TTAC Partnership Program
Funds Tennessee companies building commercialization partnerships through shared innovation mentorship and industry collaboration resources.
Eligibility · United States · US-TN
The TTAC Partnership Program is a seed-grant initiative administered by Launch Tennessee under its Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium (TTAC) network, funded through a State of Tennessee grant contract. It provides financial support to Tennessee universities and independent nonprofits that design and run programs or events helping university researchers and startups commercialize technology developed at higher-education institutions. Two award tiers are available: program grants of up to $50,000 and event or meeting grants of up to $5,000, both disbursed on a rolling basis within the FY26 performance period.
To qualify, applicants must be a Tennessee university or a nonprofit organization with an independent EIN, and must demonstrate a track record of supporting Tennessee innovators. Each application requires a participating industry partner and a letter of support from that partner. Only one award is permitted per lead organization per performance period, although an organization may appear as a non-lead party in multiple applications. All proposed activities must have a minimum 30-day lead time before the activity start date, and every funded activity must conclude by June 30, 2026. The FY26 cycle opened July 15, 2025. Applications are submitted via an Airtable form.
Applicants that align tightly with TTAC's three-phase commercialization model — ideation, development, and market entry — are best positioned to compete. Strong proposals demonstrate a direct connection between the proposed program or event and specific research commercialization outcomes at a Tennessee institution. Program grants support multi-event or semester-length initiatives, while event grants are suited for one-time industry convenings, workshops, or pitch events. LaunchTN can be reached at 615-991-2809 or info@launchtn.org for pre-application guidance.
Programs and events run by Tennessee universities or nonprofits that support researchers and startups commercializing university research, with seed grants up to $50,000 for programs and $5,000 for events.
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