Resources for Boston-Area Entrepreneurs – September 14, 2026

FORGE Product Development Grant – Deadline: September 14. FORGE is accepting applications for a new Product Development Grant supported by the Eastern Bank Foundation, with awards ranging from $3,000 to $50,000. The grant is designed to help startups and existing businesses with underrepresented leadership overcome a specific product development or manufacturing challenge, including prototyping, testing, regulatory, production, or commercialization needs.
Request For Proposals: Grants for Enhancing MA Grid Resilience & Reliability — Deadline: September 21. Grants program focused on enhancing Massachusetts grid resilience and reliability under the IIJA Section 40101(d).
VentureWell’s E-Team Program – Deadline: September 29. The E-Team Program offers an enriching combination of grant funding, hands-on learning experience, and mentorship that transforms student inventors into entrepreneurs. Teams can receive up to $25,000 to advance their innovation.  
Catalyst — Deadline: September 30. Amount: $75,000. Technology to market grants program offering $75,000 for catalyst projects.
Business Builds: Climatetech — Deadline: October 1. Amount: $500K – $2M. Grants program for climatetech companies in the technology to market stage.
The TechConnect World Innovation Conference Critical Technology Spotlight– Deadline October 16. AI and Digital Transformation invites innovators to submit breakthrough solutions in artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous systems, data infrastructure, digital modernization, and related areas. Selected innovators will pitch live in Boston to industry, government, investors, and potential partners.
InnovateMass — Deadline: October 20. Amount: $350,000. Technology to market grants program offering up to $350,000 for innovation projects.
SXSW Pitch – Deadline: November 13. SXSW Pitch is a premier startup showcase spotlighting the most ambitious entrepreneurs and disruptive technologies from around the world. Now in its 19th year, this dynamic event invites startups to apply through an open call process for a chance to be featured as a finalist. SXSW Pitch highlights startups across selected categories, presenting them to a panel of industry experts, early adopters, and investors.
Climatetech Testing & Demonstration Assets (TDA) Program — Deadline: November 13. Amount: $1M – $5M. Two-stage grants program providing up to $1M-$5M to support climatetech testing and demonstration projects.
EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 1 2027 — Deadline: December 2. Intensive business training and accelerator program running January 11 – March 26, 2027, culminating in final presentations and a showcase event.
EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 2 2027 — Deadline: April 15. Intensive business training and accelerator program running May 3 – July 12, 2027, culminating in final presentations and a showcase event.
Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network — Deadline: May 15. Amount: Up to $1,200,000. Grants program providing up to $1.2M for heat pump and HVAC training network development with rolling applications through May 2027.
2030 Fund — Deadline: Rolling. Investments program supporting projects in clean transportation, high performance buildings, net zero grid, offshore wind, and corporate initiatives.
2080 Ventures — Deadline: Rolling. Accelerator helping founders from US, Asia, MENA, and CIS region make their ideas go global with investment, mentorship, and market access. Focus areas include AI, fintech, cleantech, and education.
ABCT – Accelerator for Biosciences in Connecticut — Deadline: Rolling. Competitive-entry six-month program providing personalized entrepreneurial education and mentorship for bioscience ventures of any development stage.
ABI-LAB — Deadline: Rolling. Program aimed at shortening the process from concept to execution by removing operational and financial obstacles.
AcceliCITY — Deadline: Rolling. Supports startups addressing urban living challenges with funding, mentorship, and strategic support.
AfterHours — Deadline: Rolling. Student incubator providing studio space, workshops, mentorship with Y Combinator-connected advisors, and a VC-sponsored Demo Day. Focus on human-centered innovation and moving founders toward MVP and product-market fit.
BETA: Project Planning — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Electrification and decarbonization plan with financing guidance. Grants program providing participating buildings with an electrification and decarbonization plan, financing options, and implementation timeline.
Catalyst Grant Program (Clean Energy Grants) — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: up to $75,000. MassVentures co-manages the Catalyst Grant Program with MassCEC to provide mentoring, networking and grants to researchers and early-stage companies looking to demonstrate initial prototypes of their clean energy technologies. Two cohorts per year with up to 15 grants per cohort; applications open in August and January.
Clean Energy Internship Program for Employers — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: $4,320/intern for Fall or Spring session; $8,640/intern for Summer session or for Construction, Installation, and Maintenance. Grants program providing funding for employers to hire clean energy interns across multiple sectors including workforce, clean transportation, environmental justice, and renewable energy.
Green School Works Technical Assistance Services — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Technical assistance worth up to $250k. Grants and no-cost services program providing technical assistance worth up to $250k for high-performance building projects in schools.
Mass Fleet Advisor — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: No-cost services. Rolling no-cost services program offering advisory support for fleet electrification and clean transportation with over 100 spots available.
SBIR START Grants — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: $100,000-$500,000. MassVentures offers grants and guidance to startups wanting to convert their research into businesses and commercialize their technologies. 26 grants ranging from $100,000-$500,000 are awarded annually; applications open in February.
School Bus: Advisory Services Program — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: No-Cost Advisory Services. Rolling program providing no-cost advisory services for school bus fleet electrification and clean transportation initiatives.
TiE ScaleUp (Cohort 12) — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: equity-free. TiE ScaleUp is an equity-free accelerator providing curated mentorship from industry veterans, weekly workshops led by veteran entrepreneurs and domain experts, access to funders, an active alumni community, and lifelong connection to TiE’s global professional network.
Venture Fund — Deadline: Rolling. MassVentures provides catalytic funding and support for seed-stage deep tech enabled by university and hospital research centers. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.