Innovation Adoption Grant

Innovation Adoption Grant

Supports Southwestern Pennsylvania manufacturing firms adopting advanced technologies through practical adoption reimbursement.

The Innovation Adoption Grant is a manufacturing-focused reimbursement program run by Innovation Works for businesses in the nine-county southwestern Pennsylvania region (Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties). It reimburses 50 percent of approved project expenses up to $25,000 when a manufacturer adopts new technologies, processes, or equipment. Eligible expenses must exceed $50,000 in total to qualify for the full reimbursement, creating a required 1:1 cost match. Applicants must be able to cover vendor invoices on their own for up to one month while awaiting reimbursement.

Applications are reviewed on a monthly cycle, with outcomes categorized as accepted, rejected, or held for future consideration. Funding typically arrives within 6 to 12 weeks of application submission. Once accepted, the business collaborates with Innovation Works to finalize the project scope, cost estimates, and timeline before a contract is executed. Projects typically run 9 to 12 months. Applicants can apply directly at the Innovation Works online portal (tfaforms.com/5186596) and can reach the program team at 412-681-1520.

The grant is open only to for-profit manufacturing businesses with a significant operational presence in the nine-county SW PA region. Nonprofits, universities, and individual applicants are not eligible. Innovation Works is a Commonwealth-designated Ben Franklin Technology Partner and this program is one of its flagship manufacturing acceleration instruments, designed to lower the financial barrier to technology adoption for small and mid-sized manufacturers seeking to modernize production methods or upgrade equipment.