From Concept to Contract: Securing Federal Validation for a Breakthrough Waste-to-Energy Technology
$109,929 AFWERX STTR Phase I Award
Services: Proposal Writing, Administrative Support, Project Management, Strategy
Overview
When a cleantech startup with a patented waste-to-energy technology was ready to pursue federal funding, they needed more than a strong idea — they needed a team that could translate cutting-edge science into a compelling, compliant government proposal. BW&CO partnered with ENVERDE to pursue an AFWERX STTR Phase I opportunity, providing end-to-end support from strategy through submission. The result: a $109,929 award that positions ENVERDE to demonstrate its technology's potential to strengthen U.S. Air Force energy resilience.
The Challenge
ENVERDE had developed the eVp™ — a patented flash volatilization system capable of converting biomass into high-quality syngas in milliseconds, without the preprocessing burdens that make competing technologies slow and costly. The technology had genuine dual-use potential: reducing waste on military installations, producing sustainable aviation fuel, and strengthening base energy security. But translating that potential into a successful federal award requires navigating a complex, highly competitive process that demands scientific credibility, programmatic clarity, and strict compliance with government solicitation requirements.
For a small, technically focused company, the administrative and strategic demands of the SBIR/STTR process can be just as challenging as the science itself. ENVERDE needed a partner who could manage both dimensions — one who understood federal procurement well enough to sharpen the proposal's strategic framing while keeping the technical narrative clean and compelling.
Our Approach
BW&CO provided integrated support across every stage of the engagement:
Proposal strategy: Analyzed the AFWERX solicitation to identify alignment between ENVERDE's eVp™ technology and the Air Force's stated energy resilience priorities, and developed a clear argument structure for the proposal
Proposal writing: Drafted and refined narrative sections to communicate the technology's operational simplicity, scalability, and mobility in terms directly relevant to Department of Defense needs
Administrative support: Managed compliance requirements, registration systems, and submission logistics to ensure a clean, on-time submission
Project management: Coordinated timelines and internal review cycles, keeping the process on track across a technically complex and time-sensitive solicitation
Results
ENVERDE was awarded a $109,929 AFWERX STTR Phase I contract — federal validation that the eVp™ technology merits serious investment and further development. The award funds a focused research effort in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, giving ENVERDE access to world-class research infrastructure as it advances toward Phase II.
Beyond the funding itself, the award establishes ENVERDE as a credible participant in the defense innovation ecosystem. It opens doors to follow-on opportunities, strengthens the company's positioning with commercial and institutional partners, and provides the runway to demonstrate that catalytically driven flash volatilization can deliver on its extraordinary technical promise — at scale, in the field, where energy resilience matters most.