2021 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and SBIR Catalyst Competition Results
SBA announces $5.4 Million in Prizes to Support Inclusive Entrepreneurship in the Innovation Ecosystem
The 2021 competition features 84 winners for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and eight winners for the SBIR Catalyst competition, a new component aimed at spurring investment in underrepresented communities within the innovation economy at scale, receiving a combined total of $5.4 million in awards.innovation-focused entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) with programs to speed the launch, growth, and scale of deep-tech small businesses across the country.
The winners come from 48 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia and have been awarded based on their proposals for innovative ideas that inclusively support entrepreneurs researching and developing STEM-related innovations.
Two prize tracks were run simultaneously:
- Track 1 - Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC)—The winners of the GAFC are accelerators and incubators who proposed targeted assistance to STEM/R&D entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, rural, and veteran entrepreneurs. The GAFC prize winners support a broad range of industries including clean energy, supply chain resilience, and infrastructure. Many accelerators and incubators also work to expand the participation of innovation-focused small businesses located in HUBZones. GAFC winners will each receive a $50,000 prize.
- Track 2 - SBIR Catalyst—The winners of the SBIR Catalyst competition facilitated eight collaborative partnership proposals aimed at building connections across entrepreneur support organizations that foster innovation driven entrepreneurs from underserved communities. The winners are recognized connectors across programs that fund innovation clusters, hubs, and other technology-based economic development initiatives. SBIR Catalyst winners will each receive a $150,000 prize.
- 2021 Growth Accelerator and SBIR Catalyst Prize Winners Announcement
- List of Prize Winners
Track
State / Territory
Awardees
SBIR Catalyst
FL
Florida High Tech Corridor Council and partners
SBIR Catalyst
IL (KY, TN)
Southern Illinois Research Park, Inc. and partners
SBIR Catalyst
KY (MS, SC)
XLerator Network and partners
SBIR Catalyst
MI (CT, IN, MN, MO, NE,
NH, RI, SD, VA, VT,WI)
BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting and partners
SBIR Catalyst
NE (IA, KS, MO, SD)
University of Nebraska Medical Center UNeTech Institute and partners
SBIR Catalyst
NM (AK, ID, MT)
New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center and partners
SBIR Catalyst
NY (VA)
Cornell University and partners
SBIR Catalyst
OK (AR, KS, MO, NE)
OK Catalyst, The University of Oklahoma and partners
GAFC
AL
The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship
GAFC
AL
Innovation Portal, Inc.
GAFC
AR
Conductor Health Sciences Bootcamp
GAFC
AR
Science Venture Studio: EMPOWER
GAFC
AZ
Startup Tucson
GAFC
AZ
University of Arizona Center for Innovation
GAFC
AZ
SEED SPOT
GAFC
CA
UCI Beall Applied Innovation
GAFC
CA
Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center
GAFC
CA
Long Beach Accelerator
GAFC
CA
Startup Redding
GAFC
CA
Oak Crest Institute of Science
GAFC
CO
Catalyst Accelerator
GAFC
CO
CU Innovations
GAFC
CT
HAYVN LAUNCH
GAFC
DC
Walker's Legacy Foundation
GAFC
DC
The WEPAN Accelerator
GAFC
DE
Delaware Technology Park - DTP[@]STAR
GAFC
DE
Horn Entrepreneurship Blue Hen Proof Of Concept Program
GAFC
FL
Domi Education Inc
GAFC
FL
Tampa Bay Wave
GAFC
GA
Southeast Innovation Institute
GAFC
GA
Invest Atlanta
GAFC
HI
XLR8HI
GAFC
IA
Rural Business Innovators Iowa SBDC
GAFC
IA
The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo)
GAFC
ID
Idaho State University College of Business - Bengal Solutions
GAFC
IL
Clean Energy Trust
GAFC
IN
Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Inc.
