PA Small Business Advantage Grant

This program helps businesses grow and modernize by offering a 50/50 match on eligible equipment purchases. Elligible businesses can receive up to $20,000 in matching grant funds.

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.

Compete for a $50,000 prize in the 12th annual Veteran Shark Tank on December 8, 2025, in Philadelphia. To qualify, your business must be under three years old, veteran-owned (at least 50%), and have a clean legal record. Use the prize to enhance your business. Submit your application by October 1, 2025, including a brief video pitch and a PowerPoint presentation outlining your business plan.

The Rural and Agriculture Energy Assistance Program offers grants to farms, ranches, and rural small businesses to help cover the costs of energy audits. Audits are performed by approved assessors who review energy use, as well as buildings, processes, and equipment. The goal is to find ways to be more energy efficient. The grant program covers 75% of the audit expense, with applicants paying the remaining 25% of the costs. Energy assessment costs vary depending on size and scope but typically range between $4,000 and $8,500.

A pioneer for women in business, Olga Loizon persevered through every obstacle to create one of metro Detroit’s most iconic restaurant concepts, Olga’s Kitchen. In honor of Olga Loizon and her legacy, TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants and Olga’s Kitchen have founded the Olga Loizon Memorial Foundation. The foundation focuses on entrepreneurial women who would be unable to attain the resources necessary to start a business or otherwise continue with their business development. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to women-owned businesses in Michigan.