Inventions and Innovation (I&I), part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), provides grants to independent inventors and small companies with sound ideas for energy efficiency technologies. I&I was established in 1976 as the Energy Related Inventions Program (ERIP). The program received initial funding of $1,500,000, and, through 2000 received cumulative funding of $116,838,000.
I&I results include:
- $4.92 billion saved in cumulative energy fuel costs through 2001, which equals $42.28 saved in energy fuel costs for each dollar expended by I&I.
- More than 25 percent of I&I grantees successful in entering the marketplace.
- A cumulative 0.973 Quadrillion Btus saved since I&I's inception.
- Cumulative direct sales well over $700 million, and generating over $6 million annually in federal income taxes from 1,189 employees.
- As of 1996, the last year emission reductions were collected and reported, a reduction in carbon emissions by 1.5 million metric tons.
Once or twice each year, I&I solicits proposals from engineers, scientists, and small businesses. These solicitations can attract from 400-500 proposals each, and result in 20-30 awards. Awards are granted on the merit of novel technological solutions. The awards are given in two categories, as follows (the applicant is not required to apply for these in sequence):
- Category 1 offers up to $50,000 for the development of plans from sound ideas.
- Category 2 offers up to $250,000 for the development of working prototypes.
In addition to the financial assistance grant, I&I provides awardees with business planning assistance and networking resources. For grantees who demonstrate a commitment to commercializing their technology, I&I also funds a market assessment and offers business strategy assistance. I&I recently launched a Web site that offers information tools and valuable network resources for the entrepreneur. Finally, awardees have the option of working with a private organization of past successful grantees that will mentor or otherwise aid new entrepreneurs graduating from I&I. Since I&I's inception, over 34,000 proposals have been submitted, resulting in over 900 projects selected for financial and commercialization assistance. Awardees are monitored annually until their technologies are retired from the market or they abandon their efforts. Licensees are monitored as long as the technology remains on the market.