Centrepolis DFMM

Program Type: In-person
Location: Southfield, MI
Investment: Tens of thousands of dollars per company (exact amount not specified)
Equity Taken: None
Program Fee: None
Stage: Early Stage, Growth Stage
Industry of Focus: Hardtech, Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Advanced Materials, Manufacturing Process Technologies

Key Highlights

Program Overview

Design for Michigan Manufacturing (DFMM) is an economic development program launched by the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, with support from the City of Southfield and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. It focuses on developing hardware technologies, including physical products, advanced materials, and manufacturing technologies, to ensure products are durable, reliable, and cost-effective for sustainable businesses.

Benefits Details and Perks/Credits

• Direct funding to support product development, testing, and product launch
• Connections to investors and capital sources
• Connections to strategic partners (system integrators, automation distributors)
• Investment and funding strategy support
• Connections to Michigan suppliers
• Risk assessments
• Access to Manufacturing Experts-in-Residence (MEiRs)
• Manufacturing readiness assessments
• Technology demonstration projects with customers and strategic partners
• Individualized product development and manufacturing readiness training and workshops

Program Format

DFMM is a flexible, non-cohort program with rolling admissions. It offers milestone-based support, including one-on-one engagement with manufacturing experts, periodic workshops, training sessions, and facilitated pilot projects. The program duration varies based on company needs, from a few months to over a year.

Location or Relocation Requirements

Participants are generally Michigan-based or willing to manufacture in Michigan. Companies headquartered in Michigan are ideal candidates. Out-of-state startups must demonstrate a commitment to manufacture or create jobs in Michigan.

Company Types Requirements

DFMM is designed for early-stage or growth-stage physical product companies, ranging from startups with a proof-of-concept prototype to small manufacturing businesses launching new product lines. Companies should have at least a concept and preferably a prototype or MVP.

Founding Team Preferences

The program welcomes first-time hardware founders as well as experienced engineers. There are no specific demographic or experience criteria, though diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs are likely encouraged to apply. All founders should be open to coaching and collaboration with Michigan’s manufacturing network.

Design for Michigan Manufacturing (DFMM)

