The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is launching a new kind of grant initiative for early-stage life science companies in the state — not for funding R&D, but instead for measures to reduce commercial risk, including developing go-to-market strategies, planning for regulatory submissions and attracting investment.
The Access and Accelerate program will award grants up to $150,000, starting with a focus on medtech developers and paths to obtaining payer coverage.
“For a medical device company, the path from concept to commercialization is a long and arduous process, filled with clinical, and financial risk,” said Brian Johnson, president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council, known as MassMEDIC, which helped develop the program.
“However, no point in the journey is more difficult than the time between when the FDA says your product is safe for use in patients and when Medicare determines whether your product or procedure will be reimbursed across the country,” Johnson said in a statement. “This valley of death can last 5-7 years on average, creating a serious impediment for innovative medical technology.”
The program will accept Massachusetts-based applications on a quarterly basis, with each cycle taking a different theme. The current submission period will run through Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. ET.
The center said projects should address specific commercialization challenges that can be completed in six to 12 months, such as customer discovery research, FDA pathway assessments, manufacturing feasibility analyses, health economic models, patent landscape mapping and partnership preparation.
“Massachusetts is working to make it easier for businesses to start, grow and succeed here,” Governor Maura Healey said in the announcement. “This program will give early-stage life sciences companies the support they need to take the next step, attract investment and grow their business in Massachusetts.”
“Progressing a new technology to market comes with a lot of decisions that can be difficult for an early-stage company to navigate alone,” added MLSC Interim President and CEO Liz Graham. “Access and Accelerate gives promising companies the resources to address those challenges, reach critical milestones, and build a stronger path towards commercialization, positioning them for long-term growth and success in Massachusetts.”
Typical grants will range between $75,000 to $100,000, for help covering consultants, legal fees and the cost of accessing specialized equipment, experts or service providers.
Additional application cycles are planned for the first and second quarters of 2027, with their focus areas to be announced. Eligible sectors will include therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, research tools, platform technologies and enabling technologies.
