Grants for New Green Inventions

Green Technology

• Green technology plays a big part in the development of renewable energy resources and in reducing residential and commercial energy use. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, or EERE, awards grants to clean energy inventions that protect the environment and strengthen the economy. In 2009, the EERE awarded $2.2 billion dollars in federal funding to these types of businesses and industries. Although competitive grants head this funding opportunity, unsolicited proposals are accepted for innovative inventions.

Encouraging Green Ideas

• The Small Business Administration's Office of Technology administers the Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, Program. SBIR allocates funds to assist environmentally sustainable companies that develop clean energy inventions. Five federal departments support the SBIR program: the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. Overall, high-tech businesses are awarded $2 billion dollars annually for research and development.

Patents for Green Inventions

• The Green Technology Pilot Program has accelerated nearly 1,000 patent applications for green inventions. Patenting these technologies quicker can help inventors secure funding sooner and see the business plan to fruition at a faster pace. Program statistics show that patent applicants who use the program can obtain a patent much more quickly as compared to the standard process, which can progress slowly over the course of several years.

Patents for Green Inventions

• The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy, or DSIRE, maintains thousands of listings for green grants and loans. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE was established in 1995 with a goal to provide information on nationwide incentives involving renewable energy and eco-efficiency. Green inventions that have not been acquired for production also have the option of being submitted directly to the government for purchasing consideration. A list of purchasing offices is available through the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.