University of West Florida & Florida APEX Accelerator State Office Intent for Application Announcement

The University of West Florida (UWF) and the Florida Small Business Development Center State Office (State Office), collectively referred to as the “Grantor,” are excited to announce that the 2027 Florida APEX Accelerator Application for Funding will open October 1, 2026, and will close on October 22, 2026. Applications are open only to current Florida APEX Accelerators in the Florida SBDC Network (FSBDCN or 'Network'). To be considered for participation, applicants must follow the process outlined below.

Application Process:

For the 2027 APEX Accelerator program year (April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2028), the Network requires the following process for regional host applicants.

  • Submission of a letter of intent to apply, indicating that the current host institution will participate in the 2027 sub-contract agreement.

AND

  • Completion of the required Program Application by COB October 22, 2026.

Once an application is reviewed and accepted, and the Department of War (DoW) APEX Accelerator Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released (expected November 2026) an APEX Accelerator Application for Funding will be released for host institution completion with a projected budget. It is expected that the APEX Accelerator Application for Funding will be due within one month of being issued, in order for the statewide application to be compiled.

Governing Documents

Supplemental Documents:

Governing Authority

The authority governing the APEX Accelerator program in Florida includes the following:

  • Federal statutes 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards” (2 CFR 1104, 2 CFR 1126)
  • Federal regulations (including the DoW Grant and Agreement Regulations (DoDGARs)
  • APEX Accelerator Award-Specific Terms and Conditions Version V 6.4 (August 2026)
  • APEX Accelerator Program General Terms and Conditions Version V 4.0 (September 2025)
  • Recipient’s negotiated and approved Program Execution Plan and Budget.

Where there are any conflicts, the precedence is as follows: federal law, state law, and Florida APEX Accelerator documents.

 Questions & More Information

For further information or questions, please email info@flapex.org.

Scroll to Top