Urban Future Lab and SecondMuse are pioneering the GROW + TOGETHER Accelerator to merge the innovative forces of hardtech clean energy startups with the manufacturing industry in the Northeast US. Supported by an EPIC award funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions, this model accelerates hardtech startup integration into existing supply chains, overcoming common barriers to market penetration faced by innovative products. To qualify, startups and manufacturers must first register their interest for a virtual Startup-Manufacturer Matchmaking event, which will offer facilitated conversations to clear initial hurdles in the manufacturing process. Additional funding will support a 9-month program that links hardtech clean energy startups and manufacturers with technical support and a tailored curriculum to assist with contracting, fundraising, pilot opportunities and more.

The NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) program supports individual investigators who propose novel research projects with the potential to innovatively and creatively address national needs and/or grand challenges, advance US leadership, and catalyze the convergence of engineering and science domains. TRAILBLAZER will support engineers and scientists who leverage their distinctive track record of innovation and creativity to pursue new research directions that are distinct from their previous or current research areas.

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Facilities (“Major Facilities”) projects, NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher range of infrastructure project costs, Foundation-wide, across science and engineering research disciplines. The Foundation-wide Mid-scale Research Infrastructure opportunity is intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between MRI and Major Multi-user Facilities.

DOE announced the availability of up to $63 million to enable state and local governments to expand battery recycling and modernize American manufacturing by making cutting edge technologies like advanced sensors and modeling more accessible to small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). This funding opportunity advances next-generation tools and resources to achieve the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious goal of a net-zero economy by 2050 and will help revitalize and strengthen America’s global leadership in manufacturing.

Through the two Areas of Interest (AOIs), the FOA will provide approximately $63 million in support of programs by state or local government entities with the following purposes:

• AOI 1: State Manufacturing Leadership Program (SMLP)
• AOI 2: State and Local Battery Collection, Recycling, and Reprocessing Program

The NYSERDA Heat Recovery Project Development Program (the “Program”) aims to animate the New York State (NYS) marketplace for heat recovery solutions by working with consulting engineers, heat recovery solution providers, building owners and operators, and other key stakeholders to develop a robust pipeline of heat recovery retrofits. To accelerate heat recovery retrofit project development, the
Program provides cost-share to applicants for two categories of activities:

• Category 1 Heat Recovery Opportunity Assessment provides cost-share for consultants to assess a property’s heat recovery opportunity by quantifying the heat that is currently rejected and analyzing its potential to be repurposed. The goal of the assessment is to inform the building owner’s decision on whether to move forward with heat recovery project design.
• Category 2 Heat Recovery Project Design provides cost-share for consultants to develop an implementation-ready, technically, and economically viable design to implement a heat recovery system in an existing property.

The NSF SBIR/STTR and SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs support moving scientific excellence and technological innovation from the lab to the market. These NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs provide fixed amount cooperative agreements for the development of a broad range of technologies based on discoveries in science and engineering with potential for societal and economic impacts. Under a traditional NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award, a small business can receive non-dilutive funding for research and development (R&D) to demonstrate technical feasibility over 6 to 12 months and then, after completion of a Phase I project, companies may apply for Phase II funding to further develop the proposed technology.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. The first submission window solicits capability statements from potential voucher providers.  Voucher Opportunity (VO-10) addresses key adoption risk areas related to domestic supply chain availability and is meant to broaden the ecosystem of clean energy manufacturers through supporting activities including:

• Feasibility studies to convert existing production lines including, but not limited to, equipment and process reviews; staff qualifications and workforce needs assessments; and certification support.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. The first submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. Voucher Opportunity (VO-4) includes support activities such as:

• Market analysis/research
• Marketing Materials development
• Go to Market strategy
• Product Scale up
• Patent landscape analysis
• Intellectual Property legal support
• and more.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. The first submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. Voucher Opportunity (VO-3) enables expert assistance to help AHJs and related institutions understand new clean energy technology benefits and challenges, and support the demonstration of these technologies through activities including:

• Evaluating siting and permitting best practices developed by similar jurisdictions,
• Developing streamlined permitting processes,
• Educating first responders and related personnel on technology safety requirements and risks
• Evaluating locality infrastructure/logistical readiness to utilize the designated technologies,
• Supporting community engagement on related issues.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. The first submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. Voucher Opportunity (VO-2) enables evaluation of technology performance and support for obtaining site and technology related certifications through supporting activities including:

• Access to advanced modeling and digitization resources,
• Testing to obtain industry-relevant certifications,
• System performance validation and testing under certification-relevant operating conditions,
• Digital twin development,
• Testing in real-world environments,
• and more.