The Department of Environmental Protection this week awarded 39 grants totaling $224,318 to help small businesses enhance energy efficiency and promote pollution prevention.

The investments are leveraging more than $850,000 in private funds, almost four times the amount of the state grants.

The grants, awarded under the Small Business Advantage Grant Program, provide a 50-percent match of up to $7,500 for equipment or processes to reduce energy consumption and promote pollution prevention while increasing profitability.

The Small Business Advantage Grant Program is open to small business owners whose business or facility is located in Pennsylvania. An eligible applicant must be a for-profit business enterprise that is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, sole proprietorship or other legal entity that has no more than 100 employees and is a separate legal business entity at the time the application is submitted. Applicants may be manufacturers or service providers.

A list of grants awarded is available online.

Funding for this fiscal year has been exhausted for the Small Business Advantage Grant Program.

10/20/2006