News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA Awards $400,000 for Small Businesses in L.A. County to Develop Innovative Environmental Technologies

A total of $2.3 million was awarded nationwide

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2.3 million in funding for 23 contracts with small businesses nationwide through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The program aims to develop technologies that will help protect human health and the environment. This year’s funded technologies are focused on clean and safe water, air quality monitoring, land revitalization, homeland security, sustainable material management, and safer chemicals. Four small businesses in Los Angeles County will receive $400,000 to focus on a range of environmental challenges.

“EPA’s Small Business funding supports our economy and opens doors to further environmental protection by fostering and encouraging small businesses to bring groundbreaking technologies to market,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With EPA funding, these entrepreneurs will be able to develop their ideas to address priority EPA issues ranging from cleaning up PFAS contamination to reducing food waste.”

“These four companies are great examples of small businesses that are working to revolutionize the way we protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “We look forward to seeing the innovative products and solutions they develop and their contribution to the welfare of communities here in Southern California and across the nation."

The L.A. County small businesses are each receiving $100,000 from EPA’s SBIR program, which awards contracts annually through a two-phase competition. After receiving a Phase I award, companies are eligible to compete for a Phase II award of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology.

SBIR Phase I recipients in California include:

• Catapower, Inc., Marina Del Rey, Calif., to convert vegetable oil waste to valuable commodities such as antimicrobial agents, ingredients for biofuels, and personal care products.
• Instrumental Polymer Technologies, LLC, Westlake Village, Calif., to develop a recyclable polymer concrete using biodegradable materials.
• Lucendi, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., to create a cost-effective, portable and automated technology to identify and characterize microplastics.
• Physical Optics Corporation, Torrance, Calif., to create a 3D mapping and visualization system to detect radiation contamination and help plan cleanup operations.

EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program, enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small businesses in federal research and development, create jobs, and promote U.S. technical innovation. To be eligible, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees.

For more information on EPA’s SBIR Phase I recipients, visit www.epa.gov/sbir

Learn more about the Federal SBIR Program at www.SBIR.gov

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