Today concludes National Small Business Week as we have celebrated the ingenuity, talent, and determination of America’s entrepreneurs and workers. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. More than half of Americans either own or work for small businesses, which create two out of every three jobs in the U.S. each year.

This year has presented extraordinary challenges, with a global pandemic striking at the very heart of the U.S. economy. Small businesses were some of the hardest hit as many have had to close their doors either temporarily or permanently. But we also know the American spirit of strength, resilience, and perseverance will triumph, and our economy will thrive once again.

At DOE, we believe in small businesses and the continual expansion and growth of our energy infrastructure. This is why we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs who will advance the latest in energy development through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). 

Together, SBIR and TCF aim to bolster scientific excellence and technological innovation focused on building a strong national economy by supplying funding for small businesses. SBIR is specifically for companies that want to test innovative ideas and conduct research to develop cutting-edge products that show promise in the future of energy technology. TCF partners DOE’s famed National Laboratories with entrepreneurs, fostering strong connections and fueling American competition by bringing technological advancements to the marketplace. 

Working with 13 offices throughout DOE, grants are available for research and development projects across a wide range of diverse disciplines including cyber security, electricity, renewables, fossil fuels, nuclear, fusion sciences, and environmental management.

Through the SBIR program, DOE contributed more than $254 million in 2020 to hundreds of small businesses across the country to advance various research and development projects that fill critical national needs while stimulating the economy. These funds will support our small businesses as many struggle to remain open. A few of the award recipients and their endeavors are highlighted below.

Small businesses in Colorado show promise in the areas of energy efficiency, renewables, fossil energy, and nuclear energy.  From extracting and recycling rare earth elements and converting ocean plastic waste to new plastics to capturing carbon dioxide emissions, these research and development projects are advancing up-and-coming technologies of the future. Read more about them here.

Several companies in Massachusetts are progressing in areas of energy efficiency, cost reduction, environmental soundness, or overall energy reliability. From anchoring offshore wind turbines and developing alternative jet fuels to harnessing wave energy, these small businesses will revolutionize the way we produce and use energy. Read more about these fascinating projects here.

And several small businesses in Pennsylvania are advancing a number of innovative projects that will increase the efficiency of the water purification process, use artificial intelligence to improve the energy efficiency and resiliency of commercial refrigeration systems, and better protect coal-fired power plants during natural disasters.

DOE is proud to sponsor, partner with, and promote the many small businesses that provide millions of jobs and stimulate the economy with so many promising scientific and technological advances. COVID-19 may have knocked us down, but we are certainly not out. Our nation’s entrepreneurs will overcome the current pandemic and the various challenges they face. And our small businesses will flourish once again, creating a stronger, safer, and more secure and prosperous America.