Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund

The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund supports technology development and commercialization efforts across New York State. The Fund launched in 2016 and is named for the late Jeff Lawrence, a champion of the New York manufacturing and entrepreneurial communities. The Innovation Fund comprises three program tracks: 

  • Manufacturing Grants - Collaborative grants that help not-for-profit organizations and New York State manufacturers adopt new technologies, enhance manufacturing processes, and bring innovative products closer to market.
  • Commercialization Competition - A statewide competition that awards early-stage companies investments to support prototype advancement, go-to-market strategies, and investor readiness.
  • Innovation Challenge - Targeted challenges that address pressing industry needs (such as microelectronics, advanced materials, supply chain development, food & ag), with intermittent application cycles and award amounts tailored to each challenge’s goals.

Collectively, these programs provide more than $1 million in direct funding annually across sectors including advanced manufacturing, biotech, cleantech, health/medical, microelectronics, and more.

For detailed eligibility, award specifics, and current application opportunities, visit FuzeHub.com/Innovation-Fund/ 

Ends on
Submit to 2026 Commercialization Competition

2026 Eligibility

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Applicants must propose to fund activities to improve upon an existing tangible prototype and/or “go-to-market” strategy. 
  • Applicants must be available to present in person on October 27-28, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
  • Company must reside and operate in New York State from the time it submits the application until at least a twelve (12) consecutive month period following the award announcement, or project completion, whichever is longer; also, at least one of the founders must reside in New York State at the time of the award. Winning companies that do not comply with the residency requirements shall be obligated to return all award funds to FuzeHub to be reinvested in the Commercialization Competition.
  • Company must be pre-revenue (less than $100,000 in revenue over the company’s entire lifetime, regardless of revenue stream).
  • Company must be pre-seed (less than $500,000 in investments to date).
  • Company must have received no more than $2,000,000 in grants in the past two years.
  • A company can receive up to $250,000 total from the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund over its lifetime, across all tracks and rounds.
  • Applicants, whether founders or companies, are only allowed to submit one application per round.
  • In the case of a subsidiary, the parent company must fulfill all eligibility requirements listed above.
  • Company must be registered with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), and have an eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code identified in their D&B profile (see guidelines for list of eligible NAICS codes). 

 

For more information, check our website at https://fuzehub.com/commercialization-competition/