About this programme
The Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) prize competition run by the agency's Office of Investment and Innovation. In the 2025 round, SBA awarded a total of $5.7 million in GAFC prizes, with each winning organization receiving $75,000.
GAFC does not fund individual startups directly. It funds entrepreneur support organizations, such as accelerators, incubators, and similar innovation-network intermediaries, that have identified a gap in their local innovation ecosystem and propose a program to close it. The 2025 round's official awardee lists show 46 Lab-to-Market winners (across 32 states and Puerto Rico) and 34 Capital Formation winners (across 27 states plus Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Wyoming).
Because GAFC funds intermediary organizations rather than individual businesses, it is relevant to CapEasy clients mainly indirectly: through the accelerators, incubators, and support organizations a startup may already be working with, some of which have been GAFC awardees.
How it works
GAFC award-winning proposals must fit one of two published theme areas. Lab-to-Market proposals aim to bridge the gap between research and commercialization, in areas such as national and economic security, domestic manufacturing, biotechnology, and other critical emerging technologies. Capital Formation proposals aim to expand investment access for entrepreneurs and small businesses, for example by creating funding mechanisms, developing financial stakeholders, or improving investment literacy.
The official page (americasseedfund.us/accelerators) confirms the 2025 award total ($5.7 million) and per-winner amount ($75,000), and lists the winning organizations under each theme area. It does not publish the application timeline, Stage One/Stage Two mechanics, evaluation criteria, or the split of the total across the two theme areas beyond the flat $75,000-per-winner figure — so this record does not state a deadline or process CapEasy could not confirm on the official page.
Who can apply
GAFC eligibility is restricted to entrepreneur support organizations, not individual startups or small businesses directly. An eligible organization needs to have identified a specific challenge or gap within its local innovation network and to propose a solution aligned with one of the program's theme areas (Lab-to-Market or Capital Formation).
The official page does not publish further eligibility detail (organization type, geography, prior-award restrictions) for the record, so CapEasy is not stating criteria beyond what is confirmed above.
How to apply
- The official page (americasseedfund.us/accelerators) does not currently publish an open application process, portal, deadline, or contact channel for a next GAFC round — it presents the 2025 awardees, not a live intake. Interested organizations should check the official page directly or search SBA.gov for the current GAFC listing before assuming a round is open.
Frequently asked
Is the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition still open for applications?
SBA's official page presents the 2025 GAFC awardees and does not publish an open application, portal, or deadline for a further round. Confirm current status directly on americasseedfund.us/accelerators or SBA.gov before treating this as an active competition.
Who was eligible to apply for GAFC?
GAFC funds entrepreneur support organizations, such as accelerators and incubators, that have identified a gap in their local innovation network and propose a program aligned with one of the competition's theme areas. It does not fund individual startups or small businesses directly.
How much did GAFC award in 2025?
In the 2025 round, SBA awarded a total of $5.7 million in GAFC prizes, with a $75,000 prize per winning organization: 46 Lab-to-Market winners and 34 Capital Formation winners, per the official awardee lists.
What were the GAFC theme areas?
Proposals had to fit either Lab-to-Market (bridging research and commercialization in areas like national security, domestic manufacturing, biotechnology, and emerging technologies) or Capital Formation (expanding investment access for entrepreneurs and small businesses through new funding mechanisms and improved investment literacy).
Can an individual startup apply for GAFC funding directly?
No. As described on SBA's official page, GAFC funds entrepreneur support organizations (accelerators, incubators, and similar intermediaries), not individual businesses. A startup benefits indirectly, through the programs those organizations run with the award.
Where can an organization get current information on GAFC?
The official page, americasseedfund.us/accelerators, is the primary source. It does not publish a dedicated contact email or an open application timeline for a next round as of this record's last verification, so check the page directly or search SBA.gov for the current listing.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.