Grants with no local match, and how to find them
Are there grants that do not require matching funds?
Yes. The majority of private foundation grants ask for no match at all. Many federal programs need none either, including most NIH and NSF research grants and the SBIR and STTR programs. Where a federal program does require a match, small, rural or low-income communities can often qualify for a lower share or a waiver. The announcement says which applies, usually in its cost sharing or eligibility section.
Last reviewed October 13, 2026.
Where no-match money usually sits
- Private foundations
- Most foundation grants carry no match requirement. Some foundations ask to see other funders in the budget, which is a sign of support they want to see rather than a fixed percentage.
- Federal research programs
- NSF does not allow voluntary committed cost sharing unless a program explicitly requires it. Most NIH research grants carry no match either.
- SBIR and STTR
- Small business innovation awards from the eleven participating agencies need no matching funds from the company. A founder can put the entire award toward research, prototypes and the people who build them without finding a single dollar elsewhere first.
- Many state programs
- State agencies often fund planning, training and pilot projects without a match. Check each program's guidelines. Planning grants for a downtown study or a water system assessment frequently come with no match requirement at all.
How to check an announcement for a match
Search for the words
Look for "cost sharing", "matching" and "non-federal share". Federal notices of funding opportunity put the requirement in their eligibility section.
Read the percentage carefully
A 20 percent match can mean 20 percent of the total project or 20 percent of the federal request. The difference matters on a large budget.
Look for reductions and waivers
Many programs lower the share for small or rural communities, tribal governments or areas with low median income. Some let in-kind contributions count.
Search for what you can apply to
Quillify searches 4,300+ open grants and reads each full announcement, including the cost sharing section. A town, a nonprofit or a company sees what each program asks before anyone spends a week on it.
When a program fits, Quillify drafts the application from your own plans and budgets. How cost share and matching funds work.
Who asks this most
The answer above is the same whoever you are. What Quillify does about it is not.
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