GAFC
KS
KU Innovation Park Bioscience & Technology Business Center
GAFC
KY
Accelerated Innovative Manufacturing - University of Louisville
GAFC
KY
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC)
GAFC
KY
Inventors Network KY
GAFC
LA
Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation
GAFC
LA
Nexus Louisiana Technology Park
GAFC
MA
VentureWell
GAFC
MA
The Capital Network
GAFC
MA
BlueSwell Incubator - SeaAhead
GAFC
MD
Bethesda Green Innovation Lab
GAFC
MD
Clean Energy Business Network
GAFC
MI
TechTown Detroit
GAFC
MI
Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University
GAFC
MN
Defense Alliance
GAFC
MO
Lindenwood University (ITEN)
GAFC
MO
BioSTL
GAFC
MS
Innovate Mississippi
GAFC
MT
Biomimicry Launchpad
GAFC
MT
Early Stage MT
GAFC
NC
RIoT Accelerator Program
GAFC
NC
First Flight Venture Center
GAFC
NC
KickStart Venture Services
GAFC
ND
University of North Dakota Center for Innovation
GAFC
NJ
New Jersey Innovation Institute
GAFC
NJ
Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship
GAFC
NM
The New Mexico Start-Up Factory
GAFC
NV
University of Nevada InNEVator
GAFC
NY
Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center
GAFC
NY
Koffman Southern Tier Incubator
GAFC
NY
College of Staten Island Tech Incubator
GAFC
OH
The Ohio State University Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship
GAFC
OH
University of Akron Research Foundation
GAFC
OK
Southeastern Oklahoma State University SBDC
GAFC
OR
Opportunity Knocks
GAFC
PA
University City Science Center Launch Lane Accelerator
GAFC
PA
Innovation Works
GAFC
PA
Temple Small Business Development Center
GAFC
PR
Parallel18
GAFC
SC
Don Ryan Center for Innovation
GAFC
SC
USC Columbia Technology Incubator
GAFC
SD
University of South Dakota
GAFC
SD
Elevate Rapid City
GAFC
TN
CO.LAB
GAFC
TN
FoundersForge
GAFC
TX
Capital Factory
GAFC
TX
Health Wildcatters
GAFC
USVI
Accelerate VI
GAFC
UT
RevRoad
GAFC
VA
The Dominion Energy Innovation Center
GAFC
VA
FedTech
GAFC
WA
Life Science Washington Institute
GAFC
WA
Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC)
GAFC
WI
WERCBench Labs Accelerator
GAFC
WI
gener8tor Management LLC
GAFC
WV
New River Gorge Regional Development Authority - WV Hive Network
2021 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and SBIR Catalyst Competition Information
The 2021 submission period was open from May 26, 2021 until July 2, 2021.
Proposals were welcomed from the nation’s innovation-focused entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) that have the ability to speed the launch, growth, and scale of high-tech small businesses. By addressing the capital gap many ESOs face, SBA’s prizes assist critical activities around the country – new collaborations, targeted programs, and support services for early-stage startups to increase the likelihood of STEM/R&D entrepreneurs to not only take off, but de-risk their work for follow-on investors.
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Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC)—Prizes of $50,000 for efforts to provide focused assistance to STEM/R&D entrepreneurs, including support for company formation as well as awareness and education of SBIR/STTR programs. Contestants must focus their proposed efforts on one of the following groups: women entrepreneurs, minority entrepreneurs, or other target entrepreneurs identified by applicants (ie. rural, veterans, individuals with disabilities, etc.). 84 prizes are anticipated for this track.
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SBIR Catalyst—Prizes of $150,000 to scale collaborative partnerships, strengthen ties between stakeholders (including public, private, non-profit, and academic partners) in support of SBIR/STTR applicants and awardees. SBIR Catalyst winners will help fulfill the SBA’s mission of addressing current gaps in access to the innovation economy for communities of color, women entrepreneurs, and rural communities. 8 prizes are anticipated for this track.
Resources:
- 2021 Competition Guidelines
- Pre-application Webinar June 2, 2021
- Slide deck with FAQ
- Watch the recording here: bit.ly/GAFC21WebinarRec
- Competition Announcement Press Release
History
The Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) was first launched by SBA in 2014 to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship across the country. GAFC prize awards have funded a wide range of accelerators and incubators in an effort to provide increased support to entrepreneurs, particularly in the STEM/R&D innovation ecosystem. Each competition has varied in total prize dollars as well as targeted groups and/or geographies.
Total prize awards since 2014 303 Total prize funds since 2014 $15,150,000 Number of competitions 2014-2020 5 Number of states/territories represented 51 Number of unique winners 222 2019 Competition
2019 GAFC Competition Details
The 2019 Competition featured sixty (60) $50,000 prize awards for accelerators working with high-tech entrepreneurs, mainly potential applicants to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Tech Transfer (STTR) programs. Winners proposed at least 60 percent of their competition-related work to entrepreneurs in one of the following groups: women; socially and/or economically disadvantaged individuals; entrepreneurs in states with lower numbers of SBIR/STTR awards; or entrepreneurs living in or whose business was located/operating in an Opportunity Zone. See competition details for more information on the guidelines, and the press release below for the list of winners.
Past GAFC Announcements
