Entrepreneurs & Researchers: C2M is now accepting climate tech applications — low-carbon energy, green chemistry, food, and water technologies covering both mitigation and adaptation — for its 2022 cohort. For those technologies selected, interdisciplinary, hand-picked teams of UC Berkeley grad students will help identify the most viable initial markets, prospective customers and partners, funding sources, and related strategies. Each project receives approximately 1,000 hours of free commercialization assessment.

Selected start-ups will receive coaching and guidance from SeaAhead staff, a designated stand and presentation time at the 2022 IPF, dedicated promotions, and a deeply discounted registration cost at the IPF conference.

The AlgaePrize, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office and supported by The Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals by expanding novel solutions to production, processing, and new product development on the way to gigaton-scale algae commercialization for fuel, food, products, and carbon dioxide utilization/sequestration.

The 2022–2023 AlgaePrize competition is open to teams of two or more students currently enrolled in a U.S.-based high school, community or technical college, college, university, or graduate program.

Greentown Labs’ newest incubator is seeking startups between TRL 3 and TRL 7 that advance the production, storage and distribution, or management of low-carbon hydrogen. Selected companies will have access to the Greentown Labs mentorship and programming, and have the opportunity to work with ERPI and Shell.

 Apply to the 2022 Cleantech Open accelerator to gain access to a full business development program, that includes expert mentors, investor introductions, industry connections, and a chance to compete regionally and nationally for cash prizes and in-kind services to launch your venture. Compete for $60,000 in cash prizes in the Northeast, and a $50,000 National Grand Prize. The early bird deadline is February 28, and the final deadline is April 17.

A majority of Cleantech Open alumni have survived the merciless technology startup “valley of death” and gone on to raise $1.2 billion and create over 3,000 clean economy jobs.

ARPA-E has announced the third round of funding under the SEED Exploratory Topic. Successful SEED projects should create new paradigms in energy technology and have the potential to achieve significant reductions in U.S. energy consumption, energy-related imports, or energy-related emissions. SEED awards will support research projects that establish potential new areas for technology development and provide ARPA-E with information that could lead to new ARPA-E focused funding programs.

Awards may support exploratory research to establish viability, proof-of-concept demonstration for new energy technology, and/or modeling and simulation efforts to guide development for new energy technologies.

The Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize will provide a total of $2.5 million in funding to up to 10 teams to advance ideas for a just and equitable transition. The winners of Phase One will receive cash awards of $200,000 each. Phase One winners will be eligible to participate in a Phase Two of the prize 12 months later, during which time it is anticipated that a total of $500,000 will be awarded to up to three teams. 

The Department of Energy has released the FY22 Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Phase 1 Release 2. SBIR/STTR known as “America’s Seed Fund,” provides nondilutive grants to small businesses to help them develop and commercialize technology innovations. The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced topics for the next round of grants. This year’s solicitation is particularly focused on recruiting applicants from underrepresented demographics and also includes a cross-cutting funding opportunity on community partnerships to enable a just and equitable energy transition.

Calling all innovators! The Valley Ventures accelerator program is now accepting applications for its sixth cohort (VV6) in fall 2021. Each year, Fresno State’s Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center and the BlueTechValley (BTV) Innovation Cluster offer an opportunity for up to 10 ventures to participate in the accelerator, this year incorporating a new addition to the program—Valley Ventures advisory services. The fall 2021 cohort of the Valley Ventures accelerator will provide water, clean energy and agricultural technology ventures opportunities to advance commercialization and business development in California and beyond.

Sixty alumni of the Valley Ventures program have raised a total of $40M in private and public funding and have generated over $35M in sales since the program’s inception in 2017. WET Center staff will guide teams through the accelerator and advisory services programs with a focus on minimizing risk and maximizing impact both financially and for our communities.

Ventures located in California, or those planning to commercialize and develop businesses in California, that provide technological solutions in water, clean energy and agriculture, are encouraged to apply. To apply for the Valley Ventures sixth cohort, click the below button to begin your application. 

The New York Clean Transportation Prizes program will electrify transportation, reduce air pollution, and enhance clean mobility in disadvantaged communities in New York State. The competitions will each run in two phases. In the first phase, participants must register by July 22, 2021, to be eligible to submit proposals.

The three prize competitions are:

• Clean Neighborhoods Challenge – up to three $10 million grand prizes will be awarded to innovative projects that address local air pollution reduction at scale in disadvantaged communities. The submission deadline is August 24, 2021.
• Electric Mobility Challenge – up to three $7 million grand prizes will be awarded to projects that demonstrate innovative safe and convenient electric mobility options that help solve disadvantaged community transportation needs. The submission deadline is August 25, 2021.
• Electric Truck & Bus Challenge – up to three $8 million grand prizes will be awarded to projects that demonstrate electrified solutions to the deployment of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles or their replacement through other electrified transportation modes. The submission deadline is August 26, 2021.

An independent pool of global experts will help New York State assess applications and guide the project selection process through the different phases of the competitions. Under the first phase of the program, projects selected and located in one of the six New York State investor-owned utility (IOU) territories will be eligible to receive the following award package:

• A $100,000 planning grant
• Up to $50,000 in funding for community partners
• Up to $50,000 in-kind support from NYSERDA provided expert consultants
• Additional support services for project management, community engagement, and measurement and verification