The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking for innovative back-up power solutions that will help critical facilities continue to operate during electrical outages. Winning solutions will be affordable, easy-to-use, and environmentally friendly power sources that can provide on-site power generation for critical facilities that provide essential services to communities across the United States. This Challenge is seeking to identify and catalyze existing cutting-edge technologies with a TRL of 6 or higher that can be used to continue essential facility operations in an event of a power failure or disruption lasting more than 36-hours.

In Stage 1 the judges will choose up to fifteen Stage 1 Finalists to advance to Stage 2.  During Stage 2, we will hold a live demonstration of your solution and a second judging process.

Congress established the Small Business Innovation Research / Technology Transfer (SBIR and STTR) programs to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy.  Federal agencies with large research and development budgets set aside a small fraction of their funding for competitions among small businesses only. Small businesses that win awards in these R&D programs keep the rights to any technology developed and are encouraged to commercialize the technology. DOE’s Phase 1 Release 1 includes funding for topics at the Offices of:

• Advanced Scientific Computing Research
• Basic Energy Sciences
• Biological and Environmental Research
• Fusion Energy Sciences
• High Energy Physics
• Nuclear Physics

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering oversees the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. These competitive programs are Congressionally authorized set-asides established to encourage domestic small businesses to engage in research and development with the potential for commercialization. The SBIR/STTR programs support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy and accelerate capabilities to the warfighter. ​Find out what topics are currently open or learn when the next solicitation will be available.

The American-Made Solar Data Bounty Prize is designed to incentivize photovoltaic (PV) system owners to share information-rich datasets from their assets. With this data, the industry and research communities can continue to develop, validate, and fine-tune modeling tools for solar applications. This prize offers more than $1.4 million in cash prizes to competitors throughout two stages. The prize is comprised of two stages, and each stage has two tracks:

• Track A for small-to-medium systems (100-5,000 kW_DC)
• Track B for larger systems (> 5,000 kW _DC)

The Global Climate Innovator Challenge is a global program which brings together changemakers, climate entrepreneurs, sustainability technologists, and decision makers in the climate world to help accelerate the next wave of innovative solutions to achieve our 1.5ºC climate goal. We are looking for innovative solutions or ideas (including but not limited to technology, product, business model, or approach) that can accelerate progress towards 1.5°C climate goal. Professional Innovators can participate in the Challenge as an incorporated entity. You need to submit a summary of your Solution, with an identified stage before the deadline. Youth Innovators (<24yo) can participate in the Challenge as a team of 2-4 members.

Top 3 finalists will be invited to attend the black-tie Ambassador Gala;  receive continued support to fast-track their growth in the following 12 months, including mentorship, feedback, training, and resources from the GCIC network; and be invited to showcase the progress of their growth in the next year at the 2024 Global Climate Innovation Summit.

The Clean Mobile Power Initiative aims to identify and deliver cost-competitive, zero-emissions mobile power at scale for the entertainment industry, including developing alternatives to diesel generators, which currently account for ~700,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year from the entertainment sector. We’re looking for the most innovative global startups that have clean power generating technologies (including, but not limited to, battery energy storage systems, hydrogen power units, and hybridized systems), or supporting business model innovations, to join the Clean Mobile Power Focused Cohort. If this sounds like your climate tech company, we invite you to apply and participate in our remote, global 18-month accelerator opportunity.

Pilot -2 – Profit is a prestigious event that brings together the brightest minds and most innovative organizations in the Climate Tech industry. It serves as a platform for showcasing groundbreaking ideas, revolutionary solutions, and disruptive innovations that have the potential to shape the future of the industry. You’ll receive the opportunity to pilot your technology, receive training on customer engagement, get a chance to pitch to cleantech Venture Capitalists, bid on jobs through a reverse pitch contest, network with over 50 African American cleantech founders, and attend GPV’s Annual Convention – The ACRRE Initiative.

Initiate is the major hub for startups to showcase their technologies to electric utilities at DISTRIBUTECH International 2024. Startups can pitch their solution to a panel of industry experts, exhibit their company, and connect with other innovators from around the world. There is no better place for startup companies to connect with utilities and get their technology out into the world of T&D! The cost to participate is $1,500 for companies that apply and are accepted into the program, and $2,800 for companies that want to skip the application process for a guaranteed spot.

The SCALEUP 2023 FOA seeks to scale the most promising technologies previously funded by ARPA-E. The stranding of promising ARPA-E-funded technologies in their development pathways leaves substantial intellectual property developed with American taxpayer dollars vulnerable to adoption by foreign competitors, who can and do capture it for continued development – and economic benefit – overseas. This harms national competitiveness, as U.S. industries often lose the lead on the development, scaling, and manufacturing of technologies necessary to compete in rapidly evolving global energy markets. Thus, projects selected for SCALEUP 2023 will meet ARPA-E’s statutory direction to achieve the above goals by “accelerating transformational technological advances in areas that industry by itself is not likely to undertake because of technical and financial uncertainty”.

NYSERDA’s various programs (such as residential, commercial, transportation, environmental) outline broad energy and environmental challenges, and then publicly request proposals, from any private or institutional entity, to submit project plans addressing those issues.

We partner with visionary founders to build companies that help resource-intensive industries reach their productivity & climate targets. We provide critical early-stage support beyond the investment, and support our founders to pilot, demonstrate and scale their solutions. Our world-class ecosystem gives our startups a head start to reduce commercialization timelines and find the right solution – market fit. 

Looking to implement energy efficiency upgrades, renewable energy and decarbonization projects, or other sustainability initiatives? The Funding and Incentives Resource Hub can help you navigate and discover the many rebates, funding opportunities, and other incentives including those available through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.