Illinois Innovation Program for Business Research Growth
GrantID: 76217
Grant Funding Amount Low: $75,000
Deadline: Ongoing
Grant Amount High: $75,000
Summary
This grant opportunity is designed to support innovation and collaborative work that helps small to medium-sized organizations grow and bring new ideas to life. It offers meaningful financial assistance in the form of awards of up to $75,000, covering a substantial portion of project costs — roughly three-quarters of eligible expenses — to help underwrite activities that involve research, product development, or early-stage commercialization. The total pool of funds available in a year can amount to several million dollars, with multiple awards made across qualifying applicants.
The intent of the funding is to encourage development and economic activity within Illinois, especially by fostering partnerships between businesses and research partners like nonprofit higher education institutions. Rather than funding routine operations or general business costs, the funds are oriented toward projects that involve technical expertise, access to specialized facilities, prototyping, testing, or other innovation-related engagements that move ideas closer to market readiness.
Eligibility focuses mainly on for-profit enterprises that are based in or committed to maintaining operations in that state. Sole proprietors or individual freelancers typically are not the primary target; instead, the program emphasizes small and mid-sized companies, particularly those in sectors where research and development can have a clear economic impact. Applicants must collaborate with a research partner that qualifies under the program’s criteria, often a nonprofit higher education institution within the same region. These collaborations help ensure that the grant dollars support shared learning, access to expert knowledge, and real innovation outcomes.
The overarching goal of the program is to stimulate local innovation ecosystems, drive competitiveness, and help eligible organizations harness external expertise to create products, services, or technologies that benefit broader communities.
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Eligible Regions
Interests
Eligible Requirements
