WASHINGTON (May 23, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program recently awarded $2 million to 25 companies in support of technology development toward sustainable solutions for the environment. The SBIR program is part of EPA’s Technology Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An EPA Roadmap, which focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance.
“Small businesses play an essential role in our communities and economic growth,” said April Richards, program manager for EPA’s SBIR Program. “These companies are making a difference in protecting our environment, developing green jobs, and exploring innovation and technology solutions to environmental issues.”
EPA’s SBIR program supports small businesses’ development of new technologies addressing key environmental areas. The technological concepts submitted to this year’s competition include drinking water monitoring and treatment, sustainable infrastructures, green building, innovation in manufacturing, greenhouse gas reduction, air pollution monitoring and control and waste monitoring and management.
The 25 companies awarded contracts make up Phase I of this year’s annual competition. The winners will compete for Phase II funding to commercialize their technologies, helping to protect Americans’ health and the environment. To be eligible to participate in the SBIR program, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000, and Phase II awards may be up to $300,000.
This year’s Phase I winners include companies from 18 states across the U.S.:
• GVD Corporation, Massachusetts
• Aerodyne Research, Inc., Massachusetts
• Orono Spectral Solutions, Inc., Maine
• The Laser Sensing Company, New Jersey
• NEI Corporation, New Jersey
• Electron Energy Corporation, Pennsylvania
• NanoSonic, Inc., Virginia
• Luna Innovations, Inc., Virginia
• Compact Membrane Systems, Inc., Delaware
• Okeanos Technologies, LLC, Kentucky
• ThornProducts, LLC, Florida
• Faraday Technology, Inc., Ohio
• T3 Scientific, LLC, Minnesota
• UES, Inc., Ohio
• Sunocs, LLC, Indiana
• Fluidic microControls, Inc., Illinois
• Synanomet, LLC, Arkansas
• Adherent Technologies, Inc., New Mexico
• SolarBee, Inc., North Dakota
• Membrane Technology and Research, Inc., California
• Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., California
• Altex Technologies Corporation, California
• Fungi Perfecti, LLC, Washington
• OnTo Technology, LLC, Oregon
• Los Gatos Research, Inc., California