The fastest way to win more grants is to stop applying to the ones you cannot win. A ten-minute eligibility screen rules out most opportunities before they cost you a weekend.
1 . The hard filters
Location, business age, revenue range, and industry codes are pass–fail. If any one fails, close the tab — no narrative overcomes a hard filter.
2 . The soft filters
Priority statements like “preference for rural applicants” are not requirements, but they predict your odds. Two or more priorities matched usually justifies the effort.
3 . Build a reusable screen
Write your own profile once — location, age, revenue, certifications, industry — and check every new grant against it in order. What fails fastest gets checked first.
