EPA SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS c/EPA UtWod SlatOi Environmental Pro<«cMn Agoncy NEXT EPA SBIR SOLICITATION ANTICIPATED OPENING: June 2020 Jan.28,2020 ANNOUNCEMENTS 2020 Tibbetts Awards Nominations Now Open The 2020 Tibbetts Awards Program has officially launched! Nominations are due by Friday, February 21, 2020. Awardees will be selected in April and an awards ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C. this summer. The Tibbetts Awards recognize companies, organizations, and individuals exemplifying the best in the SBIR programs. These awards are presented to those who have leveraged their SBIR investment in a way that has generated a measurable impact and demonstrates the spirit and mission of the SBIR program. If you are an EPA SBIR awardee and interested in applying, please let us know! EPA Awards $2.7 million to Small Businesses EPA announced $2.7 million in funding to nine small businesses as part of Phase II of the SBIR Program. Recipients of Phase II funding receive up to $300,000 to develop their environmental technologies for marketplace. This year's Phase II recipients are providing innovative solutions to major environmental topics including PFAS remediation, air contamination, bioplastic production and green building. Collaborate with EPA on Technology Development EPA supports entrepreneurs and innovators. We collaborate with companies, universities and local governments on research and the development of innovative technologies. Under the Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) EPA researchers can work on collaborative projects with outside parties and protect new intellectual property that is developed. You can benefit from EPA's expertise and unique facilities through a partnership. EPA SBIR SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Ecovative. an EPA SBIR Phase II small business based In New York, was featured in an article for CNN Business. Ecovative's technology grows organic plant waste with mycelium- providing a natural alternative to packing materials made from styrofoam. This innovation addresses the problem of plastic waste and single-use plastic. Ecovative has attracted millions of dollars from investors such as 3M and received a $9.1 million contract from the US Department of Defense, ft/lost recently, Ecovative announced a partnership with Paradise Packaging Co to transfer their Mushroom Packaging production equipment to a facility 4 times the size in Paradise, CA in order to meet the demand of eco-conscious consumers. Industrial Microbes, Inc.. an EPA SBIR small business out of California, was recently awarded Commercialization Option funding through the SBIR Program. The company used EPA support to develop an engineered microbe that consumes carbon dioxide and methane to produce a chemical used to make synthetic fibers and biodegradable plastics. This process emits six times less carbon than current chemical production. Industrial Microbes, Inc.'s success has resulted in several commercialization partnerships. With support from SBIR's Commercialization Option funding and their commercialization partners, the company will focus on optimizing enzyme pathways to improve the titer of free fatty acids from methanol. Hi-Z Technology, a small business that developed a bio-fueled cookstove with support from EPA's SBIR Program, was awarded Commercialization Option funding. Hi-Z's innovative stovetop, The Power Stove, uses low- cost thermoelectric power to cook food while reducing harmful smoke emissions by 70 percent. The Power Stove will be introduced to market in India, where over 65 percent of the population cooks on open fires. Hi-Z's ability to affordably produce thermoelectric modules has generated an investor-partnership in which they will produce modules forTEGma, a Norwegian Private Enterprise. With the additional funding, Hi-Z will accelerate the development and reduce the cost of thermoelectric module production. If you are interested in applying to SBIR, start early with your required registrations. For more information: https://www.epa.gov/sbir/how- applv-sbir-contract The EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's Small Business Research Innovation Program supports small businesses to develop and commercialize novel environmental technologies that support this mission. PHASE I: Phase I awards are $100,000 tor six months for "proof of concept" of the technology. PHASE II: Phase II awards are up to $400,000 for two years to further develop and commercialize the technology. Phase II companies that obtain qualifying third party investments are eligible for a commercialization option of $100,000. EPA SBIR contact: April Richards: richards.aprii@epa.gov EPA SBIR: www.epa.gov/sbir Federal SBIR Information: www.SBIR.gov Are you an EPA SBIR Small Business with a success to share? We would love to feature your story here! EPA SBIR AMERICA'S SEED FUND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION ------- |