OpportunityTitle: i6 Green
CategoryExplanation: The mission of the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the global economy.  EDA partners with distressed communities throughout the United States to foster job creation, collaboration, and innovation. The Office of Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship (OIE), which was established to promote innovation-based, high-growth entrepreneurship in pursuit of job creation and economic growth, is central to these efforts across EDA, DOC, and the Administration as a whole. Under the i6 Green Challenge, EDA solicits competitive applications to support Proof of Concept Centers focused on the green economy.  Additional information can be found on the i6 Green website at www.eda.gov/i6.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Pursuant to EDA&apos;s authorizing statute, the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA), only the following types of entities are eligible to receive funding assistance from EDA:      1. District Organization (as defined in 13 C.F.R. &#167; 304.2);   2. Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes;   3. State, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;   4. Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; or   5. Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State.     See section 3 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. &#167; 3122) and 13 C.F.R. &#167; 300.3.       Under i6 Green, an eligible applicant must propose a Proof of Concept Center designed to accelerate technology-led economic development in pursuit of a green, efficient economy.  Please see section I.A. of the i6 Green Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for more information.  EDA is not authorized to provide grants directly or indirectly to individuals or to for-profit entities.  However, please note that supplemental Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds provided through the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) may be available to for-profit entities that are existing SBIR grantees (Phase II only) and are part of or central to the scope of work of winning applications.  See also section II.B. of the i6 Green FFO for information on additional funding opportunities and section III.A. for complete information on EDA&#146;s eligibility requirements.
Description: i6 Green is a multi-agency competition that focuses on the nexus between economic development and environmental quality, spotlighting the best ideas that contribute to a vibrant, innovative clean economy. EDA solicits competitive applications to encourage and reward innovative, ground-breaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization and new venture formation across the United States. i6 Green will reward communities that utilize Proof of Concept Centers to accelerate technology-led economic development in pursuit of a clean economy. Applicants must address a persistent problem or an unaddressed opportunity with a sense of urgency and demonstrate how an i6 Green Proof of Concept Center will remove existing road blocks and spark sustainable economic opportunities in the applicant&#146;s region. Applicants will be expected to incorporate a credible plan to access additional resources and demonstrate how the proposed effort will be sustained by a well-qualified team and partners. Please see section I.A. of the i6 Green FFO announcement for more information on the program requirements and expectations of i6 Green. EDA will coordinate this competition with its i6 Green Federal agency partners: NSF; EPA; USDA/NIFA; the Department of Energy (DOE); the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In addition to the EDA award, SBIR grantees that are part of or central to winning applications may be eligible to receive supplemental awards from the following participating agencies: NSF, EPA, and USDA/NIFA. In addition to SBIR funding, i6 Green recipients may be eligible for additional non-SBIR funding from the EPA and DOE. Also, recipients may be eligible for additional services from the USPTO as well as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of NIST. Please see section II.B. of the i6 Green FFO for more information on these opportunities. Please note that all amounts are contingent upon the availability of funding. Please see the full FFO announcement under &quot;i6 Green FFO Announcement Link&quot; below for complete information regarding the competition and to help ensure your application is timely received by EDA.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: grants@eda.doc.gov
GrantorContactText: Lindsey Pangretic