Grants for veterans and veteran-owned businesses
Are there grants for veterans and veteran-owned businesses?
Yes, through three routes. Veteran-serving nonprofits can apply for large VA grant programs such as Supportive Services for Veteran Families and the Grant and Per Diem program. Veteran-owned businesses get their biggest federal advantage through contracts: SBA certification opens set-aside contracts reserved for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned firms. Private foundations, corporate giving programs and veteran service organizations fund veterans' causes and, in some cases, veteran entrepreneurs.
Last reviewed October 12, 2026.
Where the money sits
- VA grants for organizations that serve veterans
- The Department of Veterans Affairs funds community nonprofits, state and local agencies and tribal governments to house and support veterans. Supportive Services for Veteran Families and the Grant and Per Diem program are the two largest, with awards announced each year on the VA's own pages.
- Set-aside contracts for veteran-owned firms
- SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification, known as VetCert, certifies veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Certified firms can compete for federal contracts set aside for them. A firm must be at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans.
- Private foundations and corporate programs
- Many foundations name veterans in their giving priorities. Their 990 filings show which veteran organizations they already fund. Corporate foundations at defense and financial firms are a common source for veteran-focused programs.
- State veterans agencies
- Most states run their own veterans department with grant programs for local service providers. These cycles are smaller than the federal ones and closer to home.
Search grants and contracts in one place
Quillify searches 4,400+ open grants and 14,000+ government contract opportunities together. A veteran-owned business sees the set-aside contracts and the grants it qualifies for side by side. A veteran-serving nonprofit can name organizations like its own and see which of the 129,000+ funders on file already back them.
Pick an opportunity and Quillify drafts the application from your own documents, then scores the draft against that announcement before you submit. Quillify for small businesses.
Where to go from here
The landscape above is the same whoever you are. What Quillify does about it is not.
Related fields
- Grants for housing and homelessness workWhat funding is available for housing and homelessness programs?
- Grants for workforce and job trainingWho funds workforce development and job training programs?
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