EPSCoT ROUND 2 UNDERWAY

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration (TA) has announced the availability of approximately $2 million in funding for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT). The program will provide 6-8 matching grants to support technology development, deployment, and diffusion through public-private partnerships in states which traditionally do not receive significant federal R&D funding.

While EPSCoT is conceptually modeled to parallel the multi-agency EPSCoR, the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, EPSCoT has expanded its eligibility this year to include nine non-EPSCoR states. Alabama, an EPSCoR state and a $300,000 award recipient in the first round of EPSCoT, is not included in the current list of EPSCoT-eligible states.

Applications for FY 1999 EPSCoT awards will be accepted for projects from companies, government agencies, academic institutions or organizations headquartered in one of the following 27 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.

No more than one award will be made in any state in a given year. Joint proposals from multiple states are encouraged, do not count toward the one-award-per-state limit, and receive a less stringent match requirement. Single state proposals must match federal funding dollar for dollar with no more than half as in-kind. Multi-state proposals must fund only 25 percent of the total project costs.

This is the second, and possibly final, round of EPSCoT funding since the President's budget requested no additional funds for grants in FY 2000. The President's budget request for FY 2000 indicates the results of the program will be evaluated next year based on the awards made in 1998 and 1999. Since funding is available for projects of  12-36 months in duration, many of the EPSCoT awards will not be completed until after FY 2000.

In January, six awards totaling $1.6 million were announced for the  first round of funding. In addition to Alabama, winners included  Maine, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Idaho, and a four-state project involving South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.

Proposals in response to the solicitation must be received by TA on or before May 14, 1999; postmark date is not sufficient. No electronic or fax submissions are permitted either. Questions concerning the program should be directed to EPSCoT Program Director, Anita Balachandra at epscot@ta.doc.gov or 202/482-1320.

Copies of the announcement and forms may be downloaded from the EPSCoT web site: http://www.ta.doc.gov/epscot.