The Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) is a federal initiative managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship ecosystems across the United States. For the Fiscal Year 2025, the competition provides up to $9,000,000 in prize awards to ESOs addressing challenges in undercapitalized regions, industries, and communities. This two-stage competition seeks to increase the capacity, connectivity, and impact of ESOs while promoting entrepreneurial dynamism and access to resources for innovation-focused businesses.

In Stage One, ESOs can compete for $75,000 cash prizes by submitting a detailed "proof of concept." This submission must identify a specific challenge within their innovation ecosystem, provide a theory of change for solving the challenge, describe affected stakeholders, and propose unique, inclusive solutions. ESOs are expected to outline partnerships, explain their value proposition, and propose small-scale experiments to test their hypothesis.

Successful Stage One winners may advance to Stage Two, where they compete for $150,000 cash prizes. At this stage, applicants present the results of their Stage One activities, including outcomes from small-scale experiments, lessons learned, and data-supported analysis. They must also provide a sustainability plan, a scalable model for their solution, and strategies for long-term impact and integration within their innovation ecosystem. Stage Two emphasizes sustainability and the potential for replicability across other regions or industries.

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based ESOs such as accelerators, incubators, community organizations, economic development agencies, and higher education institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or entities primarily operating in the United States, with no ownership ties to foreign governments. Organizations suspended or debarred by the federal government are ineligible.

Submissions for Stage One are due between January 8 and January 31, 2025, with winners announced in April 2025. Stage Two submissions will open in June 2025, with winners announced in September 2025. Judging criteria include the quality and clarity of submissions, alignment with competition goals, feasibility of the proposed plan, and the ESO’s ability to build capacity, connectivity, and community within their ecosystem.

Prize funding is restricted to ESO operations, excluding direct investments in businesses or university facilities and administration (F&A) costs. Stage One funds should be used to conduct research, build capacity, establish partnerships, and refine proposed solutions. Stage Two funds should scale effective solutions, ensuring long-term impact.

Interested applicants must submit a comprehensive package via the competition portal at America's Seed Fund, including a slide deck, a public-facing summary slide, and a 90-second video. Contestants are also required to respond to post-award assessments capturing lessons learned, success metrics, and impact stories.

This competition represents a significant opportunity for ESOs to innovate within their ecosystems and drive entrepreneurial growth, particularly in underserved areas. Applicants are encouraged to explore the program's themes, such as "Lab to Market" or "Capital Formation," and tailor their submissions to align with these focus areas.