Strengthening Institutions Program FY 2026

~$400 million total pool; one-time discretionary grants to eligible IHEs

Runs on an irregular cycle; the FY 2026 deadline closed June 23, 2026. Check the funder's site for the next round.

AMOUNT

~$400 million total pool; one-time discretionary grants to eligible IHEs

AMOUNT

~$400 million total pool; one-time discretionary grants to eligible IHEs

DEADLINE

Runs on an irregular cycle; the FY 2026 deadline closed June 23, 2026. Check the funder's site for the next round.

DEADLINE

Runs on an irregular cycle; the FY 2026 deadline closed June 23, 2026. Check the funder's site for the next round.

FUNDING TYPE

Grant

CAN YOU GET THIS?

This grant is for colleges and universities, not startups or small businesses.

Eligible applicants are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that meet a separate eligibility determination process. The program is designed to help these institutions improve academic quality, management, and fiscal stability to better serve low-income students.

YOUR REAL ODDS

The FY 2026 competition closed June 23, 2026 and the application window is now past.

SIP typically runs competitions every other year on odd-numbered years; FY 2026 was an off-cycle exception. The total pool announced was over $400 million, but competition among eligible IHEs nationally is significant and the program has a two-stage eligibility and funding application process.

WHAT IT TAKES

Confirm IHE eligibility by completing the separate eligibility profile on Grants.gov — 1–2 weeks
Prepare and submit the full grant application through Grants.gov — 4–8 weeks
Await review and award notification — Several months post-deadline

WORTH KNOWING

There are two separate application processes — one for eligibility and one for grant funding — so IHEs must clear the eligibility step before the funding application is considered. In even-numbered years the program typically only funds down the prior year's slate rather than opening a new competition, so FY 2026 was unusual.

Apply on the funder’s site →

Freed Fellowship

$500 grant monthly; winners also eligible for a $2,500 year-end grant.

Any US small business owner can apply for a $500 monthly grant with no equity or repayment required.

Texas Job Creators Quest Grant

$100,000 total pool distributed across ~30 recipients; individual awards have ranged from $1,500 to $10,000.

Texas-based small businesses led by underrepresented founders with $100K–$3M in annual revenue can apply for this grant.

BELLE Capital USA Grant

Grant amount varies; no specific figures disclosed.

Early-stage startups in tech, health, or cleantech with at least one female founder or female C-suite executive.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

$50B+ in available capital across grants, VC funds, CDFIs, and accelerators. Filter by your industry, stage, and region, and see everything you qualify for.

Explore the funding database →

$19/month · cancel anytime