Daycare Basics 101!

Grants Outside The U.S.

added 10/14/09 Businesses In Scotland Receive Grants! Over £30 million has already been invested! Says one spokesperson for the program, "This significant investment in Scotland will support many exciting new projects and the expansion of existing businesses, creating new jobs and securing existing employment. The many businesses that are looking to the future are playing a key role in aiding Scotland's economic recovery. Throughout Scotland there exists a strong sense of optimism and continuing spirit of innovation and invention." Recipients of this program include: a farm has been awarded over £90,000 to convert a former walled garden into a secure and serviced boat storage facility for approximately 50 vessels complete with a slipway and 18 ton boat hoist for launch and retrieval. The facility will create three new jobs and training and help promote the area as a visitor destination. Another business has been awarded £333,200 to renovate a traditional steading complex to provide accommodation for a farm shop, coffee shop and restaurant, marketing quality produce from the local area. As well as creating 12 full-time jobs the business will also set up a partnership with a local community group who provide care to vulnerable young people who will be taught to grow vegetables for use in the new venture. Surrounding land will also be developed to provide nature trails. Another farm will receive over £31,000 to install a new feeding system for its pigs. This will improve both the on-site working practices, bring efficiencies to the business and boost animal health through improved insulation and the installation of heat controllers.

added 9/29/08 The Phillippines - Business Plan Competition! If you are an individual or group with an already existing business, about to start a business or even if your business is just an idea you are invited to take part in their business plan competition! About 50 to 75 of the most innovative and most feasible proposals will be chosen. Professional coaching shall be extended to the proponents of these proposals so they can develop these into solid, bankable and full blown business plans and better participate in the investment matching forum. The best 10 of them will be awarded seed capital from a pool of prize money while the top two will represent the country in an International Challenge program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands along with 11 other participating countries. International winner will receive 20,000 Euros. Last year, this competition was able to generate 211 entries, 45 of which were developed into full blown business plans. The best two that competed in The Netherlands, were a tire recycling project and a coconut based charcoal briquette project. The opportunity accorded the winners to interface with investors and promote their product has already brought in fresh investment from a Dutch firm for the tire recycling venture here. Participation in this business plan competition is done on-line through the network, a transaction platform for entrepreneurs in search of equity finance. For more information and for submission of entries you can log on to their website. For further queries, you can contact them by either phone or email.

added 7/31/08 Start-Up Grants Available In The UK! Almost 2,000 grant awards will be available in certain areas of the UK. While this grant program is also for existing businesses so that those businesses can have funding to help support and grow their business, grant awards will be available for start-up businesses as well! Moreover, the grant recipients' business would later be eligible for a second grant as well. Past grant recipients include: A graphics design company which used their grant award to purchase more equipment A jewelery designer who used their grant money for marketing to help exhibit her jewelery designs in other countries!

added 3/12/08 Rural High Schools Get "Travel" Grants! In NewFoundland, area high schools have received grants to cover the cost of travel to various institutions. So far over $20,000 has been funded to provide travel for area high schools!

