2024 Build to Scale | EDA B2S 2024

Opportunity Information: Apply for EDA B2S 2024

The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is offering the FY 2024 Build to Scale (B2S) grant (Funding Opportunity Number: EDA B2S 2024; CFDA: 11.024), a discretionary grant program aimed at strengthening regional innovation ecosystems that help technology-driven, high-growth companies, including startups. The core focus is on helping organizations build the capacity and infrastructure needed for entrepreneurs to develop, test, commercialize, and scale new products and services, especially in critical, emerging, and transformative technology areas. In practical terms, the program is designed to support the kinds of regional platforms that make it easier for innovators to move from idea to market by connecting them to specialized expertise, facilities, investors, and commercialization pathways.

Build to Scale is structured around several connected goals: expanding both public and private capacity to support inventors and entrepreneurs; accelerating regional economies that are positioning themselves around "industries of the future"; providing proof-of-concept and commercialization support so that promising technologies can be validated and made market-ready; and improving equity and inclusion by widening access to capital for technology-enabled entrepreneurs. The opportunity recognizes that innovation clusters tend to form where there are shared resources like research capabilities, industry partners, talent pipelines, testing facilities, and networks of mentors and investors. As a result, projects that strengthen these regional assets or coordinate them into a more effective system are a natural fit for this funding.

The types of applicants EDA expects to apply include a wide range of ecosystem builders, such as state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Tribal governments and other Tribal organizations; and nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities, other than institutions of higher education). In other words, the program is not limited to universities or government agencies; it also supports nonprofit-led and cross-sector efforts, as long as the proposal aligns with the Build to Scale purpose and meets the detailed eligibility and compliance rules in the official Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Funding under Build to Scale is intended to cover operational and programmatic costs tied to building and running regional innovation initiatives. That includes the work of designing, coordinating, and delivering programming that helps entrepreneurs and technology firms grow, commercialize, and attract investment. A key restriction is that awarded funds cannot be passed through or transferred directly to the end beneficiaries of the program, such as participant startup companies or individuals. This means the grant is generally meant to pay for the ecosystem support structure (staffing, program delivery, shared services, networks, commercialization support mechanisms, and similar functions), rather than serving as direct capital or mini-grants to startups.

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of up to $5,000,000 and anticipates making about 40 awards. The application deadline is October 28, 2024, and the opportunity was created on September 9, 2024. Eligible projects typically will be those that unlock or expand investment capital regionally or within a sector, operate accelerator-style programs to increase company growth and scaling outcomes, strengthen the pipeline for the next generation of entrepreneurs, or otherwise improve the systems that move technology from labs and prototypes into commercial products and real-world deployment.

Applications are submitted through EDA's application portal at https://sfgrants.eda.gov/s/funding-program/a2jSJ0000003YoLYAU/fy-2024-build-to-scale. Since the NOFO contains the full eligibility requirements, required components, evaluation criteria, and any cost-share or compliance conditions, the official NOFO should be treated as the definitive guide for preparing a compliant application.

• The Economic Development Administration in the business and commerce, community development, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2024 Build to Scale" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.024.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-09-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for EDA B2S 2024

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: