The Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program (TCP) aims to ensure that disadvantaged communities adversely or disproportionately affected by environmental, climate, and human health policy outcomes have the technical tools and organizational capacity to compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive. Apply for the program two ways:

1. A Call for Letters of Interest (LOI): For eligible applicants to receive technical assistance, planning, or capacity building services. There is no cost requirement to participate, and DOT will prioritize helping the most under-resourced disadvantaged communities.
2. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): For eligible applicants to provide technical assistance, planning, or capacity building services to help disadvantaged communities.

The SMART program was established to provide grants to eligible public sector agencies to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.

Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program directs FHWA to award grants to eligible entities to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment. FHWA intends for these model technology deployments to help demonstrate how emerging transportation technologies, data, and their applications can be effectively deployed and integrated with existing systems to provide access to essential services and other destinations.

• Work with the LG NOVA Team to co-create new market opportunities and grow your business
• Get access to resources and potential investments from LG Electronics, LG Display, and other LG NOVA affiliates that could total in the millions of dollars
• Qualify for grant funding to support pilot, POCs and/or joint product development
• Co-collaborate with LG for potential opportunities to develop multi-million-dollar engagements as new businesses within LG’s global innovation portfolio.

Patents protect inventions so that inventors can focus on their work and be compensated for it. But many people don’t know how to navigate the patenting process, or even where to start. That’s why The Inventor’s Patent Academy was created. This free, one-of-a-kind, e-learning course aims to help people understand the patenting process and get them ready to apply for their own patent. It also explores challenges inventors may face along the way—particularly those that typically affect women, people of color, veterans, low-income individuals, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented inventors—and provides advice to overcome them.

The Regional Energy Accelerator for Commercializing Hardtech (REACH) is now accepting applications from energy hardtech startups, entrepreneurs, university faculty, and founders to join the 2023 cohort! Application deadline is November 18th, 2022 and teams will be notified by December 16th.

The Business Accelerator Fund (BAF) is available to participating business accelerators in Michigan’s statewide SmartZone network. These funds are used toward the delivery of specialized services that are not otherwise available from these business accelerators to assist advanced technology companies regardless of the company’s geography. A participating business accelerator will engage a third-party specialist to help advance the client’s path to commercialization, company success, and economic impact for the state of Michigan.

BAF requests are reviewed and awarded through a competitive process. A company may not receive more than $50,000 in BAF services, though most engagements are in the $7,000 to $15,000 range.

Project Enginuity, a National SBIR Accelerator, was designed to accelerate and empower Black, Hispanic, Latino and women innovators led by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business Partnership (DACC MBP) in collaboration with the Entrepreneurs’ Center (EC) and support from Chase.

Program participants receive expert training, which supports their application for necessary funding via Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. Businesses that receive non-dilutive capital from SBIR are able to explore their technological potential, profit from commercialization and build long-term wealth.

The partnership helps to support and accelerate climate tech and clean energy hardware startups in the Greater Midwest. Partners support startups and small businesses via tailored accelerator programs, virtual and in-person events, sector-specific curriculum, mentorship, prototyping resources, and connections with industry.

Joules Accelerator works to identify, advise, and deploy early-stage climate startups while connecting them with the energy network of the Southeast and beyond. Joules moves quickly to make warm connections to relevant network stakeholders across the region and to find revenue-generating pilots and other commercialization opportunities for member startups. Joules presents twelve startups through two cohorts per year. Each cohort lasts 90 days and requires 2-4 hours per month for meeting with potential customers. The program is free for startups, free to apply, and does not take equity.