Buildings UP aims to build capacity to rapidly and equitably transform U.S. buildings. Teams will submit innovative concepts to leverage funding to equitably transform a wide variety of buildings across diverse geographies. As teams progress through the prize, they will receive cash prizes and technical assistance to help bring their ideas to life.

In Phase 1: “Concept”, teams may apply to one of two pathways: Equity-Centered Innovation or Open Innovation. Winners of both pathways will be eligible to advance to Phase 2 and access technical assistance.

Equity-Centered Innovation Pathway: Concepts to deliver scalable and replicable upgrades to buildings in disadvantaged communities, low- and moderate-income households, and underserved commercial, nonprofit, and public buildings. Phase 1 Equity-Centered Innovation winners will each receive a $400,000 cash prize.

Open Innovation Pathway: Concepts for replicable and scalable solutions that addresses a geographic area or building type. Phase 1 Open Innovation winners will each receive a $200,000 cash prize.

There is also an Application Support Prize, where up to 50 winning teams will be awarded $5,000 and up to 10 hours of technical support. Applicants are intended to be those who might not otherwise have the staff capacity, time, or expertise to submit a full Phase 1 submission — such as first-time applicants for BTO funding and community-based organizations (CBOs) representing or serving areas with equity-eligible buildings.

The American-Made Community Power Accelerator Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and co-developers to learn, participate, and grow their operations to support multiple successful community solar projects.  The goal of this prize is to grow a robust ecosystem of community solar project developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into projects across the United States.

This prize has three phases: Ready! Set! and Grow! By the end of the prize, competitors will be ready to engage with the Community Power Accelerator online platform, which provides a place for competitors to shop their credit-ready projects around to verified project developers, investors, and philanthropic organizations.

The Community Power Accelerator Prize is open to U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers (organizations who are partnering with a project developer), or developers who are expanding their community solar operations.

The American-Made Community Power Accelerator Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and co-developers to learn, participate, and grow their operations to support multiple successful community solar projects.  The goal of this prize is to grow a robust ecosystem of community solar project developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into projects across the United States.

This prize has three phases: Ready! Set! and Grow! By the end of the prize, competitors will be ready to engage with the Community Power Accelerator online platform, which provides a place for competitors to shop their credit-ready projects around to verified project developers, investors, and philanthropic organizations.

The Community Power Accelerator Prize is open to U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers (organizations who are partnering with a project developer), or developers who are expanding their community solar operations.

The American-Made Community Power Accelerator Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and co-developers to learn, participate, and grow their operations to support multiple successful community solar projects.  The goal of this prize is to grow a robust ecosystem of community solar project developers that incorporate meaningful benefits into projects across the United States.

This prize has three phases: Ready! Set! and Grow! By the end of the prize, competitors will be ready to engage with the Community Power Accelerator online platform, which provides a place for competitors to shop their credit-ready projects around to verified project developers, investors, and philanthropic organizations.

The Community Power Accelerator Prize is open to U.S. community solar developers, including new developers, co-developers (organizations who are partnering with a project developer), or developers who are expanding their community solar operations.

The Transit Tech Lab provides a pathway for growth-stage companies to efficiently solve public transportation challenges. Successful companies have an opportunity to pilot their technology with participating transit systems in the New York region.

Applications will be accepted for the Human Capital Challenge and the Operational Efficiency Challenge.

As a leader in the pan-renewables sector, ACORE is uniquely positioned to help emerging innovators working across the renewables spectrum access capital, pursue transformational business partnerships and work with policymakers to support their business. Through a cohort approach, ACORE Accelerate focuses on supporting small emerging renewable energy companies owned and/or operated by leaders who identify as women, Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, or Native American.  Accelerate members receive a complimentary two-year ACORE membership, an education stipend, dedicated staff, free access to ACORE paid events, targeted industry briefings, pro-bono legal and advisory services, and networking events with potential funders, developers, and ACORE members and partners, among other benefits.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is seeking white papers from prospective Partnership Intermediaries for the Partnership Intermediary Pilot. Through this Pilot, DOE is seeking to broaden the Department’s engagement with new organizations, increase cooperative or joint activities between DOE and small business firms, institutions of higher education, educational institutions, and non-traditional contractors and rapidly develop, scale, commercialize, and deploy technologies relevant to DOE’s mission.

A partnership intermediary (PI) is a state or local government or a nonprofit entity that is owned, funded, chartered, or operated in whole or in part by a state or local government.

Potential PI activities include facilitating and/or managing innovation hubs and/or public-private partnerships; performing technology and market research and scouting; acting as an independent facilitator between DOE programs and projects, DOE National Labs, and external solution providers; and facilitating rapid prototyping, demonstration, deployment, and/or manufacturing, in furtherance of DOE’s mission.

White papers are due January 3, 2023.

DSIRE’s summary maps provide a geographical overview of financial incentives and regulatory policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency in the U.S. The map is populated in real-time based on the content of the database. Users can select a Program Type and a Technology to see which states have a certain policy or incentive for a particular technology. You can also follow the link below to see DSIRE’s more detailed manually-updated summary maps.

Black Venture Institute, co-created by BLCK VC, Operator Collective (OpCo), and Salesforce Ventures, is a unique fellowship and ongoing community designed to create opportunities for mid to senior-level Black operators and executives in the tech industry.

You’ll learn the foundations of investing and join a community of high-powered Black operators and technology executives who, together, will represent the future of black fund managers and angel investors across the country.

We are currently taking rolling applications for the Winter 2022/2023 cohort.

The Grid Innovation Program supports projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability. Projects selected under this program will include interregional transmission projects, investments that accelerate interconnection of clean energy generation, and utilization of distribution grid assets to provide backup power and reduce transmission requirements. Innovative approaches can range from use of advanced technologies to innovative partnerships to the deployment of projects identified by innovative planning processes. Eligible entities include: States (individual or combined), Tribes and Territories, Local governments, Public utility commissions.

As the offshore wind industry continues its rapid growth along U.S. coastlines, there is a need for innovative businesses in the supply chain to help reduce costs and ensure sustainable development. It is often difficult, however, for startups to find their foothold in this growing and changing industry. Startup Alley gives your business the opportunity to showcase your innovations and directly connect with industry leaders and stakeholders. Applications are due January 10, 2023.