expand grant

Expand Grants serve the Brown community by encouraging student entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into new ventures. It is a project of the Social Innovation Initiative.

The purpose of Expand Grants are to support the continuation and/or expansion of testing, implementing or achieving critical milestones that will allow the project to reach a new level of impact and sustainability. Students may apply for as many Expand Grants as they need to develop their venture during their time at Brown, with a maximum of $5000 granted per venture.

Application Process

Eligibility:

To qualify for an Explore Grant you must meet these requirements:

  • Have received either an Explore Grant or a Social Innovation Fellowship

  • Have a vision of how the next phase of funding will support the development of the venture further.

  • Be a Brown University undergraduate. Grants will be given individuals or teams with at least one founding member who is a Brown student.

  • Expand Grants may be used to buy materials to build a prototype, conduct a pilot or develop a proof-of-concept, pay for web platforms and other technical needs, cover out of pocket costs for focus groups or market research

  • Expand Grants may not be used to: pay for travel to business plan competitions, pay salaries or consulting fees, cover recurring operating expenses of the venture

Proposal Requirements:

The full application requires the components described below:

  •  A letter of support from an individual who is knowledgeable about the venture and/or the field in which the venture is focused. This person does not have to be affiliated with Brown.

  • An online proposal on UFunds with the following:

    • The names of all team members

    • The name of the venture or project

    • A description of what you learned in the previous phase of funding. Were your assumptions confirmed or denied?

    • A description of what you hope to accomplish in this next phase and how it will continue to answer key questions about your venture and its viability.

    • A detailed budget including the total amount of funding requested (up to $2,800)

    • A detailed timeline for the work that would be supported by the grant

Application Process:

  • Before you apply for an Expand Grant, meet with Lizzie Pollock or Alan Harlam,You can find their office hours below:

  • Next, fill out the Expand application on UFunds. Click on “Brown Venture Launch Fund” to find the Expand application.

  • Expect to hear back from SII within two weeks.  There are no follow up interviews so your application will either be accepted or denied immediately.

  • The application for Expand Grants can be found on UFunds. We accept applications and award grants on a rolling basis. 

We accept applications and administer grants on a rolling basis. 

Expand Grants may be used to:

  • Purchase materials to build a prototype

  • Cover costs to conduct a pilot or develop a proof-of-concept

  • Pay for web platforms and other technical needs to develop a prototype or launch a pilot

  • Cover out of pocket costs for focus groups or market research

The Expand Grant may not be used to:

    • Pay for travel to business plan or similar competitions

    • Pay salaries or consulting fees

    • Cover recurring operating expenses of the venture