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Three businesses in the Southeast win EPA research contracts

Release Date: 03/20/2008
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(Atlanta, Ga. – March 20, 2008) -- EPA is awarding three Phase I contracts to businesses in the southeast through its Small Business Innovation Research program. Each company will receive $70,000.

Each of the companies received Phase I, or “proof of concept,” awards to test the feasibility of their research concepts. If the results of this phase are successful, businesses can submit proposals for Phase II contracts, which can reach amounts up to $225,000 to help commercialize the technology. The following companies received Small Business Innovation Research contracts (by state):

Florida
EcoArray, Inc.
12085 Research Dr.
Alachua, FL 32615
Project Description: EcoArray, Inc. will monitor the effects of nanoparticles on human health using an inexpensive fathead minnow microarray. This project aims to identify genes that fluctuate in fathead minnows after acute exposure to nanotubes.

Georgia
nGimat Co.
5315 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30341 for hot coal gas cleanup
Project Description: nGimat Co. will use a nanomaterial solution to develop an inexpensive and efficient method for hot coal gas cleanup.

Tennessee
National Recovery Technologies, Inc.
566 Mainstream Dr.
Nashville, TN 37228
Project Description: National Recovery Technologies, Inc.'s objective is to determine the feasibility for developing a high speed automated sorting system for sorting plastics containing brominated flame retardant in an e-waste plastics stream.

EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program provides financial support to small businesses to translate their innovative ideas into commercial products that address environmental problems. SBIR has helped spawn successful commercial ventures that not only improve our environment, but also create jobs, increase productivity and economic growth, and enhance the international competitiveness of the U.S. technology industry.

The 22 million small businesses in the United States employ about 51 percent of the private work force and develop most of the country’s new technologies. Years ago, Congress recognized the need to strengthen the participation of small businesses in federally-funded research and development by passing a law creating the Small Business Innovation Research. An SBIR small business is defined as a for profit organization with no more than 500 employees.

Additional information about SBIR, can be found at www.epa.gov/ncer.sbir.