Reed: 2 R.I. companies awarded combined $300K for small-business R&D grants

PROVIDENCE – Two Rhode Island companies received $299,788 in federal small business research and development grants, Sen. Jack F. Reed announced Monday.

Aquanis Inc. of East Greenwich and Prisere LLC of Warwick were awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Energy for small business innovation research. The program is designed to assist companies begin “promising scientific discoveries and see them through to producing commercial products with societal benefits.”

Aquanis received $149,923 to develop a wind turbine blade surface coating to improve the efficiency of wind turbines by reducing damage from lightning.

Prisere was awarded $149,864 to develop building energy modeling applications to help unlock “reinsurance capital to finance energy efficiency measures that enhance the resiliency of properties, thereby lowering disaster-related losses.”

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“I commend Aquanis and Prisere for their hard work and ingenuity in winning these competitive SBIR Phase I awards. … I have long supported SBIR funding to try to bring together private-sector expertise with federal research and development efforts,” stated Reed. “One of the best ways to grow Rhode Island’s economy is by helping companies that are on the cutting edge invest, expand and hire new workers here at home. Together, we can help make Rhode Island a great place for entrepreneurs to start and grow a company and ensure more small businesses can launch their innovative ideas and products.”

Nationwide, 34 grants such as the two awarded in Rhode Island were awarded in this round of funding. The grants were designated as phase I grants – most of which were for nearly $150,000. If completed successfully, projects are eligible for phase II funding, which may provide up to $1.5 million, according to the U.S. DOE. An award known as the sequential Phase II award may also provide up to an additional $1 million.

Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor.