Draft LRC October 12, 2008
MIIE (Michigan Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
Grant Opportunities
In 2008, Michigan’s public universities collectively defined a seven-year program of
significant investment with economic impact, The Michigan Initiative for Innovation &
Entrepreneurship (MIIE), leveraged from strong research, business outreach, and
commercialization activities at each institution. MIIE represents a new commitment to
creating an entrepreneurial culture across Michigan campuses, as well as to programs that
bring the talent and energy of faculty and students from the campus directly into the
communities and neighborhoods with needs. MIIE will bring to these efforts a targeted,
commercialization- and knowledge-based strategy that leverages the largely untapped
powerhouse of university research and development coupled with targeted “gap” funding
from Michigan’s generous foundations. Filling this gap, as MIIE proposes, provides
strong incentives for university researchers to move their basic concepts to a more
practical realization, and creates significant value that will lead to investments that
provide incentives to the company to set up shop in Michigan. Building the other support
systems for entrepreneurs across all the public universities of the state helps to create a
culture where the creativity and drive of entrepreneurship can take hold.
Ultimately, the goal is to create the “critical mass” of people, ideas, attitudes, and
organizations that can ignite and sustain an on-going statewide culture of
entrepreneurship and innovation.
Initiated by a $2 million planning grant from the C. S. Mott Foundation (Fall 2007), and
supplemented by the New Economy Initiative of Southeast Michigan, this consortium of
public and research universities proposes to achieve the following:






Develop effective and long lasting partnerships between academia, industry,
and government to leverage existing infrastructure, resources and expertise;
Generate risk capital whose purpose is directed exclusively to founding high
potential new ventures within Michigan;
Make education and investment in entrepreneurship a priority;
Develop an entrepreneurial environment in the state at the policy and
investment levels; and a cultural and technical environment in our cities that can
sustain new and diversified knowledge enterprises in Michigan;
Create a culture of innovation in Michigan that supports a willingness to take
risks, to continue learning and changing across a lifetime, and to fully develop
and retain the talents and skills necessary for a knowledge economy.
Establish a reputation for the region that will make Michigan a desirable
location for innovation, and that will draw research and development, businesses,
and start-ups from other states and nations.
Three strategic funds will emerge from this unique initiative:

Technology Commercialization Fund (50% matching grant fund):
This fund will provide substantial resources to move innovative ideas from
laboratories, studios, and classrooms into a phase that can attract substantial
Draft LRC October 12, 2008
venture investment for new businesses to be established in Michigan. The MIIE
Technology Commercialization Fund will take direct aim at the state’s lack of
versatile, early venture capital: it will fund bench-to-business-plan efforts that
must precede true venture; it will create capital to help faculty and collaborators
move their creative projects to the point that makes them attractive to traditional
venture capital.

Talent Retention and Industry Engagement Fund (grant fund):
This fund will establish a context for researchers, practitioners and business
community leaders to exchange ideas, improve competitiveness, increase
innovation, and readily start new businesses in the state. Through the Talent Fund,
monies will be granted in higher education collaborations emanating from
research operations and regional opportunities. Providing venture, startups and
industry with ready access to talent – and vice versa – is a key goal. Engaging
young people and talented faculty in new business startups, as well as businesses
that are adapting through innovation, is a critical strategy in keeping both talent
and business in the state of Michigan.

Entrepreneurial Education Fund (grant fund):
This fund is directed at improving the level of understanding and performance
within the state’s educational institutions, existing businesses, and communitybased partners about how to achieve commercial success from concept through
the practice of entrepreneurship. Infusing entrepreneurial energy into our
campuses and business community will support like efforts to make Michigan a
place of choice for this and future generations.
Template RFP’s have been constructed for each fund. Dates of submission for 2009 are
being determined. Please continue to check this site for more information.
In the first round of MIIE proposals in June 2008, funded entirely by the Mott
Foundations founding gift of $2M ($1.9M available for awards, $.1M designated for
administrative support):
Draft LRC October 12, 2008




15 of the eligible 15 public Universities submitted proposals
12 of the 15 received a grant (13 if you count one grant as a collaboration)
20 out of 39 proposals were (partially) funded
$1,334,031 was distributed through the 20 awarded proposals
GVSU received one MIIE award in the first round of proposals. The proposal was
in the Technology and Commercialzation category, focused on early stage
development of an new antibiotic family of compounds. The award total was
~$115,000.
GVSU Signed the MIIE Agreement October 2008
MIIE round two will only be available for the Technology Commercialization category,
primarily to stay aligned with Mott Foundation request that 2/3 of the monies be
designated for technology commercialization. $500,000 remains to be awarded from the
initial funding.
To date, no new monies have been raised since the initial Mott gift.
Next MIIE steps include:
-
revision of RFP’s for all three categories to clarify criteria and guidelines for
applicants AND reviewers
establishment of the Governing Board and Management Committee
Fundraising via the Foundations and possible federal grant (Partnership for
Innovation)
MIIE Executive Committee Discussion with MEDC for funding support
Integration of MUCI (Michigan University Commercialization Initiative) into
MIIE