Nine small businesses have received Phase II funding of more than $3 million to continue development of environmental technologies and bring them to market.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the funding awards Jan. 6. The department awarded a total of $3,599,571 to the companies "to further develop and commercialize technologies to protect the environment and public health," the announcement states.
The nine companies previously received $100,000 from Phase I funding for six months, to develop for “proof of concept” of their proposed technology, according to EPA. After successfully completing Phase I, companies can apply to receive Phase II funding of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technologies.
"I commend our nation’s small businesses for being at the forefront of addressing these environmental problems," Wayne Cascio Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Office of Research and Development said in the announcement. "This funding will allow these small businesses to take the next steps in developing their technologies and bringing them to the marketplace."
The environmental and public health technologies being explored and developed by the firms include treatment processes to clean contaminated groundwater, a mobile recycling unit that converts plastic ocean pollution into plastic lumber products, long-lasting disinfectant coatings for high-touch surfaces, and programs and products that promote water reuse, EPA reports.
Funding for the grants is provided through the EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which runs the annual, two-phase competition for the technology funding.
