About EPA's SBIR Program

On this page:

Overview
Phased Approach to Funding
Success Stories
Is SBIR Right for You?
EPA SBIR Solicitation Topics
Contacts

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Overview

One of 11 federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs launched over 40 years ago, EPA’s SBIR program is the small program with a big mission, to protect human health and the environment. As part of "America's Seed Fund," EPA SBIR funds small businesses to develop and commercialize innovative environmental technologies in broad focus areas which include clean and safe water, air quality and climate, land revitalization, homeland security, sustainable materials management/circular economy, safer chemicals, and risk assessment. Proposals should be responsive to the annual topics under these broad areas.

Program Objectives

Support for innovative green technology
Focus on commercialization
Communication of successes
Protect the planet

For more information on the Federal SBIR programs, visit the Small Business Administration's SBIR website.

Phased Approach to Funding

SBIR projects are funded in a phased approach. Each year, EPA issues a Phase I solicitation for technology proposals addressing specific topics. Proposals are evaluated on their technical merit, potential for commercialization and impact/relevance in the given topic area.

For Phase I, EPA awards firm-fixed-price contracts of up to $100,000 for 6 months for “proof of concept” of the proposed technology. Small businesses that have received a Phase I can submit a proposal for a Phase II award of $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology.

To accelerate commercialization, EPA also offers a "Commercialization Option" of up to $100,000 in Phase II for companies that secure third-party investment.

SBIR Success Stories

Ecovative Designs

Ecovative Designs has developed mushroom-based materials for various uses including packaging, construction materials, and furniture. The company uses bio-fabrication using mycelium grown on natural/waste products as their main source material. Ecovative has achieved multiple successes through gaining clients like Ikea and Crate & Barrel, and launching a spinoff, MyForest Foods to produce gourmet mycelia for whole-food, meat-free ingredients.

AquaRealTime

AquaRealTime, a small business based in Boulder, Colorado, has released a new product, the OxyTracker. The OxyTracker is a cost-effective option for measuring dissolved oxygen (DO) in water, which serves as a crucial indicator of water quality. The device can be used as an early warning system for organic water contamination, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), allowing users to make important decisions regarding use or access to water. The device can accurately measure DO over a wide range and has even been commercialized with 200 units now operating in 22 states of the US, Canada, and Germany. The OxyTracker is a successor to the focus of AquaRealTime’s SBIR Phase I project, the Algae Tracker

Pure Blue Tech

Pure Blue Tech has developed a technology that uses ultrasound generated via thin and flexible efficient transducers, embedded in membrane filters- which effectively reduces the occurrence of membrane fouling by up to half. This technology can lower the cost of reverse osmosis treatment which is key to many reuse applications. As a result, Pure Blue Tech’s prototype technology has been successfully integrated in industrial-scale reverse osmosis systems and have pilot projects planned across North America to advance this innovative technology. Pure Blue was also able to recently secure an investment of $2 million in funding, to expand their company and accelerate product development.

Is EPA SBIR Right for You?

Are you ready to join hundreds of small businesses that have used EPA SBIR awards to develop and commercialize their environmental technologies? If your small business has a technology solution that helps solve one of EPA's priority topic areas, consider submitting your idea to help us protect public health and address our most pressing environmental problems. EPA welcomes proposals from small businesses and start-ups new to the program.

How to Apply for an SBIR Contract

EPA SBIR Solicitation Topics

The most recent EPA SBIR solicitation closed in August 2024. The solicitation topics were:

Clean and Safe Water

Nature-based Solutions for Water Reuse
Technologies for the Treatment of PFAS in Wastewater Sewage Sludge and Biosolids
Treatment for Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins in Drinking Water at the Household Scale

Air Quality & Climate

Technologies and Tools to Monitor and Reduce Air Toxics Exposures
Air Pollution Control Technologies for Small Sources

Homeland Security

Scenario-Based Training for Disaster Response

Circular Economy/Sustainable Materials

Preventing and Recycling Food Waste
Source Reduction and Reuse
Lowering Embodied Carbon in the Built Environment

Safer Chemicals

Rubber Anti-Degradants that are Lower Concern for Human Health and the Environment
Next Generation Fertilizers

Contacts

For questions, contact April Richards, SBIR Program Manager ([email protected]) or (202) 564-6462