LabCentral, with the support of AbbVie, has announced the LabCentral Ignite Golden Ticket, an annual program designed to allow a more diverse range of biotech entrepreneurs to advance their research and bring their ideas to fruition. The program will award one year of advisory support and a seat at LabCentral’s shared lab space in Kendall Square for up to two innovative life sciences companies with founders from underrepresented groups in the industry. Applications are due October 1. More information here.

The $200K Pillar VC Pitch Competition for biotech startups will take place during the Founder Led Bio Summit, a free virtual summit convening biotech founders, PhDs, scientists, investors and leaders from November 1-5. Initial entries are due by 11:59 pm ET October 1. More information here.

MassCEC’s Diversity in Cleantech-Early-Stage (DICES) program is offering grants for eligible certified woman- and minority-owned early-stage companies. This program accompanies the Catalyst program, and eligible applicants to either program can receive up to $65,000 in prototype development funding. Applications are due October 4. More information here.

The American-Made Solar Prize is a prize competition designed to energize U.S. solar innovation through a series of contests and the development of a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources across the country. Applications are due October 5. More information here.

Looking to launch your business but not sure how? Consider being a part of the EForAll Accelerator and join the Winter 2022 Cohort. The one-year program provides immersive business training, mentorship and access to an extended professional network. Online classes begin November 30th. Applications are due on October 14th. More information here.

SXSW Pitch returns on March 12-13, 2022 for its fourteenth year to showcase some of the global startup ecosystem’s most exciting, innovative, and cutting-edge technology! The event provides an outlet for companies to present the latest ideas in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice; Enterprise & Smart Data; Entertainment, Gaming & Content; Extended Reality & Immersive Technology; Future of Work; Health, Wearables & Wellbeing; Innovative World Technologies; Smart Cities, Transportation & Logistics; Social & Culture to a panel of industry experts, early adopters, and representatives from the Venture Capitalist / Angel community. Applications are due November 11. Find out more and apply here.

The Business Show on November 24-25, 2021 has evolved from the combination of two of Prysm’s very successful business events ‘The Great British Business Show’ and ‘Business Startup’. This unmissable event places thousands of online sellers, suppliers, and buyers from across the globe all under one roof, ensuring that attendees leave full of inspiration and ready to take the industry by storm! With all of the following provided, success and profit for your business is guaranteed. More information here.

Eligible Massachusetts businesses of any size may apply for training grants through the Workforce Training Fund’s Express Program. The Express Program offers cash grants to businesses to cover up to 50% of the cost of training employees, up to $3,000 per employee per course. Additional limitations apply. More information here.

The Seed Investments Program is a two-stage investment program that provides up to $250,000 in convertible notes to pre-seed or seed-stage clean energy startups. The program exists to support companies as they advance and commercialize clean energy technologies and business models. More information here.

Venture Lane will be piloting a new virtual membership in Q2 called Venture Lane Connect. The membership will enable B2B startup founders based in Boston to tap into Venture Lane’s curated network, weekly programming focused on go-to-market strategy, $400K in perks like AWS and Microsoft Azure and other resources for early-stage growth. Interested B2B startup founders and their teams can sign up for the private beta here.

Created as a key pillar of KKR’s COVID-19 Relief Effort, KKR Small Business Builders (SBB) aims to support entrepreneurs and their small businesses around the world. The grants are designed to help business owners sustain their enterprises, maintain or create jobs, and spur economic opportunity as they respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and recover from its resultant economic dislocation. More information here.

Activate empowers scientists to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market. The two-year Activate Fellowship provides the most promising science entrepreneurs the funding, technical support, networking, community, and time they need at the outset of their entrepreneurial journey. And Activate does not take a stake in their startups. Activate Fellows receive: A yearly living stipend of $80,000 to $110,000 plus a health insurance stipend and travel allowance. Each project also receives $100,000 of research support at the host laboratory; Access to world-class research facilities in Berkeley, CA and Boston, MA; A program of intensive entrepreneurial training, mentorship, and networking. Attend a webinar and find out more about how to apply here.