Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program

What is the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program?

The Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program provides financial and technical support to project teams engaged in the early planning and design phases of new building construction projects that use mass timber as a primary structural or architectural material.

Projects may include commercial, industrial, public/institutional, multi-family residential, and other building types that demonstrate innovative and optimized use of mass timber.

Awardees’ project teams will become part of a cohort who will conduct technical, financial, and design feasibility analyses to help them successfully implement mass timber in their awarded projects. The program also includes public engagement and knowledge-sharing activities to promote best practices and accelerate adoption of mass timber construction in Michigan.

Why, What, and Who?

The Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program provides funding and technical assistance to support the successful use and implementation of mass timber by early adopters in Michigan.

Selected project teams will:

Receive a cash award of $25,000 - $75,000. Awards are intended to help offset additional time and resources invested by early mass timber adopters. Award amounts are at the discretion of the review committee and will be determined based primarily upon project size and budget, but other factors, such as need, may be considered.
Read more in the project description

Eligible applicants include property owners, design professionals, or real estate developers with an active commissioned project in Michigan that is prioritizing or considering mass timber design and construction.

Applicants may be developers, architects, engineers, local governments, nonprofits, or other entities leading building construction projects. Applicants must be registered in the U.S., and licensed (if applicable) to practice in Michigan.

State of Michigan government agencies are not eligible applicants.

Online Portal for Applicant Questions

Informational Webinar

Prospective applicants are welcome to submit questions between October 22 and November 12, 2025. Answers to questions submitted by November 14, 2025, will be posted at MassTimber.msu.edu/Catalyst by November 20, 2025.

Please note: We won’t be responding directly to questions, but the answers will be posted here by November 20, 2025.

Submit your Questions

The Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program team hosted an informational webinar and Q&A. Sandra Lupien, MassTimber@MSU Director, provided an overview of the program, and prospective applicants asked questions.

You can find the webinar recording, along with the presentation slides, at the link below.

View the Recording

Steering Committee

Sandra Lupien, MassTimber@MSU, Michigan State University
Tori Irving, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Office of Public Lands
Patrick Mohney, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Office of Public Lands
Jennifer Cover, WoodWorks
Anthony Harvey, WoodWorks
Cheri Holman, Michigan Green Building Collaborative
Kayla Snyder, Michigan Green Building Collaborative
Joel Schultz, InvestUP
Jonathon Paradine, Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes
Brent Connell, Michigan Bureau of Fire Services

Program Staff

Calista Rockwell, MassTimber@MSU, Michigan State University
Anna Heise, MassTimber@MSU, Michigan State University

Contact

Sandra Lupien, lupiensa@msu.edu

Partners and Funding

The Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program is produced collaboratively by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, MassTimber@MSU (Michigan State University), the Michigan Green Building Collaborative (MiGBC), and WoodWorks, with participation from the Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes, the Michigan Bureau of Fire Services, and InvestUP. Funding to support this program is being provided from a one-time State General Fund appropriation to the Department of Natural Resources in Public Act 121 of 2024. The purpose of this allocation is to aid in the development of a mass timber market in the state of Michigan.