Application process

The Acorn Innovation grant application process is designed to be streamlined & user-friendly. See Acorn RFP. By October 11th, 2024, you will be need to:

1. Using the guidelines provided for content and length, upload a concise proposal of no more than 4 pages (a cover sheet and less than 3 pages of narrative) describing the innovation, its commercial potential, and the team that will bring this technology to market.
2. Upload or provide a link to your 3 min pitch video. Your video can be recorded as a Zoom session sharing 4-5 slides and with your webcam. It should include: (1) Unmet need that your technology is addressing, (2) A brief description of the technology solution, (3) Competitive advantage of the technology vs incumbents, (4) What you will accomplish with the Acorn grant.

The funds are awarded through an external review process judged by a pool of independent experts. They may however not be familiar with your particular technology. Provide information that will enable them to judge the technical feasibility. Do not disclose any proprietary information. Applications that are not submitted by the closing deadline will not be considered in this solicitation.

The steps in the process are as follows:

• Proposals and 3 min video pitch are received and distributed to industry experts for review of technical merit and feasibility.
• Winners are selected and notified, and feedback is provided to all finalist teams.

The MassVentures staff oversees the process and approves the final recommendations from the external reviewers. MassVentures determinations are final and not subject to discussion. In addition, MassVentures reserves the right to withdraw an applicant if the applicant violates any criteria in the application guidelines or does not provide sufficient information in the proposal.

Start your application 

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