Federal "green" business grants
As ecological awareness has gained momentum in business operations over the past several years, more and more businesses and residences are reforming their operations and building designs to meet eco-friendly or "green" standards.
In recent years, the federal government, in addition to mandating that all new buildings constructed by several agencies meet green standards, have made grants available for privately owned businesses and homeowners to go green.
Green Job Training
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department of Labor (DOL) opened the Green Capacity Building Grants program.
Charged with the disbursement of $5 million in grant monies, the DOL Employment and Training Administration is responsible for funding businesses and non-profits that work to ensure that "targeted" groups are equipped to find employment in the growing "green" industries sector, with an emphasis on renewable energy technology.
Eligible entities for these grants (ranging from $50,000 to $100,000) are groups that take part in the training of individuals under other existing grant programs, such as the Indian and Native American Program, the National Farmworker Jobs Program, the Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative and the Senior Community Service Employment.
Green Buildings for Universities
Another green grant program created by the Recovery and Reinvestment Act is the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Construction Grant Program. This grant program, open to non-profits and academic institutions, is charged with disbursing $180 million for the development of environmentally friendly research science buildings, primarily targeted at university campuses.
Community Environment
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides grants through its Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program. The goal of this program, which has been disbursing funds to communities throughout the nation since 2005, is to reduce the amount of toxic materials produced in a community and reduce the exposure of residents to toxic elements. The CARE program works to accomplish this goal through a partnership with community schools, businesses and other government agencies.
There are two available levels of funding for communities involved with the CARE program, Level One and Level Two. Communities receiving Level One funding may receive up to $90,000 and those on the Level Two schedule may receive up to $275,000.
