Going to Bat for Small Business

The Electrochemical Systems program is part of the Chemical Process Systems cluster, which also includes: 1) the Catalysis program; 2) the Interfacial Engineering program; and 3) the Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics program. The goal of the Electrochemical Systems program is to support fundamental engineering science research that will enable innovative processes involving electrochemistry or photochemistry for the sustainable production of electricity, fuels, chemicals, and other specialty and commodity products. Processes utilizing electrochemistry or photochemistry for sustainable energy and chemical production must be scalable, environmentally benign, reduce greenhouse gas production, and utilize renewable resources. Research projects that stress fundamental understanding of phenomena that directly impact key barriers to improved system or component-level performance (for example, energy efficiency, product yield, process intensification) are encouraged. Processes for energy storage should address fundamental research barriers for renewable electricity storage applications, for transport propulsion, or for other applications that could have impact towards climate change mitigation. For projects concerning energy storage materials, proposals should involve testable hypotheses that involve device or component performance characteristics that are tied to fundamental understanding of transport, kinetics, or thermodynamics. Advanced chemistries beyond lithium-ion are encouraged. Proposed research on processes utilizing electrochemistry or photochemistry should be inspired by the need for economic and impactful conversion processes. All proposal project descriptions should address how the proposed work, if successful, will improve process realization and economic feasibility and compare the proposed work against current state of the art. Topics of interest include: -Electrochemical energy storage and electrochemical production/conversion systems. -Radically new battery systems that can move the U.S. more rapidly toward a more sustainable transportation future and to greater renewable electricity production penetration. -High-energy density and high-power density batteries suitable for transportation and renewable energy storage applications are of primary interest. -Advanced systems involving metal anodes, solid-state electrolytes, nonaqueous systemsbeyond lithium, aqueous systems beyond lithium,and multivalent chemistries are encouraged. -Novel electrochemical and photochemical systems and processes for the production of chemicals and high-value products are encouraged. Additional fundamental science topics of interest to this program include the study of: -advanced fuel cell systems or fuel cell components for transportation propulsion or grid energy storage applications; -flow batteries for stationary energy storage applications including alternative redox chemistries (e.g., organic, inorganic, organometallic, macromolecular) and operating -strategies (e.g., redox-mediation, suspensions); and -photocatalytic or photoelectrochemical processes and devices for the splitting of water into hydrogen gas or for the reduction of carbon dioxide to liquid or gaseous fuels.

The Credibly Small Business Award celebrates passionate business owners who are making an impact in their communities. We award exceptional small businesses each year with funding to accelerate their growth.

The Business Initiation Grant provides qualifying, new business startups with a "leg up" at their most critical time. The grant offers up to $5,000 for startup costs to qualified applicants. The entrepreneur is required to participate in a business planning workshop through one of Englewood's economic partners. The business owner must have a fully developed business plan which will be reviewed by the experts at the Aurora-South Small Business Development Center. Grant funding may be used for any valid purpose and a physical storefront or business presence in a commercial or industrial district is required. Capital improvements are permanent investments in the building or on the property, which are generally associated with a building permit. Businesses opened in Englewood within the last 12 months are eligible to apply. Grant funding is limited, and not all businesses that apply may be funded.

The Business Security Camera Program encourages businesses to purchase and install exterior cameras on commercial properties. The program seeks to increase safety for shoppers, residents, and employees. Businesses citywide can receive up to 75% of the total eligible costs, as much as $3,000 for a single commercial property.

Purpose: The Orphan Site Cleanup Fund (OSCF) is a grant program providing financial assistance to eligible applicants for the cleanup of sites contaminated by leaking petroleum underground storage tanks where there is no financially responsible party, and the applicant is not an eligible claimant to the UST Cleanup Fund. The maximum amount of grant monies available for an eligible occurrence is $1 million. Description: Grants provide funding for response actions that characterize, assess, andinvestigate an unauthorized release from petroleum USTs. These actions include apreliminary site assessment, soil and groundwater investigations, and preparation of a corrective action plan in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11. Grants may also provide funding for UST system removal, petroleum product removal and soil excavation, not to exceed 500 cubic yards at the eligible site. Grants also provide funding for response actions that carry out cleanup activities,implement a corrective action plans, and perform verification monitoring in accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11. If a corrective action plan is required, the State Water Board cannot award a cleanup grant until the applicant demonstrates the corrective action plan is complete and approved by the regulatory agency. However, the applicant may apply for a cleanup grant before completion and approval of the corrective action plan. Note that only the current property owner is eligible for a Cleanup Grant.