Green Options » grants

Can the U.S. Government Be an Effective Cleantech VC?

Jennifer Kho — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:00:56 +0000

As stimulus funding leads some industry insiders to think of Washington as “the new Wall Street” for green energy, some investment experts say they’re concerned about the government’s new role. “I worry about the government as a dealmaker in this space,” said Tom Bratkovitch, director of LP Capital Advisors, a consulting firm for private-equity investors, at a Thomson Reuters conference in Palo Alto, Calif., this week. “I just don’t know if the government is the best one to make decisions in this space.”

After all, the federal government has supported some technologies that have not panned out, while missing some that have ultimately been successful. The government also has a reputation for moving slowly – though the Department of Energy certainly is trying hard to get stimulus money out as quickly as possible – and the applications for the grants and loan guarantees can be extremely time-consuming.

Read more of this story »

More Money for the Auto Industry

Lisa Wojnovich — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:43:09 +0000

Three more car companies received sizeable loans from the federal government yesterday, but don’t worry; it’s not another bailout. In fact, the$8 billion is just the start of a larger $25 billion project called the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM for short) that was thought up back in 2007 and funded by Congress in late 2008 during the Bush administration. The project, overseen by the Department of Energy, is a federal grant and loan initiative bent on providing low interest capital to automobile manufacturers — as well as the makers of their component parts — to promote the development of new automobile technologies that guzzle less gas — and in some cases, no gas at all.

Read more of this story »

Pittsburgh Gets Federal Stimulus Dollars for Green Projects

Dave Tyler — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:22:56 +0000

Pittsburgh’s plans to make itself into a hotbed for solar power and other green technology got a metaphorical fist bump last week with the visit of two cabinet secretaries to announce funding from the federal stimulus package.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $11 million green stimulus funding during their trip. They also toured a welding and heating and air conditioning training facility at Allegheny County Community College, where officials showed off the skills needed for energy efficient projects. Allegheny County will get $8.1 million, City of Pittsburgh will receive $3.4 million out of a $3.2 billion pot being divvied up around the country.

Read more of this story »

Expanded Funding for New Environmental Technologies

Jennifer Kaplan — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:44:46 +0000

Eleven government agencies participate in the Small Business Innovation Research program which makes grants to science and technology-based firms. EPA and NSF just announced the open proposal window for applications “for small businesses to grow, add workers, and expand into new markets.”

Both programs will be accepting applications for Phase I funding. These are small grants: A total of $70,000 is available in funding for each EPA Phase I award. The NSF’s SBIR Phase I solicitation funding is $150,000 per award. One expert told me that it probably means 5 awards from EPA and 6 awards from NSF for grants ranging from $15k to $25k each.

Under Phase I, the scientific merit and technical feasibility of the proposed concept is investigated…Through this phased approach to SBIR funding, EPA can determine whether the research idea, often on high-risk advanced concepts, is technically feasible, whether the firm can do high-quality research, and whether sufficient progress has been made to justify a larger Phase II effort.

Read more of this story »

Under 25? Got A Green Project? Check Out These Grants.

Jennifer Kaplan — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:05:08 +0000

If you’re under 25 and need some cash to get your green project to the next level check out the grant offerings at Do Something. They have three grant programs:

Green Grants
James Patteron’s Maximum Ride Boys are sponsoring 10 $500 grants to support green projects. The grants are for “anyone with a great idea or existing project focused on issues affecting the environment.”
Deadline: September 30, 2008

Check out this PSA, outtakes and all, about the Green Grants:

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Plum Grants
Grants for sustainable community action projects, programs and organizations. These $500 grants can be used to further the growth and success of your program. Plum grants are given out weekly!
Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and stay active for consideration for three months after submission

Animal Action Grants
Although not about the environment, Do Something and the ASPCA have teamed up to create an online resource for young people who care about animals. As part of the launch they are giving out ten $500 grants for projects about animal welfare.
Deadline:October 15, 2008.

Over 25? You can always pass this on to an intern or employee.

Posts Related to Grants:

Operating a Small, Sustainable Business: Resources for Ecopreneurs

Factory Green: Young entrepreneurs roll out shirts with spunk

Greening Children in Michigan

Heidi Suydam — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:35 +0000

Today NPR News aired a story about a rural Michigan school district that is pursuing green by using wind turbines to power their schools and offices. The Jr. High Principal, Kathy Dickens, took the initiative three years ago by applying for grants to pursue wind harvesting. As a result of her efforts The Lakers School District was awarded a quarter million dollar grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission.

With that money they purchased three large refurbished wind turbines which now power their elementary school and the superintendent’s office. They have since received another grant and energy smart incentives. The Lakers School District now owns a biodiesel processor in addition to their wind turbines. This spring their high school students will have a “Pressing Party”. They will gather sunflower seeds from the plants growing beneath their wind turbines, combine them with soybeans then press these seeds and beans to obtain oil to make alternative fuel.

Read more of this story »

TransFair’s Grant to Get Fair Trade into Your Community

Alicia Erickson — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:13:30 +0000

October is Fair Trade month and a great chance to introduce the movement to your friends and families! If your plans are grand but you need a bit of help to get them up and moving, then check out the mini-grants offered by TransFair. They average $500 and are to help promote Fair Trade in anyway you like. "From house parties and café crawls, to fashion shows and festivals, advocates have organized thousands of creative and inspiring activities that build the movement for Fair Trade and bring the benefits of globalization to people all over the world."

Entries are due September 15th, 2007 so move fast and get the creative juices flowing! From TransFair, the objectives are:

• Projects should contribute to education and awareness of Fair Trade and aim to increase the availability, demand for, and sales of Fair Trade Certified™ products. We encourage you to gather names from event participants to add to TransFair USA’s email list.
• Projects should aim to engage members of your community to become active in the Fair Trade movement. We rely on grassroots supporters just like you to spread the Fair Trade message — and any get involved after attending a Fair Trade event.
• Build the Fair Trade movement by financially supporting TransFair USA. We recognize that you may not have thought about using your event as a fundraiser, but we would like you to consider it. We can provide materials to help you think through this component and we are happy to speak with you if you would like additional support.

With requirements only 500 words or less, the grant-writing portion of this great opportunity isn’t as frightening as you might think. Along with typical contact information and budgeting expectations, TransFair wishes to know your experience and inspiration to become involved in Fair Trade. They also ask for a brief description of your project and possible challenges, with such topics as:

• How will your project increase the visibility, availability, and sales of Fair Trade Certified products?
• How many people do you expect to reach at your event?
• How will you publicize your event?
• What educational materials do you plan to use?
• What other groups or organizations are you collaborating with?
• Do you plan to collect donations to support TransFair’s work? If so, what is your fundraising goal?

Proceeds in 2006 were used to fund everything from "Fair Trade fairs and product tastings, to radio shows and farmer tours, to conferences and panel discussions." Highlights of some of the larger projects included bringing Tadesse Meskela, Ethiopian Fair Trade coffee cooperative manager to speak at screenings of Black Gold and supporting tours with Fair Trade rice and banana farmers. Be creative and find ways to engage your community in an exploration of Fair Trade!