[[File:NLW Penrice and Margam Deeds 204 front (8634702372).jpg|thumb|right|Latin grant dated 1329, written on fine [[parchment]] or [[vellum]], with [[seal (device)|seal]]]]
A '''grant''' is a [[funding|fund]] given by a person or organization, often a [[Government|public body]], [[charitable foundation]], a specialised grant-making institution, or in some cases a [[business]] with a [[corporate social responsibility]] mission, to an individual or another entity, usually, a non-profit organisation, sometimes a business or a [[local government]] body, for a specific purpose linked to [[public benefit]]. Unlike [[loan]]s, grants are not intended to be paid back. Examples include [[student grant]]s, '''research grants''', the [[Sovereign Grant Act 2011|Sovereign Grant]] paid by the UK [[HM Treasury|Treasury]] to the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|monarch]], and some [[European Regional Development Fund]] payments in the [[European Union]].<ref>EUR-Lex, [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R1058 Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund], Article 5.6, accessed 26 August 2023</ref>
== European Union ==
===European Union grants===
The [[European Commission]] provides financing through numerous specific calls for project proposals. These may be within [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|Framework Programmes]]. Although there are many 7-year programmes that are renewed that provide money for various purposes. These may be [[Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund|structural funds]], [[Youthyouth program]]mes and [[Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union|Educationeducation programmes]]. There are also occasional one-off grants to deal with unforeseen aspects or special projects and themes. Most of these are administered through what are called National Agencies, but some are administered directly through the Commission in Brussels. Due to the complexity of the funding mechanisms involved and especially the high competitiveness of the grant application processes (14%) professional Grant Consulting firms are gaining importance in the grant writing process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/horizon-2020-statistics|title=Horizon 2020 statistics - Horizon 2020 - European Commission|website=Horizon 2020|access-date=2016-10-22}}</ref> EU grants should not be confused with EU tenders, although there can be some similarities.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the difference between a grant and a tender? |url=https://eufunds.me/what-is-the-difference-between-a-grant-and-a-tender/ |website=EU Funds |date=18 March 2022 |access-date=21 March 2022}}</ref>
Another funding body in Europe is the [[European Research Council]] established by the European Commission in 2007: see [[European Research Council#Grants offered]]. Similarly there are calls and various projects that are funded by this council.
