makerspace residencies

LEARN! Attend a carefully curated series of Digital Fabrication classes, get one-on-one mentorship and get access to all of our events and trainings for FREE. The Digital Fabrication class series includes classes on:

• 3D Design
• 3D Printing
• Vacuum Forming
• Laser Cutting
• CNC Routing

Upon completion of the Residency, participants will be able to produce original designs on the laser cutter, 3D-printers and other tools. Full class schedule details will be available soon.

CREATE! Design and build new work using your new developed skills.

• Receive a 6 months of Super Maker Membership & project storage space; this includes 24/7 access to the space and all equipment
• A small materials budget (approx. $500) for your signature project
• Individual mentoring sessions with experts to help you bring your vision to life
• Work on your own personal projects! Studio space and equipment access are not limited to work for your residency. Residents can also use all tools outside of the digital fabrication tools at TVCOG, provided they go through safety training. This includes the woodshop, welding area, machine shop and fiber arts zones

SHARE!

• Display your completed project, and other work of your choice, in your own showcase during Troy’s annual Victorian Stroll event. Artists may also choose to sell work as part of TVCOG’s annual Makers Market during the event.
• Share your project, learning journey and personal work in TVCOG’s media via a “Residency Recap” video
• Offer a free community workshop during the month of December, using a small materials stipend

Requirements

• During their time in the program, the Resident will be asked to fulfill the following duties:
  • Be an active member of the TVCOG community and follow all set guidelines.
  • Complete the core element requirements of the Residency program, including attending the Digital Fabrication intensive class series and completing their signature project for Victorian Stroll. See “Time Commitment & Scheduling” for more information.
  • Be an active media ambassador for TVCOG. This includes providing regular photographic, video and text updates to be shared in social media throughout their residency and participating in a “Residency Recap” video.
  • Complete a new, physical work using at least one of TVCOG’s digital fabrication tools. 

Time Commitment & Scheduling

• This is an intensive program requiring around approximately at least 4-6 hours of work per week, from July-December 2026:
  • During the LEARN! (July – October), residents will have either a class or cohort check-in meeting approximately once a week, with each session varying from 1 to 4 hours in length. Classes will be held on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Cohort meetings will be scheduled later, based on availability.
    • During this time, residents will be asked to complete small independent projects using these tools and scrap materials. The time to meet this requirement varies depending on the independent projects and artist goals.
    • During the CREATE! portion (November), we expect a project complex enough to require approximately 4- 6 hours a week of planning and on-site fabrication over the 5 week design and build period. Exact time commitment may be more depending on artists selected project.
      • Residents will be required to complete a project proposal and materials purchase list before the installation, which will be approved by TVCOG staff.
    • To complete the SHARE! portion, artists will be expected to do the following:
      • Complete a final showcase project for display at TVCOG’s annual Victorian Stroll, and attend the event at TVCOG on December 6 (an all day event, exact times TBD)
      • Share regular photos, videos and text updates to TVCOG (approx. 1-2 hours per month) and work with TVCOG staff to create an end-of-residency summary video (1-2 hours)
      • Host one free workshop, open to the public to share your newfound skills during the month of December

Artists will also be expected to schedule regular check-ins with TVCOG staff (scheduling flexible) for the duration of the program and attend the Welcome tour at 6pm on Tuesday, July 7th.

Who Should Apply?

This program is the perfect fit for any traditional or emerging artist who wants to learn new techniques and broaden their horizon. Any local, underserved artist who is enthusiastic about, but perhaps intimidated by, incorporating digital fabrication techniques into their repertoire (2D and 3D design, 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC routing) is encouraged to apply!

This program is intended to provide digital fabrication training and other resources to local underserved artists who may not otherwise be able to access these resources, so eligibility requirements do apply; this track is open to Capital Region residents ages 18+ who qualify as LMI.

• Capital Region Residency: To be considered a Capital Region resident, you must live in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren or Washington county.
• Financial Eligibility: This residency is only open to LMI (Low-to-Moderate Income) individuals, as defined by HUD. Income limits are based on household size, see the chart below.

TVCOG uses HUD’s definition of being Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area and tiered income database to decide eligibility and determine demonstrated financial need. The chart above is the current maximum income limit by household size. Those who make over this income level are not eligible. Applicants will be asked to self-certify income range and household size as part of the application. Income amounts and household sizes should be based on expected 2026 income. Applicants will be expected to self-report their household size and projected income during the application process.

Application Information

Applications are open now and are due at 11:59pm, June 29.

Applications are Google forms, which only saves drafts for logged-in Google Account users. We strongly encourage applicants to save a draft of their application in another document. The application is available to view in its entirety here.

This residency is a flexible, customizable opportunity for founders and will look different for each company, depending on where they are starting in their entrepreneurial journey. The program does focus on the core components of Learn, Create & Share that the Artist track focuses on, but this track is more loosely structured and self-driven. The program provides the following benefits to participants:

• 1 year of Incubated Maker Membership, which includes:
  • 24/7 access to TVCOG’s space, fabrication equipment and mentorship network for up to 2 employees
  • Connections to industry expert mentors, as applicable
  • Support of TVCOG staff throughout the year
  • Option to continue Incubator membership for an additional two years after program ends
• Innovation Space for 1 year
  • Shared space with other residents that can be used for office work, fabrication work, or both
• 1 League of Extraordinary Problem Solvers Session
  • These customized expert sessions gather experts from across TVCOG’s network to discuss a specific problem a business may be having, roundtable style. Exact topics are decided by the business.
• $300 COG Services Credit per business
  • Credits can be used on TVCOG’s digital fabrication classes, Prototyping Center equipment use/training costs, or TVCOG’s custom fabrication services

Expectations and Scheduling:

Residents are expected to be active members of TVCOG’s community and make regular use of their Innovation Space and the equipment here, but are not required to be here daily. League sessions are scheduled by appointment, and fairly flexible, but individual consultations with TVCOG staff may be held during regular business hours (M-F, 11am-5pm), so Residents will need to have some availability during that time frame. 

