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State Firms Net EPA Funding For Technology Development
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In action earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2.3 million in funding for 23 contracts with small businesses through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop technologies that will help protect human health and the environment. This year’s funded technologies are focused on clean and safe water, air quality monitoring, land revitalization, homeland security, sustainable materials management, and safer chemicals. Several California businesses were among those receiving funding.

“EPA’s Small Business funding supports our economy and opens doors to further environmental protection by fostering and encouraging small businesses to bring groundbreaking technologies to market,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With EPA funding, these entrepreneurs will be able to develop their ideas to address priority EPA issues ranging from cleaning up PFAS contamination to reducing food waste.”

These small businesses are receiving Phase I funding of up to $100,000 from EPA’s SBIR program, which awards contracts annually through a two-phase competition. After receiving a Phase I award, companies are eligible to compete for a Phase II award of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology.

California’s SBIR Phase I recipients include:

Catapower, Inc., Marina Del Ray, to convert vegetable oil waste to valuable commodities such as antimicrobial agents and ingredients for biofuels and personal care products.

Instrumental Polymer Technologies, LLC, Westlake Village, to develop a recyclable polymer concrete using biodegradable materials.

Lucendi, Inc., Los Angeles, to create a cost-effective, portable and automated technology to identify microplastics.

Physical Optics Corporation, Torrance, to create a 3D mapping and visual system to detect radiation contamination for homeland security applications.

Other states with business receiving funding were Massachusetts, Nebraska, Colorado, New York, New Hampshire, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Indiana, North Carolina and Delaware.

EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small businesses in federal research and development, create jobs, and promote U.S. technical innovation. To be eligible, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees.

For more information on EPA’s SBIR Phase I recipients, visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/661/records_per_page/ALL.

Learn more about EPA’s SBIR program at: https://www.epa.gov/sbir.

To learn more about the Federal SBIR Program, go to: www.SBIR.gov.