The Department of Environmental Protection announced this week it has closed the application period for the 2008-09 Small Business Advantage Grant early due to demand.

The program helps small businesses reduce energy consumption and promote pollution prevention technologies.

DEP said the program exhausted the available resources within 10 business days, which would shatter the previous year’s record. Last year, the grant round was open for only 22 days and more than 170 grants were awarded to small businesses within Pennsylvania.

The Small Business Advantage Grant Program provides a 50 percent matching grant of up to $7,500 for businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees to purchase equipment or institute processes that reduce energy consumption and prevent pollution while helping to increase profitability. The program is open to small business owners whose business or facility is located in Pennsylvania.

The variety of projects illustrates how small businesses are attempting to cope with escalating energy costs and, according to DEP’s Small Business Ombudsman Julien Gaudion, the growing interest in the grants speaks to the immediate needs of small businesses to improve profitability and their operational efficiency.

"The interest in the Small Business Advantage Grants is being driven by high and volatile energy prices that are pinching the bottom line of Pennsylvania’s small businesses, and that poses a threat to our economy,” said Gaudion. "These grants will help businesses conserve energy and operate more efficiently.

"Small businesses will also benefit from the newly passed Alternative Energy Investment Fund, which will provide $192.5 million to help small businesses and residential power consumers purchase and install solar energy and energy conservation technologies."

For more information, visit the Small Business Advantage Grant webpage.

8/1/2008