Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco announced today that the N.C. Green Business Fund is seeking proposals to help small businesses statewide develop and commercialize promising green and alternative energy technologies, products and services. The competitive grants, worth up to $500,000 each, are funded by the federal Recovery Act through the N.C. Energy Office.
“Gov. Bev Perdue has made fostering the development of innovative commercial technologies, products and services a priority to make North Carolina a national leader in the green economy,” Crisco said. “This fund helps our state’s entrepreneurs create the cutting-edge technologies we need to fuel our state’s future and meet that priority.”
The Green Business Fund encourages the expansion of small- to medium-sized businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Project proposals need to fall into at least one of three priority areas: biofuels, green building, or environmentally clean technology and renewable energy. Critical to consideration is how the proposals will help create or keep jobs, leverage additional funds and help areas of the state that are struggling economically.
In addition, the proposals must fulfill at least one of five energy-conscious elements:
- Save energy;
- Install or generate renewable energy;
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Produce alternative fuels;
- Promote building energy efficiency.
While the maximum award is $500,000, applications seeking less than that are strongly encouraged and will receive priority. All proposals will be reviewed on a merit basis by an external advisory committee. For proposals requesting more than $250,000, in-person presentations may be required in addition to the written proposal.
The N.C. Green Business Fund is a competitive grants program funded by the General Assembly and administered by the N.C. Office of Science and Technology in the N.C. Department of Commerce. Eligibility is limited to small for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, state agencies and local governments. Applicants must have their principal base of business in North Carolina.
Established in 2007, the fund has already awarded more than $3.4 million and grants have been awarded to 45 organizations. More than $8 million is available to fund grants in 2010.
Those interested in applying for Green Business Fund grants should go online to: www.ncscitech.com/gbf. On the Web site, applicants can review the call for applications (2010 Solicitation) and application requirements. Instructions for preparing and submitting proposals are also found on the site.
The solicitation period runs until March 15, 2010. Pre-proposals are due Jan. 19, 2010, and will be followed by invitations to submit full project proposals Jan. 29. No projects will be accepted after 11:59 p.m. on March 15.
For more information contact: Paul Shannon, Green Business Fund administrator; (919) 715-0101 or via e-mail at pshannon@nccommerce.com.