Procurement Number: 2018-JAII-01
Date Issued: March 13, 2018
Date Due: May 21, 2018 
Status: Closed

The Innovation Institute, a non-divisible component of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is offering grants to fund multi-year projects to strengthen entrepreneur and startup mentoring activities in regions and communities across the Commonwealth.

With this Mentorship Initiative the Baker-Polito Administration seeks to support community-based entrepreneurship by developing and sustaining support for a broad range of innovative businesses, from start-ups to those growing to scale. This includes supporting entrepreneurship at each phase of business from idea, to proof of concept, to thriving businesses growing to scale. A sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem benefits companies new and old, large and small, and from all parts of the state.

The entrepreneurship and mentoring ecosystem is maturing and evolving. MassTech is seeking to advance the maturing ecosystem by supporting those efforts that identify ways to address the unmet needs of local entrepreneurs and to encourage community building and networking amongst efforts within regions, across multiple regions or have the potential to significantly impact the statewide economy.

MassTech is seeking to make awards that can be deployed in two tiers:

  • Tier 1 – Awards up to $100,000 to develop and/or expand mentorship support capabilities into existing programs or meet unmet needs within the ecosystem; and
  • Tier 2 – Awards up to $25,000 for efforts to demonstrate demand and feasibility for startup efforts and pilot projects.

Full details on the proposed awards and the application process, are outlined in the documents below.

UPDATE (4/30/18):  Due to insufficient response the due date for applications has been extended until May 21st @ 3 PM. Those that have already submitted applications are welcome to supplement their applications with additional materials, however this is not necessary and will not be a factor in decision making.

2018 Mentoring Program Solicitation

Solicitation No. 2018-JAII-01

Team Leader

James Byrnes, byrnes(at)masstech.org

Solicitation Issued

Initially Launched: March 13, 2018

Re-Opened: April 30, 2018
Questions Due March 29, 2018, 4 p.m. EST
Question and Answer File Posted April 5, 2018, 5 p.m. EST

Applications Due

May 21, 2018 @ 3 p.m. EST (UPDATED) (CLOSED)

                                

  Download Application Documents: