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

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Unlike sectors such as transportation, energy and healthb care, the stimulus package does not included formula fundingfor technology, according to John chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Maziwe Hirono, D-Hawaii. Instead, fewer than a dozen competitivre grantsare available, tied to specific technologuy projects. And those grants have strict guidelines andtighty deadlines, which have put off smaller John Strom, director of business developmentt and technology for , said few local companiez have expressed interest in pursuing the “You have to put out a tremendous amountt of effort,” he said. “Youj have to find matching funds and then write theactua grant.
” While details of some of the grant opportunities have yet to be Strom said he’s aware of eight stimulus grants that Hawai companies and government agencies could qualify for, wortyh a total of more than $100 He said the nonprofit Enterprise Honolulu has participated in three proposal so far, including a $22 milliom grant through the federal Department of Energyy called the Clean Cities The program, with total funding of $300 million, aims to encourage the use of plug-inb electric vehicles or other emerging electric vehicle technologies. Thoser eligible to apply includ state andcity governments, transportation authorities and privatw and nonprofit companies.
Strom said Hawaii’s grant proposal includes commitments from to buy electric vehicles for part of itsservicw fleet; the City and County of Honoluly to invest in hybrid buses; and California-based Better Place to builde 200 public charging stations on Oahu. Clean Cities proposals were due last recipients won’t be notified until August. The technology grant s made available through the stimuluss package focus on proven technologies and do not includse money for researchand “A key criteria is that the monety be used for shovel-ready projects and to create Strom said. “This is not R&D money.” Other tech-related grantsz — which are listed at grants.
gov — • Up to 15 grants for $50 millionj each to build integrated biorefineries toproducre biofuel. • Up to two grants for $3 milliomn each for large-scale photovoltaic systems. • A $4.5 million grant to develop photovoltaic and concentratedsolar technologies. • Up to 15 grant for $10 million each for energy-efficient communicatioj technologies such as data centers andtelecon systems. • Up to 60 grants for $5 million each for geothermap technologies. Strom said most of the grantzs involve projects that individual Hawaii companies likeluy cannot qualify for or complete ontheir own.
He said the stimulu s projects require ateam effort, usually involvint a state agency, which in Hawaii’s case woulc be the state Departmentt of Business, Economic Development and “That’s where Enterprise Honolulu can he said. “We can put togetherd small teams of companies or individuals because Hawaioioften doesn’t have that one big companuy that can handle a project.” Applying for stimulus grant money involved registering with the federal government’xs FedConnect Web site. Applicants also need to request aDUNS (Datw Universal Numbering System) number and register with the Centralo Contractor Registry.
Grant applications can be submitted onlineat