If you are interested in starting or developing your green business, you'll need a some funds to invest in your vision. As a green business you provide more just a product; you are contributing to a more sustainable world and future. Many grant providers want to help you in your mission to develop your green business. Most grants for green businesses are awarded for specific projects; grant applications usually require an outline of the project to be completed and an explanation of how this project serves a green mission. While grants for green business can be an effective means of achieving a particular project, they cannot be expected to serve as a primary income stream for your business. So if you have an innovative vision and need funding for your projects, grants for green businesses can provide economic help toward your goal.
Both the government and private organizations provide grants for green businesses. The government provides a listing of many grants for green business, both federal and private at the following site: http://www.fedcenter.gov/opportunities/grants. At this site grants are grouped in categories such as as air quality, clean-up, renewable energy, green-house gas control and pollution prevention. The United States Small Business Administration provides grants for small businesses in all industries and provides many grants for green businesses. You can search these grants at the following address: http://www.sba.gov/content/search-business-loans-grants-and-financing. If you are looking to innovate more sustainable technologies, you apply for a SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) grant which funds research and development for small businesses.
Agricultural Grants
For farms seeking to improve their sustainability, the government provides millions of dollars of grants through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). You can search these grants at http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/funding.cfm. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service -- http://attra.ncat.org/-- also provides a listing of grants for green farmers. Grants for sustainable agriculture can be found on both a federal and a state level. Your local agricultural extension can be a good source for information about state-level grants.
Green Energy
The United States Department of Energy offers many renewable energy grants through the office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. These grants for almost all types of renewable power, including solar, wind and geothermal power (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/business.html).
Green Construction
Grants for green building are available both from the Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Green Building Council. The Environmental Protection Agency provides a guide to its funding as well as other sources of financial assistance for green building projects at the following site: http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm. The United States Green Building Council (USBGC) offers many grants for green building especially serves green building projects aimed at developing community and social justice through the green construction (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1602). Enterprise Green Communities is a partnership between many organizations, both federal and private, offering grants for affordable environmental friendly buildings. You can check out this project at http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/criteria/index.asp
Environmental Stewardship
Many grant organizations seek to award grants to businesses that focus on environmental stewardship in their work-place and business design. One example is the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Sustainable Development that awards grants to businesses that encourage "environmental stewardship that is ecologically based, economically sound, socially just, culturally appropriate, and consistent with intergenerational equity" (http://www.fedcenter.gov/Bookmarks/index.cfm/id=2421&pge_prg_id=8973&pge_id=1866)
As the need for environmental sound business emerges, so too do many grant opportunities. These grants reward both your business and the environment and as such, can be a enriching option for many green businesses.