Full group cohort check-ins are the third Thursday of each month, at 6pm. Residents are required to attend at least 9 meetings in order to complete this program requirement.

Residents will be required to complete a final showcase at the end of their Residency, and work with TVCOG staff to complete a “Residency Recap” video. The exact format is flexible, and will be decided upon in conjunction with TVCOG staff. Options include participating in a local Pitch competition, presenting working prototypes at TVCOG open houses, etc.  

The basic Residency schedule is as follows:

• Residency begins July 7, 2026 with a welcome tour for all Residents, including Digital Fabrication for Artists Residents
• Residents are expected to complete the following by the end of July:
  • Basic member orientation (1 hr, video and quiz)
  • Arrange individual consulting session with TVCOG staff to discuss Residency plan and set end goals 
• Residents should expect to attend zone orientations (if applicable) by the end of August
  • Residents may also use TVCOG credit to participate in TVCOG classes
• Residents are expected to attend monthly cohort check-in meetings and use TVCOG facilities on a regular basis following this initial set-up process
• Residents will decide on final showcase options in December
• Final showcases and residency recap videos are expected to be completed at the end of June, 2027
• Residents who complete their set Incubator Plan goals for the Residency will be invited to continue in the Incubator program for up to 2 more years

Residents are highly encouraged to attend additional TVCOG events and local startup events, either hosted by TVCOG or our partners. Examples include attending 1 Million Cups, Startup Tech Valley or other events. Group outings to such events will be planned during cohort meetings in order to try and accommodate everyone’s schedules as much as possible. Volunteering at TVCOG is also highly encouraged. 

While Residents are expected to focus on one idea during the program, they are allowed and encouraged to also use their membership for personal projects, just like any other member. 

Requirements

• During their time in the program, the Resident will be asked to fulfill the following duties:
  • Be an active member of the TVCOG community and regularly utilize the space and resources
  • Follow all set member guidelines and adhere to our Code of Conduct
  • Be featured in TVCOG media. This may include providing regular photographic, video and text updates to be shared in social media throughout their residency. 
  • Complete a final showcase, format of their own choosing, and a “Residency Recap” video
  • Credit TVCOG as a supporter in relevant press, media, etc.
• In addition, Residents are required to provide economic impact data during the program and up to 5 years after you leave the COG
  • Individual data is shared with grant funders; aggregated data is shared in TVCOG’s annual impact report
  • Data collected includes, but is not limited to: jobs created (#), jobs retained (#), revenue earned ($), investment amount obtained ($), grants amount obtained ($)

Who Should Apply?

The program is intended for founders who have hardware-based startups with high growth potential, and demonstrated barriers to accessing the local entrepreneurship ecosystem. 

Residents should have:

• A registered business (or a plan to register the business during the residency) 
• An initial proof-of-concept or looks like/works like prototype or detailed designs
• Some form of initial market research
• An initial business plan or business model canvas
• One specific hardware-based product/idea that they are focusing on during the residency
  • Applicants within Digital Gaming or AI/Quantum Computing product categories must demonstrate that their product qualifies as a hardware-based startup.

The Residency is designed to support the business by supporting the Founder; thus, applications should be completed by a business-focused founder (age 18+) who will be one of the in-person program participants, if accepted. Applications include both personal and business questions.

This program is intended to empower entrepreneurs and encourage real, quantifiable, long-term business growth. Strong applicants will demonstrate that this residency would: significantly address a gap in opportunity, resources, or exposure due to systemic disadvantage; benefit them and their business in meaningful ways; and help them complete set goals that would move their business forward. 

Residents should be enthusiastic, professional, have some relevant experience/background (e.g entrepreneurship, manufacturing, product design) and should be active within the TVCOG community. Residents should also be “go-getters,” able to work independently to fulfill set goals.

While this program is accepting applications from any and all hardware-based startups, priority consideration is given to applicants with demonstrated financial need, applicants who are Capital Region residents/attending college in the Capital Region, and applicants working with priority economic sectors for the Capital Region. 

Here’s how TVCOG determines these factors during the application review process:

• To be considered a Capital Region resident, you must reside in Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren or Washington county.
• To be considered eligible as falling within a priority economic sector, your product must fall within one of the following categories:
  • Advanced Electronics
  • Clean Energy/Clean Tech
  • Advanced Manufacturing/R&D
  • Life Sciences
  • Advanced Materials
  • Digital Gaming (must include significant hardware component)
  • AI or Quantum Computing (must include significant hardware component)
• TVCOG uses HUD’s definition of being Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area and tiered income database to weight demonstrated financial in the application review process; applicants who fall within the LMI limits are given priority consideration
  • Statements of financial need or other barriers to access are also considered in evaluation process

Application Information

Applications are open now and due by 11:59pm, June 29th. Applications are be evaluated by TVCOG staff. We expect to accept up to 4 founders into the program; notifications of application status will be sent out via email by July 2. 

Applications are Google forms, which only saves drafts for logged-in Google Account users. We strongly encourage applicants to save a draft of their application in another document. The application is available to view in its entirety here.