The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $3.9 million in awards to help small businesses improve climate resilience in communities across the nation through the Ocean-based Climate Resilience Accelerators program as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, and in alignment with the National Climate Resilience Framework.

This investment, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, supports 16 awardees in 11 states to develop and advance new technologies for gathering coastal, ocean and Great Lakes data and observations—essential information to build tools, products, and services that address climate resilience needs and create a climate-ready nation.

"As we work to tackle climate change, public-private partnerships like the Ocean-based Climate Resilience Accelerator program will help to catalyze innovation and empower entrepreneurs to develop new climate resilience technologies,” said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will strengthen communities across our country by making sure small businesses have the tools and resources they need to address the climate crisis head on.”

The Ocean-based Climate Resilience Accelerator program will invest in a network of novel business accelerators, which are organizations that support the development of innovative early to mid-stage small businesses through training, resources, mentorship and often seed funding, aimed at bringing products to market. Once operational, these accelerators will support businesses developing ocean observation technologies and information services, such as forecasts and digital apps, to enhance climate resilience.

"The impacts of climate change are visible in communities across America every day," said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. "This ocean-based accelerator program connects the government, the private sector, academia, tribes and stakeholders to innovate and produce new ocean, coastal and Great Lakes technologies at a pace that supports the urgent need for resilience nationwide."

The program is structured in two phases: design and development. The Phase 1 awards announced today provide approximately $250,000 in development funding to each of the 16 proposed business accelerators, equaling a total investment of $3.9 million.

Alaska

• Alaska Oceans 2075: Accelerating a Resilient Future, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, $249,540.

California

• Activate Oceans Fellowship, ACTIVATE GLOBAL Inc., $202,431.
• StartBlue Climate Ocean Resilience Accelerator Launchpad (CORAL), University of California San Diego, $250,000.

Florida

• Catching the Blue Wave: Accelerating America’s Ocean Economy, Tampa Bay Wave, Inc., $250,000.
• The Upwell Collaborative Accelerator, Seaworthy Collective, $249,848.

Hawaii

• HITIDE Studio: Guiding the Commercialization Voyage of Ocean-Based Climate Resilient Technologies, University of Hawaii, $250,000.

Louisiana

• CLIMATEx Accelerator Program, The Idea Village, Inc., $250,000.

Maine

• OceanVista: Advancing Ocean Data for Climate Resilience, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, $250,000.

Massachusetts

• VentureWell Ocean-Based Climate Resilience Accelerator, VentureWell, $249,810.
• Accelerating Climate & Ocean Resilience with Bluetech Innovation, SeaAhead, Inc., $249,299.
• Accelerating Resilience: Linking Research, Industry, and the Public Across the Value Chain, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, $225,480.

New York

• The National Ocean Renewable Power Accelerator - RePower, National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, $249,991.

Virginia

• OpenSeas Data Accelerator, Old Dominion University Research Foundation, $249,816.
• NOAA Ocean-Based Climate Resilience Accelerator, FedTech, $176,799 (full recommended funding: $249,844).

Washington

• Washington Maritime Blue Ventures for Ocean-based Climate Solutions, Washington Maritime Blue, $248,403.

Wisconsin

• Great Lakes Resilience Accelerator, gener8tor Management, LLC, $250,000.

Later this month, all Phase 1 awardees will be invited to apply to Phase 2 of the Ocean-based Climate Resilience Accelerators program, which will award up to a total of $55 million for the implementation of up to five proposed accelerators.