The State investment of $8,900,000 in a Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative (GFII) will enable forestry industry expansion into the manufacture of high-value products derived from mill residues and low value timber. GFII, to be established by the Georgia Forestry Commission, will engineer, design, test, and transfer these technologies into concrete business activities

Technology developed at Georgia Tech (GT) enables conversion of pulpwood class trees and sawmill residues into products for existing US and global markets.

Request for Collaborator (RFC) Components/Qualifications:

A mandatory meeting will be held at the Georgia Forestry Commission office, 5645 Riggins Mill Rd, Dry Branch on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Any company interested in collaborating must have a representative in attendance. Collaborators who did not participate in the meeting will not be considered.

  • The collaborator cannot be a publicly traded company and must be a Georgia-domiciled company.
  • The company must be in good standing with the State of Georgia.
  • The collaborator must provide a site map for the proposed site for the pilot facility in Georgia with RFC bid.
  • The winning/chosen company will be responsible for all permitting, including; fuel, electricity, and water/sewer services.
  • The RFC must include a five-year plan with direct financial support for the Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative’s pilot facility.
  • Residuals provided for the pilot facility must be clean wood chips. All other forest residual material may not produce the desired biproducts.
  • The winning/chosen company must provide clean wood chips (minimal bark/debris) at no cost to the pilot plant.
  • The winning/chosen company must provide all logistical support for transferring the clean wood chips to the pilot plant.
  • The winning/chosen company must provide a project manager to share in the coordination of construction, operation, external communications, and product development along with security at the pilot facility.

Georgia Tech/GFC Deliverables for RF Collaborator:

  • Provide a license to intellectual property for charcoal process, to be specified in negotiations between GT and collaborator.
  • Provide market analysis and information regarding economic viability of potential products as determined by Enterprise Innovation Institute (EII).
  • GA Tech will employ a professional engineer for detailed design of a pilot plant.
  • Provide support in hiring or selecting project manager.
  • Provide funding for equipment, installation, and materials required for start-up, including equipment, reaction/purification vessels, piping, and controls, up to $4.2m.
  • Provide operational support, including testing of product purity, and large-scale process design and economics.

More information will be provided upon attending the mandatory meeting on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 10:00 AM at 5645 Riggins Mill Rd, Dry Branch.