected outages, results may be temporarily unavailable.

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Responsible use

• Respect Grants.gov terms of service. This actor uses the official public API as intended. Avoid running excessively frequent requests that could burden the government infrastructure.
• Verify opportunity details on Grants.gov. Always confirm deadlines, eligibility requirements, and application instructions by visiting the official listing page before submitting any grant application.
• Do not use scraped data to misrepresent eligibility. Grant fraud is a federal offense. Ensure your organization genuinely qualifies for any opportunity before applying.
• Schedule responsibly. Daily or weekly monitoring runs are appropriate for most use cases. Avoid scheduling runs more frequently than every few hours unless you have a specific operational need.
• Attribute data appropriately. When sharing or publishing grant data obtained through this actor, note that the source is Grants.gov, maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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FAQ

What data source does this actor use? The official Grants.gov REST API at api.grants.gov, maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Grants.gov is the single access point for over 1,000 federal grant programs across all agencies.

Do I need a Grants.gov API key? No. The Grants.gov API is completely free and open with no authentication, API key, or registration required.

How current is the data? Grants.gov is updated in real time by federal agencies. The actor fetches live data directly from the API on each run, so results reflect the latest posted opportunities.

What does each opportunity status mean? Forecasted means the agency plans to release the opportunity but has not yet opened applications. Posted means the application window is currently open. Closed means the deadline has passed. Archived means the opportunity has been moved to long-term storage.

What are CFDA numbers / Assistance Listing numbers? CFDA (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) numbers -- now officially called Assistance Listing numbers -- are unique identifiers assigned to federal assistance programs. They help you track specific funding programs across fiscal years and link related opportunities together.

Can I search for grants from a specific agency? Yes. Enter the agency code in the Agency field. Common codes include HHS (Health and Human Services), NSF (National Science Foundation), DOE (Department of Energy), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), DOD (Department of Defense), USDA (Department of Agriculture), ED (Department of Education), DOI (Department of the Interior), DOC (Department of Commerce), and DOS (Department of State).

What eligibility types are supported? The actor supports all 17 Grants.gov eligibility types: state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public/state-controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), public housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3), private institutions of higher education, individuals, for-profit organizations, small businesses, others, and unrestricted.

What funding categories are available? All 23 Grants.gov categories: Agriculture, Arts, Business and Commerce, Community Development, Consumer Protection, Disaster Prevention and Relief, Education, Employment/Labor/Training, Energy, Environment, Food and Nutrition, Health, Housing, Humanities, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Information and Statistics, Income Security and Social Services, Law/Justice/Legal Services, Natural Resources, Other, Opportunity Zone Benefits, Regional Development, Science and Technology and R&D, and Transportation.

Can I find SBIR/STTR grants for small businesses? Yes. Set the Eligibility filter to "Small businesses" and optionally filter by agency (DOD, DOE, NSF, HHS, and NASA are the largest SBIR/STTR funding agencies) to find opportunities specifically available to small business applicants.

How do I monitor for new grants on a schedule? On the Apify platform, open the actor's Schedules tab and create a new schedule (e.g., daily at 8:00 AM). Configure your search keyword and filters, then set up a webhook or Zapier integration to receive notifications when new results appear in the dataset.

Can I get more than 100 results? The Grants.gov API caps responses at 100 records per request, and the actor respects this limit. For broader searches, run the actor multiple times with different filter combinations -- for example, searching the same keyword across different agencies or funding categories.

What happens if the Grants.gov API is down? The actor will return an error message indicating the API could not be reached. This can happen during government shutdowns, scheduled maintenance, or unexpected outages. Retry the run after the API is restored.

Does this actor support boolean or advanced search queries? No. The Grants.gov API accepts plain keyword strings only -- it does not support boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), phrase matching with quotes, or field-specific query syntax. To narrow your results, use the filter parameters (agency, eligibility, funding category, status) instead of trying to construct complex keyword queries.

Can I use this actor to track grant deadlines automatically? Yes. Schedule the actor to run daily with status set to "posted" and your relevant keyword and filters. Each run captures current closeDate values for all matching opportunities. Combine this with a Zapier or Make integration to send alerts when a deadline is approaching or when new opportunities appear that were not in the previous run.

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