Manufacturing Fund

Overview

At The Garage, we strive to remove barriers so that all Northwestern students can experiment with starting a business or exploring a new idea regardless of background. Physical products particularly have high barriers to entry due to the initial financial costs of tooling and minimum order quantities.

The Garage Manufacturing Fund is for student teams that are working on a physical product that requires prototyping, tooling, or manufacturing beyond the capabilities available at The Garage. Teams must have participated in Jumpstart or have spent at least two quarters as Residents (Spring to Fall is considered consecutive). Students are eligible for one award per team. Awards will range between $10,000 and $25,000 to cover expenses that are specific to get to the next milestone.

Process

Interested team leads should send an email request to The Garage email with a full description of the current status of your startup and the next milestone you are working towards. The email should also include quotes from vendors to manufacture your product. Eligible teams will interview with The Garage staff, and in that meeting will need to provide validation of customer demand and share details of the quote process the team went through to find the specific vendors, costs, and timelines that they plan to utilize the Manufacturing Fund for.  

FAQ

Who is eligible to apply?
The Garage Manufacturing Fund is for student teams that are working on a physical product that requires prototyping, tooling or manufacturing beyond the capabilities available at The Garage. Teams must have participated in Jumpstart or have spent at least two consecutive quarters as Residents.

When can I apply?
The Manufacturing Fund is open year-round.