added 1/2/08 A panel of experts will sit down to consider the first applications for job creation grants of up to £5,000 per job, under the second instalment of a popular grant funding program. The first four applications, from existing firms in the Barrow and Ulverston areas, could create 42 new jobs between them, but by the time the latest £2m instalment of government grant is used up over the next three years it should have helped in the creation of 460 new jobs.There will be a range of grant programs available to help people take their first plunge into the gutsy world of self employment and business ownership – and also grants to help persuade local businesses to invest in the grant program with more activity and jobs. There are also grants to help the unemployed find training and work and to reward firms that give them a job. The grant options which can save firms and individuals cash include: Enterprise Fund: Firms with less than 250 staff can apply for discretionary help towards the cost of creating new jobs. There are grants of up to £5,000 a job, but that is for the most skilled jobs. Less skilled and labouring type jobs still could get significant grants of £2,000 to £3,000. Individuals needing training to get back to work can apply for 50 per cent grants. Business Start-Up grants: For the gutsy people with bright ideas who have decided to set up their own business. The deal includes a training course on business basics including finance, legislation, marketing and IT. It involves four day-long sessions over five weeks, ending with a discretionary £1,000 grant for start-up costs but not wages. “Anybody who is contemplating self employment and wants to start a business can apply for it. We anticipate helping about 40 people in this financial year to March and we have helped about 22 already.” Small firms can apply for grants of £500 to promote their business including literature or creating a website. Catchment includes Ulverston and many villages including Lakeside, Haverthwaite, Bardsea, Baycliff and Little Urswick. Small firms in the same area taking on unemployed workers can also apply for up to 50 per cent of wages, equivalent to National Minimum Wage rates, paid as a grant for 26 weeks – but must pay more than NMW. A New Scholarship Program For Entrepreneurs: This big success story for people from the inner wards of Barrow and also Walney, gives economically inactive people or career changers a friendly hand up into self employment or entrepreneurship free of charge. After one classroom day a week for 16 weeks, learning business basics in the morning and additional basics in the afternoon, most scholars qualify for a £1,500 start-up grant. People can apply for one of the 30 places on the next course, starting in February 2008. Loan Fund: If you can’t get funded anywhere else because of factors like no trading track record, poor credit rating, or you’ve been unemployed for a long time, you might get help if your plan is sound. Loans of up to £25,000 are available at base rate plus one per cent. In 10 years these funding programs have helped 90 local companies, lent a total of £200,000 and helped create 40 jobs. Selective Finance for Investment: This is the big stuff for manufacturing and service industries. Firms with less than 250 workers can get between 20 and 35 per cent grants for capital investment or job creation. Bigger companies can apply for 1 to 15 per cent grants. Grants can also be applied for on a per job basis, with grants of between £5,000 and £17,000 per job. Regional Research and Development grants: This is discretionary help for developing new products. Accurite in Ulverston got one for developing a new stone cutter, while Crooks Suzuki in Barrow is getting one for setting up a computer system which copies the design of classic motorcycle parts to allow them to be made on the premises. Job Access Grants: A series of social funding programs are run to help get jobless and sickness benefit candidates into work. Grants of up to £500 per person are possible for things ranging from a new set of interview clothes, travel and initial child care expenses, and various training courses. Firms may qualify for 100 per cent wage subsidies for six months if they employ someone coming off Incapacity Benefit. A £250,000 general wage subsidy programme for Barrow, for taking on unemployed people, is already used up in the current financial year and will have got 63 people into jobs by March, including 10 new engineering apprentices. For details of these and other grants available through this organization, you can contact them by phone.

added 12/30/07 Where - Australia Who Is Eligible - Community Organizations Why - to help celebrate a woman's right to vote More Information About This Grant Program - $10,000 grant program to fund projects celebrating 100 years since Victorian women gained the right to vote. This grant program is part of a $700,000 package of Brumby Government initiatives to promote and celebrate next years democratic milestone. .

added 11/5/07 Where - Australia Who Is Eligible - The Mining Industry Why - to encourage early innovators in the mining sector to seek help and business funding Past Recipients - A $64,000 grant was awarded to one company so that they could develope software that provides a 3d computer model of the interior of a crushing and grinding mill, which reduces ore to suitable and consistency for further processing. The software is a tool to keep a close watch on the liners in the mill. Liners wear out, and replacing them is a costly ongoing process, so it is important to schedule maintenance based on precise data.

added 7/9/07 Southeast Asia - Karambunai Finacial grants are availabe to the economically poor residents in this area. These grants can be used to help meet living expenses temporarily. "The only thing that has to be done is to fill up the forms and state their particulars. Subsequently, the forms need to be verified by the community leaders. The grant offers assistance to seven types of living expenses like helping to pay for monthly house rent by channeling RM120 per recipient, paying for childcare at RM200 to RM300 per child, allocating RM30 per child for his/her school bus transportation, RM1,000 per child who is pursuing studies in higher learning institution, RM50 per child who is studying vocational courses, and RM50 for the wife or mother who is working first time to support the family, among others. There is also another grant program that will provide up to RM10,000 per individual who is interested in venturing into small-time businesses like bakery, rearing fish and food processing.

