The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will make up to $9 million available this year to fund approximately 50 small businesses that advance innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
According to the DOE, this initiative will help small businesses that have promising ideas that could improve manufacturing processes, boost the efficiency of buildings, reduce reliance on oil, and generate electricity from renewable sources to bring new clean energy solutions to market faster.
The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is offering this funding through the Department's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which allow federal agencies with large research and development budgets to set aside a fraction of their funding for competitions among small businesses.
Small businesses that win awards in these programs keep the rights to any technologies they develop and are encouraged to commercialize them.
A broad range of technologies – including wind power, solar energy, advanced manufacturing, energy-efficient buildings, biomass, hydrogen and fuel cells, and water power technologies – can qualify for this funding opportunity.
The DOE will fund selected small businesses with one-year awards of up to $150,000 to explore the feasibility of innovative clean energy concepts. Awardees with successful projects will have the opportunity to compete for more than $1 million in additional funding.
