InnovateMass

InnovateMass

Offers Massachusetts cleantech startups bridging the commercialization valley of death through the InnovateMass.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

InnovateMass is a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grant program that funds near-commercialization cleantech startups to bridge the valley of death between lab demonstration and commercial deployment. Awards reach up to $350,000 per project, and in the most recent completed cycle MassCEC awarded $2.86 million across nine companies, producing an average award of approximately $318,000. The FY26 round closed on 9 March 2026 with award decisions expected in early July 2026. The program includes a dedicated Gridtech Spotlight track for technologies related to grid modernisation.

Only for-profit companies are eligible; nonprofits, universities, and research institutions may not lead applications. Each Applicant Team must include a Lead Applicant and at least one Demonstration Project Partner, both of which must have a Massachusetts presence. The majority of the company's headquarters, R&D, manufacturing, and sales and marketing operations must be located in Massachusetts. A maximum of two projects may be submitted per applicant per round, and only one award per applicant is permitted. Prior awardees may reapply only with technology that is new and distinct from their previously funded project.

The InnovateMass award also comes with technical support from MassCEC alongside the cash grant, providing access to the center's network of technical advisors and industry partners. Winning applicants typically have a prototype deployed in at least one real-world demonstration setting and a credible commercialisation plan showing near-term revenue. The requirement for a Demonstration Project Partner means the application must show that a real customer or deployment site has already agreed to collaborate, which is the clearest signal of commercial readiness that reviewers look for.