January 8, 2023 – Clean AgTech company Qualterra has been awarded $256,857 in a Matching Grant funding award from the Health Sciences and Services Authority (HSSA) of Spokane County which will help bolster its Industrial Symbiosis grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce (DOC). The HSSA of Spokane County announced the recipients of its Matching Grants for bioscience based economic development and Access to Care Grants approved at the December 2023 meeting of the Board of Trustees. HSSA received eleven applications for various types of Matching Grants for bioscience based economic development totaling $4,485,043. Six Matching Grants were approved for awards totaling $1,379,477. “The Board was very pleased to see a large pool of applicants for both matching grants for economic development, and for access to care grants. We had to make some tough decisions, but we look forward to seeing what this outstanding group of grantees will accomplish.” says HSSA Board Chair, Dr. Francisco Velázquez.
The Matching Grant funding award from the HSSA will allow Qualterra to further expand its work funded by two separate Industrial Symbiosis Grants it received from the Washington State DOC and awarded in 2022 and 2023. Specifically, Qualterra will use the HSSA Matching Grant funds to augment its work to develop biochar formulations produced from industrial/agricultural biomass residues in extensive greenhouse trials at Qualterra’s R&D Farm in Spangle, WA, wherein Qualterra will test the impact of biochar derived from different feedstocks on a variety of different crops, and at multiple concentrations. The research will support studies on application rates and formulations conducted in agricultural crops typical to Washington state. “This Matching Grant Award funded by the HSSA of Spokane County will help accelerate our commercialization roadmap as our company continues to serve the agriculture and sustainability industry across our State and Nation,” said Mike Werner, CEO of Qualterra, “We are grateful for our partnership with HSSA and look forward to continued work together to deliver outstanding economic and environmental impacts.”
About Qualterra
Qualterra is an agricultural technology company on a mission to create innovations in agriculture and sustainability. Qualterra’s platform of technologies follow a plant life cycle from molecular plant testing and breeding support to propagation and nursery technologies through ag biomass waste processing and carbon capture technologies. Qualterra, headquartered in Washington State, USA, has three commercial facilities located in the main agricultural production area of the state. Learn more about Qualterra at: www.qualterraag.com.
About HSSA of Spokane County
HSSA of Spokane County promotes bioscience based economic development and advances new therapies and procedures to prevent disease and promote public health. Our priorities are: better health and health care in Spokane County, create well-paying jobs in Spokane County, and power future economic growth in Spokane County. Details about available grant opportunities and application deadlines can be found on our website hssaspokane.org.