New CSIT Clean Tech grant program seeks small business applications until April 5

The New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) is accepting applications until April 5 for its Clean Tech Seed Grant Program for very early-stage, New Jersey-based clean technology companies. Federal funding will not affect applicants' eligibility, so small businesses in New Jersey who collaborate with federal labs are encouraged to apply.

The program will help accelerate development and innovation of clean technologies by furthering research and development (R&D) within the Garden State’s clean technology startup community. CSIT developed the program in coordination with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).

Specifically, the Clean Tech Seed Grant Program will 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. 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.

The following technology areas are eligible under the program:

* Chemicals/Advance Materials

* Energy Distribution/Storage

* Energy Efficiency

* Energy Generation

* Green Buildings

* Transportation

* Waste Processing, and

* Water and Agriculture.

These 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.

The application will be open until April 5, 2021 at 4 p.m. or until the program receives 50 completed applications, whichever comes first. Qualified applicants can receive up to $75,000 in grants through the Clean Tech Seed Grant Program and the total funding for this initial pilot program is $750,000. The funding is being provided through NJBPU’s Clean Energy Program.

The application is available at: https://application.njeda.com/csit

Complete program eligibility requirements can be found at https://www.njeda.com/clean-tech-grant.

View an informational webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xefd9S0uzao