2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

Win up to $200k to Help Build a National Innovation Support Ecosystem

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) is offering $13 million in prize awards over the next two years to catalyze strategic partnerships with inclusive approaches to accelerate success for STEM-based startups and small businesses.

This prize competition will have a deep impact on ecosystem builders, our nation’s entrepreneurs, and their deep-tech solutions, and ultimately, on our innovation economy. Applications are being accepted now through February 24, 2023. Please note: This competition is not intended to provide capital directly to companies for R&D projects.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards for impactful and inclusive approaches to foster a thriving, collaborative national innovation support ecosystem to advance research and development (R&D) from ideas to impact.
 
By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, advisors, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, the 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) will catalyze strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs and startups.
 
Competition Goals:

• Increase the pipeline and success of STEM/R&D-focused entrepreneurs and small businesses;
• Increase the success of STEM/R&D-focused entrepreneurs in accessing capital and resources to advance their businesses;
• Incentivize innovation ecosystem stakeholders to provide equitable access to resources for underserved communities and industries;
• Catalyze partnerships and relationships between stakeholder groups to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem; and
• Connect both new and established participants in the national innovation ecosystem