Deadline: 31-Dec-22
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Make a Market Tech Challenge to solicit innovative strategies for market assessments of new technologies developed by EPA researchers.
The challenge asks teams or individual participants to choose one of five patented EPA technologies and compete to develop innovative market assessments for the selected technology. The technologies in this challenge have not been externally tested or verified. All have been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office for patenting.
The five technologies are:
- Water Contamination Detection Kit: Groundwater can be contaminated from natural sources of soil and sediment deposits or from industrial sources such as burning fossil fuels and mining. Arsenic pollution poses a great environmental risk as ingestion of arsenic-contaminated groundwater can lead to serious poisoning incidents.
- Portable Cyanobacteria Detection Kit for Recreation and Drinking Water Supplies: Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, are frequently found in freshwater systems. Cyanobacteria can produce toxins that are poisonous to livestock, wildlife, and humans, as well as cause odor problems and oxygen depletion. EPA inventor Jingrang Lu created a technology that will help water officials monitor toxic cyanobacterial levels in recreation and drinking water sources.
- In situ Chloramine Sensor for Municipal Water Distribution Systems: Monochloramine has been used in low concentrations as a secondary disinfectant in the treatment of municipal water supplies as an alternative to adding chlorine to kill bacteria and viruses. However, monochloramine addition remains a concern in drinking water utilities as nitrification can occur in water systems containing monochloramine, reducing water quality, and promoting microbial growth.
- Carbon Traps to Deactivate Halogen Containing Pollutants : Activities such as industrial processes and agricultural chemical use can produce man-made, toxic substances composed of organic compounds. These toxic chemicals are called persistent halogenated contaminants, and they do not degrade easily in the environment. The pollutants can enter waterways and harm people and wildlife.
- Cyanobacteria Assessment Network App (CyAN app): Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can appear in water bodies across the country during warm weather months, are an indicator of poor water quality and can potentially cause serious environmental concerns, including impacting human and aquatic health. When cyanobacterial HABs occur in recreational waters or source waters used for drinking, the toxins that may be released can cause respiratory or skin irritation and even illness in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
Prize Information
- The top five selected winners will receive monetary prizes in the amounts, and all the winners will receive recognition from EPA.
- Prize Distribution Winners
- First Place Prize of $6,000
- Second Place Prizes of $3,000
- Third Place and Prizes of $1,500
Eligibility Criteria
- Under this challenge, EPA will award prizes to undergraduate (Bachelor's program) and graduate students (Masters or PhD program) 18 years or older enrolled in US accredited colleges and universities. Eligible participants can include college and university enrolled federal employees, military personnel, and government contractors applying as an individual or team. Non-US individuals are eligible to participate and receive recognition for submitted applications but are not eligible to receive cash prizes.
- EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the Nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities who may not have previously participated in such dialogues. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified above, including undergraduate/graduate students from minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.
- NOTE: EPA recognizes that it is important to engage all available minds to address the environmental challenges the Nation faces. At the same time, EPA seeks to expand the environmental conversation by including members of communities which may have not previously participated in such dialogues to participate in EPA programs. For this reason, EPA strongly encourages all eligible applicants identified above, including undergraduate/graduate students from minority serving institutions (MSIs), to apply under this opportunity.
Application Specifications
Solvers should complete the following information for one of the five technologies identified above.
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Scoping the Market:
- What is the potential industry for which the selected technology may be relevant?
- What is the potential for market size, growth and opportunities for the technology?
- Identify generally applicable market entry barriers.
- How might a licensee further develop this technology accomplish market entry?
- Is there a window of opportunity for the technology that is important (ie, does the technology need to enter the market early to take advantage of an emerging market)?
- Are there any specific government/state regulations or restrictions regarding the technology?
- What is the cost or price of comparable technologies currently in the market?
- What will the market look like in five years?
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Targeting Use:
- Provide an overview of potential commercial applications.
- Identify distributors or manufacturers who would be interested in licensing the technology and providing a product or service to potential consumers or end users.
- Provide contacts for the provided distributors or manufacturers identified in the foregoing question.
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Understanding the Competition:
- Who are the major competitors (direct and indirect) for the technology?
- How does the EPA technology differ from the competitors?
- What competitive advantage does the EPA have?
- What competitive advantage does the competition have?
- What possible advantage does this technology have that could be highlighted to potential licensees?
For more information, visit EPA.
For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/innovation/make-market-tech-challenge