Colmena66 selects 14 innovation projects for federal grant support
The initiative will help Puerto Rico-based entrepreneurs and researchers compete for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding.
Colmena66, a program of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust, has announced the 14 innovation projects selected to participate in its 2025 Acércate al Grant initiative.
The program is designed to help Puerto Rican researchers and entrepreneurs compete for federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, also known as America’s Seed Fund.
The competitive grants offer more than $4 billion annually to support the development and commercialization of technological innovations.
The selected projects span a broad range of strategic sectors, including aerospace, biotechnology, life sciences, clean technologies, renewable energy, electronics and medical devices. This year’s participating companies are: CelerOps CRL, Medinnova Space Medicine Corp., PR Quantum Solutions, 3C2, ProRanked LLC, Pharmaceutical Systems International LLC, InteligenciaX LLC, Omiquity LLC, QTC International LLC, Raya Power Inc., Septerional, Urban Hydrologics, Job One Day LLC, and BroadSat Innovation Labs LLC.
“At the Trust, we firmly believe in the transformative power of innovation,” said Lucy Crespo, CEO of the Trust. “Through the Acércate al Grant initiative, we are bringing more Puerto Rican researchers and entrepreneurs closer to real opportunities to access highly competitive federal funding such as SBIR and STTR. The 14 selected projects reflect the talent, creativity and potential that exists in Puerto Rico to generate globally impactful solutions.”
Supported by a grant from the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST), the Acércate al Grant initiative provides training, mentorship and technical assistance for the development of proposals to 11 different federal agencies. Participants will also benefit from expert guidance, as well as complementary resources from Grupo Guayacán’s I-Corps PR program, and legal and administrative support.
During the first quarter of 2025, Colmena66 reached 549 researchers and entrepreneurs through 25 outreach events and information sessions. Out of 86 proposals submitted, 14 were selected by an evaluation panel of 20 innovation ecosystem experts.
The initiative is backed by a broad alliance of institutions that make up Puerto Rico’s Innovation and Commercialization Ecosystem. These include Trust programs such as Parallel18, BioLeap, Fase1, and the Center for Tropical Biodiversity and Bioprospecting, as well as strategic partners such as the SBA, the University of Puerto Rico, Carbono3, the Federal Labs Consortium, Grupo Guayacán, Ciencia Puerto Rico, and the Department of Economic Development and Commerce.
Through Acércate al Grant, the Trust continues to strengthen Puerto Rico’s innovation ecosystem by equipping entrepreneurs with the tools needed to compete successfully for federal research and development funding, while fostering the commercialization of science and technology developed on the island.
