The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund supports a set of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization across New York State. The Fund launched in December 2016 and is named for Jeff Lawrence, a champion of the New York manufacturing and entrepreneurial communities. The Innovation Fund comprises three program tracks: Manufacturing Grants, an annual Commercialization Competition and Innovation Challenges.
The February funding cycle of the Manufacturing Grants is open from January 31st through February 28th and information can be found at www.fuzehub.com/manufacturing-grants. The Manufacturing Grants are designed to encourage collaboration between not-for-profit organizations and small to medium-sized manufacturers in New York State. The partnership created by the not-for-profit organization and the industry partner serves as a pathway to technology transfer, adoption and implementation of new manufacturing processes, as well as the creation of enhanced products and services.
As you prepare to submit an application, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- New for 2020 ~ Applicants are required to partner with a small to medium-sized manufacturer that has (or is in the process of obtaining) a valid MANUFACTURING NAICS code. Additional details regarding the NAICS code process as well as the link to the list of NAICS codes, can be found in the Grant Guidelines and FAQ document. Please note that not all NAICS codes are permissible.
- New for 2020~ Scoring criteria: For applicants that have submitted an application in prior years, please take a moment to become familiar with new application questions and point values.
- New for 2020~ Team: For applicants that have submitted an application in prior years, please review the updated information regarding out-of-state team members.
- The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund uses an online platform for application submission and grant management. A step-by-step resource guide will be available in the platform to help applicants as they create and submit an application. Once the February funding round is open, we will share a new blogpost that highlights the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. For assistance with the online platform, please contact the Fund Program Coordinator at [email protected].
- FuzeHub does not have any prior knowledge of the not-for-profits that are considering the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund at any given time and these not-for-profits may already be in discussion with companies who are interested in pursuing a FuzeHub grant. Applicants are encouraged to allow sufficient time to confirm that the not-for-profit that you are considering has space to accommodate an application request.
- The next application period is May 1- May 31, 2020. If an application is unsuccessful in the February funding cycle, applicants are eligible to submit for the May application period.
- If you are uncertain of your eligibility or have additional questions beyond the FAQ document, please reach out to the Fund Manager at [email protected].
The Manufacturing Grants will close promptly at 4:00PM on Friday, February 28, 2020.