Funding Opportunities

Funding is available to UConn affiliated and CT based companies through many state funded and private sources. Grants and funding are also available for intellectual property and emerging technology to those in the early stages of forming a business. 

Idea Development Grants

UConn IDEA Grant

UConn Office of the Provost, UConn Office of Undergraduate Research

Award: Up to $4K per student

EligibilityCurrent UConn undergraduates

Deadline: Summer Funding: December

Academic Year Funding: March

Wolff New Venture Competition

UConn, CT Innovations, the EDA

Award: $15,000

Eligibility: Faculty, postdocs, grad and undergrad students

Requirements: CCEI Summer Fellowship (top five)

Entrepreneur Innovations Award

CTNext

Award: Up to $10,000

Eligibility: small-to-medium enterprises

Global Innovation Fund

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: Innovations Solving Pertinent Global Issues

Requirements: Innovations provide change in developing countries

Deadline: Accepts applications year-round

Innovation Quest

UConn Office of Provost/UConn School of Business

Award: Top three winners get $15K, $10K, $5K respecitvely

Eligibility: UConn undergraduates, graduate students, recent grads

Requirements: Creative Ideas

Deadline: Spring semester

Accelerate UConn

UConn CCEI/UConn School of Business

Award: Up to $3K

Eligibility: Student and faculty led teams across UConn

Requirements: None

Deadline: Fall and Spring semesters

Summer Fellowship

UConn CCEI/UConn School of Business

Award: Up to $15K

Eligibility: Student and faculty led teams across UConn

Requirements: Technology or manufacturing focus

Deadline: March 1

Healthcare Innovations

UConn School of Nursing

Award: $k1-$2K, up to $4K from Venturewell grant

Eligibility: Current UConn Nursing Students, E-Teams with Engineering

Requirements: None

PFI: AIR-TT

National Science Foundation

Award: $200k, 18 month program

Eligibility: Provide Proof of Concept/Prototype addressing technology constraints

Requirements: Graduate of ICorps program, business experience

Deadline: Fall semester

Startup Funding

Technology Talent Bridge

CTNext

Award: Up to $25k to hire student interns

Eligibility: Companies >1 year old and based in CT

Requirements

Deadline: Rolling

Visa's Everywhere Initiative

Visa

Award: up to $50k

Eligibility: Creative startups

Requirements: Applicants collaborate with Visa on the future of payments

NASA SBIR/STTR

NASA

Award: up to $125k

Eligibility: >500 employees or nonprofit RI

Requirements: Technology fulfilling NASA needs

NIH SBIR/STTR

National Institute of Health

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: STTR requires research partner

Requirements: Innovative biomedical technologies

Connecticut Innovations Pre-Seed Fund Investment

Connecticut Innovations

Award: Up to $150K for pre-seed expenses

Eligibility: In operation for < 7  years; developing a technology; 

Requirements: Prerequisites

Deadline: Rolling application process

NSF SBIR/STTR

National Science Foundation

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: STTR requires research partner

Requirements: Companies with early-stage tech

Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF) Investment

Connecticut Innovations

Award: Up to $500K stand-alone investment; $2M with co-investment

Eligibility: CT-based bioscience companies or academic technology

Requirements: Not yet available for commercial release OR prototypes and clinical trials

Deadline: Company business plans rolling. Academic applications: end of each calendar quarter

Bioscience Pipeline

UConn

Award: Up to $30K

Eligibility: CT-based bioscience company 

Requirements: < 10 employees or $100K in funding. May apply for $500k CBIF but can only accept one.

Deadline: October and April

SPARK

UConn Technology Commercialization Services

Award: Up to $50K

Eligibility: UConn or UCHC investigator with technology that has realistic commercial potential. 

Requirements: Existing intellectual property a plus.

Deadline: Letter of Intent : 9/1, full proposals: 10/15, presentations: 11/1 

UConn Innovation Fund Investment

UConn

Award: Up to $100K

Eligibility: UConn affiliated startups (students, faculty, alumni, TIP) Located in CT.

Requirements: Early stage growth companies seeking SBIR/STTR or angel funding.

Deadline: Three times per year. See current schedule.

Third Bridge Grant

UConn School of Engineering

Award: $10-75K

Eligibility: Current/former ENGR-5300 students

Requirements: Prerequisites

Deadline: to be determined

Funding for Established Companies

Technology Talent Bridge Internship Program

CTNext

Award: Up to $25K

Eligibility: 1 year old companies, registered in CT, < 500 employees

Requirements: Prerequisites

Deadline: Rolling; May 1st for summer interns 

I-Corps Sites & Nodes

National Science Foundation

Award: case-by-case

Requirements: support development of innovations

Deadline: Intent Deadline 2/8/2018

Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster

UConn, CT Innovations, the EDA

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: small-to-medium enterprises in Eastern CT

Requirements: Technology or manufacturing focus

Deadline: Rolling

Connecticut Manufacturing Simulation Center (CMSC)

UConn, CT Innovations, the EDA

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: Small-to-medium enterprise (SME) located in CT

Requirements: Technology and/or manufacturing focus

Deadline: Rolling

Centers for Chemical Innovation

National Science Foundation

Award: case-by-case

Eligibility: Chemical research centers. 

Requirements: Integrate research, innovation, and education

Deadline: Preliminary Proposal: 9/12/17