WALTHAM — Today, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) announced the launch of the Access and Accelerate Grant Program, a new initiative that will provide grants of up to $150,000 to help early-stage Massachusetts life sciences companies overcome barriers that make it difficult to bring promising technologies to market.
The Access and Accelerate Grant Program supports specialized expertise in areas including market strategy, regulatory planning, and other areas essential for attracting investment and bringing innovations to market. This work is critical to growing a company but can be difficult to finance through traditional research funding or private investment.
“Massachusetts is working to make it easier for businesses to start, grow and succeed here,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This program will give early-stage life sciences companies the support they need to take the next step, attract investment and grow their business in Massachusetts. We’re going to keep investing in our businesses and entrepreneurs so they can create jobs and build their future here.”
“Growing our economy means making sure businesses at every stage have the tools they need to succeed,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By helping early-stage life sciences companies grow, attract investment and create jobs, we’re strengthening Massachusetts’ economy and making sure innovative businesses can build their future here.”
“Massachusetts is home to promising life sciences companies that need more than a scientific breakthrough to succeed,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, co-chair of the MLSC board of directors. “Access and Accelerate helps them overcome the barriers to bringing innovation to market. By helping these companies grow here, we can attract investment, create high-quality jobs and bring new technologies closer to the patients who need them.”
“Progressing a new technology to market comes with a lot of decisions that can be difficult for an early-stage company to navigate alone,” said MLSC Interim President and CEO Liz Graham. “Access and Accelerate gives promising companies the resources to address those challenges, reach critical milestones, and build a stronger path towards commercialization, positioning them for long-term growth and success in Massachusetts.”
“For a medical device company, the path from concept to commercialization is a long and arduous process, filled with clinical, and financial risk,” said Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC) President Brian Johnson. “However, no point in the journey is more difficult than the time between when the FDA says your product is safe for use in patients and when Medicare determines whether your product or procedure will be reimbursed across the country. This valley of death can last 5-7 years on average, creating a serious impediment for innovative medical technology. During a time at which technology is opening new frontiers in the fight against chronic disease at a rate we’ve never seen before, this is simply too long a period for patients to wait for advanced treatments and cures. I applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their commitment to helping emerging medical technology companies in Massachusetts find a better way. This pioneering program represents a first-in-nation effort to correct one of the true bottlenecks in medical innovation and shows our Commonwealth’s commitment to innovation in medicine. MassMEDIC was proud to be a part of helping develop the program and we look forward to working closely with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to help ensure the best start-ups in Massachusetts can access this critical support.”
The program will accept applications on a quarterly basis, with each cycle focused on a specific area of the life sciences ecosystem. The first application cycle will focus on funding a comprehensive market analysis to help eligible medical device startups establish a successful path to payer coverage. The application period will run through Oct. 30, 2026, at 1 p.m. EST.
Additional application cycles are planned for Q1 and Q2 2027, with focus areas to be announced.
Visit the MLSC’s Access and Accelerate Grant Program page to learn more and apply today. For questions regarding the Access and Accelerate Grant Program, please contact: mlscindustryprograms@masslifesciences.com.
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public economic development investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts, home to the most verdant and productive life sciences ecosystem in the world. Through public-private funding initiatives, the MLSC supports innovation, research and development, commercialization, and manufacturing activities in the fields of biopharma, medical device, diagnostics and digital health. Since 2008, the MLSC has strategically deployed nearly $1.2 billion in Massachusetts, through a combination of grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives and workforce development programs. These investments have created thousands of jobs and propelled the development of new therapies, devices and scientific advancements that are improving patient health and well-being in Massachusetts and beyond.
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