The New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Technology and Innovation Office is inviting stakeholders to help shape a new $40 million fund designed to support early-stage innovation and commercialization across the state.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
Cabinet Secretary Rob Black
Deputy Cabinet Secretary Isaac Romero
TIO Director Nora Meyers Sackett
Contact: Chris Chaffin
Chris.Chaffin@edd.nm.gov
(505) 490-7962
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 15, 2026
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Technology and Innovation Office is inviting stakeholders to help shape a new $40 million fund designed to support early-stage innovation and commercialization across the state.
The Research, Development and Deployment (RD&D) Fund, newly created by legislation in the 2025 state legislative session, aims at catalyzing innovation, economic growth and job creation by providing early-stage capital to emerging technologies, start-up businesses and research initiatives that align with the state’s economic development plan. Specifically, the state will look to support projects in three key growth areas identified in New Mexico’s recently released Science and Technology Roadmap: quantum systems and applications; advanced energy technologies; and space, aerospace and defense systems.
The Technology and Innovation Office is seeking input from relevant stakeholders—including but not limited to researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, economic development partners and investors—to document where innovators in New Mexico face the most significant challenges in bringing ideas from the lab to the marketplace and identify funding opportunities that will be most transformational for the state’s innovation ecosystem and economy. Stakeholder feedback will also help determine how to invest the fund’s initial $40 million for the greatest impact and long-term growth.
This ecosystem input will assist the office in establishing fund operations—including funding priorities, application requirements and project evaluation criteria—while also helping it gauge funding demands within the ecosystem, ensuring the program addresses New Mexico’s unique strengths and needs.
Stakeholders and ecosystem members are invited to respond to the Request for Information by February 13, 2026 at this link: edd.newmexico.gov/rfi-rdd-2026.
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