FuzeHub Commercialization Competition (Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund)
FuzeHub — New York State's Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Up to $150,000
Researched for this program: 6 rejection traps · 6 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
NY tech/mfg startup commercialization grants
Annual pitch competition for pre-revenue manufacturing and technology startups in New York State. Up to $150,000, paid under a SAFE or convertible note, for companies with a tangible prototype ready to move from lab to market. Finalists present at the New York State Innovation Summit in October. Open to for-profit manufacturers and tech companies at the pre-seed, pre-revenue stage — no prior FuzeHub relationship required. 2026 applications open July 6.
- Funding type
- Award
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $150,000
- Realistic amount
- The 2026 round set four awards totaling $430,000: $150,000 to the winner, $110,000 to the runner-up, and $85,000 to each of two more finalists.
- Deadline
- The 2026 competition ran July 6 to August 10, 2026 (closed 11:59 PM EST) and no 2027 cycle is posted.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- NY
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- Company must be physically located and operating in New York State
- At least one founder must reside in New York State
- Company must be pre-revenue (under $100,000 in lifetime revenue) and pre-seed (under $500,000 in investment to date)
- Must have an existing tangible prototype (not just a concept or business plan)
- Must be registered with Dun & Bradstreet with an eligible manufacturing or technology NAICS code
- If awarded, company must remain domiciled in New York State for at least 12 consecutive months following the award announcement
- Company must be a for-profit entity
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Location restriction: New York State
The FuzeHub eligibility tests, in numbers
The FuzeHub Commercialization Competition is for New York companies that have a working prototype but very little money in yet: under $100,000 in lifetime revenue and under $500,000 in investment. FuzeHub, the not-for-profit that Empire State Development designates as New York's statewide Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center, runs it, and an applicant must pass every test below.
| New York company | Resides and operates in New York State from the day it applies until at least 12 consecutive months after the award announcement or project completion, whichever is longer. A winner that leaves early must return all award funds. |
|---|---|
| New York founder | At least one founder lives in New York State at the time of the award. |
| Pre-revenue | Under $100,000 in revenue over the company's entire lifetime, from any revenue stream. |
| Pre-seed | Under $500,000 in investment to date. |
| Grant history | No more than $2,000,000 in grants in the past two years. |
| Prototype | An existing, tangible prototype. The money must fund improving it or the go-to-market strategy. |
| Dun & Bradstreet | A D&B profile with an eligible NAICS code: any manufacturing code starting with 3, or one of 16 listed codes such as 541330 Engineering Services, 541380 Testing Laboratories and 541420 Industrial Design Services. |
| Live pitch | A founder can present in person at the finals in Buffalo. |
Worked example. A Rochester hardware startup that has sold $40,000 of pilot units and raised $300,000 from an angel round still qualifies, because both numbers sit under FuzeHub's lines. The same company after a $600,000 seed round does not. FuzeHub's FAQ adds that a company may outsource the actual manufacturing of its product.
If one test rules you out, see which grants you qualify for instead.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Prototype improvement and further development
- Product testing, validation, and certification
- Go-to-market strategy development and execution
- Equipment necessary for prototype manufacturing scale-up
- Engineering services for product refinement
- Market research and customer discovery activities
- Materials for prototype work
Ineligible expenses
- General business operating expenses unrelated to prototype development or commercialization
- Founder and executive salaries (CEO, CFO, COO, CTO), even for project work
- Equipment or activities incurred before grant agreement execution
- Activities outside New York State
- Lobbying or political activities
How the award is paid: a SAFE or convertible note, not a plain grant
FuzeHub Commercialization Competition money is an investment instrument, not a gift. Every winner must sign either a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) or a convertible note with FuzeHub, as the judges decide, and FuzeHub's FAQ says a SAFE "typically" leads to equity ownership for FuzeHub if and when it converts. Refusing to sign forfeits the award, so have a lawyer read FuzeHub's SAFE template before you apply.
What the money can pay for
- Equipment and materials
- Engineering and design
- Non-executive team members working on the project
- Marketing and customer discovery, capped at 40% of the award
- Other direct costs, subject to review
What it cannot pay for
- Salaries of the founder, co-founder, CEO, CFO, COO or CTO, whatever the work
- Administrative costs, capital improvements and legal consultation
- Patent fees
- Indirect costs such as office rent and utilities
- Anything spent before the award agreement is signed
Three limits to plan around
The funded project must be finished within 9 months of the award. Consultants and vendors should be in New York State unless what you need is not available there. And one company can receive at most $250,000 from the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund over its lifetime, across all FuzeHub tracks and rounds, so a past FuzeHub Manufacturing Grant counts against the same cap. On an $85,000 award, the 40% rule means at most $34,000 can go to marketing; the other $51,000 has to buy equipment, materials, engineering or non-executive time.
