FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport)
Mobility & Transport · Run by Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority, with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation · Grand Rapids, MI
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Sep 28, 2026- Terms model
- Non-dilutiveGives money that does not take equity: grants, prizes, or credits. Your ownership is untouched.
- Investment
- Not publishedThe Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE), run since 2022 by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Seamless Ventures, Southwest Airlines, AvFlight Grand Rapids and the West Michigan Aviation Academy. It gives grants and pilot-testing opportunities at the airport to companies developing air travel technologies, in five focus areas: automation and analytics, electrification and sustainability, safety and security, the door-to-door and terminal guest experience, and advancing aviation. Applicants request a grant amount; per-company amounts are not published, and the ninth cohort of six companies (January 2026) shared more than $170,000. The MEDC's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification helps fund the grants, but FLITE is a separate program from the Michigan Mobility Prototype Grant. Companies must have team members in Michigan to deploy at the test site; participants have come from many U.S. states and eight countries. No equity or fee is mentioned. Applications are open until October 30, 2026.
- Equity taken
- Not publishedThe Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE), run since 2022 by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Seamless Ventures, Southwest Airlines, AvFlight Grand Rapids and the West Michigan Aviation Academy. It gives grants and pilot-testing opportunities at the airport to companies developing air travel technologies, in five focus areas: automation and analytics, electrification and sustainability, safety and security, the door-to-door and terminal guest experience, and advancing aviation. Applicants request a grant amount; per-company amounts are not published, and the ninth cohort of six companies (January 2026) shared more than $170,000. The MEDC's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification helps fund the grants, but FLITE is a separate program from the Michigan Mobility Prototype Grant. Companies must have team members in Michigan to deploy at the test site; participants have come from many U.S. states and eight countries. No equity or fee is mentioned. Applications are open until October 30, 2026.
- Program length
- Not published
- Format
- In person
- Location
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Cohorts per year
- Not published
- Cohort size
- 6 companies (ninth cohort, January 2026)
- Stage focus
- Not published
- Sub-vertical
- aviation and airport technology (grants plus live pilot testing at the airport)
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Seamless Ventures, Southwest Airlines, AvFlight Grand Rapids, West Michigan Aviation Academy
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: The Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE), run since 2022 by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Seamless Ventures, Southwest Airlines, AvFlight Grand Rapids and the West Michigan Aviation Academy. It gives grants and pilot-testing opportunities at the airport to companies developing air travel technologies, in five focus areas: automation and analytics, electrification and sustainability, safety and security, the door-to-door and terminal guest experience, and advancing aviation. Applicants request a grant amount; per-company amounts are not published, and the ninth cohort of six companies (January 2026) shared more than $170,000. The MEDC's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification helps fund the grants, but FLITE is a separate program from the Michigan Mobility Prototype Grant. Companies must have team members in Michigan to deploy at the test site; participants have come from many U.S. states and eight countries. No equity or fee is mentioned. Applications are open until October 30, 2026.
Get Mobility & Transport deadline alerts
One digest a week. Deadline alerts only for verticals you pick. Unsubscribe anytime.
Terms in plain English
FLITE pays grants to companies to test air travel technology at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each applicant requests a grant amount for its proposed pilot; the program does not publish per-company amounts, but its ninth cohort of six companies shared more than $170,000. No equity or fee is mentioned. Beyond the money, companies get a live test site plus feedback, testing and analysis, and access to vendors, airlines and regulators.
Who this is actually for
Companies with an air travel or airport technology ready for a live pilot, such as operations automation and analytics, electrification, safety and security, or the traveler experience from door to terminal. You must be able to put team members in Michigan to deploy at the airport; companies from outside Michigan and outside the U.S. have taken part.
FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) application deadlines
Next FLITE grant round (applications open now): Applications close Oct 30, 2026.
Verified Sep 28, 2026Source
Frequently asked questions
- When is the next FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) application deadline?
- The next confirmed application window for FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) closes Oct 30, 2026.
- How much does FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) invest?
- FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) does not publish an investment amount, so we record it as not published.
- How much equity does FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) take?
- FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) does not publish the equity it takes, so we record it as not published.
- Where is FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) located and is it in person?
- FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) is based in Grand Rapids, MI and runs an in person program.
- Is FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) still active?
- As of our last check on Sep 28, 2026, FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) is active.
Compare this program
Put FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport) side by side with up to two others to weigh cash, equity, and timing.
Compare FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport)More like FLITE (Gerald R. Ford International Airport)
Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Sep 28, 2026.