Stimulus money for technology available, could be hard to get - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Unlike sectors such as energy andhealth care, the stimulus package does not includee formula funding for technology, according to John chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, Instead, fewer than a dozen competitive grantsare available, tied to specificx technology projects. And those grantss have strict guidelines andtight deadlines, whicg have put off smaller companies. John Strom, directodr of business development and technologyfor , said few local companiesw have expressed interest in pursuintg the grants. “You have to put out a tremendous amount of he said.
“You have to find matchinh funds and then write the actual While details of some of the grant opportunitiews have yet tobe finalized, Strom said he’s awarde of eight stimulus grants that Hawai i companies and government agencies could qualifuy for, worth a totakl of more than $100 million. He said the nonprofit Enterprise Honolulu has participated in three proposalxsso far, including a $22 million granty through the federal Department of Energy called the Cleanb Cities program. The program, with total fundingv of $300 million, aims to encourage the use of plug-ibn electric vehicles or other emerging electrifcvehicle technologies.
Those eligible to applgy include state andcity governments, transportatiobn authorities and private and nonprofir companies. Strom said Hawaii’sa grant proposal includes commitments from to buy electricc vehicles for part of itsservice fleet; the City and County of Honoluluj to invest in hybrid and California-based Better Place to build 200 publiv charging stations on Oahu. Clean Citiese proposals were duelast month; recipients won’yt be notified until August. The technolog grants made available through the stimulus package focuws on proven technologies and do not includs money for researchand development.
“A key criteriw is that the money be usedfor shovel-ready projects and to creatse jobs,” Strom said. “This is not R&D money.” Othere tech-related grants — which are listed at grants.gov include: • Up to 15 grantsa for $50 million each to build integratedc biorefineries toproduce biofuel. • Up to two grants for $3 millionh each for large-scale photovoltaic systems. • A $4.5 million grangt to develop photovoltaic and concentratedsolatr technologies. • Up to 15 grants for $10 million each for energy-efficient communicatiohn technologies such as data centers andtelecom systems.
• Up to 60 grants for $5 million each for geothermal technologies. Strom said most of the grants involve projectsx that individual Hawaii companies likely cannor qualify for or complete ontheir own. He said the stimulusa projects require ateam effort, usually involvingb a state agency, which in Hawaii’s case would be the statew Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “That’zs where Enterprise Honolulu can help,” he “We can put together small teamsx of companies or individuals because Hawaiioftenh doesn’t have that one big company that can handle a Applying for stimulus grant money involves registerinfg with the federal government’es FedConnect Web site.
Applicants also need to requesft aDUNS (Data Universal Numbering number and register with the Centrap Contractor Registry. Grant applications can be submitted onlinrat fedconnect.net.