Department of Environmental Protection has announced the opening of the 2020 Small Business Advantage Grant program. This grant provides Pennsylvania small businesses the opportunity to acquire energy efficient or pollution prevention technologies with a 50% reimbursement matching grant for equipment or materials.
Pennsylvania businesses with fewer than 100 full-time equivalent employees are eligible to apply. Applicants must be for-profit entities, be located in Pennsylvania, and registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Eligible projects must save the applicant a minimum of $500 annually and reduce their costs by a minimum of 25%. Applications are reviewed and awarded on a First-Come, First-Served basis. I recommend applying as soon as possible.
New this year is the opportunity for farmers to install solar water pumping projects provided they offer off-site watering facilities for livestock in grazing fields. Solar projects generating electricity (ex. Rooftop PV) are not eligible.
They have created short instructional videos to assist small businesses with completing the application. The videos are project specific (Lighting Upgrades, Medical Equipment, Natural Resource Protection, and All Other Projects) and will make the application process easy for you. It is highly recommend that you view the videos before starting the application process.
Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in a webinar held on Wednesday, July 29 at 11:00 a.m. The webinar will review the guidelines for the 2020-21 grant year. Applicants and contractors are encouraged to participate. To join the webinar, click here. Once at the website, if you have Skype, click on “Join with Skype for Business (desktop)”. If you do not have Skype, click on “Install and join with Skype Meetings App (web)” to run a temporary web application. To participate via audio only, call 267-332-8737, use conference ID number 522347507#.
All documents needed to apply for the grant, as well as the instructional videos, can be found at the Small Business Advantage Grant webpage. If you have any questions, please contact Ed Boito at 717-783-0909 or cell 717-395-7435 or Caroline Zepp at (717) 772-5160.
Don’t delay in applying. Last year, the funds went quickly!