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The Grants for Growth program is a unique seed program that offers up to $75,000 in matching funds for innovative applied research projects between universities and industry that have the potential to improve business competitiveness and create jobs.
By seeding applied research relationships between university and industry, the program seeks to increase innovation and technology commercialization within the Central Upstate regional economy.
Through a combination of grants and no-interest loans, the GFG program is designed to give companies in Central Upstate New York greater access to the unique knowledge, expertise and educational resources available at regional research institutions. The program is part of the Metropolitan Development AssociationÕs (MDA) Essential New York Initiative Ð a plan to accelerate the transition of the regional economy to one based on knowledge, technology and creativity.
Below you will find the application and description of the Grants for Growth program. For additional information, please contact us at gfg@essentialconnections.org or (315) 422-8284. Grants are awarded twice a year, approximately in January and July of each year, on a rolling application timeline.
The Grants for Growth (GFG) program is a unique seed program that offers up to $75,000 in matching funds for innovative applied research projects between universities and industry that have the potential to improve business competitiveness and create jobs. Through a combination of grants and long-term, no-interest loans, the program seeks to give companies in Central Upstate New York greater access to the unique knowledge, expertise and educational resources available at regional research institutions.
The general objectives of the program are:
An Advisory Committee will oversee the administration of the GFG program.
The Grants for Growth Advisory Committee consists of 11 representatives from regional colleges and universities, regional businesses and the MDA. Committee members have been selected based on their expertise and their qualifications to review the economic and scientific merit of individual GFG project applications in eight target industry clusters.
In consideration of any project where one or more members of the Advisory Committee have a real or perceived conflict of interest, the member(s) will be asked to recuse themselves from the decision-making process for the particular project.
Committee members will be required to review all applications on a confidential basis.
GFG awards support well-defined projects undertaken by university researchers and their private-sector partners. GFG awards cover up to half of the total eligible direct project costs, with the industrial partner(s) and universities providing the balance in cash and in kind. Projects may range from several months to several years in duration.
Eligible collaborations include focused projects with specific short to medium-term objectives as well as discrete phases in a program of longer-range research. All proposals require evidence of detailed planning and sound budget justification, and must clearly spell out the underlying assumptions, intended approaches, milestones and deliverables.
Projects that focus on the routine application of existing technology, provide routine analysis, collect data without interpreting underlying mechanisms, or provide professional practice or consulting services (contract research) are not eligible.
An industrial partnership may consist of a single firm, several firms, or an industrial association.
The industrial partner must contribute to the direct project costs in order to be eligible for the Grants for Growth program. The industrial cash match must be at least one quarter (25%) of the GFG request with the balance provided in in-kind contributions to the project by the industrial and university partner(s).
Industrial partner(s) and/or individual lead applicants are not allowed to participate in multiple concurrent GFG projects. A company and/or lead applicant must complete and successfully execute a GFG project before applying for any subsequent award.
Any proposed partner, whether an established organization or a start-up, must have a credible plan for applying the research results for the economic benefit of the region.
Awards under this program may vary in size but are seen as seed funding and/or last dollar "top-offs" for research support.
The rules and financial terms of GFG projects shall be governed by the existing rules for sponsored projects at the institution of the lead university partner.
A complete project budget outlining the general disposition of award funds is required before the GFG awards will be made.
The MDA, through the GFG program, may provide up to $75,000 per project in matching funds, to be used to help underwrite the direct costs incurred through the partnership with the university.
University and industry partners will be responsible for matching the award at a minimum ratio of 1:1. However, the ratio of the university contribution shall be determined by the applicants to allow maximum flexibility.
Industry contributions must include a minimum of 25% of the award request in cash. The balance can be made up in-kind, but use of in-kind contributions as a component of the match will trigger repayment terms. University contributions to the project will be counted as a cash match.
Definition of Funds for the determining the match:
Awards will be made as a combination of grants and no-interest loans. The Grants for Growth program will match the cash contributions of successful industrial applicants dollar for dollar. Funding that is sought using an industrial in-kind match will be made as a long-term, no-interest loan, the exact terms of which shall be negotiated with the Advisory Committee. Every effort should be made to ensure that the results of the GFG-funded research are utilized in Central Upstate New York, for the benefit of the region.
Award money may only be spent on the following items:
Other expenses may be declared eligible at the discretion of the Advisory Committee depending on their relevance to the project and project outcomes. Applicants are strongly encouraged to inquire about the eligibility of a project expense prior to submitting an application for GFG funds.
The following expense types cannot be covered by Grants for Growth award money and are furthermore ineligible to be counted as industry cash support, industry in-kind support and/or higher education in-kind support:
The Advisory Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all program and project goals are met.
Award recipients will be responsible for filing a written report at the conclusion of their award term. It should also provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of research outcomes measured against projects goals as outlined in the application. The final report should detail and document the expenses incurred as a result of the GFG program, including submission of copies of invoices, receipts, relevant payroll records, etc. which accurately reflect the expenses of the project budget.
The industrial partner(s) shall also report on the anticipated impact of the research and all award recipients shall provide a separate narrative evaluation of the GFG program itself. Award recipients that have failed to provide the requested feedback on projects may be declared ineligible to apply for, or sponsor, new proposals and may have project funding withheld.
By participating in this program, award recipients agree to periodically provide information on the mid and long-term outcomes of the project. Such information may include, but is not limited to:
Award recipients may receive up to 20% of the award amount in a lump sum at the beginning of the project to defray project start-up costs. Payment of all remaining award funds will be handled on a cost reimbursement basis, as detailed in a complete loan agreement. Final payments will be made to grantees upon completion of the project and submission of proper reports and documentation of expenditures.
Awardees are required to hold the MDA harmless against all claims for liability, damages, judgments, penalties, causes of action, costs, and expenses resulting from, arising out of, or relating to the performance of an award under the GFG program.
The MDA encourages the involvement of woman and minority-owned businesses with this program, and the involvement of women and minority faculty members and graduate students.
The primary applicant should be one or more companies or businesses located within Central Upstate New York. In order to be eligible, the applicant must involve one or more colleges and/or universities in the Central Upstate region to serve as co-applicant(s).
Applicants may either identify a university partner on their own or may submit a brief description of the industrial research and development project they wish to undertake to the Advisory Committee.
If the industrial partner lacks a potential university partner, the Committee will then submit to the region’s colleges and universities a list of possible projects and request their support in identifying possible co-applicants. Based on the response of the universities, the Committee will suggest possible pairings to industry applicants. Pursuing said pairings will be the responsibility of the industry applicants and the university co-applicants.
The MDA, with the involvement of the Advisory Committee, may sponsor workshops and meetings on specific subject areas identified within the eight cluster groups to stimulate university-industry cooperation.
Completed applications should be submitted to:
