New Jersey Innovation Fellows Program – Information Session
Jan 19, 2023 03:30 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
The New Jersey Innovation Fellows (NJIF) will offer mentorship and grants of up to $400,000 to teams of would-be entrepreneurs. The program will provide income replacement so that entrepreneurs can devote their full-time attention to building out their startups.
Join this virtual information session to learn more about this opportunity.
Through the NJIF Program, the NJEDA will support teams of at least three entrepreneurs with mentorship, training, and income replacement capital over a two-year period. The grant funding is designed to replace a stream of income an entrepreneur might forgo to launch an early-stage business. The NJEDA anticipates that support from the NJIF Program will attract innovative ideas and entrepreneurs who would otherwise be unable to pursue the launch of a new venture due to the needs for income or, in the case of a recent graduate, who would choose to accept employment in lieu of entrepreneurship due to socio-economic constraints.
The NJIF Program will award grants of $200,000 per team. In keeping with Governor Murphy’s vision for inclusive economic growth, teams may access an additional $50,000 award on top of the $200,000 base award if one entrepreneur verifies residency in a designated Opportunity Zone in New Jersey. Teams may be awarded an additional $50,000 for each entrepreneur leader who self-certifies as a minority or female entrepreneur or is a graduate of a New Jersey college or university.
Qualifying teams may receive additional bonuses of up to $150,000 in aggregate for certifying team members, resulting in a total $400,000 award. To be eligible for the NJIF Program, at least half of the team must certify as “first-time entrepreneurs” and at least two-thirds of the entrepreneur team must be coming directly from the workforce.
Stay up to date with this program by visiting https://www.njeda.com/new-jersey-innovation-fellows-program/.