The U.S. Department of Energy joined with the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and its Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to announce the opening of the $12 million i6 Green Challenge.
The funding will support awards for six teams around the country with
the most innovative ideas to drive technology commercialization and
entrepreneurship in support of a green innovation economy, increased
U.S. competitiveness and new clean energy jobs.
The program will also be conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, and Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The i6 Green Challenge will establish or expand Proof of Concept Centers across the U.S. In order to be eligible for DOE funding, applicants will be required to demonstrate innovation in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, or green building technology.
"Investments in small business innovation through the i6 Green Challenge will play an important role in strengthening U.S. competitiveness and supporting economic development and job growth around the country. These centers will help companies test their innovations, a critical step in commercializing next generation clean energy technologies," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
First announced at the White House launch of Startup America in January, i6 Green follows last year’s inaugural i6 Challenge to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship in the United States.
This year’s competition focuses on promoting Proof of Concept Centers, which support all aspects of the entrepreneurship process, from assisting with technology feasibility and business plan development, to providing access to early-stage capital and mentors to offer critical guidance to innovators. Centers allow emerging technologies to mature and demonstrate their market potential, making them more attractive to investors and helping entrepreneurs turn their idea or technology into a business.
The Federal Funding Opportunity notice and application information is available on the i6 Green webpage. The deadline to submit an application is May 26, 2011. Funding is contingent upon Congressional approval of the administration’s 2011 budget.
In Related News…
The United States cannot drill its way out of its energy problems and must begin reforms now to reduce oil dependence, President Barack Obama said during a news conference on Friday.
"Even if we tap every single reserve available to us, we can’t escape the fact that we only control 2% of the world’s oil, but we consume over a quarter of the world’s oil," he said.
Read the Reuters story at the link below.
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