The deadline to submit requests for assistance in Round 3 of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) pilot was extended to November 13. 

Small businesses in the clean-energy sector have another opportunity to submit Requests for Assistance (RFA) for technical assistance from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) labs through the SBV Pilot.

The SBV Pilot's third round was launched by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) on October 10 at South By Southwest Eco (SXSW Eco) in Austin, Texas. The pilot, part of EERE's Lab Impact portfolio, aims to help small businesses bring next-generation clean energy technologies to market faster by giving them access to expertise and tools at national labs.

The SBV Pilot opened its first funding round in fall 2015 and launched its second last spring. Since then, nearly 800 applications have been reviewed, and 76 small businesses from 25 states have been awarded a total of $14.7 million in vouchers.

For this third round, EERE strongly welcomes the chance to collaborate with small businesses that have little to no experience working with a DOE national laboratory. Individual vouchers range from $50,000 to $300,000 per small business and can be used to perform collaborative research or to provide access to lab instrumentation or facilities. Companies selected must also provide a 20 percent, in-kind cost share for completing voucher work.

The SBV pilot gives our nation's clean-tech small businesses the opportunity to take their innovative products to the next level. By supporting their growth, the U.S. helps these companies make a more meaningful impact on the economy and clean-energy sector.

Businesses interested in SBV funding must be U.S.-based and U.S.-owned, with no more than 500 full-time employees worldwide. $12 million is available for vouchers in rounds three and four. Companies have until November 13 to submit RFAs.

To learn more about national lab's expertise and the process to submit an RFA, please visit the SBV Pilot website.