About this programme
The Elevate Vermont SBIR/STTR Matching Grant helps Vermont businesses that have already won a federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award cover the commercialization costs federal funding does not, such as marketing, market research, and developing sales materials.
It is run by the Vermont Department of Economic Development, part of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), as part of the ElevateVT program.
How it works
The grant is non-competitive: applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, provided the eligibility requirements are met.
Phase I federal awardees who apply must commit to submitting a federal Phase II application, and must use ElevateVT technical assistance for Phase II if they did not use it for Phase I.
Phase II federal awardees who apply must actively be commercializing the federally-funded technology and must satisfy all federal Phase II requirements.
A business can receive at most one Elevate Vermont matching grant per federal SBIR/STTR award, and up to five Elevate Vermont matching grants over its lifetime. A business that has already received more than three prior federal SBIR/STTR Phase II awards is not eligible.
Who can apply
The applicant must be a for-profit business with its principal place of business in Vermont.
The business must have already received a federal SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II award before submitting the application.
At least 51% of the SBIR/STTR Phase II research associated with the grant must be conducted in Vermont, and the business must remain Vermont-based for the duration of the federal project.
Grant funds cannot duplicate funding the business is receiving from another source for the same costs.
How to apply
- Complete the online application form.
- You will receive an email with instructions for submitting the rest of your materials.
- Email the required documents to the program team.
Documents you’ll typically need
- A detailed project narrative describing how the work connects to the federal award and how commercialization is progressing
- A project timeline with key milestones, not exceeding 6 months
- A comprehensive project budget broken into personnel, equipment, supplies, external services, office expenses, and travel (travel capped at 10% of the budget)
- A copy of the Federal Award Notice or contract
Frequently asked
How much can we get?
Up to $50,000 per grant.
How many times can our business receive this grant?
Up to one grant per federal SBIR/STTR award, and a lifetime maximum of five Elevate Vermont matching grants per business.
Is this competitive?
No. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as eligibility requirements are met.
What can the money be used for?
Commercialization costs that federal SBIR/STTR funding does not cover, such as marketing, market research, and developing sales materials.
Are we still eligible if we've already had several federal Phase II awards?
No, a business with more than three prior federal SBIR/STTR Phase II awards is not eligible for this grant.
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All 12 programmes in Vermont →
Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.