The Illinois FAST Center is offering a FREE NSF SBIR/STTR Training series of proposal development workshops beginning on January 25, 2024. The training series includes 4 weekly, virtual workshops. The Sprint offers a full-program option and an audit-only program option. The full program is open to IL-based teams, offers 1:1 mentoring provided by professional SBIR consultants, requires deadline-driven proposal development tasks, and is limited to a small number of teams. The audit-only program is open to teams in any state, does not provide 1:1 mentoring, and does not require submission of development tasks.

The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation announced the launch of ‘Resurgence’ Cleantech Accelerator on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Startups participating in this accelerator will gain access to business training, premier facilities, mentorship, funding opportunities, and more over the course of nine months and three modules of material.

Rosalind Franklin University (RFU) recently announced the completion of the final buildout of 14,000 square feet of wet lab space in its Innovation and Research Park (IRP). Funds awarded in October 2021 by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), were paired with $2 million from RFU.

The Illinois AgTech Accelerator kicked off the 2023 gener8tor AgTech cohort on March 20 and concluded the program at a showcase event on June 6.

VentureCat selected 25 of Northwestern University’s most promising startup teams from five different tracks to compete in semi-finals for more than $325,000 in prize money.