BFTP NEP Innovation Partnership (PIPE)

BFTP NEP Innovation Partnership, also called PIPE, is Ben Franklin Technology Partners Northeastern Pennsylvania's grant route for early-stage companies that need help reaching federal SBIR/STTR funding. It operates from Ben Franklin TechVentures on Lehigh University's campus in Bethlehem and serves a 21-county Northeastern Pennsylvania region. The program is a grant rather than an investment and runs on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline. Award amounts are not disclosed in the public material, but the route sits alongside NEP's other lines, including the Go PA Fund, the Life Science & Healthcare Technology Fund, and the Investor Network. Applicants move through Funding Eligibility and Getting Started rather than a competitive window with published prize tiers. The best fit is a for-profit early-stage company that needs proposal support and a path into federal research contracting, not a university or nonprofit applicant. Because the program is embedded at TechVentures, it suits founders who want an incubator environment and practical help with SBIR/STTR preparation.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.