Commercialization Fund

Use the guide below to learn more about the Commercialization Fund and see if your work could qualify for funding.

What is the Commercialization Fund?

The Commercialization Fund is a resource dedicated to the advancement of VCU inventions. Offered in the spring and fall, the goal is to help bring projects to a more mature stage of development in order to improve their chances of being licensed and brought to market.

What does the Commercialization Fund support?

Funding should enable the project to reach an inflection point. Funded tasks will be performed by or under the supervision of the PI, but may also include third-party efforts within or outside the university. The grants will be funded to meet agreed upon project objectives. Funding will be based on milestone completion. Overhead charges should not be included in the grant proposal. VCU Innovation Gateway does not allow funding for indirect expenses incurred at VCU or other organizations where the project's milestones may be completed.

Criteria for funding

  • The work must be directly related to a completed invention disclosure submitted to VCU TechTransfer and Ventures prior to the submission of the funding application.
  • The proposed work is expected to make the invention available to the public faster in the form of a new product or a service.

Types of work that could be funded

  • Prototype development necessary for proof-of-concept testing (external product development allowed, please provide estimate/quote for the requested work)
  • Generation of data (animal data, etc.) for marketing of the invention
  • Development of new applications for a disclosed technology
  • Minor software coding and user interface work necessary for proof-of-concept testing
  • Other work at the discretion of VCU TechTransfer and Ventures (pre-approval required)
  • Pay technicians, students, or postdoctoral fellows (up to 20% of requested funding)
  • Independent verification and validation (V&V) performed by a contract research organization (please provide the company's estimate/quote for the requested work)

Types of work that will not be funded

  • Technologies not disclosed to VCU TechTransfer and Ventures
  • Technologies that are ready to be optioned/licensed to a company