The Vogt Awards

The Community Foundation of Louisville brings together donors, nonprofits, businesses and civic partners to transform our community through charitable giving.

The Community Foundation of Louisville’s Vogt Invention & Innovation Awards offers entrepreneurs in the Louisville region a unique and exciting opportunity to take their businesses to the next level. Each year, up to six early-stage businesses receive $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, participation in a 10-week startup accelerator program, coaching, mentorship, strategic introductions, and recognition, all designed to boost the growth of their business. Unlike other business accelerator programs, the Vogt Awards allows founders to retain full ownership of their businesses.

The Fund was established by Mr. Henry Vogt Heuser Sr., former president of Henry Vogt Machine Company.  Early-stage companies are selected based upon their concept’s merits of innovation, technical excellence, strategic business planning, competitive positioning, potential market value, time to market, and anticipated social/economic benefit for the Greater Louisville area. 

Requirements that must be true for application consideration:

• The business is headquartered in the 13-county Louisville Metro area (MSA):




• Indiana – Clark, Floyd, Washington, Scott and Harrison counties


• Kentucky – Bullitt, Henry, Jefferson, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties




• The business is registered with either the Indiana or Kentucky Secretary of State and in good standing (business can be organized in another state, e.g.: Delaware):




• Indiana: https://bsd.sos.in.gov/publicbusinesssearch 


• Kentucky: https://web.sos.ky.gov/ftsearch/ 




• The business is developing an innovation-led product or service. The Vogt Awards define innovation as a new idea or the invention of a new product or service that creates customer demand.


• The business is in the early stages, with customer revenue less than $250,000/year to date.


• The business has a lifetime funding maximum of $500,000 (this includes grants, investments, and loans but excludes founders’ personal investments).

Applications will be given stronger consideration by the Selection Committee if these aspects are included and well-described in a founder’s application:

• The business is leveraging technology, making use of new advances in technology for the purpose of better serving customers, gaining a competitive advantage, and/or evolving the marketplace.


• The business is leveraging technology in a new, unique or original way to develop a new product or service. 


• The product or service being developed has a protectable advantage (intellectual asset) in the market.


• The business is developing a business model that can grow significantly — revenue has the potential to grow quickly, along with improving profitability.


• The product or service being developed doesn’t require a long regulatory approval cycle (for example, companies working on a new drug may be excluded).

For more information about the Vogt Awards, including previous winners, please visit www.VogtAwards.com. 

• Aerospace
• Business Products
• Business Services
• Chemicals and Chemical Products
• Consumer Products
• Consumer Services
• Digital Marketing
• Education
• Electronics / Instrumentation
• Fintech
• Food and Beverage
• Gaming
• Healthcare Services
• Industrial/Energy
• Media and Entertainment
• Mobile
• Oil and Gas
• Robotics
• Security
• Software
• Telecommunications

• Louisville, KY, US

• Capital Seeking
• - $25,000
• Valuation
• -