Industry Innovation Program

Industry Innovation Program

Funds Oklahoma-based private-sector companies conducting R&D in aerospace, defense, biotech, or energy with non-dilutive grants of $10,000 to $500,000.

Eligibility · Oklahoma, United States

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

The Industry Innovation Program (IIP) is a non-dilutive R&D grant administered by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) under Oklahoma's 2021–2026 Science and Innovation Strategic Plan. It was previously called the Oklahoma Applied Research and Support (OARS) Program. Awards range from $10,000 to $500,000 per project, and applicants must match every dollar of OCAST funding with their own cash or in-kind contribution ($1-for-$1). Reimbursable costs include personnel, materials, equipment, subcontracts, and indirect costs up to 20% of direct costs. Projects are typically contracted on a cost-reimbursable basis starting October 1 of the fiscal year.

Only Oklahoma-based private-sector companies are eligible. The proposed project must address a need identified by a private-sector business — not a university or government agency — and the company must have a permanent office in Oklahoma and be registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. Eligible work must fall within one of three sectors: Aerospace/Autonomous Systems and Defense, Biotechnology/Life Sciences, or Energy Diversification. Projects headed for commercialization (product launch, manufacturing scale-up) rather than basic research are the core target.

To apply, companies register on the OCAST Funding Portal (funding.ocast.ok.gov) and submit an application during the open window. FY26 opened July 1, 2025 with a deadline of July 31, 2025. Applications are reviewed by the OCAST R&D Review Board, which scores them against technical merit, economic impact, and commercialization potential. OCAST staff conduct a pre-award screening before the Board meets. Award announcements are typically made in mid-September, with contracts beginning October 1.

Practical caveats: the company must be registered in the Oklahoma Supplier Portal before a contract is executed. Companies with delinquent reports on prior OCAST awards are ineligible. IIP funds R&D only — not sales, marketing, or general operations. The program runs on a state fiscal-year cycle; FY27 NOFO had not been published as of the last verified date.