Biomass & By-product Business Innovation
Funding for this project comes from the Colorado Enterprise Zone Marketing Fund and the Saguache County Board of County Commission Sales Tax Grants.
BIOMASS & BY-PRODUCT INNOVATION COMPETITION ANNOUCES WINNERS!
Saguache County, Colorado –June 1, 2011 – ScSEED is happy to announce Windhorse Botanicals as the 2011 Biomass & By-product Innovation Competition Winner! Windhorse Botanicals will receive $5000 to launch their expanded marketing program. The Crestone Recycling Depot will also receive $1500 as a runner-up to help build their community recycling facility.
Thanks to our funders and local volunteers, the competition promoted the creation and development of businesses that utilize existing secondary resources to create employment and contribute to local economy. The competition has served as a countywide business development tool by offering support and resources to the winners.
Click here for 2010-2011 Application guidelines and Inventory list.
Applications must meet the eligibility requirements which include:
- Complete application packet before 12 pm on March 15, 2011
- Completed business plan
- Grow or expand an existing business or start a new business
- Environmentally friendly
- Plans must be “Shovel-Ready”, no research and development or feasibility studies
- End product must use one or more of the Saguache County biomass/byproduct inventory items
- Final business must benefit Saguache County (job creation, revenue building, etc) and must be registered and located in Saguache County
- End product must be branded or identified as originating in ‘Saguache County’
- Electronic submission (preferred): minimum 12pt font size, 1” page margins OR hard copy submission: must be typed with 12pt font size, 1” page margins and provide 6 copies
- Be prepared for a 20 minute presentation/interview
- Winner(s) must provide a final report by December 1, 2011 (format provided in application packet)
- Past winner(s) can re-apply (with a new application) one additional year after winning but must take one year off from applying again (if they received a second year prize).
Project Goals:
In 2009, ScSEED partnered with SLVDRG and Saguache County BOCC to provide coordination services for a new conceptual project that resulted from the TIS meetings held throughout Saguache County. Several ideas resulted from the meetings (see outcomes below). One idea that encompassed several of the ideas included inventorying agricultural by-products and biomass and offering a entrepreneurial competition for an innovative concept for using the biomass in a commercial capacity. ScSEED developed a project in 2009 and accomplished the following tasks:
- Organized a steering committee to guide the project; reviewed guidelines and competition submissions.
- Developed a comprehensive set of guidelines and review procedures for the entrepreneurial competition.
- Developed a comprehensive list of SLV biomass and by-products.
- Created a web-based competition submission system.
- Found additional funding to increase the available award $ for the competition winner(s).
- Recruited a team of volunteer professionals (lawyer, accountant, etc.) to provide counseling services to competition winner(s).
Committee Members:
Pip Conrad
Debbie Westra
Jessica DuBoe
Roni Wisdom
Linda Joseph
Toni Woodard
2009 Competition WINNER and Runner-Up
were announced at the SLV Energy Fair on Saturday, August 29, 2009!
ScSEED would like to thank our contributing partners, SLV Development Resource Group with a grant from the El Pomar SLV Regional Council; and the Saguache County Commissioners for their Sales Tax Grant Award!
Congratulations to:
WINNER, Nick Chamber, Living Arts Systems for his pre-commercialization efforts for AART 1: Automated Anaerobic Reactive Technology, a domestic scale Biogas Digester.
Runner-Up, Frederick Dunets and Peter May, Windhorse Botanticals, LLP for their utilization of wildfire mitigation slash for creating Essential Oils and Products.
We hope to be able to offer this competition on a yearly basis! Please check back with us to get instructions for future competitions! If you are interested in sponsoring this competition by making a financial contribution, please send your check to ScSEED, P.O. Box 102, Villa Grove, CO 81155.
Targeted Industry Study Meetings Outcomes (download):
On October 22nd & 23rd ScSEED (www.scseed.org) and SLV Development Resource Group (www.slvdrg.org) hosted several meetings in Saguache, Center and Crestone to discuss the Targeted Industry Study (TIS). Mike Wisdom, from DRG, presented an executive summary copy of the TIS to all forty-three (43) of the citizens who attended these meetings over the two days.
