New Pilot Offers Small Cleantech Businesses Technical Assistance from National Labs
Cleantech San Diego encourages regional clean energy companies to apply
SAN DIEGO, CA, September 25, 2015 – Small businesses in the clean energy sector are invited to apply for assistance from the Department of Energy’s national laboratories through the department’s new Small Business Vouchers Pilot.
“Small businesses that are developing the new clean energy technologies that are needed to cut carbon pollution and create good-paying American jobs often lack the resources necessary to move their innovative ideas from the laboratory bench to the marketplace,” said David Danielson, DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). “The EERE Small Business Vouchers pilot is designed specifically to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to the market faster by leveraging the world-class capabilities of our national laboratories to solve small businesses’ most pressing challenges.”
As part of EERE’s National Laboratory Impact Initiative, the $20 million pilot aims to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to the market faster by enabling them access to world-class researchers, facilities, and expertise at DOE’s national laboratories across the country.
The pilot focuses on assisting small businesses developing clean technologies in the areas of advanced manufacturing, buildings, vehicles, wind, water power, bioenergy, fuel cells, geothermal, and solar.
“We are excited to participate in the launch of this important national pilot, which offers critical resources to help accelerate the path of cleantech innovations from concept to completion,” said Cleantech San Diego President and CEO Jason Anderson. “I encourage San Diego’s strong community of clean energy innovators and entrepreneurs to seize this opportunity to maximize our region’s commitment to building solutions that benefit the economy and the environment.”
More than 100 small businesses selected through the pilot’s merit review process will receive $50,000 to $300,000 vouchers to exchange for national lab technical assistance or initiate collaborative research projects. The assistance will focus on a specific technical challenge identified by the small business.
Businesses are invited to apply at the Small Business Vouchers Pilot website. To be eligible, businesses must be U.S.-based and -owned with no more than 500 full-time employees worldwide. Initial applications are due October 23 at 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Related Links
- Small Business Voucher Pilot Program Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Small Business Voucher Pilot Program Infographic (png)
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About Cleantech San Diego
Cleantech San Diego is a nonprofit member organization that positions the greater San Diego region, including Imperial County and Baja California, as a global leader in the cleantech economy. The organization achieves this by fostering collaborations across the private-public-academic landscape, leading advocacy efforts to promote cleantech priorities, and encouraging investment in the San Diego region. Cleantech San Diego’s membership includes more than 100 local businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions for the benefit of the economy and the environment. Learn more at cleantechsandiego.org.
Media Contact:
Shannon Casey, Cleantech San Diego, 858-568-7766, shannonc@cleantechsandiego.org
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