Catalyst Accelerator awarded $50,000 for Equitable Access to Entrepreneurship
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 24, 2024 (Globe Newswire) — Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Spacecraft Directorate (AFRL/RV), announced the Announced as step 1. Winner of the 2024 Growth Acceleration Fund Competition (GAFC). Catalyst Accelerator awards $50,000 in awards for impactful and comprehensive approaches to fostering a collaborative national innovation ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from idea to market will be done. GAFC 2024 fosters strategic ecosystem partnerships by fostering connections between entrepreneurs, leaders, partners, philanthropies, businesses, investors, and other shared resources, promoting STEM (science, technology, and engineering) Build community and organizational capacity to successfully launch, grow, and scale. , Mathematics) based entrepreneurs.
Winning the GAFC award will allow Catalyst Accelerator to build relationships with other entrepreneurship support organizations in states with fewer SBIR awards and collaborate on regional bootcamp models in host states. The Accelerator's Boot Camp model was prototyped based on his previous GAFC award and was created to help local/regional small businesses in the space and defense industry understand their path to doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD). I did. The accelerator team will provide the host entrepreneurial support organization with the resources and knowledge to replicate and expand the boot camp to other needed defense sectors relevant to the region.
“It has been a great honor to receive a GAFC award in the past,” explained KiMar Gartman, program director for Catalyst Accelerator. “At the time, we worked hard to prototype the boot camp in collaboration with AFRL/RV, and now we are beginning to connect with neighboring states to share our successes and We are thrilled to have the opportunity to open the doors to the Department of Defense for underserved entrepreneurs in their communities as well. ”
2 stages
SBA welcomed Phase 1 submissions from a wide range of organizations with a collaborative vision to foster a national ecosystem for equitable access to entrepreneurship. Stage 1 winners were selected through a multi-tiered panel process of entrepreneurship, business, innovation, and strategic planning experts from within and outside the federal government.
Stage 2 will provide an additional $50,000 to $150,000 in awards to the Growth Accelerator Partnership. To learn more about Stage 2 opportunities and access the Growth Acceleration Fund competition guidelines, please visit: https://www.americasseedfund.us/accelerators.
From inequity and climate change to supporting national defense and community-led economic prosperity, now is a real opportunity to build an innovation ecosystem, and the Catalyst Accelerator supports collaboration in national security and defense. We are passionate about deepening our impact.
About catalyst accelerator
The Air Force Research Laboratory's Spacecraft Directorate and U.S. Space Force Catalyst Accelerator is a NewSpace-focused defense and national security industry headquartered at the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. is an accelerator. CCTI is a collaboration where industry, small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, government, academia, and investors interact with Colorado's aerospace and defense industry to build community, spark innovation, and stimulate business growth. It is an ecosystem. Catalyst Accelerator is a collaborative program hosted by the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI, a Colorado 501(c)3) in partnership with the U.S. Space Force and the Air Force Research Laboratory, offering a strong mentor-driven curriculum. For accelerator teams.
CONTACT: Allison Boothe Catalyst Accelerator 719-749-8601 Allison.Boothe@CatalystCampus.Org