BFTP NEP Innovation Partnership (PIPE)
Funds Northeast Pennsylvania early-stage tech firms through innovation and assistance grants.
Eligibility · United States · US-PA
The Innovation Partnership (PIPE) is a rolling assistance-grant programme operated by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP NEP), based at Ben Franklin TechVentures on the Lehigh University campus at 116 Research Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18015. BFTP NEP is one of four regional 501(c)(3) organisations in the Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Technology Partners network, funded by the Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (BFTDA) and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). The PIPE programme provides financial and advisory assistance specifically to help early-stage technology companies pursue federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant opportunities. The 21-county Northeastern Pennsylvania service region is the defined geography for eligible applicants.
The programme targets for-profit early-stage technology companies; nonprofits, universities, and research organisations are not eligible for PIPE awards. No fixed submission deadlines are published — the programme operates on a continuous rolling basis, with companies applying when they are ready to begin an SBIR/STTR pursuit. Specific award amounts are not publicly disclosed. Ben Franklin TechVentures, housed at Lehigh University, is one of the largest university-affiliated technology incubators in the United States and provides the physical and network infrastructure supporting PIPE participants.
Funding through PIPE is intended to offset early-stage costs associated with preparing federal SBIR/STTR applications, such as technical writing, market analysis, and proposal development. Companies that win federal SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II awards subsequently become eligible for BFTP NEP's broader portfolio of investment and assistance products, including the Go PA Fund and the Life Science and Healthcare Technology Fund. Prospective applicants should initiate contact through BFTP NEP's funding eligibility intake process at nep.benfranklin.org.
Assistance grants helping early-stage technology companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania's 21-county region prepare for and access federal SBIR and STTR funding opportunities.
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