Guide
How to research who received a federal grant
Updated · GrantsJunction editorial
To see who received funding under a federal program, look up the program's Assistance Listing Number (ALN) and search past awards for that ALN on USAspending.gov, which lists federal assistance awards with recipient names, amounts, dates and locations. The program's SAM.gov Assistance Listing also reports obligations by fiscal year and often describes typical award ranges. Historical awards show where money went; they do not tell you an approval rate.
A research workflow
- Find the ALN on the opportunity you are considering.
- Open the program's page on GrantsJunction to see its objective, eligible applicants and reported obligations by year.
- Search USAspending.gov award data by that ALN, filtered to recent fiscal years, to see recipients and award amounts.
- Look for recipients like your organization — similar type, size and location — and read their award descriptions.
- Use what you learn to judge fit and to set a realistic request amount.
What not to conclude
Award counts and totals do not reveal how many applications were submitted, so they cannot tell you your odds. A program with many awards may still be highly competitive.
Useful links
Frequently asked questions
Does GrantsJunction show past recipients?
Program-level funding history is available now from SAM.gov. Award-level recipient data from USAspending.gov is being added.
General information, not legal or grant-writing advice. Rules can change — the official notice and the awarding agency govern.