Green Technology Commercialization An Analysis of the EPA’s SBIR Program
Authors
William Forster, Stephen Johnston, Nicholas Peter LaJeunesse, Angelica Monica Zawada
Sponsor
Environmental Protection Agency
Advisors
James Hanlan, David DiBiasio
Term
October – December 2013
Project Outcomes
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to identify how the EPA SBIR program can effectively utilize its limited funding by selecting and supporting small green business entrepreneurs with the greatest potential for bringing products to market. We interviewed representatives both from companies that successfully and unsuccessfully commercialized their technologies. Our team additionally contacted managers of similar programs, including other federal agencies’ SBIR programs, a green technology accelerator, and a venture capitalist company. We also distributed an electronic questionnaire to principal investigators. From the collected data, we developed a list of recommendations for the EPA’s SBIR selection and support processes.