Cluster Grants
Inactive
- Assistance listing
- 11.020
- Agency
-
Economic Development Administration
Department of Commerce
- Grant awards
- 263 $124,991,760 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration funds technology-based regional innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives through Cluster Grants (CFDA 11.020), with the most recent award dated January 4, 2021.
The program has distributed 263 awards totaling $125 million in federal obligations since 2015, though grant activity has slowed considerably in recent years. The annual award cadence fell from 83 awards in 2019 to just 2 in 2021, signaling the program is inactive for new solicitations. The portfolio is entirely Project Grants except for one Cooperative Agreement.
Recent awards demonstrate a consistent focus on building regional innovation ecosystems and accelerating entrepreneurship across diverse sectors. The Center for Defense Medicine in Saint Louis received $3.3 million to advance early-stage defense medicine technologies toward commercialization. The Louisiana Biotechnology Commercialization Accelerator was funded at $3.3 million to develop next-generation biotech companies. The START Expansion Project received $8 million to establish an innovation orchard and commercialization academy converting SBIR/STTR research into jobs. Other representative awards supported accelerator programs (Baton Rouge Health-Tech Catalyst, $1.2 million; Halcyon Opportunity Intensives for social entrepreneurs, $3.3 million), seed capital funds and venture programs (e.g., Biolocity Ventures Capital Challenge, $584 thousand; Blue Pipeline Venture Studio, $1.2 million), prototyping and maker infrastructure (HANGAR6 advanced prototyping facility, $2.6 million; South Idaho Design-Prototype Center, $3 million), industry-specific initiatives (Northwest Ag Innovation Hub, $981 thousand; Portland-Portsmouth-Boston Life Sciences Corridor, $827 thousand), and equity-focused investments (Impact Capital Accelerator for Philadelphia minority-owned enterprises, $599 thousand; Sorenson Project DEEP for BIPOC and women entrepreneurs, $1.2 million).
Recent grant opportunities closed in 2020. The 2020 Build to Scale Program (concept proposals due March 24, 2020) solicited applications for the Venture Challenge, Capital Challenge, and Industry Challenge competitions. The Accelerate R2 Network Challenge (due March 11, 2020) sought nationwide networks addressing disaster response and resiliency through innovative technology. Earlier competitions under the Regional Innovation Strategies Program (i6 Challenge and Seed Fund Support) ran through 2019. Applicants required 50 percent non-federal matching funds.
This program is not actively soliciting new applications as of the date of this summary.
Objective and description
- Objective
EDA's Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship is committed to furthering technology-based economic development initiatives that accelerate high quality job growth, create more economic opportunities, and support the future of the next generation of i
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Build to Scale Program - Concept Proposal | Closed | ||
| Accelerate R2 Network Challenge - FINAL | Closed | ||
| FY 2019 Regional Innovation Strategies Program | Closed | ||
| FY 2018 Regional Innovation Strategies Program | Closed | ||
| FY 2017 Regional Innovation Strategies Program | Closed | ||
| FY2015 Regional Innovation Strategies Program | Closed | ||
| FY 2014 Regional Innovation Grants | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 263 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans Bioinnovation Center, Inc. | $2,290,635 | 2% |
| 2 | Mhub | $2,087,896 | 2% |
| 3 | Western Fire Chiefs Association Inc. | $2,000,000 | 2% |
| 4 | Biostl | $2,000,000 | 2% |
| 5 | Halcyon House | $1,768,584 | 1% |
| 6 | First Flight Venture Center, Inc. | $1,738,981 | 1% |
| 7 | The Pennsylvania State University | $1,510,986 | 1% |
| 8 | William Marsh Rice University | $1,500,000 | 1% |
| 9 | Boise State University | $1,500,000 | 1% |
| 10 | Delaware Innovation Space Inc. | $1,488,083 | 1% |
10 of 222 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | -$1,547,708 |
| FY2023 | -$993,733 |
| FY2022 | -$63,094 |
| FY2021 | -$3,253 |
| FY2020 | $36,981,473 |
| FY2019 | $44,453,566 |
| FY2018 | -$6,757 |
| FY2017 | $32,211,440 |
| FY2016 | $10,048,289 |
| FY2015 | $9,887,150 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 11.020?
Assistance Listing 11.020 is Cluster Grants, a federal grant program run by Economic Development Administration (Department of Commerce). It is inactive.
What is the CFDA number for Cluster Grants?
Its CFDA number is 11.020: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 11.020 awarded?
263 grant awards under 11.020 have obligated $124,991,760 in federal funds to 222 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 11.020?
The recipients obligated the most under Cluster Grants are New Orleans Bioinnovation Center, Inc. ($2,290,635), Mhub ($2,087,896) and Western Fire Chiefs Association Inc. ($2,000,000).
Are there open grant opportunities under 11.020?
No opportunity listed under 11.020 is open now. The latest, 2020 Build to Scale Program - Concept Proposal, was posted on February 18, 2020.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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