the difference between a government grant or a contract
The government uses grants and cooperative agreements as a means of assisting researchers in developing research for the public good, whereas it uses contracts as a means of procuring a service for the benefit of the government. Grants are much more flexible than contracts.
Grants, Contracts, RFAs, and RFPs. 1  A grant is a funding mechanism for a particular scientific inquiry that you generate. 2  In contrast, a contract is a funding mechanism of government agencies or other organizations to obtain specified services or goods.
While the overwhelming majority of grants are awarded to non-business entities (e.g., state and local governments, schools and universities, nonprofit organizations, etc.), many cooperative agreements and contracts are awarded to for-profit businesses. Below is an overview of the key differences between grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. In addition to grants, the federal government also awards funds directly to business entities through cooperative agreements. Like grants, cooperative agreements are typically awarded through a competitive process.