Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


$1.1 Million in ED Grants Available to Ed Tech Companies

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 02/06/20

The U.S. Department of Education has $1.1 million in grants available to for-profit ed tech companies. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program awards funding to organizations for "the research, development and evaluation of commercially viable educational technology products." Funding is made available in two phases: up to $200,000 for prototype development and evaluation in the first phase, and up to $900,000 for "full-scale" development of the product and evaluation in the second phase. Applications for the first phase are due by March 3, 2020.

Those projects that have been funded have introduced numerous forms of education innovation, including gaming, adaptive assessments, virtual and augmented reality, 3D-printing, simulations, virtual worlds, AI adaptive tutors, data dashboards and assistive technologies. All have gone through rigorous levels of research with the expectation that they'll be eventually be commercialized.

Proposals are accepted in three areas: education products for grades pre-K-16, supporting student learning, teacher instruction and classroom management; special education products for pre-K-12; and products for school administration for K-12.

To learn more about the current funding program, visit the Small Business Innovation Research site. The application is available here on the federal contracting site.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Silhouettes of business professionals stand against a blurred futuristic city skyline at night, with a glowing digital network data connection

    It's Time for Higher Ed to Get Serious About AI Strategy

    Without a coordinated strategy that involves multiple academic and administrative units across the entire campus, colleges risk wasting resources, duplicating efforts, and ultimately failing to deliver on the promise of deploying technology to improve learning and operations.

  • Educational path and career development growth with neon icons for study, idea, graduation, and success

    How to Embrace Lifelong Learning as a Non-negotiable for Career Growth

    In a world shaped by rapid technological change and shifting economic forces, staying curious and committed to learning is the most powerful way to stay prepared.

  • large group of college students sitting on an academic quad

    Student Readiness: Learning to Learn

    Melissa Loble, Instructure's chief academic officer, recommends a focus on 'readiness' as a broader concept as we try to understand how to build meaningful education experiences that can form a bridge from the university to the workplace. Here, we ask Loble what readiness is and how to offer students the ability to 'learn to learn'.

  • AI word on microchip and colorful light spread

    Microsoft Unveils Maia 200 Inference Chip to Cut AI Serving Costs

    Microsoft recently introduced Maia 200, a custom-built accelerator aimed at lowering the cost of running artificial intelligence workloads at cloud scale, as major providers look to curb soaring inference expenses and lessen dependence on Nvidia graphics processors.