Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator (AIA) Grant Program
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)
Up to $150K or $250K
CO advanced industries startup grants
Colorado's competitive grant program for early-stage advanced-industries companies — aerospace, bioscience, infrastructure engineering, energy/natural resources, electronics, information technology, and defense/homeland security. Two grant types: Proof of Concept ($150,000 max, pre-revenue, no equity dilution) and Early Stage Capital/Retention ($250,000 max, requires matching capital). Funded by the Colorado Advanced Industries Fund, with approximately $5.5M available per fiscal year.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $50,000 – $250,000
- Realistic amount
- Proof of Concept awards typically $50,000–$150,000. Early Stage Capital awards are typically the full $250,000 when matc…
- Deadline
- Annual — typically one application cycle per fiscal year opening in late fall/winter. FY2025 cycle closed; FY2026 dates TBA.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- CO
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- Must be a for-profit company incorporated and headquartered in Colorado
- Must be in one of seven advanced industries: aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and natural resources, infrastructure engineering, information technology, or defense/homeland security
- Proof of Concept grant: must be pre-revenue OR have less than $3M in annual revenue; technology must not yet be commercially proven
- Early Stage Capital grant: must have raised or committed outside matching capital equal to or greater than the requested grant amount (1:1 match); must have secured first customers or letters of intent
- Minimum 1 full-time Colorado employee (owner counts)
- Must not have received a prior AIA grant in the same tier within the last 3 years
- Cannot be a subsidiary of a company with more than 500 employees
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Minimum 1 employees
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Personnel costs (salaries, benefits for Colorado-based employees working on the project)
- Contractor and consultant fees for technical work
- Equipment and supplies directly tied to the funded project
- Prototype development, testing, and certification costs
- Intellectual property protection (patents, trademarks)
- Market research and customer discovery activities
- Travel for business development (limited, must be justified)
Ineligible expenses
- Lobbying or political activities
- Marketing, advertising, or sales materials unrelated to product development
- Real estate purchases or facility construction
- Refinancing or paying existing debt
- Work performed outside Colorado (generally)
- F&A (facilities and administrative) overhead above allowable rates
How to apply
-
1
Determine grant tier and confirm eligibility
Decide between Proof of Concept ($150K, no match) or Early Stage Capital ($350K, 1:1 match required). Review OEDIT's eligibility checklist and verify industry classification against the seven advanced industries.
~6 hrs
-
2
Prepare application materials
Gather: business description and technology overview, problem/solution narrative, market size and competitive landscape, team bios (emphasize Colorado residency), financial projections, and matching capital documentation (for Early Stage tier). Write a clear commercialization plan.
~6 hrs
-
3
Submit online application during open window
Complete the OEDIT AIA application portal during the annual open window (typically 6–8 weeks in fall). Applications require: company profile, project narrative, budget justification, team bios, and supporting financials.
~6 hrs
-
4
Panel review and scoring
OEDIT convenes an expert review panel of industry practitioners and investors to score applications on technical merit, commercial viability, team strength, and Colorado economic impact. Top-scoring applicants may be invited to present or answer questions.
~6 hrs
-
5
Award notification and grant agreement execution
Awards announced in spring. Recipients execute a grant agreement specifying milestones, reporting obligations, and IP protection requirements. First disbursement follows agreement execution.
~6 hrs
Proof of Concept tier is far less competitive than Early Stage — aim there first. Strong Colorado economic-impact framing (local jobs, wages) scores higher than technical brilliance alone. Panel reviewers are industry practitioners, not bureaucrats.
Deadline & timing
OEDIT typically releases the annual AIA application in fall (October–November) with a 6–8 week window. Awards are announced in spring. Subscribe to OEDIT's advanced industries newsletter for advance notice. Applications are submitted through the OEDIT online portal.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.