The Washington State Department of Commerce, hereafter called “COMMERCE,” is initiating a Solicitation of Applications from industry-led consortia interested in participating in the new accelerated cohort of the Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program (ICAP).
Donor Name: Washington State Department of Commerce
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 04/02/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. ICAP is an economic development strategy to strengthen industry ecosystems and accelerate economic development.
Goals
The goal is to expand the program over the coming decade to:
- Establish Washington as a global leader in key industry sectors.
- Support tech transfer and commercialization.
- Accelerate new start-ups and scale-ups.
- Grow businesses.
- Create high-value jobs throughout Washington.
- Increase export opportunities.
- Increase and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in business ownership and workforce.
Funding Information
Maximum of $150,000 per contract. The number of awards depends on the number and quality of applications received. COMMERCE intends to award no more than 12 applications between $50,000 – $150,000.
Grant Period
The period of performance of any contract resulting from this application is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about April 18, 2025, and to end on June 30, 2025.
Eligible Expenses
- Personnel costs, including indirect costs and fringe benefits.
- Meeting expenses (Excluding food and scholarships).
- Supplies directly attributable to this contract.
- Travel. Any travel outside Washington State would have to be justified and pre-approved.
- Projects: gap analyses, workforce programs, education programs, startup incubators, or other projects as approved by Commerce.
- Contractors. Indicate whether you plan to hire a contractor(s) to perform tasks. Since contractors must be procured following Commerce guidelines in a fair and open process.
Eligibility Criteria
- Industry-led consortia/clusters that have a demonstrated commitment to building out a successful cluster. Cluster must have academic membership, and must submit a letter of commitment from a major university or community college within the state. Funding will be prioritized for clusters whom are industry-led.
- Other Minimum qualifications include:
- Cluster must have a demonstrated commitment to reduce and mitigate impacts from greenhouse gases in overburdened communities, deploy renewable energy resources, increase energy efficiency or reduction, or other permissible uses pursuant to RCW 70A.65.260.
- Licensed to do business in the State of Washington or submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as an Apparently Successful Contractor.
- Demonstrated experience working in Washington State and with communities, businesses, and other Washington State organizations
- Demonstrated project management experience
- Demonstrated stakeholder convening and management experience
- Demonstrated experience working with stakeholders in the industry the cluster will focus on
- Proposals that do not clearly meet or exceed all minimum qualifications listed above are non-responsive and will not be evaluated.
For more information, visit WSDC.
