Bring Innovative Ideas to Market

In our increasingly interconnected and globally competitive world economy, unleashing innovation is an essential component of a comprehensive economic strategy…[T]he greatest job and value creators of the future will be activities, jobs, and even industries that don’t exist yet today.
- President Obama, “A Strategy for American Innovation”


The i6 Challenge is a new $12 million innovation competition administered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF). EDA will award up to $1 million to each of six winning teams with the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and entrepreneurship in their regions. NIH and NSF will award a total of up to $6 million in supplemental funding to their SBIR grantees that are associated or partnered with the winning teams. We encourage entrepreneurs, investors, universities, foundations, and non-profits to participate in the i6 Challenge. The deadline for applications is July 15, 2010. For more information, email i6@doc.gov, check out our Frequently Asked Questions, and join the upcoming i6 Challenge conference call on June 21 at 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT.

Federal Funding Opportunity Notice
Press Release
Frequently Asked Questions
i6 Challenge Conference Calls
List of SBIR Grantees
Contact i6 Challenge