EPA Licensing Information

On This Page:

• What is technology licensing?
• How do you obtain a license?

EPA negotiates licenses with qualified businesses and individuals that want to commercialize inventions resulting from EPA research. Interested parties can apply for a license by completing EPA's license application and submitting it to the Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) staff.

What is technology licensing?

EPA’s goal is to get the Agency’s technologies into the marketplace to protect human health and the environment. EPA licenses technologies non-exclusively, except when licensees are co-inventors technologies, or there is justification for granting an exclusive license.

How do you obtain a license?

1. Complete and submit a license application to FTTA staff. There is no fee associated with submission of a license application.
   EPA's license application form (doc) (56 KB) 
2. EPA initiates internal review of your license application.
   • This involves engaging the applicable EPA laboratory management, EPA’s legal staff, and the FTTA staff. 
   • NOTE: This process involves information requests from the applicant and discussions over the application and business plan over a few months.
3. If the application is accepted, FTTA staff draft a license agreement for review by all parties.

What do you gain from licensing?

Licensor:

• See our technologies mature to further support human health and the environment.

Licensee:

• Gain access to advanced technology or intellectual property without excessive research and development costs.
• Easier entry into new markets or industries.
• Competitive edge if gaining access to new technology.
• Less costs with research and development.
• Less risk due to shared risk with licensor.