Able to avoid bureaucratic requirements for administering grants. Fewer applicants in most cases. Can generally be much more informal and willing to help with the proposal process. Lengthy proposal requirements and complex application, administration and compliance procedures. Often require institutional cost-sharing and matching.
Reviewers tend to favor established applicants.
Sometimes difficult to sell new ideas and high-risk approaches. Cost to applicants much higher expensive application and compliance procedures. Changing political trends affect security of some programs availability of funds can change rapidly. Average grant size usually much smaller. Priorities can change very rapidly, continuation support can be difficult to predict.