The application period will run from Sept. 15 – Nov. 21, 2025 at 1 p.m. EST.
Massachusetts is a global leader in life science research and development. The Commonwealth also has a strong growing manufacturing presence. Many of the world’s top biotech, pharma, and medtech companies have chosen to co-locate their R&D and manufacturing operations in Massachusetts to take advantage of the density of talent, collaborative spirit, and opportunities for consistent iteration between the lab and production teams. These close collaborative connections work even better on the cutting-edge innovations when the manufacturing processes are nimble, creative, and responsive to the lightning speed of science.
The MLSC’s BioBoost Manufacturing Scale-Up program supports companies creating or expanding their biomanufacturing or medtech advanced manufacturing presence in Massachusetts. This program aims to be a responsive and adaptive tool to fund capital investments, such as buildout, renovation, or equipment needs in a way that best meets current and future industry needs to support increased manufacturing activity and career development in Massachusetts. The BioBoost program will award funding of up to $3,000,000 per project in capital funding to support life science companies or partner nonprofits that can build or scale new manufacturing operations in Massachusetts. Separately, the BioBoost program will award funding of up to $500,000 per project to support real estate developers’ site readiness study or other planning/evaluation needs to develop a particular target property for life science manufacturing use. Funding will be given to projects that can demonstrate a broader public benefit and contribute to the larger life sciences ecosystem including workforce training space and programming, offering access or discounts to small local companies, or collaboration with nonprofit partners.
The MLSC anticipates awarding up to three grants for direct manufacturing scale-up between $1,000,000 and $3,000,000 for two (2) years of work. The MLSC anticipates awarding one to two grants for real estate developer evaluation between $250,000 and $500,000 for one (1) year of work.
The “life sciences” are defined in the MLSC’s enabling legislation as “advanced and applied sciences that expand the understanding of human physiology and have the potential to lead to medical advances or therapeutic applications.”
This program is intended to help build life science manufacturing capacity within the Commonwealth. These funds will:
The application period will run from Sept. 15, 2025 – Nov. 21, 2025.
Company / nonprofit applicants must use funds to create or expand biomanufacturing or medtech advanced manufacturing operations within Massachusetts, such as funding buildout, renovation, or equipment needs. Real estate developer applicants must use funds to conduct feasibility studies or otherwise assess specific site readiness for potential life science manufacturing purposes.
Applicants must be a:
Successful proposals will explain how the requested funds will create additional manufacturing capacity in Massachusetts, as well as describe how that capacity will support the continued growth of the life sciences workforce and the larger life sciences ecosystem.
Applications will only be accepted through the MLSC’s online application portal, accessed via: MLSC Application Manager. Applicants are required to create an account and complete a user profile before starting the application. It is recommended that applicants carefully follow the online instructions and provide complete, clear, and concise responses to all required questions. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that its application is complete, meets minimum threshold requirements and is properly submitted to MLSC prior to the established deadline. Multiple users can be given access to the application. Applicants are asked to review the MLSC’s Public Disclosure policy prior to submitting their application.
MLSC staff will conduct an initial administrative review to determine the eligibility of all submitted applications. Eligible applicants will then be reviewed and scored. Funding recommendations will then be made to the MLSC Board of Directors based on feedback and scores. The amount and number of awards will be determined by the quality of the proposals.
MLSC staff may contact the applicant to request supplemental information prior to formal review. In addition, MLSC reserves the right to make no awards, to award less than the applicant requests, and/or to award less than the maximum amount of funds potentially available through this solicitation.
Please note: The MLSC reserves the right to consider the applicant’s past performance in operating grants administered by both the Center and/or the Commonwealth and factor this performance into funding decisions. All applicants will be notified of their award status by email. In addition to the scoring system outlined, the Center reserves the right to only consider submissions that, in our sole judgment, are complete and responsive to the solicitation’s requirements and include all required application components. Additionally, the Center reserves the right to consider other criteria in making awards.
Grant funds shall be used for activities including, but not limited to:
Activities that are NOT eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:
Following execution of the Grant Agreement, funds will be provided via electronic fund transfer (EFT) on a reimbursement basis as the relevant receipts and reports have been received and upon verification of those costs.
Budget must include an itemized list of equipment, materials, supplies, and/or technology with the estimated cost for each item. If applicable, budget must be separated under fiscal year in which the expense will be incurred. FY26 and FY27 expenses.
Olaris is a precision diagnostics company that is on a mission to revolutionize how diseases are diagnosed and treated. By leveraging their CEREBRO platform (Comprehensive Early Responsive Evaluation of Biomarkers Related to Outcomes), which combines metabolomics and machine learning, they are able to harness the power of the body’s own communication system to discover and develop their pipeline of myOLARIS precision diagnostics.
