Funding & Support

OUR THREE-PILLAR FRAMEWORK

NCInnovation delivers outcomes through a clear, three-pillar framework that moves university inventions from discovery > diligence > deployment. The pillars are designed to work as a pipeline: Pipeline Development (pre-award, building deal-flow and readiness), Core NCI (award execution and hands-on commercialization), and Commercial Transition (post-award services that carry projects into the market). Together, they standardize how we support universities, tighten industry linkages, and create a repeatable path from research to jobs.

NCI three pillar framework graphic showing three circles - private sector, public sector and universities - merging

Pillar 1

Pipeline Development

Short-term (<1 year) regional support to universities to develop early-stage technologies

TRL 1-2

Pillar 2

Core NCI Activities

Two-year, milestone-driven grants and wraparound support to make technologies investor-ready

TRL 3-6

Pillar 3

Commercial Transition

Financial/programmatic support and engagement with ecosystem partners to take technologies to market

TRL 7-8

Pillar 1

Pipeline Development

Short-term (<1 year) regional support to universities to develop early-stage technologies

TRL 1-2

Pillar 2

Core NCI Activities

Two-year, milestone-driven grants and wraparound support to make technologies investor-ready

TRL 3-6

Pillar 3

Commercial Transition

Financial/programmatic support and engagement with ecosystem partners to take technologies to market

TRL 7-8

Pillar 1

Pipeline Development 

Purpose: Build a steady flow of viable, market-pulled projects and raise faculty readiness so more proposals clear due diligence quickly.

What it includes:

  • NCI Hub Directors & Senior Regional Directors coordinate pipeline activities on campus and across ecosystems.

  • Faculty training & workshops demystify commercialization (summer workshop series, lunch-and-learns, and cohort programs at partner sites).

  • Pipeline funding advances promising university ideas (>TRL 3) toward NCI grant readiness.

  • Support services enable early de-risking through third-party technology assessments, market research, and IP discovery/protection.

  • Capacity-building investments aligned to regional strengths (e.g., innovation hubs, institutes) grow campus infrastructure in key clusters.

  • Regional engagement with chambers, EDCs, and strategic partners makes industry needs visible to faculty.

  • Industry engagement mechanisms (e.g., reverse pitches) translate real corporate problems into research and startup opportunities.

This pillar ensures universities have a clear “front door,” faculty have tools to evaluate commercial fit, and early wins better prepare teams for NCI’s statewide RFP.

Learn more about Pillar 1

Pillar 2

Core NCI Activities

Purpose: Award grants and provide wraparound support through on-the-ground leadership and expert coaching so teams hit milestones on time and with market discipline.

What it includes:

  • NCI Hub Directors & Senior Regional Directors coordinate on campus and across ecosystems.

  • Grant funding via the statewide RFP cycles resource commercialization projects with technology readiness levels (TRLs)  3–6.

  • Research & strategy (asset mapping, technology domain strategy, and statewide analyses) align awards with comparative advantages.

  • Regional EIRs (via statewide partners) and Project EIRs (embedded with each award) drive customer discovery, product strategy, and capital readiness.

  • MBA fellows produce commercialization roadmaps, market entry plans, and operational playbooks.

  • Industry connect activities (showcases, targeted convenings) pair funded teams with customers and strategic partners.

This pillar is the engine room: staff, grants, analysis, and expert operators work side-by-side with faculty to translate funded research into pilots, licenses, or venture-backable companies.

Learn more about Pillar 2

Pillar 3

Commercial Transition (Post-Award to Market)

Purpose: Carry successful awardees through the “last mile” so promising technologies don’t stall after the grant ends.

What it includes:

  • Post-grant C-suite support to place interim leadership (CEO/CFO/CTO) where needed.

  • Investor connections (e.g., investor days) that match projects with angels, seed funds, and strategic capital.

  • Shared services to handle legal/compliance, finance, HR/talent, IT, and go-to-market planning - letting technical teams focus on customers and product.

  • Mentorship to guide production of commercialization roadmaps, market entry plans, and operational playbooks.

  • Ongoing industry connections (mentors, showcases) to convert demonstrations into purchase orders and partnership agreements.

This pillar prevents “valley-of-death” drop-off by surrounding awardees with the people, processes, and capital pathways required to launch and scale in North Carolina.

Learn more about Pillar 3

HOW THE PILLARS WORK TOGETHER

Continuity

Each pillar hands projects to the next—training and early diligence → funded execution with EIRs → post-grant launch services—so momentum is not lost at phase boundaries.

Regionalization

Hubs localize the model to each region’s sectors (ex. energy, defense, blue economy, outdoor/advanced manufacturing), while shared statewide tools (EIRs, investor networks, IP partners) ensure consistent quality.

Measurability

Because activities map cleanly to pillars, we can report KPIs by stage (e.g., workshops and assessments in Pipeline; awards and milestone attainment in Core NCI; investor meetings, MOUs, and market launches in Commercial Transition).