§16253 Small Business Bioproduct Marketing and Certification Grants

Summary

The Agriculture Secretary will run a competitive grant program that gives money to makers of biobased products for marketing and for getting products certified. Eligible applicants are manufacturers who plan to use the money for those purposes and who have not gotten one of these grants before. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees get a preference. Grants can pay for working capital for marketing and for certification to earn the USDA biobased label or other standards the Secretary sets. Grant recipients must provide equal non‑Federal matching funds and must spend those matching funds before asking for grant reimbursement. No grant can be more than $100,000. The Secretary will set application and admin rules. Funding authorized: $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and whatever is needed for fiscal years 2007–2015.