Before we plunge into a new year, we’re pausing to reflect on some of the important advancements introduced to Grants.gov in 2025.
Below, look back on four pivotal updates that enhanced security, ensured compliance, and improved the user experience as millions of Americans searched, applied for, and learned more about federal funding opportunities using Grants.gov.
1 – Simpler Search
In 2025, Grants.gov debuted the Simpler Search feature, which makes it easier for users to discover federal funding opportunities that align with their unique specifications. It returns relevant results with enhanced search algorithms, a cleaner interface, better filters, and more sorting options. It can be accessed directly at Simpler.Grants.gov and it is also the default search for users when they are not logged into their accounts on Grants.gov.
2 – Enhanced Profile Messaging and Email TLD Updates
A few important changes were brought to Grants.gov functionality following a release (https://a.storyblok.grants.gov/f/21/x/3a35fdbe7f/release-notes_r2025-01-2-tld-and-merge-add-profile.pdf) last spring. One was a text change to help users to better understand and resolve errors when entering Unique Entity Identifiers (UEIs) in Add Profile. Additionally, Grants.gov now supports more email addresses during account registration. It accepts all email addresses with top-level domains (TLDs) that are compliant with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) standards. For example, users can register on Grants.gov using .art or .news email addresses.
3 – Grants.gov Mobile App Is No Longer Supported
Over the summer, Grants.gov announced that it is retiring its mobile app and has shifted its focus to upgrading the user experience with a mobile-friendly version of the website. Learn more by reading this blog post (https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2025/04/01/grants-gov-is-retiring-its-mobile-app/).
4 – Compliance, Consistency, and Useability Updates
Grants.gov made a number of small but integral changes in order to make the overall website experience more secure and intuitive for users. Those included removal of the PIV/CAC login option on the login page, introducing a more efficient way to export search results (https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2025/04/11/grants-gov-export-search-results-upgrade-what-to-know/), the addition of a new funding activity category (https://a.storyblok.grants.gov/f/21/x/f494103af3/release-notes_r
2025-02-4-eicmm.pdf), and shifting Online Help articles (https
//a.storyblok.grants.gov/f/21/x/6d438e3ab7/release-notes_r2025-021.pdf) to the content management system (CMS) that is already in place across other portions of Grants.gov.
We anticipate even more user-friendly updates to Grants.gov in 2026. Many are already in the works, and we look forward to sharing them in the months ahead. Stay up to date with the latest developments by subscribing to our newsletter here (https://www.grants.gov/connect/manage-subscriptions/).
