The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is re-launching the Forest Business Accelerator to provide forest business startups and seed stage businesses with a comprehensive commercialization curriculum and connections to industry experts, customers, suppliers, partners, pilots and investors.
Donor Name: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 06/07/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
This accelerator is for startups and seed stage businesses making use of low-grade material or underutilized species for a wide array of advanced wood-based bioproducts such as packaging, biochar, biofuels or advanced building materials, or developing precision forest management technologies that improve forest or supply chain operations or infrastructure.
The Forest Business Accelerator is made possible through a partnership between Vermont State University (VTSU), the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), supporting the growth of the Forest Economy in Northern New England.
The Forest Business Accelerator provides companies with a unique curriculum and approach tailored to the needs of hard tech companies in the forest industries. Companies receive expert advice and tools to build a market validated business case, model, and operating plan through a rigorous commercialization curriculum, coaching, webinars and panels, and connections to industry experts, customers, and suppliers.
The Accelerator partners with ecosVC to provide companies access to their comprehensive commercialization curriculum and years of experience supporting STEM-based startups through the commercialization process.
- Products that use chips, dust, resins, and other byproducts and low grade wood.
- Technology that improves forest management, sales, safety, and other operations.
- Products and processes that develop and improve advanced wood heat, fuels, and energy.
2025 Challenge Statement
In 2025, they are seeking start-up and seed stage businesses with products or services related to one or more of the following areas:
- Products that use chips, dust, resins, shavings or other forest byproducts
- Wood based technologies to create, for example new materials, chemicals, bio-based products, structures.
- Products that make use of underutilized species (e.g., poplar, birch)
- Technology that improves forest industry operations, production, automation, sales throughout the supply chain, or forest management. This includes software offerings that make use of AI and other technologies to provide previously unavailable services to the forest industry.
- Products or services that increase the use of wood heat or energy or improve its efficiency, either through new or improved fuels or heat or energy systems.
Accelerator Benefits
- Connections
- Connections to industry experts and mentors in the forest and wood products value chain to gain insight and guidance on the forest products market for your company and connections to suppliers and customers.
- Curriculum
- A rigorous commercialization Lens of the Market® ACCELERATED curriculum developed by program partner, ecosVC, that provides companies with expert advice and a process to build a market validated business case, business model, and go-to-market plan.
- Collaboration
- A hybrid program with both virtual and in-person components that provides financial support for participant travel and lodging for two trips to Vermont to connect in-person with other cohort participants, coaches, and industry professionals.
Funding Information
- Active engagement and peer-mentoring by participants is an essential part of this accelerator, and a final award of $15,000 is provided to a peer-selected company.
- A 4-month Accelerator for U.S.-based startups that are commercializing new and improved products, services, and technology in the forest and wood industries.
For more information, visit VSJF.
