Resources for Boston-Area Entrepreneurs – September 28, 2026

MULTI-DAY EVENTS  

September 28 – 30 

• BDMT Global Innovator Summit

September 30 – November 3 

• Veteran Founder Blueprint™

October 1 

• Clínica de Conceptos Empresariales (CCE) (8 sesiones) – Otoño 2026

October 4 – 7 

• North America World Tour In Collaboration with the PUG Challenge

October 5 

• Business Concept Clinic Fall 2026 Cohort 1 – Application (8 part series)

October 7 

• Marketing Fundamentals (7-part Series) Fall 2026 – APPLICATION

October 7 

• GPS: A Guide to Plan for Success (9 Part Series) Fall 2026 APPLICATION

October 13 

• Business Concept Clinic Fall 2026 Cohort 2 – Application (8 part series)

October 15 – 29 

• MassMEP Supply Chain 101 Certificate Program

October 27 – 28 

• Product-Led Summit Boston 2026

November 4 – 5 

• Volunteer with Suffolk University Students Interested in Entrepreneurship

November 12 – 13 

• GURU 2026

January 28 – 29 

• Export Expo

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES  

• 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. Grant program providing funding for early-stage technology development and validation. 

• Request For Proposals: Grants for Enhancing MA Grid Resilience & Reliability — Deadline: September 30. RFP for grants supporting projects that enhance grid resilience and reliability in Massachusetts. 

• Hartford Innovation Week Startup Showcase – Deadline: September 30. Wednesday, October 28 will be a night built to put CT’s innovation and startup ecosystem on stage. Ten finalists, any sector, pre-seed through Series A, each walking away with $5K in AWS credits, plus additional prizes for the top winners. 

• Business Builds: Climatetech — Deadline: October 1. Amount: $500K – $2M. Grant program supporting climate technology businesses in scaling and commercialization. 

• Professionals in Residence Fall 2026 – Deadline: October 13. Calling all founders, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders! Suffolk University is looking for professionals to share their experiences and career insights with students through small-group, 75-minute networking sessions on November 4–5. Help the next generation of talent explore career paths, ask questions, and learn from your journey.  

• 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. Grant program for technology commercialization and market development. Questions due September 29, 2026. 

• WOCE Entrepreneur Program – Deadline: November 1. Already launched your business and generating revenue? WOCE is accepting applications for its next cohort, offering entrepreneurs long-term support through mentorship, tailored programming, peer connections, and introductions to potential customers, lenders, and investors. Grow your business alongside a community of entrepreneurs who are building, learning, and supporting one another.  

• Climatetech Testing & Demonstration Assets (TDA) Program — Deadline: November 13. Amount: $1M – $5M. Program providing up to $5M in funding for testing and demonstrating climate technology. Two-stage application process with concept paper due September 25 and full application due November 13. 

• 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. 

• EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 1 2027 — Deadline: December 2. Intensive business training accelerator program running January 11 – March 26, 2027, with final presentations and showcase in late March/early April. Open to startups and early-stage companies. 

• EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 2 2027 — Deadline: April 15. Intensive business training accelerator program running May 3 – July 12, 2027, with final presentations and showcase in late July. Open to startups and early-stage companies. 

• Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network — Deadline: May 15. Amount: Up to $1,200,000. Grant program for workforce training in heat pump and HVAC installation. Strand A deadline March 18, 2026 (past); Strand B rolling through May 15, 2027. 

• 2030 Fund — Deadline: Rolling. Investment program supporting projects in clean transportation, buildings, grid, offshore wind, and corporate sustainability initiatives. 

• 2080 Ventures — Deadline: Rolling. A fastest-growing accelerator helping founders from US, Asia, MENA, and the CIS region make their big ideas go global through investment, mentorship, and market access. Focuses on AI, fintech, green technology, and future education. 

• ABCT – Accelerator for Biosciences in Connecticut — Deadline: Rolling. A six-month competitive-entry program of personalized entrepreneurial education for first-time bioscience founders at any development stage. Provides entrepreneur coaches and expert mentors to support healthcare innovation ventures. 

• ABI-LAB — Deadline: Rolling. A program whose mission is to shorten 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. A student incubator for creators building a humanist future by design. Provides studio nights, workshops, mentorship from experienced operators including Y Combinator alumni, and culminates in a VC-sponsored Demo Day. 

• Auxilium — Deadline: Rolling. Worcester, Massachusetts’ only capital-backed startup incubator and accelerator. Partners with technology-based startups throughout their entrepreneurial journey and provides resources, network, and funding to seed-level startups. 

• BETA: Project Planning — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Electrification and decarbonization plan with financing direction and implementation timeline. Program providing buildings with comprehensive electrification and decarbonization plans, financing guidance, and recommended implementation timelines. Rolling enrollment. 

• Clean Energy Grants (Catalyst Grant Program) — 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. 

• 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. Grant program providing funding for employers to hire clean energy interns across multiple sectors including workforce, transportation, buildings, grid, and renewable energy. 

• Green School Works Technical Assistance Services — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Technical assistance worth up to $250k. Technical assistance program for schools to improve building energy efficiency and performance. Rolling enrollment available. 

• MV Capital Venture Fund — Deadline: Rolling. MassVentures provides catalytic funding and support for seed-stage deep tech enabled by university and hospital research centers. Focuses on innovations in advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, robotics, photonics, electronics, quantum computing, cleantech, medical devices, biotechnology, IoT, health security, and cyber security. 

• Mass Fleet Advisor — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: No-cost services. No-cost advisory services program for fleet operators to evaluate clean transportation options. Over 100 spots available as of October 2025. 

• 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. 

• School Bus: Advisory Services Program — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: No-Cost Advisory Services. No-cost advisory services program helping schools and districts transition to clean school buses. 

• TiE ScaleUp Cohort 12 — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: equity-free. An equity-free accelerator providing curated mentorship from industry veterans, weekly workshops led by experienced entrepreneurs and domain experts, access to funders, alumni community connections, and lifelong access to TiE’s global professional network.