The below comparison chart is a high-level overview of eligibility criteria. Please review the Eligibility Criteria tabs on both the MICRO and SEED pages for a full and detailed description.
Geography
SAME - Companies headquartered in and that conduct a majority of corporate operations in the state of North Carolina
Industry and Company Type
SAME - Innovative companies with proprietary intellectual property or other means of sustained competitive advantage
Market Opportunity
On the path to become a multi-million dollar company, have 50+ employees or be investable in 5-7 years
On the path to become a multi-million dollar company, have 50+ employees or be investable in 3-5 years
Stage of Development
Working to demonstrate proof of concept (existence of a problem, marketing readiness and an MVP) to move to a quantifiable next step of validation
Demonstrated proof of concept (existence of a problem, marketing readiness and an MVP) and ready to scale the business
Team
At least one FT team member within 6-12 months
At least one FT founder
Revenue
Revenue in the last 12 months of $50K+ less likely to be considered
Revenue in the last 12 months of $250K+ less likely to be considered.
Note: Due to the competitive nature of the SEED grant (in that there are a large number of applicants for a limited number of awards given in any cycle), we have noticed that consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms who have won this award have generally already achieved $95,000 in revenues over the prior 12-month period, as an indicator of the firms' "demonstrated proof of concept".
Prior Investment
Past investment of $50K+ equity or $1M+ non-dilutive less likely to be considered
Past investment of $250K+ equity or $1M+ non-dilutive less likely to be considered
Impact of Grant
Enable company to validate key assumption(s) and catalyze the development of the business
Enable company to scale to a point that it could raise institutional investment, win grants or increase revenue to ensure its continued growth and sustainability