The Department of Environmental Protection invites manufacturers, retailers, service providers, agricultural businesses and other small businesses to apply for a Small Business Advantage Grant to finance pollution prevention and energy efficiency projects.

The application period will open October 6. (formal notice)

Applicants will be considered on a first come, first served basis. Applications will be accepted until fiscal year 14-15 funds are exhausted or April 15, 2015, whichever occurs first.

The grants provide funding to projects that include auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks, HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery systems and waste recycling systems.

Applicants must be a for-profit corporation, limited liability corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other legal entity with 100 or fewer full-time employees. The grant-supported project must be located in Pennsylvania and be owned by the applicant.

Eligible projects must save the business a minimum of $500 and 25 percent annually in energy consumption or pollution related expenses.

Businesses can apply for 50-percent matching funds of up to $9,500 to adopt or acquire energy-efficient or pollution-prevention equipment or procedures. Funding is eligible for those costs incurred between October 6, 2014 and June 30, 2015.

Last year, DEP awarded 133 grants totaling more than $981,000 to Pennsylvania businesses to support pollution prevention and energy efficient upgrades, spurring more than $3.6 million in private investment.

The grant program is funded by the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, which is primarily supported by the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and Act 13 Impact Fee.

Applicants are advised to carefully review the guidance document, which has been updated and is also available on the website.

Applications must be mailed to the Department of Environmental Protection's Grants Center, P.O. Box 8776, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8776 or hand delivered to the center, 15th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market St., Harrisburg. Faxes or electronic submissions will not be accepted.

For more information, visit the Small Business Advantage Grant webpage or contact the Small Business Ombudsman's Office at 717-772-5160 or send email to: epadvantagegrant@pa.gov.

10/6/2014