The North Carolina Biotechnology Center provides low-interest loans to early-stage North Carolina biotechnology companies across the state. Center loan programs are managed by the Business and Technology Development Program. These loans are designed to help companies meet meaningful commercial and research milestones associated with company inception, research and growth.
All loan applications are accepted on a rolling basis upon consultation and approval by the Business and Technology Development Program staff.
Visit our listing of non-Center funding opportunities.
Contact Pamela Gaster at 919-541-9366 with questions regarding the loan programs or to schedule a preliminary meeting.
Please select the link associated with each loan program for specific directions regarding application procedures, guidelines and processes.
| Loan/Grant | Description | Maximum Award |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Enhancement (TEG) | A grant to a university or non-profit research institute to fund a project designed to yield a significant technical milestone in the evolution of an invention from basic science to license-able commercial product. Examples of such projects include proof-of-concept, validation, lead identification and optimization using a platform technology, etc. |
$25,000 |
| Company Inception (CIL) | Supports business inception and related activities that are critical to the early-stage start-up of a company |
$30,000 |
| SBIR Bridge (RBL) | Available to SBIR/STTR Phase I grant recipients to fund a research project that maintains technology development momentum while the company applies for Phase II funding. |
$75,000 |
| Small Business Research (SRL) | Assists companies by supporting applied research critical to the development of products, processes, services or tools with clear commercial potential. Requires the co-submission of a research proposal and a business plan. |
$150,000 |
| Strategic Growth (SGL) | Matches Biotechnology Center loan support with "angel network" or venture capital investments to help bootstrap biotechnology companies that have already established technical proof-of-concept and require further corporate development support. |
$500,000* |
*Requires matching funds