Ohio Third Frontier Programs

Athens County Ohio (photo provided by FirstOhio.com)

Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP)
Provides grants that significantly increase technology-based entrepreneurial commercialization outcomes in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachian region.

Asset-Based Company Attraction Program (ABCAP)
Will award one to two grants to a public or private organization to develop and implement a sales strategy based on the relevant assets already in place in Ohio. The targeted industry sectors are biosciences and advanced polymers.

Biomedical Research and Commercialization Program (BRCP)
Provides grants that support biomedical and biotechnology research leading to Ohio commercialization and long-term improvements to the health of Ohioans.

Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program (EPSRCP)
Provides grants to support technology-based economic development through research, development, and commercialization activities in Ohio.

Innovation Ohio Loan Fund (IOF)
Assists existing Ohio companies in developing next generation products and services within certain targeted industry sectors by financing the acquisition, construction, and related costs of technology, facilities, and equipment.

Ohio Research Commercialization Grant Program (ORCGP)
Provides grants to improve the commercial viability of technologies developed through federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Advanced Technology Program (ATP) research and development projects.

Pre-Seed Fund Initiative (PSFI)
Provides grants to pre-seed funds to increase the availability of professionally managed capital and associated services to accelerate the growth of early stage Ohio technology companies.

Product Development Pilot Program (PDPP)
Provides grants to support delivery of product development assistance, including design, engineering, financing, marketing and management, to small and medium-sized Ohio manufactures.

Research Commercialization Program (RCP)
Provides grants to advance major research initiatives that will positively impact Ohio's economic development and provide long-term improvements in the State's technology base. Projects are to be collaborations among Ohio higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, and Ohio companies in the areas of 1) Biomedical, 2) Advanced/Alternative Energy, 3) Instruments-Controls-Electronics, 4) Advanced Materials, and 5) Advanced Propulsion.

Success and Pre-Seed Fund Initiative (SPSFI)
Provides continuing support to those Pre-Seed Fund and related entrepreneurial support programs that have demonstrated success in using previously awarded Grant Funds to create measurable economic benefits for the State through the support of Ohio technology-based opportunities and companies in the Imagining, Incubating, and Demonstrating phases of commercialization.

The Ohio Research Scholars Program (ORSP)
Provides grants to strengthen and increase the number of clusters of research excellence, led by Ohio's academic institutions that support regional economic priorities, including: 1) Advanced materials; 2) Biosciences; 3) Instruments-controls-electronics; 4) Information technology; and 5) Power and propulsion (includes Advanced energy). Awards will be made in the range from $2.5 million to $50 million.

Ohio Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program (TFAEP)
Grants to accelerate the development and growth of the advanced energy industry in Ohio by direct financial support to organizations seeking to commercialize new products, manufacturing processes or technologies, or to adapt or modify existing components or systems that can reduce the cost of advanced energy systems or address technical and commercialization barriers.

Ohio Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program (TFFCP)
Provides grants that support the growth of Ohio's fuel cell industry through collaborations that involve Ohio higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, and Ohio companies.

Ohio Third Frontier Internship Program (TFIP)
Businesses that provide internships in the areas of advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, power and propulsion, instruments controls and electronics, bioscience and information technology may benefit from this program. The state will reimburse up to 50% or no more than $3,000 per year for wages paid to eligible and enrolled students.

Wright Centers of Innovation in Biosciences (WCIB)
Grants to support large-scale, world-class research and technology development platforms designed to accelerate the pace of Ohio commercialization. Wright Centers are to be collaborations among Ohio higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, and Ohio companies in the Biosciences.

Wright Centers of Innovation in Engineering and Physical Sciences (WCIEPS)
Grants to support large-scale world-class research and technology development platforms designed to accelerate the pace of Ohio commercialization. in the areas of advanced materials, power and propulsion, information technology and instruments, controls and electronics.

Wright Mega-centers of Innovation (WMCI)
Provides grants that establish centers of excellence that will clearly define Ohio as an international leader in research and commercialization for one or more technology platforms that will have a substantial, measurable, and sustainable impact on the State's economy. Awards will be made in the range of $50- 60 million per center.

Wright Projects (WP)
Provides grants to support specifically defined near term commercialization projects requiring major capital acquisitions and improvements at Ohio higher education institutions and non-profit research organizations.