Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant

Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant

Funds university-industry partnerships in Colorado advancing applied technology commercialization to strengthen real-world implementation.

Eligibility · United States · US-CO

The Advanced Industries Proof of Concept Grant is a biannual competitive grant program administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to accelerate applied research commercialization at approved Colorado research institutions and federal laboratories. The program was established under the 2013 Advanced Industries Accelerator Act to bridge the gap between university-generated intellectual property and market-ready products and services in Colorado's seven advanced industries: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and natural resources, infrastructure engineering, and technology and information. The current application cycle is closed; the next cycle opens July 1, 2026.

Awards reach up to $150,000 per project. The cap may be lifted for joint proposals involving two or more institutions sharing IP or conducting commercialization activities at multiple sites, or for projects spanning more than one advanced industry. Applicants must contribute a 1-to-3 cash match — for a $150,000 grant, $50,000 in institutional cash is required; in-kind contributions do not qualify. Eligible institutions are limited to a specific set: the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines, and National Jewish Health. Federal labs operating in Colorado are also eligible. The technology transfer office of the applying institution must submit the pre-qualification on behalf of researchers — individual faculty cannot self-apply. Funding must support pre-commercial research milestones including proof of principle, IP protection, prototypes, technical validation, market assessment, and startup formation; basic research is not eligible.

The review process follows a five-stage sequence — internal compliance, independent scoring, industry subcommittee, a full committee pitch event, and Economic Development Commission final approval — and typically takes ten to twelve weeks. Applications are scored on commercial, market, and economic potential (50 points), personnel, budget, and plan (40 points), and stakeholder collaboration (10 points). Awards are disbursed as reimbursement grants. A clawback clause requires the institution to remit 20% of gross licensing revenue per year to OEDIT until the full award is repaid, if the supported technology is licensed to an organization that does not commercialize or manufacture in Colorado.