DURHAM, N.H. -- The University of New Hampshire will host an information session for entrepreneurs interested in apply for the second round of Green Launching Pad funding. The session is Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. The session will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at UNH Manchester.

The event will feature presentations by Green Launching Pad principals on how projects are funding, the application and selection process, and important dates. There also will be a question-and-answer session with representatives from projects that were funded in the program's first year.

The Green Launching Pad funds opportunities for entrepreneurs with new green business ideas in the areas such as clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy conservation, and emission reduction. In the second round of funding, the Green Launching Pad is expected to provide up to five projects with up to $100,000 in funding and accelerated business development assistance.

Founded in 2010, the Green Launching Pad is a strategic partnership of the University of New Hampshire and New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The organization connects entrepreneurs and private industry with technical, scientific and business faculty, students and state-level resources to successfully launch and accelerate the growth of new green businesses. Five New Hampshire companies received funding in the first year of the program. The Green Launching Pad is focused on creating new energy-related jobs in the Granite State and broadening economic opportunities.   

For more information about the program, visit www.GreenLaunchingPad.org. To register for the Jan. 7 event, visit http://glp2.eventbrite.com. The deadline for pre-proposals is 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

-30-