The Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF), in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), is announcing a new funding opportunity under the Michigan Innovation Fund (MIF).
Donor Name: Michigan Economic Development Corporation
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/16/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The $60 million Michigan Innovation Fund marks the state’s boldest investment in Michigan entrepreneurs and innovators in more than two decades. Created through a collaborative statewide effort involving entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, and innovation leaders, the fund is designed to strategically invest taxpayer dollars into driving high-impact statewide economic growth and ensuring Michigan’s entrepreneurs have the support they need now.
Funding Opportunities – Request for Applications
- Startup Support Services – $4.2 million available: Up to $4.2 million is available to Michigan-based nonprofit organizations that provide qualified startup support services. Applicants must select one of the following categories per proposal:
- Startup Acceleration Tracks (up to 12 awards; each $250K min / $750K max): This track supports efforts that directly accelerate the growth, market access, commercialization success, and founder development of Michigan-based startups, especially in alignment with the state’s regional industry cluster strengths. Proposals may focus on any of the following priorities:
- First Customer Matchmaking: Programs that help Michigan startups secure their first revenue-paying customers by connecting them with clearly defined needs from enterprises, regional anchor institutions, and public agencies. Competitive proposals should outline a structured yet flexible process, from identifying real buyer “problem statements” through guiding startups into paid pilots or procurement, while offering founder-friendly support that shortens sales cycles, reduces adoption risk for the customer, and can be replicated across sectors and regions. Applicants may propose a range of mechanisms (e.g., matchmaking events, facilitated pilot sprints, standardized contracting toolkits), but must articulate how they will (1) move startups from introduction to first dollar quickly, (2) track conversions to paid contracts and follow-on revenue, and (3) share anonymized outcomes and playbooks statewide so future matches happen faster.
- Research-to-Market Catalysts: Programs that turn high-value Michigan research into market-ready products by orchestrating cluster-focused collaboration among startups, corporations, universities, investors, and government partners. Strong proposals will spell out a repeatable pathway that lowers technical and regulatory risk while matching Michigan’s entrepreneurial capacity to its industrial strengths and innovation capacity in mobility, advanced manufacturing, health, energy, and defense. Applicants must describe how they will align incentives, embed entrepreneurial talent, secure cash or in-kind commitments from industry, and track outputs such as licenses executed, spinouts formed, paid pilots launched, and follow-on revenue or investment.
- Founder Development: Programs offering mentorship, coaching, and professional development for startup founders. Applicants are encouraged to consider and detail how they could also support founders in geographic regions not already regularly serviced by founder support organizations, and how they will focus on key identified ecosystem gaps (e.g., helping founders with fundraising strategies and pitch decks).
- Place-based Entrepreneurship Programs: Expansion of proven, place-based programs that help startups launch and grow. For this sub-category only, applicants must currently participate in the MEDC Gateway Representative program and historically have received limited or no tax increment revenue.
- E&I Ecosystem Convenings (up to 5 awards; each $50K min / $150K max): Regularly occurring regional or statewide convenings designed to facilitate targeted new-to-the-ecosystem connections (i.e., not intended to fund existing convenings unless they add an essential new element) among entrepreneurs, talent, funders, and essential ecosystem resources. Ideal proposals will outline specific plans for authentic community building events focusing on specific sectors, geographies, or stakeholder groups; a single applicant may propose multiple tracks / threads of different convening types. Preference will be given to proposals emphasizing frequent, cost-effective gatherings – an “ecosystem convening heartbeat” – over fewer high-cost events. Collaboration among organizations is encouraged, especially where more mature regional ecosystems can support emerging regional ecosystems, though one organization must serve as the lead applicant.
- Risk Capital Ecosystem Development (up to 2 awards; each $500K max): Initiatives designed to grow Michigan’s risk capital ecosystem (e.g., angel, VC, PE, etc.) and/or talent pipeline.
- Innovation Ecosystem Advocacy (up to 1 award; $500K max): Design, incubation, and initial launch of a nonprofit initiative dedicated to statewide innovation ecosystem advocacy, including strategy coordination / alignment, ecosystem marketing / storytelling, and policy advocacy. This initiative must be inclusive of all key ecosystem dimensions: founders, risk capital, philanthropy, universities, corporations, and government (in a non-voting / observer capacity). To ensure meaningful sustaining commitment to the initiative, no more than 25% of the award will be disbursed upfront. The remaining funds will be released once a 1:1 match – equal to the full award amount and sourced from private, non-governmental entities such as philanthropy, corporations, or nonprofit partners – is secured and verified. MEDC recognizes that securing this match may require additional time and fundraising effort, which is why a limited pre-match disbursement is permitted.
- Startup Acceleration Tracks (up to 12 awards; each $250K min / $750K max): This track supports efforts that directly accelerate the growth, market access, commercialization success, and founder development of Michigan-based startups, especially in alignment with the state’s regional industry cluster strengths. Proposals may focus on any of the following priorities:
- Statewide Startup Investment Competitions – $3 million available: One (1) award up to $3 million will be allocated for the design, implementation, and prizes of two statewide startup investment competitions (plus regional qualifiers) that accelerate the growth of early-stage, high-tech startups in Michigan. Applicants committing private, partial matching of prize funds will be viewed more favorably.
Eligibility Criteria
Per statute, to qualify, applicants must meet both conditions below:
- Be a Michigan nonprofit organization or a Michigan-based higher education institution (or an affiliated foundation), exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Be a nonprofit corporation that provides programming, technical assistance, or other support that promotes the growth and development of startup companies and their founders in Michigan, or an entity that administers, manages, or operates funds that invest in startups located in this state.
For more information, visit MEDC.
