{"id":45469,"date":"2024-01-08T20:16:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T20:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/sba-growth-accelerator-fund-competition-opens-jan-8-to-expand-and-strengthen-its-national-innovation-ecosystem\/"},"modified":"2024-01-08T20:16:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T20:16:26","slug":"sba-growth-accelerator-fund-competition-opens-jan-8-to-expand-and-strengthen-its-national-innovation-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/sba-growth-accelerator-fund-competition-opens-jan-8-to-expand-and-strengthen-its-national-innovation-ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Opens Jan. 8 to Expand and Strengthen its National Innovation Ecosystem"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, \u00a0Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman<\/b><\/a>,<\/b>\u00a0head of the\u00a0<\/b>U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and the voice in President Biden\u2019s Cabinet for America\u2019s more than 33 million small businesses and startups, announced\u00a0the opening of the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC). The competition offers $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards in two stages to organizations to join SBA\u2019s national innovation support ecosystem to advance small business research and development (R&D) from ideas to market. The Stage One application portal opens on Jan. 8 for five weeks, and the SBA will award up to $3 million in Stage One prize money by April.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe SBA is committed to advancing America\u2019s global leadership in innovation across critical industries by supporting entrepreneurs as they launch, grow, and manufacture across the country,\u201d said SBA Administrator Guzman<\/b>. \u201cThe SBA\u2019s 10-year strong Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) strengthens the nation\u2019s innovation ecosystem and builds local partnerships critical to ensuring all of America\u2019s great ideas can thrive through the vast resources available through the federal government.\u201d <\/p>\n

Prizes Awarded in Two Stages<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n

Stage One offers $50,000 in cash prizes awarded to organizations for ecosystem-building activities, including recruitment of new partners, and strengthening existing alliances among stakeholders (including public, private, non-profit, and academic partners). Contestants work collaboratively with chosen partners to bring additional resources, deepen network connections, and develop strategies to support STEM\/R&D-focused entrepreneurs and small businesses. The SBA welcomes Stage One submissions from a broad range of organizations with a collaborative vision to nurture a national ecosystem for equitable access to entrepreneurship. Applicants are asked to align their application with one of the following GAFC Theme Areas<\/b>:<\/p>\n

National and Economic Security, including but not limited to:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n