Resources for Boston-Area Entrepreneurs – September 8, 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 for enhancing Massachusetts grid resilience and reliability. Open to organizations working on net zero grid projects.
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.
Renaissance Philanthropy’s Fund Ecosystem Program – Deadline: September 30. The program is soliciting grants proposals for up to $20,000 to support short landscape analyses of why valuable scientific progress and innovations fail to reach the world in specific domains, and what someone could do about it.
Catalyst — Deadline: September 30. Amount: $75,000. A grant program supporting technology to market initiatives with awards up to $75,000.
Business Builds: Climatetech — Deadline: October 1. Amount: $500K – $2M. A grants program providing $500K to $2M in funding for climate technology businesses.
Go Make 2027: Advanced Carbon Materials with ExxonMobil – Deadline October 9. Greentown Labs is seeking applications from startups (TRL 3–7) developing novel carbon-based technologies. They are looking for material, property, or performance innovations that demonstrate clear pathways to industrial-scale deployment and commercialization. In conjunction with ExxonMobil, the Go Make 2027: Advanced Carbon Materials program aims to accelerate collaboration between innovative founders and ExxonMobil, leveraging carbon’s unique properties to deliver durable, high-performance, and scalable solutions aligned with the company’s energy, industrial, and materials businesses.
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.
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. A technology to market program providing $1M to $5M in funding for climatetech testing and demonstration. Two-stage application with concept paper due September 4, 2026 and full application due November 13, 2026.
EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 1 2027 — Deadline: December 9. Intensive business training and accelerator program with final presentations and showcase. Applications open August 7, 2026 with cohort announcement in December 2026.
EforAll Accelerator – Trimester 2 2027 — Deadline: April 15. Intensive business training and accelerator program with final presentations and showcase. Applications open December 10, 2026 with cohort announcement in April 2027.
Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network — Deadline: May 15. Amount: Up to $1,200,000. A workforce grants program providing up to $1,200,000 in funding for heat pump and HVAC training networks. Strand B has rolling applications through May 15, 2027.
2030 Fund — Deadline: Rolling. An investment program supporting clean transportation, high performance buildings, net zero grid, offshore wind, and corporate initiatives.
2080 Ventures — Deadline: Rolling. A global accelerator helping founders make their big ideas go global through investment, mentorship, and market access. Focus areas include AI, fintech, green tech, and education.
ABCT (Accelerator for Biosciences in Connecticut) — Deadline: Rolling. A six-month competitive-entry program of personalized entrepreneurial education for bioscience ventures of any development stage. Uses accredited entrepreneur coaches and expert mentors to support venture development.
ABI-LAB — Deadline: Rolling. A program with the mission 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 and collective that provides hands-on support, mentorship, and workshops to help founders build and refine projects, culminating in a VC-sponsored Demo Day.
Auxilium — Deadline: Rolling. Worcester, Massachusetts’ only capital-backed startup incubator and accelerator that partners with technology-based startups and provides resources, network, and funding to help seed-stage startups navigate business challenges.
BETA: Project Planning — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Electrification and decarbonization plan with financing direction. A rolling enrollment grant program providing participating buildings with an electrification and decarbonization plan, including direction to financing options and a recommended implementation timeline.
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. Up to 15 grants per cohort are awarded (two cohorts per year).
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. A grants program providing funding for employers to hire clean energy interns across multiple sectors including workforce, clean transportation, and renewable energy.
Green School Works Technical Assistance Services — Deadline: Rolling. Amount: Technical assistance worth up to $250k. Rolling enrollment program offering grants and no-cost technical assistance services worth up to $250K for high performance buildings.
MV Capital Venture Fund — Deadline: Rolling. MassVentures provides catalytic funding and support for seed-stage deep tech enabled by university and hospital research centers. The deep tech sector includes advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, robotics, photonics, electronics, quantum computing, cleantech, medical devices, biotechnology, IoT, health security, and cyber security.
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. A rolling enrollment program providing no-cost advisory services for school bus initiatives in clean transportation.
TiE ScaleUp Cohort 12 — Deadline: Rolling. An equity-free accelerator program serving startup founders with curated mentorship from industry veterans, weekly workshops, access to funders, and connection to TiE’s global professional network.