FORGE Product Development Grants

Non-dilutive funding for startups to bridge the gap between prototype and manufacturing

Even with a great prototype, manufacturing readiness knowledge, and interested local manufacturers and supply chain partners, innovative companies and startups can stall when trying to reach the production stage or scale up manufacturing. Starting and scaling manufacturing burns through capital fast, and funding often falls short. That’s where FORGE Product Development Grants can help.

A startup founder winning a Product Development Grant after a FORGE pitch contest

What are FORGE Product Development Grants?

FORGE is a nonprofit on a mission to help innovators with physical products navigate the journey from prototype through to commercialization and impact at scale.

FORGE Product Development Grants award non-dilutive funding to address product-specific scaling or market entry challenges. With the help of our partners, we fund competitively selected, innovative companies to work with vetted local manufacturers or suppliers.

Our grants:

Support growing innovative companies on the route to commercialization
Drive higher success rates for physical product innovation
Create more opportunities for startups to engage local manufacturers and suppliers
Help create more jobs and economic growth in our service areas

We believe that if you can invent a product locally, you should be empowered to make it locally!

Some products supported by FORGE Product Development Grants

Sunny period cup made with product development grant

Why we offer FORGE Product Development Grants

Physical product innovators are solving some of the world’s toughest problems, but they face some of the toughest obstacles to scale, too. FORGE offers education and network connections for innovative companies’ product development, manufacturing, and supply chain needs – but sometimes, that’s not enough.

We created FORGE Product Development Grants to:

Address the “valley of death” between prototype and production
Help startups de-risk early manufacturing steps
Facilitate productive relationships with right-fit regional suppliers
Accelerate the path to market for physical products
Collaborate with our funding partners to have the greatest impact on local innovation ecosystems

FORGE Product Development Grants help us fulfill our mission to support innovators with physical products.

How FORGE Product Development Grants work

FORGE announces open rounds of Product Development Grants periodically throughout the year. Some grant rounds are specific to certain states or funders.

To apply for a grant, you’ll:

Check the specific eligibility requirements to make sure your company meets the grant criteria
Write and submit your application
Wait for us to review your application

Review and award announcement times may vary based on each grant. Please see specific grant application for details.

For more detailed instructions, go to Open Opportunities below and find all the information you’ll need to apply. If you still have questions, contact us. We’re happy to help.

For examples of the ways our amazing community of innovative companies has used FORGE Product Development Grant awards, check out our Success Stories. We hope you’ll be inspired to apply!