added 6/14/07 In Cyprus (near Turkey) a $26 Million Euro grant program has been put in place to help encourage economic activity between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The deadline to apply for this grant is September 2008!

added 3/21/07 In one section of Australia there is a grant program for music bands. Over 300 grant awards have already been given and the individual awards are as high as $15,000!

added 3/5/07 South Africa is one of the few countries of the continent that provide basic income grants to its poor citizens.

added 10/19/05 In Canada there is an actual scholarship program for ex-prostitutes! Of course the objective of the scholarship is to help empower women!

Latest Grant News!

added April 2008 2 Men Arrested On Espionage Charges Have Received Grant Money In The Past! Both men had won grants through the British Council to study at 2 different institutions of learning. Government officials have opposed the awarding of scholarships to Russian students to study in Britain, claiming it is a plot to recruit them into MI6.

added June 29, 2007 Another Bad Apple - Online Grant-Getting Company

added March 2007 excerpt from Forbes.com The Government Wants Its Grant Money Back! The U.S. government gave $84.5 million to more than 10,000 households relating to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. But Census figures show fewer than 8,000 homes existed there at the time. see Katrina-related grant information here It has been determined that nearly 70,000 Louisiana households improperly received $309.1 million in grants! The Justice Department so far has prosecuted more than 400 people for storm-related fraud, and $18 million has been returned to FEMA or the American Red Cross.

added December 2006 Wednesday, November 22, 2006 by TOM DOCHAT Of The Patriot-News 2 plead guilty to bribing state official for grants Two businessmen pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges yesterday over payments they made to a state official who was involved in the decision-making process for grant programs. Michael S. Butler, 43, had been president of TriTech Consulting, and Jerry L. Westerhold, 48, the president of Mirtech Consulting Inc. in York County. They each admitted making payments to Thomas G. McGraw, 41, of York, in exchange for grants received through the state Department of Community and Economic Development. McGraw, who pleaded guilty to bribery on Monday, was the former manager of technology initiatives for the Governor's Action Team, a branch of DCED. He had worked for DCED from May 2000 until his termination in August 2004. The government said Butler agreed to pay McGraw $20,000 in exchange for a $200,000 grant to encourage TriTech to relocate from Maryland to York. The money was paid in October 2002 through a wire transfer to a law firm that was handling a home settlement for McGraw, the government said. Westerhold paid $40,000 to McGraw in exchange for a $200,000 grant, the government added. The money was paid to McGraw in cash installments from March 2002 to October 2003, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Brandler. The first payment was made in a diner in York, Brandler said. Westerhold's attorney, Richard Oare, would not comment after the guilty plea. Sentencing for Butler and Westerhold will be held by March 1. The bribery charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A fourth person involved in the case, Dennis L. Smith, is expected to plead to a bribery charge next week in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg. He is accused of paying McGraw $32,500 in exchange for a $225,000 grant for USTAAD Systems, where Smith was president. The government said yesterday that Smith introduced Westerhold to McGraw. The government said the investigation traces its roots to a Maryland lawsuit that had been filed against Butler and Smith in a business dispute. During a deposition in that case, Butler was quizzed about the $20,000 payment from TriTech, and he explained what the money was used for, Brandler said.

added 12/23/06 Fingerprints Required! ...will also help the social development department to curb fraud involving government grants because it will make it easier to verify the details of people applying for grants. This has to do with identifying fingerprints "We expect that the digitisation of fingerprints would further improve our ability to speedily verify and check the validity of identity documents produced by applicants. We hope it would then lead to a decrease in the number of fraudulent applications."

added 10/24/06 The Application Process Will Change! If you are seeking a government grant the application process will soon change! All 26 federal granting agencies will soon require grant applications to be submitted electronically using the new forms through only ONE secure portal!

added 1/5/06 Grants To Purchase A Car! A number of states and counties provide funding directly to low-income families to help them purchase cars. In some states, funds for car purchase are available on a statewide basis. In other states, this benefit is provided by the county and may not be available throughout the state. In most cases, these benefits are available only to certain individuals/families that meet the eligibility requirements of the state.