How to apply
-
1
Register on the FuzeHub SmApply portal
Create an account at fuzehub.smapply.io when the portal opens July 6, 2026. Complete the organizational profile including D&B registration and NAICS code confirmation.
-
2
Submit written application and pitch materials
Complete the application describing your prototype, the manufacturing or technology innovation, target market, commercialization plan, and how the grant will be used. FuzeHub provides a PowerPoint template and guidance video to standardize submissions. The 2026 round closed August 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST; the 2027 cycle has not yet been posted.
-
3
Reviewer screening and finalist selection
Applications screened by FuzeHub judges. Finalists notified late September 2026. In 2026, nine companies advanced to finalist status.
-
4
Prepare and deliver live pitch at NY Innovation Summit
Finalist companies must present their prototype and commercialization plan in person at the New York State Innovation Summit in Buffalo, NY on October 27–28, 2026. In-person attendance is mandatory — remote presentations are not accepted.
-
5
Award announcement and grant execution
Winners announced at the Summit event. Winners sign FuzeHub's SAFE or convertible note. Funds disbursed after agreement execution, typically as lump sum or milestone-based depending on award terms.
This is a pitch competition — the live presentation at the Summit matters as much as the written application. Prepare a physical demo of your prototype for the Buffalo event; judges favor companies that can put the product in reviewers' hands.
Deadline & timing
Finalists notified late September 2026. Live presentation at NY State Innovation Summit in Buffalo, NY on October 27-28, 2026. Applications open July 6, 2026. Competition is annual — next cycle expected in 2027.
Not accepting applications right now — get one email when it reopens
GrantCompass tracks FuzeHub Commercialization Competition (Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund)’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you the day the next window opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
The FuzeHub competition's yearly cycle, and what the application asks
The FuzeHub Commercialization Competition runs once a year on a steady rhythm: a five-week application window in summer, finalists named in early autumn, and a live pitch in Buffalo at the New York State Innovation Summit. The 2026 round was FuzeHub's ninth annual competition. FuzeHub had posted no 2027 dates after the 2026 round, so treat the 2026 pattern as a guide, not a promise.
| Stage | 2026 round |
|---|---|
| Applications open | July 6, 2026, 8:00 AM EST |
| Applications close | August 10, 2026, 11:59 PM EST, with no exceptions |
| Finalists notified | Late September 2026; nine finalists were announced |
| Live pitch and awards | Late October, at the Summit in Buffalo, where winners are named live |
How the application works
- 1
An eligibility check comes first
FuzeHub screens each company against the tests above before anything else. Only applicants it clears get the full application, and problems come back by email.
- 2
The full application centers on an $85,000 budget
Every applicant budgets how it would spend $85,000 of FuzeHub money. Only finalists are later asked for $100,000 and $150,000 versions. The application fee is $80, paid by credit card.
- 3
Submission is final
Once you submit and receive the confirmation email, you cannot edit the application. FuzeHub does not commit to debriefs for applicants who are not chosen, and each company or founder may submit one application per round.
- 4
Finalists pitch to judges
Judges come from local, regional and statewide partner organizations.
FuzeHub posts the application questions, guidelines and a webinar on its competition page; start there for the next round.
Programs that stack well
Similar New York programs, and which one fits
Pick the FuzeHub Commercialization Competition if you are pre-revenue, have a prototype and can accept a SAFE. If you want state money without an equity instrument, the NYSTAR Innovation Matching Grants are the closer fit for a New York tech startup, but only once you hold a federal SBIR or STTR award.
| Program | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| FuzeHub Commercialization CompetitionUp to $150,000 under a SAFE or convertible note; once a year | Pre-revenue, pre-seed New York startups with a tangible prototype |
| FuzeHub Manufacturing GrantsSame Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund and same $250,000 lifetime cap; after the 2026 round, FuzeHub said it expected the next round to open in early 2027 | Small and mid-size New York manufacturers working with a not-for-profit partner such as a university or MEP center |
| NYSTAR Innovation Matching GrantsUp to $100,000 for SBIR/STTR Phase I and $200,000 for Phase II | New York companies that already hold a federal SBIR or STTR award |
| New York Consolidated Funding ApplicationOne regional application for dozens of state programs; amounts vary | Companies with a defined capital or expansion project |
For the wider list, see New York grants for startups.
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Last updated October 25, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.