Polymer Industry Cluster and EDA Tech Hubs Official Designee
Bounce Innovation HubSynthe6 Materials AcceleratorOhio Department of Development and Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub
Application window open

Polymer Industry Cluster 2026 intake

Apply for up to $500K to advance a polymer-industry innovation.

Pick a track - Synthe6 startup accelerator, PIC R&D funding, or both - and the form shows only what applies. Keep responses clear, public-facing, and practical enough for eligibility review.

Closes June 30, 5pm ETEvaluation guide
What happens after you submit
  1. PIC/Bounce staff run an eligibility and completeness check.
  2. Assigned reviewers complete conflict-of-interest clearance before accessing application materials.
  3. Reviewer scores inform, but do not mechanically determine, PIC I&C team recommendations and final judgment calls.
  4. Applicants may be contacted for clarification, missing materials, or next-step conversations.
Step 1

Shared Application

Applicant Details

If your organization is currently outside Ohio, you must be willing and able to establish a Northeast Ohio office, HQ, or qualifying operations if awarded Synthe6 or PIC R&D funding.

Track Selection

Which opportunity are you applying for?
Which opportunity are you applying for?

Keep narrative responses non-confidential

Do not include trade secrets, proprietary formulas, unpublished patent-enabling details, or other confidential information in this application unless PIC/Bounce separately requests it through an approved process. Reviewers should be able to understand the opportunity without receiving NDA-level material.

Project Overview

What is your core technology or innovation?
0/150 words
How will your project contribute to the long-term sustainability, circular economy, or growth of the polymer industry?
0/200 words

Readiness Levels

Select the current and target technology and manufacturing maturity for the proposed project.

at start of project

at project completion

at start of project

at project completion

TRL runs 1-9 for technical maturity. MRL runs 1-10 for manufacturing and scale-up maturity.

Funding & Budget Basics

Ecosystem & Facility Synergy

Select regional assets only when they are relevant to the work. It is fine to leave this blank if your project does not rely on a specific facility yet.
Optional
Relevant regional facilities or expertise

University of Akron contract services facility for pilot-scale processing, testing, and materials characterization. Official link: NPIC

Akron innovation hub with startup programming, workspace, laboratory space, and light manufacturing space. Official link: Bounce Innovation Hub

Planned 2027 polymer pilot facility adjacent to the University of Akron campus, developed via PIC ecosystem investment. Official link: Polymer Pilot Facility announcement

Step 2

Technology & market tags

Classify the project. Pick at least one polymer industry tag, one end-use market, and one value-chain position.

Needs attention

Project tag groups

Polymer industry
Polymer industryRequired0 of 8

Material family or industry segment.

End-use market
End-use marketRequired0 of 8

Primary customer or application market.

Performance
Performance0 of 7

Main value proposition or performance improvement.

Value chain position
Value chain positionRequired0 of 7

Where the applicant or project sits in the polymer ecosystem.

Select a track above to see what else is required.

Step 4

Optional Uploads

Optional supporting materials could include a pitch deck, IP documents, peer-reviewed or technical papers, and letters of support from customers or collaborators.

Submission Checklist

These signals summarize the pieces applicants most often miss before final submit.

Application path

Not selected

State: Needs attention

Technology tags

0 selected

State: Needs attention

Value chain

0 selected

State: Needs attention

Files

No files selected

State: Ready

Acknowledgements

0 of 3

State: Needs attention

Step 5

Review Permissions and Submission

Complete all three required acknowledgements before submitting the finished application packet.

Needs attention

Three acknowledgements are required to submit.

PIC/Bounce staff and assigned reviewers may see your application materials for intake, eligibility review, conflict-of-interest screening, scoring, program coordination, and follow-up. Program records are retained according to PIC/Bounce administration and reporting requirements.

Download the agreement: PDF. Checking this box records your acknowledgement and agreement; do not modify or upload a separate signed copy.

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