*

Grant Recipients

added 10/3/08 Japan has awarded a lucrative new medical prize for Africa to a Kenyan who has fought to stem HIV infections and a Briton whose research is credited with stemming malaria on the continent. The Emperor of Japan presented the new prize, which comes with 100 million yen (one million dollars) for each recipient, at a summit attended by 40 African heads of state in Yokohama, near Tokyo. The objective of this program is to honour individuals with outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of the African people and of all humankind. Who Is Eligible? - The Prize is aimed at individuals and organizations active in the field of medical research and medical services in Africa. In the field of medical services in particular, it is required that their activities take place in Africa or that the activities concerned be based in Africa contributing to improvements in the health and welfare of people living in Africa. No distinction will be made according to nationality, age or gender. The Prize will be limited to people still living or organizations currently active. This Prize will be awarded every five years The Prize consists of a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen. ($1 Million Dollars! The selection process comprises two stages, namely: (a) recommendation of a maximum of three candidates by two sub-Committees.

added 4/28/08 A man who wanted to start a food bank has received $60,000 in start-up funds, a $50,000 grant to buy a delivery truck and organizational support from the national charity. The new charity also secured a $1.5 million foundation grant payable over three years!

added 12/18/07 An adult daycare center has received their first grant! They offer services Monday - Friday, from 7:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m., for individuals who are recovering from a stroke or other illnesses, people with impaired judgment or memory, elderly people living alone or with family who would benefit from socialization and activity, families in need of respite from caring for a loved one at home, and people who need assistance with daily living activities. There are also licensed nurses and a nurse’s aid and an activities director. Since the government thinks that it is more cheaper for the elderly to stay in their own home - as opposed to living in a nursing home - they have provided a number of programs to financially help the non-profit adult daycare centers continue to operate. However this is not the only funding that this adult daycare center has been awarded.

added 10/22/07 A cow farmer in Pennsylvania received a $600,000 grant to build a system to turn his cow manure into a form of energy. Although this government grant didn't cover the entire cost the farmer paid for the difference by selling his surplus energy to his local utility company. He was also contacted by another company where it is estimated that he signed a contract which paid him over $50,000!

added 6/14/07 A mountain lodge facility received a $2 Million Dollar State and Federal grant to help refurbish their conference room on the condition that the lodge make an effort to provide year-round employment/jobs available. This is just another example of the kinds of grants that already-established businesses can apply for!

added 5/21/07 A couple that owns a farm received a $7,000 grant to help build a parking lot on their property so that they could increase their tourism business

added 5/15/07 Local YMCA receives a $750,000 grant to assist in building a new YMCA facility!

added 4/22/07 The Pillow Shop, a Carterville-based company specializing in feather pillow restoration/cleaning and quality custom-made feather pillows received 2 grants. This company is currently experiencing significant growth in the retail sector and is seeking additional funding to further expand its product line.

added 3/5/07 G. Mueller received a $60,000 grant for tire cleanup! This grant program was started to help with community clean-up and both individuals and businesses have received grant funding for this.

added 1/26/06 An $84,000 Grant was given to a program that helps provide kids with shoes and clothing!

added 9/17/05 According to figures compiled by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the abortion industry rakes in more than $900 million dollars annually in fees. Add to this the fact that the largest provider of abortions, Planned Parenthood, receives 250 million dollars per year in government grants, and you have an industry with a billion-dollar annual income.

Grants are available for: