Programs & Institutions That Support Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Minnesota
The Minnesota entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem is vibrant with a wide array of resources to gain traction for your technology commercialization goals and objectives. We are at the intersection of government, industry and academia to small businesses in the federal R&D arena. Below are some important programs available within the ecosystem.
SciTech Internship Program
We direct many of our clients to the SciTech Internship Program to hire vetted STEM students (undergraduate and graduate). The company must first register with SciTech before hiring any students. Up to $2,500 per student.
Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants
- Innovation Grant (formerly the Business Operations Grant):These grants provide up to $35,000 for business operations, including research and development, direct business expenses and technical assistance.
- SBIR/STTR Phase I and II Matching Grant: These grants are for first time Phase I and Phase II awardees and will be based on sliding scale of their Federal award (up to $35,000 for Phase I awards and up to $50,000 for Phase II awards). The firm must be accepted in our Accelerator to leverage these funds. (All funding has been allocated for this state fiscal year.)
Launch Minnesota Calendar
Launch Minnesota’s calendar contains events from organizations across the state. This is your place to find networking groups, pitch competitions, coffee clubs, learning opportunities and more, both in your region and throughout Minnesota.
You are welcome to add your events to the calendar that benefit startups and small businesses.
MN Venture Builders
MN Venture Builders is the new online entrepreneurial education platform for Launch MN, a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation.
Organized by the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, this site shares information to connect with courses, competitions, seminars, mentors and connections to the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to early-stage technology entrepreneurs across the entire State.
We encourage all companies of all sizes and statuses looking to commercialize a new product, service, or process review the educational content, resources and presentations offered from experts in a vast array of fields and industries.
Minnesota Exchange
The Minnesota Exchange will be the state’s software platform to connect startup founders, mentors, advisors, investors, and subject matter experts (SMEs). This initiative puts an emphasis on bringing the right stakeholders together at the right time for quality conversations to accelerate progress and deepen relationships.