GAFC
Learn about the competition results, total amounts awarded, and watch the proposal videos from different awardees.
2021 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and SBIR Catalyst Competition Results
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.
Award Data
303
Awards since 2014
$15,150,000
Prize funds since 2014
5
Competitions from 2014-2022
51
States/Territories represented
222
Unique Winners
Two prize tracks were run simultaneously
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.
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.
Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced 84 winners for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and eight winners for the Small Business Innovation Research (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.
Resources
Pre-application Webinar June 2, 2021
List of Prize Winners
| Track | State / Territory | Awardees | Proposal Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBIR Catalyst | FL | Florida High Tech Corridor Council and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | IL (KY, TN) | Southern Illinois Research Park, Inc. and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | KY (MS, SC) | XLerator Network and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | MI (CT, IN, MN, MO, NE, NH, RI, SD, VA, VT,WI) | BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | NE (IA, KS, MO, SD) | University of Nebraska Medical Center UNeTech Institute and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | NM (AK, ID, MT) | New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | NY (VA) | Cornell University and partners | Video |
| SBIR Catalyst | OK (AR, KS, MO, NE) | OK Catalyst, The University of Oklahoma and partners | Video |
| GAFC | AL | The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship | Video |
| GAFC | AL | Innovation Portal, Inc. | Video |
| GAFC | AR | Conductor Health Sciences Bootcamp | Video |
| GAFC | AR | Science Venture Studio: EMPOWER | Video |
| GAFC | AZ | Startup Tucson | Video |
| GAFC | AZ | University of Arizona Center for Innovation | Video |
| GAFC | AZ | SEED SPOT | Video |
| GAFC | CA | UCI Beall Applied Innovation | Video |
| GAFC | CA | Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center | Video |
| GAFC | CA | Long Beach Accelerator | Video |
| GAFC | CA | Startup Redding | Video |
| GAFC | CA | Oak Crest Institute of Science | Video |
| GAFC | CO | Catalyst Accelerator | Video |
| GAFC | CO | CU Innovations | Video |
| GAFC | CT | HAYVN LAUNCH | Video |
| GAFC | DC | Walker's Legacy Foundation | Video |
| GAFC | DC | The WEPAN Accelerator | Video |
| GAFC | DE | Delaware Technology Park - DTP[@]STAR | Video |
| GAFC | DE | Horn Entrepreneurship Blue Hen Proof Of Concept Program | Video |
| GAFC | FL | Domi Education Inc | Video |
| GAFC | FL | Tampa Bay Wave | Video |
| GAFC | GA | Southeast Innovation Institute | Video |
| GAFC | GA | Invest Atlanta | Video |
| GAFC | HI | XLR8HI | Video |
| GAFC | IA | Rural Business Innovators Iowa SBDC | Video |
| GAFC | IA | The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) | Video |
| GAFC | ID | Idaho State University College of Business - Bengal Solutions | Video |
| GAFC | IL | Clean Energy Trust | Video |
| GAFC | IN | Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Inc. | Video |
| GAFC | KS | KU Innovation Park Bioscience & Technology Business Center | Video |
| GAFC | KY | Accelerated Innovative Manufacturing - University of Louisville | Video |
| GAFC | KY | Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC) | Video |
| GAFC | KY | Inventors Network KY | Video |
| GAFC | LA | Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation | Video |
| GAFC | LA | Nexus Louisiana Technology Park | Video |
| GAFC | MA | VentureWell | Video |
| GAFC | MA | The Capital Network | Video |
| GAFC | MA | BlueSwell Incubator - SeaAhead | Video |
| GAFC | MD | Bethesda Green Innovation Lab | Video |
| GAFC | MD | Clean Energy Business Network | Video |
| GAFC | MI | TechTown Detroit | Video |
| GAFC | MI | Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University | Video |
| GAFC | MN | Defense Alliance | Video |
| GAFC | MO | Lindenwood University (ITEN) | Video |
| GAFC | MO | BioSTL | Video |
| GAFC | MS | Innovate Mississippi | Video |
| GAFC | MT | Biomimicry Launchpad | Video |
| GAFC | MT | Early Stage MT | Video |
| GAFC | NC | RIoT Accelerator Program | Video |
| GAFC | NC | First Flight Venture Center | Video |
| GAFC | NC | KickStart Venture Services | Video |
| GAFC | ND | University of North Dakota Center for Innovation | Video |
| GAFC | NJ | New Jersey Innovation Institute | Video |
| GAFC | NJ | Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship | Video |
| GAFC | NM | The New Mexico Start-Up Factory | Video |
| GAFC | NV | University of Nevada InNEVator | Video |
| GAFC | NY | Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center | Video |
| GAFC | NY | Koffman Southern Tier Incubator | Video |
| GAFC | NY | College of Staten Island Tech Incubator | Video |
| GAFC | OH | The Ohio State University Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship | Video |
| GAFC | OH | University of Akron Research Foundation | Video |
| GAFC | OK | Southeastern Oklahoma State University SBDC | Video |
| GAFC | OR | Opportunity Knocks | Video |
| GAFC | PA | University City Science Center Launch Lane Accelerator | Video |
| GAFC | PA | Innovation Works | Video |
| GAFC | PA | Temple Small Business Development Center | Video |
| GAFC | PR | Parallel18 | Video |
| GAFC | SC | Don Ryan Center for Innovation | Video |
| GAFC | SC | USC Columbia Technology Incubator | Video |
| GAFC | SD | University of South Dakota | Video |
| GAFC | SD | Elevate Rapid City | Video |
| GAFC | TN | CO.LAB | Video |
| GAFC | TN | FoundersForge | Video |
| GAFC | TX | Capital Factory | Video |
| GAFC | TX | Health Wildcatters | Video |
| GAFC | USVI | Accelerate VI | Video |
| GAFC | UT | RevRoad | Video |
| GAFC | VA | The Dominion Energy Innovation Center | Video |
| GAFC | VA | FedTech | Video |
| GAFC | WA | Life Science Washington Institute | Video |
| GAFC | WA | Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) | Video |
| GAFC | WI | WERCBench Labs Accelerator | Video |
| GAFC | WI | gener8tor Management LLC | Video |
| GAFC | WV | New River Gorge Regional Development Authority - WV Hive Network | Video |