How to Find Funding to Develop Green Building Products

Financial Planning for Going Green

With the trend toward environmentally friendly activities, it is clear that "going green" is where new technologies are headed. Plans to reduce your carbon footprint can include more than recycling your plastic bottles and making your own compost. Building your new house can be "green," too. There are new products going green every month. If you have an idea to help builders build green, develop it before someone else does. Funding for these prototype products can be difficult to find, but there are several good places to start.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook Paper
• Internet Connection
• Printer
• File Folders

Instructions

1. Define on paper the product that you intend to develop. Explain specifically how it is a green product. Use this product description when seeking funding for product development.

2. Go to the BuildItGreen.org website, and decide if your product is green according to their standards. Having a product that may be certified green lends credibility to the product.

3. Go to Business.gov and search for information on loans, grants and financing. This will give you results tailored to your product and your local area.

4. For a nominal fee you can download the Green Guide to the 2009 Stimulus Package that shows federal grants available for funding green products.

5. Consider applying to present your idea to the Keiretsu Forum, which is a conglomerate of "angel investors." According to the website (see "Additional Resources" below), these "angel investors" are "serious investors, business leaders, venture capitalists, corporate/institutional investors and serial entrepreneurs" who invest in promising new businesses and technologies. Membership is by invitation only. Note that competition is fierce.

6. Print out any funding applications you complete and organize them in a folder by the date each application was submitted. Follow-up with funding sources and turn in any required documents.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes local and state websites offer grants and other incentives for developing green technology. Be sure to consider standard funding sources such as small business loans from your bank or credit union.

References

• Green Building Pages

Resources

• Black and Into Green Blog
• Keiretsu Forum