Loading page...

Find Grants & Funding, Fast

Browse live grant opportunities from governments, the EU, and foundations funding work in 130+ countries — free.

20,000+
Grants tracked
130+
Countries funded
3,800+
Open right now

Tenders vs Grants: What's the Difference?

If you're already tracking tenders on TenderPipe, grants are a natural next step. Both are funding opportunities — from governments, private organisations, trusts, and foundations — but they work differently:

Tenders

A contract to deliver specific goods, services, or works. You bid a price, the buyer evaluates, and the winner delivers for payment. Competitive, deliverable-focused.

Grants

Funding for a proposed project or initiative. You apply with a plan, and if selected, receive money to execute. No repayment required. Proposal-focused, often for R&D, innovation, or community projects.

Many SMEs and organisations pursue both — tenders for revenue, grants for innovation and growth. TenderPipe is adding grants to give you a single platform for all public funding opportunities.

Government Grant Portals by Country

Australia

Australia has the most mature grants ecosystem in TenderPipe's markets, with over $25 billion in annual grant funding across federal and state programs.

GrantConnect

The official Commonwealth Government grants portal. All federal grant opportunities must be published here. Free registration.
grants.gov.au

business.gov.au

Federal grants and assistance finder covering SME support, export grants, R&D incentives, and industry-specific programs.
business.gov.au/grants-and-programs

State Grant Portals

Each state operates its own grants portal: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, and Tasmania all publish state-level funding opportunities.

Key programs: ASBAS Digital Solutions ($25.1M), National Reconstruction Fund, R&D Tax Incentive (43.5% offset for SMEs), Export Market Development Grants.

United Kingdom

The UK offers a well-structured grants landscape with central government portals and one of the world's largest lottery-funded grant systems.

Find a Grant (GOV.UK)

Central government grants portal listing all UK government funding opportunities.
find-government-grants.service.gov.uk

Innovate UK / UKRI

Innovation funding for businesses. Smart Grants, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and Horizon Europe association funding.
ukri.org/innovate-uk

National Lottery Community Fund

Distributes over GBP 500M annually to community, arts, heritage, and sports projects across the UK.
tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

360Giving (Funder Intelligence)

Open data on 1 million+ past grant awards from 341 UK funders. Research which funders support your sector.
threesixtygiving.org

South Africa

South Africa has multiple government agencies offering grants and incentives for SMEs, with significant additional funding from international donors.

DSBD (Small Business Development)

Asset Assist Programme (up to R250,000), Cooperative Incentive Scheme (up to R350,000), and other SME grants.
dsbd.gov.za

SEDA

Small Enterprise Development Agency offers grants, business development support, and incubation programs for South African SMEs.
seda.org.za

IDC (Industrial Development Corporation)

Funding for industrial projects, manufacturing, agro-processing, and green economy initiatives. Loans and grants available.
idc.co.za

National Treasury eTender Portal

142,000+ government procurement opportunities with a free REST API. Covers tenders and some grant-funded contracts.
data.etenders.gov.za

Key programs: Agro-Processing Support Scheme (R1 billion), Manufacturing Support Programme (up to R10M), Black Industrialists Programme.

European Union (Ireland, Netherlands, Germany + UK)

The EU is one of the world's largest grant-making bodies, with EUR 14 billion per year through Horizon Europe alone. Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany are full member states; the UK re-associated with Horizon Europe in January 2024.

EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Central portal for all EU-funded programmes: Horizon Europe, LIFE, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and 25+ more. 100-300 open calls at any time.
ec.europa.eu/funding-tenders

Enterprise Ireland

Key Manager Grant (EUR 150K), Exploring Innovation (EUR 35K), Grow Digital Voucher (EUR 5K), and R&D funding for Irish businesses.
enterprise-ireland.com

RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency)

Innovation Credit (EUR 50M for 2026), WBSO R&D tax credit, and business grants for Dutch enterprises.
rvo.nl

Forderdatenbank (Germany)

Germany's federal funding database with 2,500+ programmes. KfW digitalisation loans, BAFA go-digital programme, and state-level grants.
foerderdatenbank.de

Key EU programmes: Horizon Europe (EUR 95.5B total), EIC Accelerator (for SMEs), LIFE Programme (environment/climate), Digital Europe Programme, Erasmus+ (education/training).

New Zealand

New Zealand has a smaller but focused grants ecosystem, primarily through MBIE and regional development agencies.

