The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology is now taking applications for its Clean Tech Seed Grant Program — a program that is intended to help accelerate development and innovation of clean technologies by furthering research and development within the state’s clean technology startup community by offering grants of up to $75,000.
The application process will be open until 4 p.m. April 5 or until the program receives 50 completed applications, whichever comes first.
The total funding for this initial pilot program is $750,000. The funding is being provided through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Clean Energy Program.
Click here to learn more about eligibility requirements and here to apply.
The CSIT program, which was developed in coordination with the Economic Development Authority and the BPU, hopes to fund projects that are developing or testing clean technologies intended to recapture or avoid emissions of greenhouse gases and/or criteria pollutants, or to enable such avoidance or recapture.
The following technology areas are eligible under the program:
- Chemicals/advance materials;
- Energy distribution/storage;
- Energy efficiency;
- Energy generation;
- Green buildings;
- Transportation;
- Waste processing;
- Water and agriculture.
CSIT hopes the grants will help businesses continue their work toward the proof of concept and prototyping stages, at which point they can more readily attract outside investors and, in some cases, begin to generate revenue.
CSIT hosted an informational webinar last month on the Clean Tech Seed Grant Program. During the webinar, CSIT Executive Director Judith Sheft offered tips and advice to entrepreneurs that were considering applying to the program. A recording of the webinar can be found here.
Applications from businesses located in an Opportunity Zone-eligible census tract, minority- or woman-owned businesses, or businesses with technology coming out of New Jersey universities are all eligible for bonus points with respect to the scoring criteria.
