Author: Carrie Cox

Are you committed to commercializing new algae technologies? It’s time to get ahead of federal funding opportunities.

Algae cultivation, production and processing technologies have come a long way over the past decade. Successfully funding these innovations has been largely due to some dynamic collaborations between entrepreneurs, universities, national laboratories and federal agencies supporting cutting-edge technology advances and the economic benefits that can come with them.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s recently announced $79 million opportunity is one example of how federal support for R&D projects is propelling a new ecosystem of algae products and services. Other agencies working to improve the role of algae in the bioeconomy include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation and the Food and Drug Administration.

And beginning in 2019, the Department of Agriculture is preparing to offer millions in new funding to support the algae industry, thanks to a dramatic change in the latest Farm Bill advocated by ABO.

Now is the time for algae technology developers to explore these opportunities. We connected with some of our most experienced members and consultants to build a set of guidelines that can set more algae research projects on track for federal funding.

“Starting early may be the single most important step,” says Tim Zenk, principal at Molecule and a consultant with years of experience helping algae companies collaborate with federal agencies.

These guidelines are not exhaustive, but if you’re thinking of engaging with federal funding, they are some of the most important to keep in mind:

Start building relationships early

• The DOE, USDA and other funding agencies have dedicated staff that are designing and awarding technology development grants. They can be incredible resources for those that might apply for funding. Find out who is staffing the programs of interest and introduce yourself.
• Most funding opportunities are won by wide-ranging collaborations between several partners working together. Seek out and connect with the universities and national labs that you might be able to partner with for a proposal. Take a look at some of the previous winners to see what models have worked in the past.

Have your data in good shape

• Agencies are tasked with supporting the most worthy projects, and they will need to see rigorous data in your proposals. Make sure your science is sound, and that your engineering is ready for review.
• In most cases you will need more than theory. You will have to show what production experience you’ve had so far, or what scale of operations you are ready for today.

Know the funding announcements inside and out

• Make sure you understand the overarching goals behind the funding opportunities, and how you can help meet them.
• Some proposals are rejected because they fail to address small but crucial requirements that are spelled out in the funding announcement. Comb through the text and graphics provided by the funding agencies to ensure you can meet the appropriate production targets, design qualifications, etc.
• Look at the specific collaborators and other parties that are mentioned in the funding application materials. Find out what laboratories or other entities might be expected to participate and build them into your own network.

What to expect if you win an award

• Congratulations! Collaborating with a federal agency is a big responsibility, but there is no reason it should be overwhelming.
• Be ready to meet tight deadlines. Funding opportunities are built to meet goals around technology improvement, commercial production and economic development. There are hundreds of players and working with agency staff to get the timelines right will be important.
• You won’t have to share sensitive IP or trade secrets (unless otherwise clarified in the application process), but some information you share with agencies will be made public. Find out what comments, emails and reporting could be released.
• Be ready to meet reporting requirements. They won’t be overwhelming, but they are an important part of the process. Agencies want you to be successful, but lessons of unexpected results or even failures will be viewed as valuable.

If you don’t win

• Don’t be discouraged. This is a competitive process and agencies take care to evaluate and select the most worthy projects. Find out what you can do to make a stronger case the next time around.

“Follow the rules, have good science, and you’ll have a good shot,” says Zenk.

Ready to learn more?

ABO maintains a network of experts, consultants and contractors that are all standing by to help algae technology developers succeed when it comes to taking advantage of federal support. Reach out to get connected!

Ready to connect with the leaders of the algae industry? Come network with CEOs, federal agency staff, industry suppliers and others at the Algae Biomass Summit!

Members of the Algae Biomass Organization are at the forefront of advanced technology development, and many of them are also small businesses with enormous potential to create new jobs and help grow the economy. Toward that goal, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced this month up to $22 million in grants for several small business innovators to advance the next phase of their research.

The grants come from DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, and ABO member companies were among the recipients:

Algenesis Materials, based in Cardiff, CA, was awarded one grant to develop biodegradable polymers made from algae to produce athletic shoes and flip flops, and then identify methods that can control the biodegradation of the shoes for maximum function.

Global Algae Innovations, Inc., based in San Diego, CA and creator of the industry-leading Zobi harvesting system was awarded two grants. One will be used to develop an ultra-low-cost plastic pond liner that could have enormous impacts for the commercial algae industry, and another for technologies that can control temperature throughout the year in open ponds for algae production.

MicroBio Engineering, based in San Luis Obispo, CA will use their award to build and demonstrate a fully automated laboratory microalgae cultivation system with over a dozen individual reactors. The advances will help increase production and reduce costs for algae that can be used for biofuels, animal feeds, and other bioproducts. 

These Phase I grants provide up to $200,000 each, and awardees will be eligible to apply for Phase II grants of up to $1 million next year. 

Congratulations to these ABO members! Want to learn more about these projects? Leaders from these companies will be at the 2019 Algae Biomass Summit in Orlando, September 16-19. 

You can learn more about these DOE grants and other awardees at the Green Chemicals Blog. 

Ready to learn how you can prepare to take advantage of federal funding opportunities? Read these guidelines to get started. 

 

ABO member Algenuity announced this month that is has launched its ground-breaking Chlorella Colours platform for the food industry. The new colors are made possible by innovations in strain development that result in both performance and production improvements for ingredients that are used in everything from foods and drinks, to supplements and other products. 

Natural and sustainable color ingredients for food products are often difficult to produce, or suffer from performance problems when it comes to odor and taste. Algenuity has overcome these challenges by developing a strain that contains almost no chlorophyll, but retains the valuable color attributes that are in demand in markets for vegan, protein-rich, or whole-cell ingredients. 

Chlorella Colours’ yellow, lime and white hues can also be produced with heterotrophic production methods, so they don’t need sunlight to grow. This means they can be made in controlled conditions that overcome some of the operational challenges that come with producing pure algae-based products at scale. 

Read more about Chlorella Colours here. 

Ready to take advantage of the algae opportunity? We have just posted the agenda for the world’s largest algae conference, the 2019 Algae Biomass Summit. 

Join us in Orlando, Florida this September 16-19 to network with industry leaders, learn about new products, research innovations, and see cutting-edge algae technologies first-hand. 

Make your plans soon, our early-bird rates expire a month earlier than past years: July 1st, 2019. 

Topical themes that will be explored at the largest gathering of algae professionals include:

• Hundreds of new products that algae can create in markets for sustainable protein alternatives, aquaculture and animal feeds, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and skin care, biofuels, fertilizers, clothing, plastics, and much more
• The critical role algae can play carbon capture, water treatment and other industrial services in need of process and sustainability improvements
• A new federal inter-agency group setting the agenda for advancing algae technologies and innovations, including millions of dollars in funding to be announced over the next year
• Scientific advances in algae cultivation, harvesting, strain selection, and more
• Education and training opportunities for the algae workforce

If you attend the 2019 Summit you will also have a rare chance to tour carbon capture and algae cultivation demonstration at a nearby power plant operated by the Orlando Utilities Commission. This project, supported by the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, illustrates how algae can be used to address climate change and produce valuable biomass for fuel, feed or other products. More information about the tour is available at: https://www.algaebiomasssummit.org/page/tours

In addition to more than a hundred speakers, the Summit features networking and hands-on demonstrations in a central exhibit hall, a product showcase, and a Young Innovators Lounge for early-career scientists.

The Summit is the go-to conference for all things algae. Sign up today and make your plans to visit Orlando!

See the agenda

Registration info

Tour info