1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) is sponsored by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The GAFC offers direct federal grants to accelerator organizations that build and strengthen innovation-driven ecosystems.
The program typically runs as a two-stage competition, with Stage One awarding funds to organizations that identify challenges within their innovation ecosystems and propose solutions, and Stage Two offering additional funding for successful implementation.
Get a weekly digest of new grants like this
A free weekly digest of new foundation and federal funding opportunities as they're added to Granted. Unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
2025 GAFC - America's Seed Fund America's Seed Fund Summit SBIR/STTR Innovation Conference America's Seed Fund Summit SBIR/STTR Innovation Conference America's Seed Fund Summit SBIR/STTR Innovation Conference America's Seed Fund Summit SBIR/STTR Innovation Conference SBA Awards $5. 7 Million through the 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, Prioritizing American Innovation The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded $5.
7 million in 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) awards, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to prioritizing American entrepreneurship and accelerating innovation. Managed by SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation, awardees from across the country received a $75,000 prize to support entrepreneurs and foster our nation’s economic growth.
This year’s competition recognizes entrepreneur support organizations that have identified challenges or gaps within their local innovation networks and proposed unique solutions that align with one of the 2025 GAFC theme areas: 1) Lab-to-Market or 2) Capital Formation.
Lab-to-Market initiatives bridge the gap between research and commercialization, supporting national security priorities and ensuring America maintains its technological edge. Capital Formation initiatives expand investment access for small businesses to fuel their growth and accelerate their technologies reaching the market. Visit our 2025 Public Directory.
Bridging the gap between research and commercialization, in areas including but not limited to: National and Economic Security Domestic Manufacturing and Production Other critical and emerging technologies Expanding investment access for entrepreneurs and small businesses during the stages of business formation and business growth, through activities including but not limited to: Creating new funding mechanisms Developing more financial stakeholders in the innovation network Improving investment literacy among entrepreneurs Other mechanisms focused on addressing challenges to investment access for entrepreneurs and small businesses Ala.
, The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship Ala. , Arrowpoint Labs Foundation Ala. , Southern Research Institute Ark.
, Startup Junkie Consulting LLC Ark. , Winrock International Colo. , CSU STRATA Lab to Life Venture Studio Del.
, Delaware Innovation Space, Inc. Hawaii, Hawaii Innovation Laboratory Ind. , Defense Innovation Networking Group Md. , Inncuvate Consulting LLC Md.
, Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. Mass. , Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) Mich. , BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting Minn.
, MSP Lab Collective Miss. , The University of Southern Mississippi Mont. , 9point8 Collective, LLC Mont.
, Montana State University Nev. , University of Nevada Las Vegas N. J.
, New Jersey Innovation Institute N. M. , University of New Mexico - Anderson School of Management N.
M. , Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University N. C.
, Wireless Research Center of North Carolina N. C. , Pathway Community Foundation Ohio, Wright Brothers Institute Pa.
, LindenPointe Development Corporation P. R. , Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust / Parallel18 S.
D. , Elevate Foundation, Inc. Wash. , North Bank Innovations W.
Va. , U.S. RESEARCH IMPACT ALLIANCE CORP. Wis. , StartingBlock Madison, Inc Capital Formation Awardees Alaska, Juneau Economic Development Council Calif.
, Chemical Angels, Inc. Calif. , University Lab Partners Colo. , Ag Innovation Center Colo.
, Rockies Venture Club Inc Fla. , Miami-Dade Innovation Authority Ga. , Square One Startup School, Inc. Ky.
, Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation Mass. , Perkins School for the Blind Mich. , Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University Mo.
, UMSL Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center Mont. , Accelerate Montana's Rural Innovation Initiative (AMRII) at the University of Montana Okla. , Oklahoma Farm Bureau Ore.
, Oregon Bioscience Incubator Ore. , Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Pa. , University City Science Center Pa.
, The Crenshaw Institute of Applied Science and Technology S. D. , Aberdeen Development Corporation Tex.
, Texas Tech University Innovation Hub at Research Park Tex. , Expanding Frontiers, Corp Utah, 47G UAMMI Institute Vt. , Southern Windsor County Incubator Va.
, Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance SBA’s participation in this activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Private entities (for-profit and nonprofit), nonfederal government entities (including state, county, tribal, and municipal governments), academic institutions, and U.S. citizen-led teams aged 18 and older. This grant is for organizations that support startups, not for startups themselves. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $75,000 to $150,000 per recipient (FY2026 appropriation of $9 million). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was January 8, 2025, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) is funded by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
On September 2, 2026, SBA published an updated commercialization benchmark: firms with more than 25 Phase II awards in five years must derive at least 33 percent of total revenue from non-SBIR sources in FY2027, and 50 percent from FY2028 onward. It takes effect November 15, 2026. Because the measurement window looks backward three completed fiscal years, the first test is already decided — and the second is two-thirds decided. Here is the arithmetic, the history, and what firms near the line should do.
Read articleOn August 24, 2026, DOE and SBA signed a memorandum of agreement creating the Small Business Investment Company-Energy Initiative, pointing a $58 billion SBA-leveraged investment program at DOE's technology priorities. No application, no NOFO, no deadline. Here is how SBIC capital actually works, why a January 2026 rule change made this possible, and what a company sitting on a DOE Phase II award should do about it.
Read articleThe Small Business Administration's Manufacturing in America Empower to Grow initiative funds up to ten technical-assistance organizations with $5M each to deliver hands-on training to small manufacturers in aerospace, shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and seven other priority sectors. Applications close June 15, 2026 — and the three-year continuous-operation requirement is the rule that ends most LOIs before they start.
Read article