- U.S. Small Business Administration announces the return of its Growth Accelerator Fund Competition
- Small Business Innovation Research Catalyst Program also returns with new awards available
- Applications will be accepted through June 25
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the return of its sixth annual Growth Accelerator Fund Competition as well as a new award in its Small Business Innovation Research Catalyst Program.
The programs, providing more than $5 million in awards, aim to support entrepreneurs in research and development efforts. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman described them as “important parts of our efforts to support high-tech, deep-tech startups, by developing a network that targets the unique needs of pre-revenue, R&D-focused businesses.”
- The Growth Accelerator Fund Competition awards $50,000 prizes to accelerators, incubators, and other related entrepreneur programs providing “impactful assistance” to R&D entrepreneurs and those specializing in science, technology, engineering, and math
- An estimated 84 prizes will be awarded through this competition, with a focus on assisting women, minorities, entrepreneurs working to address key policy issues such as clean energy and supply chain resilience, and those assisting an underserved target group such as veterans, rural areas, or individuals with disabilities
- The SBIR Catalyst program is debuting seven additional prizes of $150,000 each to scale collaborative partnerships and build regional collaborations in support of SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer applicants and awardees
- Applicants for either program must submit a 12-slide presentation and video narrative capped at 90 seconds for review by a panel of expert judges
- Applications will be accepted through 4 p.m. on June 25, with winners announced in August
