The Make It in Michigan Newsletter – February 2026
Welcome to February’s edition of the Make It in Michigan newsletter, your monthly roundup of Michigan’s business growth, innovation milestones and opportunities for entrepreneurs. This month, we’re highlighting statewide efforts to strengthen small businesses through funding, resources and collaboration, while showcasing Michigan’s leadership in manufacturing and innovation. From grant awards and export opportunities to major events like PitchMI and CES, Michigan continues to drive growth and celebrate cutting-edge technologies.
Small Business Partner Feature: $64,428 Awarded to 10 St. Clair County Small Businesses
MEDC Small Business Support Hub: The Eastern Michigan Small Business Network (EM-SBN) completed its second round of funding, awarding 10 small businesses in St. Clair County with grants to support their growth and development.
2026 Michigan Ag Exporter of the Year Nominations Open
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is accepting applications for the 2026 Michigan Ag Exporter of the Year award. Each year, MDARD recognizes a food, agriculture or forest product business that has demonstrated exceptional success in export growth.
Michigan food, agriculture and forest products producers, manufacturers or shippers that are actively pursuing international markets are eligible. Exported products must be over 50 percent grown, processed or manufactured in Michigan. Companies of all sizes are encouraged to apply. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, March 31, 2026.
MI Hub for Manufacturers
The MI Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity Community and Worker Economic Transition Office is proud to deliver the MI Hub for Manufacturers, a free, centralized platform designed to connect Michigan-based manufacturers with programs, services and funding opportunities that support business growth, innovation and resilience. The Hub currently hosts more than $17 million in opportunities for loans and grants, and more than 60 partner resources and tools.
MEDC Issues Small Business Request for Information
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Feb. 10 to gather expert guidance on programs, services and investment strategies that strengthen resilience and accelerate growth for Michigan small businesses. The MEDC seeks innovative, scalable and implementation-ready solutions from industry leaders—individually or in consortium—focused on three areas: small-medium manufacturers, second stage companies and capital needs for small businesses.
PowerUp Utilities Summit
The MEDC’s Supply Chain Resiliency team will partner with Consumers Energy (CE) and DTE Energy on a collaborative supply chain event on April 8, 2026 to connect CE and DTE Prime’s procurement teams with Michigan-based Tier 2 suppliers of construction, maintenance and engineering services. The event will provide a look into CE & DTE Energy’s transformational strategy for the next five to 10 years, highlight subcontracting opportunities through the utilities’ Tier 1 suppliers, facilitate a panel on how to do business with primes, include some programming from the Community & Worker Economic Transition Office and facilitate supply chain connections with 1:1 matchmaking and networking.
Statewide PitchMI Competition Announces Championship on April 7
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The PitchMI Championship will bring together four regional winners from Michigan’s statewide startup competition to compete for an additional $1 million investment. Scheduled for April 7, 2026, at Grewal Hall in Lansing, the event is part of 517 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week and co-hosted by the MSU Research Foundation and the MEDC. Building on 2024’s inaugural PitchMI, the competition attracted 375 applications from over 100 communities, highlighting Michigan’s growing startup ecosystem.
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Michigan Innovation at CES 2026 | | |
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| | Centrepolis Accelerator, an MEDC-supported SmartZone and Small Business Support Hub, brought seven promising tech startups with them to CES in January, creating an excellent opportunity for those companies and for the world to see the great innovations happening in Michigan. |
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Michigan Rise Portfolio Companies in the News | | |
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| | Metro Detroit VC deals surpass $100M in Q4 | | |
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| | Venture capital deals in Southeast Michigan were volatile last year. Startups saw the biggest capital raises of the year come through in the final quarter of 2025, according to data compiled from PitchBook. | | |
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| | 517 Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week is the Lansing Region’s premier celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation. | | |
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| | Northern Michigan Startup Week 2026 will take place April 20-24 in Traverse City, Michigan. Join us in celebrating our region’s innovation ecosystem. | | |
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| | Michigan Tech Week is a transformational platform for connectivity, collaboration and innovation for high-growth entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders and companies spanning both peninsulas. | | |
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