Youngstown Innovation Hub announces pilot cohort for growing tech companies
In the Youngstown area, there’s a new three-month program designed to match Ohio-based technical companies with skills to earn competitive funding for their next innovation.
Launched in 2025, the Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense is an additive manufacturing initiative managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining.
The initiative’s newest program is designed to help tech start-ups compete for funding from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer.
The new three-month hybrid program will guide a select cohort of 5–10 companies through developing a dynamic project pitch to submit to the NSF.
For the cohort, Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense is seeking technical innovations with clear research and development objectives.
To be eligible for the SBIR and STTR funding, small businesses must be American-owned, organized as a for-profit entity and have less than 500 employees.
Over the course of 12 weeks, participants will receive structured support, coaching, and dedicated working sessions to accelerate their readiness for NSF review.
According to the Youngstown Innovation Hub, applications are due July 20 before the first cohort in-person meeting on July 29.
The cohort is structured in two parts combining virtual sessions with up to three in-person working days in Ohio.
