Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant

The Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant, administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), is designed to accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies emerging from Colorado's research institutions. This grant serves as a key initiative under OEDIT’s Global Business Development division, promoting collaboration between public research institutions and private sector partners. The program reflects Colorado's commitment to fostering economic growth through technological innovation, particularly in sectors identified as "advanced industries" such as biosciences, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. The grant is part of a broader effort to bridge the gap between research and market readiness, enabling scientific advancements to yield tangible economic and social benefits within the state. This grant supports applied research aimed at preparing disruptive technologies for market introduction, explicitly excluding basic research. Eligible activities include proof of principle, intellectual property protection, prototype development, technical validation, market assessments, and start-up formation costs. Projects must originate from an approved Colorado research institution or federal lab and demonstrate their impact on at least one of the state's designated advanced industries. To ensure commitment and shared risk, the program requires a 1-to-3 match of institutional or third-party cash funding to state funds. In-kind contributions and other state funds, even through intermediaries, are not permissible matches. Applicants can receive up to $150,000 per project, although this ceiling may be lifted for joint proposals or those that impact multiple advanced industries. Joint proposals must either involve multiple research institutions sharing intellectual property or involve commercialization activities at more than one site, with each receiving at least 25% of the award. If the proposed technology applies to more than one advanced industry, applicants must clearly articulate how each selected industry is supported by the technology to qualify for full funding. Applications must also address how enabling technologies like IT or electronics improve scalability, adoption, or process efficiency for the targeted non-enabling industries. The application process occurs biannually, with open cycles from January to February and July to August. For the current cycle, applications must be submitted by February 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM MT. Applicants must first pass a pre-qualification phase conducted by the technology transfer office of their research institution. Upon successful pre-qualification, full applications can be submitted through the OEDIT online portal. These applications must contain detailed sections such as an executive summary, project milestones, commercialization potential, budget, and personnel plan. Specific templates must be used for project milestones and budget, with indirect costs capped at 8% of total direct costs. Evaluation is conducted through a multi-stage process including an internal compliance review, independent scoring by reviewers, and industry subcommittee deliberations. Scored components include stakeholder collaboration (10 points), market/economic potential (50 points), and personnel/budget/research plan (40 points). Competitive applicants may be fast-tracked, skipping the final pitch event, while others present at a full committee meeting. Recommended applications are forwarded to the Colorado Economic Development Commission for final approval. Grant awards cannot be spent until a formal agreement is signed, and funds must be used according to the approved budget. If the resulting technology is licensed to an organization not commercializing it in Colorado, the research institution must reimburse 20% of gross licensing revenues until the award amount is repaid. Questions may be directed to Rama Haris, Advanced Industries Senior Manager, at 303-824-9768 or [email protected]. Institutions with pre-allocated internal funding should be contacted directly for internal review timelines.

Ensure all industries selected directly support the application; Stay within indirect cost limits; Accurately complete Stakeholder Collaboration section to avoid rescoring or rejection.