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.
Lab-to-Market
Bridging the gap between research and commercialization, in areas including but not limited to:
- National and Economic Security
- Domestic Manufacturing and Production
- Biotechnology
- Other critical and emerging technologies
Capital Formation
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 ecosystem
- Improving investment literacy among entrepreneurs
- Other mechanisms focused on addressing challenges to investment access for entrepreneurs and small businesses
Lab-to-Market Awardees
- Ala., The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship
- Ala., Arrowpoint Labs Foundation
- Ala., Southern Research Institute
- Ark., Startup Junkie Consulting LLC
- Ark., Winrock International
- Ark., BioVentures, LLC
- Colo., CSU STRATA Lab to Life Venture Studio
- Del., Delaware Innovation Space, Inc.
- Hawaii, Hawaii Innovation Laboratory
- Ill., Andalusia LLC
- Ind., Defense Innovation Networking Group
- La., TECH TO MARKET
- La., Maven Scouts
- Md., Inncuvate Consulting LLC
- Md., Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc.
- Mass., Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)
- Mass., FORGE
- Mich., BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting
- Minn., LegalCORPS
- Minn., MSP Lab Collective
- Miss., The University of Southern Mississippi
- Mo., KC Digital Drive
- 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.
- Tenn., Launch Tennessee
- Tex., BioMedSA
- Vt., UVM Innovations
- Wash., North Bank Innovations
- W. Va., ADL Ventures LLC
- W. Va., U.S. RESEARCH IMPACT ALLIANCE CORP.
- Wis., StartingBlock Madison, Inc
Capital Formation Awardees
- Alaska, Juneau Economic Development Council
- Calif., Growth Factory
- 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.
- Hawaii, HATCH Blue
- Kan., Fluent LLC
- Kan., NXTUS, 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
- Neb., UNeMed Corporation
- 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
- P.R., Pa'Ti Mar
- R.I., RIHub
- S.D., Aberdeen Development Corporation
- Tenn., FoundersForge
- Tex., Texas Tech University Innovation Hub at Research Park
- Tex., Pioneers 21
- Tex., Expanding Frontiers, Corp
- Utah, 47G UAMMI Institute
- Vt., Southern Windsor County Incubator
- Va., 757 Collab
- Va., Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance
- Wash., Matchstick Lab
- Wyo., Silicon Couloir
