SAVE Award 2011 Ideas

(est. savings: $350,000)

According to a Government Accountability Office report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service sends its lab samples via Federal Express' next-day service. The empty sample containers are then Fed-Exed back, once again with next-day service, which costs roughly $15 round-trip. By returning containers via ground transport, the USDA could save an estimated $350,000... more »

There are various examples of individuals taking the food stamps and selling them at 1/2 the value (or less), in order for them to use the cash for other uses. There should also be an audit system to ensure people are spending this given resource properly. Currently there is no way to audit spending. I have been asked several times in Baltimore city grocery stores by people to buy food stamps, or they offer to pay for... more »

The Department of Energy has a number of financial assistance programs for developing new technologies such as renewable energy projects. The programs run from initial, bench-scale (ARPA-E) to pilot scale (EERE) to commercial deployment (Loan Programs). However, the programs do not flow into each other. Align the programs to streamline the identification and commercial deployment of promising new technologies through... more »