Pre-Application Webinar: Goals, Rules, and How to Apply

SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Open for Applications

This week, SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) offering a total of $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards to organizations seeking to foster a national innovation support ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to the commercial market.  The Stage One application portal opened on January 8th for a five-week window, and the SBA will award up to $3 million in Stage One prize money by April 2024.

Prizes Awarded in Two Stages

Stage One offers $50,000 in cash prizes awarded to organizations for ecosystem-building activities, including recruitment of new partners, and strengthening existing alliances among stakeholders (including public, private, non-profit, and academic partners). Contestants work collaboratively with chosen partners to bring additional resources, deepen network connections, and develop strategies to support STEM/R&D-focused entrepreneurs and small businesses. SBA welcomes Stage One submissions from a broad range of organizations with a collaborative vision to nurture a national ecosystem for equitable access to entrepreneurship.

Stage Two of the Competition offers an additional $50,000 to $150,000 in cash prizes to eligible Stage One winners to provide direct assistance to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and startups that are looking to commercialize their innovation, from R&D to the commercial market. SBA intends to announce winners for Stage Two by September 2024.

More Information and Application Portal

Informational Webinars

Two informational webinars will be held to support potential Stage One applicants. The webinars are free and open to the public.

GAFC Pre-Application Webinar: Goals, Rules, and How to Apply | January 16, 2024 | 2pm (EST)

GAFC Theme Explanation Webinar: A Deep Dive into the Tech Themes with Experts from Relevant Federal Agencies | January 31, 2024 | 2pm (EST)

Applicants are asked to align their application with one of the following GAFC Theme Areas:

National and Economic Security, including but not limited to: 

• National Security and Defense 
• Artificial Intelligence  
• Microelectronics 
• Advanced Computing and Software  
• Quantum Computing 
• Human-Machine Interfaces 
• Other Critical and Emerging Technologies 

Domestic Manufacturing and Production, including but not limited to: 

• Advanced Manufacturing R&D 
• Supply Chain Resiliency 
• Critical and Resilient Infrastructure 
• AgTech and Agricultural Innovation 
• Other Supply Chain, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing Technologies 

Sustainability and Biotechnology, including but not limited to: 

• Energy and Sustainability 
• Biotechnology 
• Climate and Environment 
• Public Health 
• Renewable Energy Generation and Storage 
• Electric Vehicles 
• Blue Economy 
• Other Climate, Energy, and Life Science Technologies 

SBA expects to award up to $3,000,000 in cash prizes for Stage One and intends to announce winners for Stage One by April 2024.

For information on previous GAFC winners visit www.sbir.gov/accelerators