MBIE Funding Opportunities

Science, innovation, and R&D funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. Includes former Callaghan Innovation grants.
mbie.govt.nz

business.govt.nz

NZ government grants finder covering R&D Tax Incentive (15% credit), regional development grants, and SME support programmes.
business.govt.nz

Namibia

Namibia's grant landscape is smaller, with funding primarily through government agencies and international development organisations.

SDG Impact Facility

N$8 million facility supporting Sustainable Development Goals projects in Namibia. Administered through the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade.

International Donors

USAID, EU, GIZ (Germany), and other international organisations fund development, health, and environmental projects in Namibia.

United States (Expansion Market)

The US has the world's largest and most accessible grant data system, with $500+ billion in annual federal grants across 1,800+ programmes.

Grants.gov

The central portal for all US federal grant opportunities. Free REST API available. 1,000-3,000 active opportunities at any time.
grants.gov

Simpler.Grants.gov

The modernised API for US federal grants with advanced filtering by category, agency, applicant type, and award amount. Free API key registration.
simpler.grants.gov

International & Foundation Grants

Beyond government grants, international organisations and private foundations distribute billions annually. Note that most large foundations are invitation-only — they approach organisations rather than accepting open applications.

Major International Grant-Making Organisations

  • EU Horizon Europe — EUR 95.5 billion total budget for research and innovation
  • World Bank — Development grants and loans across emerging markets
  • United Nations — UN agencies publish procurement and grant opportunities via UNGM
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — $8.6B/year, primarily health and agriculture in Africa (invitation-only)
  • Ford Foundation — $16B endowment, social justice focus (mostly invitation-only)
  • Wellcome Trust — $39B endowment, biomedical research grants (open calls for research)
  • Open Society Foundations — $22B+ distributed, democracy and justice programmes

Tip: For businesses, government grants are generally more accessible than foundation grants. Foundation funding is most relevant for nonprofits, NGOs, research institutions, and social enterprises.

Grants by Sector

Many grant programs target specific industries. Here are key sectors with significant grant funding available:

Construction & Infrastructure

Green building incentives, energy efficiency retrofits, and infrastructure modernisation grants. EU LIFE programme, US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding.

IT & Technology

R&D tax credits, digital transformation grants, AI/ML research funding. EU Digital Europe Programme, Innovate UK Smart Grants, Australia's ASBAS Digital Solutions.

Environmental & Clean Energy

Climate action funding, renewable energy grants, waste reduction programmes. EU LIFE Programme, US EPA grants, various national green funds.

Healthcare & Medical Research

Biomedical research grants, health innovation funding, clinical trial support. Wellcome Trust, EU Horizon Europe Health cluster, national health research councils.

Grants Are Live on TenderPipe

Browse EU and US government grants alongside your tender feed. Sign up free to star grants, set alerts, and track deadlines.

Browse Grants Now

Frequently Asked Questions About Grants

What is the difference between a tender and a grant?

A tender is a competitive bid for a specific contract where you deliver goods or services for payment. A grant is funding given for a proposed project — you apply with a plan, and if awarded, receive money to execute it. Tenders pay for deliverables; grants fund initiatives.

Where can I find government grants for my business?

Each country has official portals: GrantConnect (Australia), Find a Grant on GOV.UK (UK), Grants.gov (USA), the EU Funding & Tenders Portal (Europe), and DSBD/SEDA (South Africa). TenderPipe is building a unified grants feed covering all these sources.

Can small businesses apply for government grants?

Yes. Most countries have specific SME grant programs. In Australia, GrantConnect lists Commonwealth grants open to SMEs. The UK's Innovate UK funds small business innovation. The EU's Horizon Europe and EIC Accelerator specifically target SMEs. South Africa's SEDA and IDC offer grants and loans to small enterprises.

Are foundation grants like the Gates Foundation open for application?

Most large foundations (Gates, Ford, Rockefeller) are primarily invitation-only — they identify and approach organisations for funding rather than accepting open applications. However, some foundations do publish open calls, especially for research grants. Government grants are generally the most accessible for businesses and organisations.

Will TenderPipe add grants to its platform?

Yes — grants are now live on TenderPipe! Browse EU and US government grants at tenderpipe.com/browse-grants/. Grants appear in your dashboard alongside tenders, filtered by your location, sector, and keywords. More grant sources are being added regularly.

Want grants delivered to your inbox?

Sign Up Free

Latest Grant Opportunities

Showing the latest open grant opportunities worldwide. Sign up free to access all grants, filters, and alerts.

Track Tenders & Grants in One Place

Join thousands of organisations using TenderPipe to find public funding opportunities.

Scroll to Top