Honest answers to the real questions.

Sometimes — and we'll tell you honestly when it is and when it isn't. True grants are free money you don't repay, and we label them green. But a lot of what gets marketed as "free funding" is actually a loan, a tax credit, or an investment that takes equity. We label those amber and explain the difference, so you never mistake debt for a gift.

Real, operating businesses with a specific project — far more often than get-rich-quick sites imply, and far less often than they promise. Grants tend to favor businesses tied to economic development, R&D, exporting, rural and energy work, and specific owner demographics. We match you to programs you genuinely fit, and we tell you plainly when you don't qualify, and why.

A grant is money you keep and never repay. A loan is borrowed money you repay with interest — debt. A tax credit reduces taxes you owe, which only helps if you owe taxes. Equity is cash in exchange for part-ownership of your business. They're all "funding," but only a grant is free. Every opportunity on GrantDuck carries a money-type badge so you always know which is which.

Because charging a percentage of "free money" is exactly the predatory model we were built to replace. Many services take 5–15% of any grant you're awarded, which quietly turns free funding into expensive funding. We charge one flat subscription. We never take a cut of what you win — ever.

Every opportunity is sourced directly from official government agency pages — federal and all 50 states — and stamped with the date we last verified it. You'll see that "verified" date and a link to the original source on every listing, so you can check our work yourself. Grant rules change; the verification date tells you how current our information is.

GrantDuck helps you draft strong answers with guided, AI-assisted support — but you always review every word and you submit it yourself. We never auto-submit on your behalf, and we never invent facts, numbers, or qualifications you don't have. The application is yours; we just make it easier to write well.