Grant to Uplift Underrepresented/Undercapitalized Innovators in Maine (USA)
GrantID: 74138
Grant Funding Amount Low: $6,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant Amount High: $106,000
Summary
This grant opportunity offers substantial financial and strategic support across various regions in the U.S. (including several states and national lab hubs). It’s designed to uplift underrepresented and undercapitalized innovators, particularly in climate tech and frontier deep‑tech fields. Eligible recipients include nonprofits, small businesses, and individual founders or researchers, especially those from groups traditionally overlooked in funding landscapes.
The intent of the funds is broad yet purposeful: recipients can use the money to develop groundbreaking technologies—like clean‑energy solutions, sustainable manufacturing methods, or climate‑resilient systems. Grants come with mentorship, access to advanced lab facilities, licensing pathways, and commercialization resources, so recipients have both the capital and the guidance to translate research into tangible, market-ready outcomes.
There's a focus on diversity and equity: founders who identify as women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or otherwise historically marginalized are actively encouraged to apply, helping close gaps in access to capital and institutional networks. Funding covers a variety of costs—from prototyping and licensing to pilot deployments and even operating expenses related to scaling a technology.
Grant amounts typically hover around mid‑six figures for individual fellows or research teams, with the potential for follow‑on funding or equity‑free seed rounds upon achieving specific milestones. Funds are available in multiple states and regions, especially those with deep‑tech infrastructure or clean‑energy research centers.
In addition to the financial award, selected recipients are granted access to a curated mentorship network, connections to national labs and industry partners, and potential licensing deals. These resources are tailored to help nonprofits turn climate research into practical solutions, small businesses build scalable clean‑tech ventures, and individuals—from scientists to engineers—forge viable career paths as climate‑tech entrepreneurs.
Overall, this grant is both a funding vehicle and a launchpad, designed to accelerate equitable innovation and bridge the gap between lab discoveries and real‑world impact.
This grant may be available to individuals and organizations in Maine that are actively involved in Technology. To locate more funding opportunities in your field, visit The Grant Portal and search by interest area using the Search Grant tool.
Eligible Regions
Interests
Eligible Requirements