Several outcomes and ideas were generated as a result of the meetings. Below is a list of the comments, ideas and information that was shared. Some of these ideas will be developed further by ScSEED in the coming months. If you have any interest in working on a committee to develop these ideas further please contact Kim Smoyer, ScSEED Program & Development Director at development@scseed.org.
Saguache:
- Transplant technology for producing solar panels and other related industry from Ohio and elsewhere to SLV. Studies in progress about solar gain in SLV, NASA researching here, fact-finding underway.
- Establish larger scale manufacturing here. It would take laborers and local individuals initiating industry, e.g. SLV sand being analyzed for its potential to produce glass; ‘Earth’ batteries and 8ft. deep underground hold/cold cells for household use. SLV rural electric can install. Business should be created to retrofit homes with this inexpensive and efficient heat/cold source.
- Carbon Offsetting Co-Operative for property owners. Wetlands and easements pursuing market to profit from and conserve important lands.
- People attraction must be environment-centered. Create stronger relationships with people/places/groups in different places with similar attractions and/or economic development goals, e.g. attract quality labor. Technical/Tourism based training programs, through colleges and independently. Outreach to past SLV residents- family members, etc. Connections with “like” communities. Retain youth and attract young families.
- Concentrate on residential solar power more than corporate. Training and classes needed at Adams State to be valley centered. More certified solar installation training centers should be throughout the valley. Bridge intellectual property data on solar industry from universities, large groups, national agencies to local institutions.
- Educational piece critical to all ED development- relationship to higher education and local schools.
- Artists Co-Operative for SLV- localizes economy and brings outside wealth in which then reinvests back into our communities. Grants programming potential, relationship to schools has great potential.
- Attract athletic/Olympic trainees/adventurers. Associate with appropriate sources to advertise attributes of our terrain.
- Need to assist towns with infrastructure hurdles to facilitate business growth, e.g. Center’s gas line and relying agriculture processing plants, or Saguache’s recreational land acquisition for trails and paths.
Center:
- ScSEED can be an agent of action for local needs. Letter’s in support of projects to appropriate recipients.
- Business desire expansion- we must be able to facilitate that growth by providing electric, gas, water, etc. Partnerships are very important- business, community organizations, state agencies, schools, public, etc.
- Need 3-5 and 10 year plans for development of renewable energy industry owned and operated by SLV residents to be ahead of growth while simultaneously addressing current challenges. Need concrete plan for solar power industry to be smart, environmentally responsible, sustainable, and tailored to the values of SLV residents.
- Develop niche markets- find uses and market existing by-products from agriculture and other industries. Use E-Bay to sell surplus commodities such as potato starch. Need for complete inventory of all our unused by-products, commodities and reusable materials. Involvement with school children to determine new uses for materials. Innovation competitions that incorporate rewards and/or scholarships.
- Entrepreneur Fair- Start-Up Grant money reward for winning project to be turned into a business. Partner with National Science Foundation, DOLA, SLVDRG, Small Businesses Groups, as many supportive groups as possible.
- Community Event where everyone brings their ‘trash’ and reusable materials to one place for swapping before being hauled to the landfill. Could be a good alternative to ‘Free Day’ at the SC Landfill, also fundraising potential. Inventory of landfill waste streams. Use recycled glass as “glassfault” product for repaving roads.
- Research project on what various agricultural waste (biomass) can be used for. Inventory or list of agricultural by-products and biomasses.
- Small scale potato chip factory.
- SLV partner with SLV REC to build transmission lines and produce our own solar energy to sell. Utilization of Center power plant to for renewable energy sources (wind, solar, waste, etc.).
Crestone:
- Energy audit training; finding a local person to be able to accomplish audits in the region.
- Reduce carbon footprint by using sustainable methods. Identify SLV 'closed loop' industries and business opportunities. Emphasis on reducing carbon footprint.
- Manufacture solar panels.
- Non-profit loan fund for home owners; retrofitting current homes for conservation and alternative energy.
- Higher precision manufacturing.
- Need for transportation mass.
- Solar base load generation - 24/7 day guaranteed power. Work with DRG and ScSEED toward a community solar power authority.
- Bright minds and innovation.