PNNL Seeks Small Business Voucher Program Merit Review Panelists

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was recently named a Lead Laboratory in the U.S. Department of Energy’s new $20 million Small Business Voucher pilot program. The program allows small businesses to request free technology assistance from DOE national laboratories. PNNL expects to receive 600 applications, for which about 100 will receive vouchers.

PNNL is assembling a panel to conduct merit reviews of voucher requests in the bioenergy area. The panel will be made up of technical and business experts with an interest in renewable energy from both inside and outside the national laboratory system. CleanTech Alliance members with interest in this area are encouraged to apply.

Each panelist is expected to review approximately 10 applications. Each application is five pages, plus up to three one-page resumes and two pages of additional graphics.

I am writing to see if you would be willing to serve on the bioenergy merit review panel. We are looking for about five panelists with strong business acumen and some awareness of bioenergy. The bioenergy topic is likely to result in about 10 vouchers awarded.

The merit review criteria are available at www.sbv.org/community-library/accounts/92/925112/SBVMeritReviewCriteria_FINAL%20(1).pdf. Comments will not be required of merit reviewers.

Merit reviews must be completed between November 2 and November 13. Before requests are distributed for scoring, there will be a conference call or webinar to orient reviewers, but this orientation will also be recorded for viewing/listening as convenient. Reviewers from outside of the DOE national laboratory system will be offered a stipend of $200 for each request reviewed and scored.

If interested, please contact Gary Spanner by October 15. Provide your name, affiliation (if any), e-mail address, phone number and a two-sentence description of your qualifications to serve as a merit reviewer (i.e., angel investor with four successful exits, hold a BS in chemical engineering).

Thank you for your consideration to participate as a reviewer in this important new tool for the DOE national laboratory system to support small clean energy businesses.