
Deadline rapidly approaching for Growth Fund Accelerator Competition, but path forward not clear
The program offers eligible entrepreneur support organizations $75,000 to $150,000 in prize awards during two stages.
If you were planning to submit an application for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), the application deadline has been Friday, January 31. It is described as an opportunity to accelerate the growth and maturity of innovation ecosystems. This year’s competition offers eligible entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) $75,000 to $150,000 in prize awards during two stages, for a total of $9 million in awards.
Applicants are asked to align their application with one of the two GAFC Theme Areas: (a) Lab-to-Market, bridging the gap between research and commercialization, or (b) Capital Formation, expanding access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses. More information about the theme areas and an overview of the program can be found at this link, while the guidelines can be found here.
It is unclear how the application deadline might be affected by a pause on federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance programs that was scheduled to go into effect Tuesday, January 28, at 5 p.m. EST. Then, just minutes before it was to go into effect, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan issued a “brief administrative stay” that preserves federal disbursements at least until Monday, February 3, at 5 p.m. EST. Under the Trump Administration order, agencies like the SBA would have until Tuesday, February 10, to submit detailed information on programs, projects, or activities affected by the pause.
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