Fall 2026 Activate Grant Application (Stage 1)

Activate Grant Application:

The Brief Technology Commercialization Prospectus
Purpose

The BGSU Technology Validation and Start-up Fund (TVSF) is designed to accelerate the commercialization of promising university technologies by supporting projects with strong technical merit, protectable intellectual property, meaningful market potential, and a viable path to licensing or startup formation.

Key Dates for Fall 2026:
- Stage 1: This online application form, which consists of the Brief Technology Commercialization Prospectus, is due by 5:00 pm ET on Friday, September 18, 2026.
  - Next Steps: Selected applicants will receive an invitation by October 1st to proceed to Stage 2.
- Stage 2: The Validation Project Proposal will be submitted by invitation only.
  - Final Decision: Applicants will receive a final decision about their proposal in December.
Eligibility

All BGSU Bargaining Unit Faculty Members are eligible to apply.
Eligible faculty can receive up to 1 competitively selected Activate Grant.

Questions?

Please contact David Uhlenhake (duhlenh@bgsu.edu), Director of the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The Center also has a Business Analytics and Commercialization Intern dedicated to assisting applicants upon request.
Contact Information
Name:

First NameLast Name
BGSU Email Address:
Example: name@bgsu.edu
Phone Number:
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
This funding opportunity aims to support BGSU Bargaining Unit Faculty Members (BUFMs). Are you a BUFM?:
Faculty Rank:
(Assistant Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, etc.)
Department or School:
College
Budget Administrator's Name:

First NameLast Name
Budget Administrator's BGSU Email Address:
Example: name@bgsu.edu

Activate Grant Application

The Brief Technology Commercialization Prospectus
Information about Stage 1

Stage 1 is intended to rapidly screen technologies for commercialization readiness prior to committing significant validation funding resources.

The purpose of Stage 1 is to identify technologies with:
1. sufficient technical maturity,
2. protectable IP,
3. meaningful market opportunity, and
4. a plausible commercialization pathway.
Eligible faculty should submit their prospectus materials using this online form. Applications submitted by email and late applications will not be considered.
The Brief Technology Commercialization Prospectus
Technology Overview: Please (1) describe the technology, (2) explain what problem(s) it solves, (3) describe its key innovation/differentiator, (4) provide information about its current development status, and (5) indicate its Technology Readiness Level (TRL) estimate.

0/1000
Intellectual Property Status: Please provide information about the (1) invention disclosure/patent pending/issued patent, (2) ownership status, (3) existing licenses, and (4) freedom-to-operate considerations (if known).

0/300
Market & Commercialization Opportunity: Please provide information about (1) the target market, (2) pain point addressed, (3) potential customers/users, (4) existing alternatives/competition, and (5) why the technology matters. (Please note that the Paul J. Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership & Student Employee are available to assist upon request.)
Current Commercialization Progress (e.g., customer discovery interviews, industry engagement, prototypes completed, pilot data, regulatory discussions, investor discussions, startup formation activity, potential licensee discussions)

0/200
Proposed Validation Needed: Please provide a short description of (1) what proof is still missing, (2) what technical/commercial risk remains, and (3) why validation funding is needed.

0/300
Should be Empty:

Activate Grant Application:

Purpose

Key Dates for Fall 2026:

Eligibility

Questions?

Contact Information

Activate Grant Application

Information about Stage 1

The purpose of Stage 1 is to identify technologies with:

The Brief Technology Commercialization Prospectus