The federal government has awarded nearly $6.7 million to six Maine companies for various research-and-development projects.
The funds come in the form of Small Business Innovation Research grants, which are provided to support early-stage, high-risk, technology-oriented research and development leading to the commercialization of new products and services, according to a news release from the Maine Technology Institute, which assists Maine companies in preparing SBIR grant proposals.
“Helping Maine small businesses secure critically needed research and development funds from the federal government to help drive and grow innovation in our state is a core competency of MTI,” Brian Whitney, MTI’s president, said in a statement. “The federal grant process is a tremendously complicated one so MTI is pleased to offer no-cost assistance and funding to help Maine applicants put their best foot forward.”
The six Maine companies received SBIR grants for four different federal agencies. Here are the companies:
- Alba-Technic LLC, based in Winthrop, will receive a SBIR Phase I grant of $224,682 from the National Institutes of Health to support the development of an innovative, wearable product for the elderly, who are susceptible to falls, to protect their hips.
- Compotech Inc., based in Brewer, will receive $4,402,628 from the Department of Defense to develop a rapidly deployable armor system made from state-of-the-art composites that can provide immediate ballistic protection to critical assets within a basecamp environment. This award led to a follow-on $35 million production contract, according to the news release.
- Eldertide LLC, based in Dresden, will receive a SBIR Phase I grant of $99,994 from the Department of Defense to establish the technical feasibility of developing a blended juice concentrate utilizing a novel hybrid membrane juice concentration technology.
- Home Care Business Services Inc., based in Falmouth, will receive a SBIR Phase I grant of $225,000 from the National Science Foundation to support the creation of a proprietary algorithm that produces a patient-specific hospital readmission-risk score.
- Introspective Systems LLC, based in Portland, will receive a SBIR Phase II grant of $956,277 from the Department of Energy to fund the development of a complex software frameworks that can help small energy grids reallocate resources based on price triggers and test it in a realistic environment.
- The Montalvo Corporation of Gorham will receive a SBIR Phase II grant of $750,000 from the National Science Foundation to develop and test modular tow tension control devices and prototype units for the composites industry.
MTI, created by the Maine Legislature in 2000, provides funding to Maine entrepreneurs operating in one of seven target industries: aquaculture and marine technology, biotechnology, composite materials, environmental technologies, forestry and agriculture, precision manufacturing, and information technology.