Program Type & Mission: DFMM is an economic development incubator program (operated by Centrepolis with MEDC support) dedicated to helping hardware startups and small manufacturers design and produce their products in Michigan. It’s a flexible, non-cohort program – companies can apply at any time (“Apply Today” rolling admission) and receive customized assistance to scale from prototype to manufacturing. Think of it as an on-demand accelerator focused on design for manufacturability.
Location: Based at LTU’s Centrepolis Accelerator in Southfield, MI. Participants are generally Michigan-based or willing to manufacture in Michigan. The program’s core purpose is to launch more products “Made in Michigan”​
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, so a Michigan presence (or plans to establish one) is important. Many client companies are from Southeast Michigan, but the resources (mentors, suppliers network) span the state’s manufacturing ecosystem.
Industry/Technology Focus: DFMM is industry-agnostic for physical products, focusing on “hardtech” innovations – consumer or industrial products, advanced materials, or manufacturing process technologies. Any physical product startup can qualify (from IoT devices to clean tech hardware to new machinery) as long as it needs to be engineered for efficient, high-quality production. The key theme is design for X: manufacturability, durability, reliability, cost-effectiveness, etc.​
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. For example, past DFMM clients include things like smart home devices, mobility accessories, and advanced material products – the common thread is they all need to transition from prototype to scalable production.
Program Duration & Format: There is no fixed duration – DFMM support is milestone-based. A company might work with the program for a few months to refine a prototype, or over a year through multiple iterations and pilot runs. The format is highly customized: one-on-one engagement with manufacturing experts, periodic workshops/training sessions on relevant topics, and facilitated pilot projects with potential customers. For instance, DFMM can set up a “design sprint” to re-engineer a product for cost reduction, or arrange a pilot installation of a startup’s equipment at a Michigan factory (with cost-sharing support)​
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. Regular check-ins and mentorship ensure the company is progressing toward manufacturability and market launch.
Investment & Benefits: DFMM offers non-dilutive funding and in-kind services to help companies reach production. This includes direct funding grants to offset product development costs, testing, or pilot deployments​
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. (While specific amounts aren’t public, Centrepolis leverages programs like the Business Accelerator Fund to provide tens of thousands of dollars per company in many cases.) Importantly, DFMM provides expert engineering support: companies get access to Manufacturing Experts-in-Residence (MEiRs) – seasoned engineers (30+ years experience) who help with product design, material selection, prototyping, and design for manufacturability adjustments​
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. The program can conduct formal manufacturing readiness assessments and risk analyses, ensuring the startup’s design will hold up in production. It also facilitates technology demonstration projects by linking startups with Michigan manufacturers or integrators to pilot their innovations in real-world settings​
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. Additional benefits include connections to investors and strategic partners (e.g. system integrators, automation distributors) for scaling, introductions to Michigan-based suppliers, and support developing an investment/funding strategy​
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. In short, DFMM not only funds prototype-building and testing, but also surrounds the founder with manufacturing know-how and industry connections to shorten the path to market.
Program Fee: None. DFMM is funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the City of Southfield as a public incubator program​
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. There is no equity taken or fee charged to participating companies. The support (expert hours, prototyping services, grant dollars) is provided as an incentive to grow Michigan’s hardware startup output.
Location/Relocation Requirements: Generally must benefit Michigan manufacturing. Companies headquartered in Michigan are ideal candidates. If an out-of-state startup applies, they would need to demonstrate commitment to manufacture or create jobs in Michigan. For example, a startup from Ohio could be accepted if they choose a Michigan contract manufacturer or set up a production facility in Michigan. The emphasis is on building the “manufactured in Michigan” brand​
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, so some local presence or partnership is expected.
Company Stage/Eligibility: Designed for early-stage or growth-stage physical product companies. This could range from a startup that has a proof-of-concept prototype and now needs to refine it for production, up to a small manufacturing business launching a new product line. Companies should have at least a concept and preferably a prototype or MVP. Idea-stage inventors may be too early unless they have a clear product concept ready for design/engineering. There is no strict revenue or incorporation requirement; even pre-revenue startups can join if they have a viable product concept. If a company is already in low-volume production but needs to “lean out” their manufacturing or scale up, DFMM is also appropriate. In summary, the program serves as a bridge from prototype to scalable product, so the readiness to engage in that process is the main criterion.
Founding Team Preferences: No specific demographic or experience criteria – the program welcomes first-time hardware founders as well as experienced engineers. Many participants are technical founders who know their product well but need help with manufacturing know-how. DFMM pairs them with veteran manufacturing mentors to fill those gaps. The program does not target any particular founder demographics, though it being a public program, they likely encourage diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs to apply (aligning with MEDC’s broader inclusion goals). All founders should be open to coaching and collaboration with Michigan’s manufacturing network.
Distinctive Features: DFMM is unique in that it directly funds *“design for manufacturability” work – it’s not just advising, but actually helping pay for the redesign, prototyping, and pilot deployment of new hardware products​
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. For example, through DFMM a startup might receive a grant to hire a contract engineer to finalize CAD drawings, or to cover the costs of a pilot run with a local manufacturer. The program’s deep bench of MEiRs (Manufacturing Experts-in-Residence) is a major asset: founders can tap experts in fields like plastics molding, electronics assembly, machine design, etc., all under one roof. This on-demand access to manufacturing veterans saves startups from costly mistakes and speeds up their time-to-market. DFMM also acts as a connector: many participating startups get linked to their first Michigan production partner or first customer through Centrepolis’s network. In short, DFMM is a hands-on, engineering-centric accelerator to ensure that when a hardware startup is ready to scale, both the product and the business are prepared for Michigan manufacturing success.