EPA SMALL BUSINESS
INNOVATION RESEARCH

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

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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


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