Saint-Gobain, MassCEC, and Greentown Labs recognize the significant role that healthy buildings will play in improving the sustainability of our built environment. The Healthy Buildings Challenge seeks startups with innovative technologies at the prototype stage and beyond that advance building sustainability and wellbeing for building occupants. Our world needs innovation that can optimize for the health of people and the health of the climate, together.

• A structured platform to explore potential partnerships with Saint-Gobain
• Support from Saint-Gobain leaders who will be matched with your team
• $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding
• Mentorship, networking opportunities, and partnership-focused programming
• Exclusive access to the Greentown Labs, Saint-Gobain, and MassCEC networks
• Desk space and membership within Greentown Labs for the duration of the program

The American-Made Challenges (AMC) has launched round 5 of the Solar Prize and is offering two tracks – hardware and software. These tracks will follow the same three-contest structure but compete for separate prizes. Participants have the chance to win millions in cash prizes, support vouchers, and other resources to help them advance in the competition and accelerate the development of their solutions.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has launched Phase 2 of the Solar Desalination Prize.

This competition strives to help achieve the goals of the Water Security Grand Challenge. SETO is seeking ideas that will accelerate the development of systems that use low-cost solar-thermal energy to produce clean water from very-high-salinity water, like water produced from oil and gas extraction. The clean water produced can be used in municipal, agricultural, and industrial applications.

Contest 1, Innovation, is open to the public. Quarterfinalists will be announced in September 2021 and receive $50,000 each. Contest winners will then continue to the next phases of the challenge and have the opportunity to win millions of dollars over the competition.

Shell UK has announced a new program for energy start-ups – Shell StartUp Engine UK – in partnership with Unreasonable Group (Unreasonable). The program focuses on scale and growth-stage start-ups that are best placed to accelerate a fair and just energy transition, improve access to energy and help consumers make smarter energy choices. CEOs of these start-ups will benefit from high-profile mentorship, access to potential investors and partners, and being part of the Shell and Unreasonable start-up communities.

Have a cleantech idea or startup that will change how we fight climate change and think the Beam Grant will help you take that next step?

Startups who are beginning to build momentum should apply now! If you have incorporated a startup and are in the process of translating your innovation into a first prototype, or demonstrating a physical proof of concept, and can demonstrate access to resources you need to make it to the next stage, you are a strong candidate for this mini-grant.

Are you a founder with a vision to create a real impact? A strong application will be able to describe an informed, well-reasoned rationale for emissions reductions.

Do you have a need for our support? Explain in your application how the  $1,000 award will allow you to advance development. The clearer the plan to use this, and the clearer the value of this support, the more compelling the case.

The GS Beyond Energy Innovation Challenge celebrates purpose-driven startups that address persistent and emerging energy transition problems. The winner of the challenge will receive a $100,000 cash prize, the top three semi-finalists will receive special consideration for a pilot project with GS Group and the top five startups will be invited to pitch energy industry leaders and investors in a virtual event. Presenting companies receive one-on-one mentorship and coaching from Energy Transition Ventures, GS Beyond, GS Futures, Investors, and industry experts as well as exposure to over $1 billion in venture capital.

The competition is a competitive prize for early-stage cleantech startups to win $50K cash (non-dilutive) and admission to our incubator program. Finalists will be invited to pitch at our annual Urban Future Summit in front of an esteemed jury. This year’s judges will be investors from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Generation Investment Management, and Energy Impact Partners.

The For ClimateTech Global Innovation Challenge aims to rally innovators and partners towards building a global movement to source and develop the most impactful and equitable early-stage climate tech solutions across four sectors key to reducing global emissions: Energy, Buildings, Food & Agriculture, and Transportation.

With a final prize of $10,000 USD for each challenge winner, all applicants will receive resources to better understand and tap into the NY State climate tech ecosystem, while select applicants will be invited to meet with a mix of climate tech,
environmental, and industry leaders to receive immediate solution feedback, input, and additional resources. Challenge finalists will have the opportunity to participate in the V4C Bootcamp with a chance to then be selected for the 6-month
V4C Venture studio + accelerator program!

Note: Challenge finalists will automatically be considered as an applicant for the V4C program and invited to the V4C Bootcamp, entering them into further stages of the selection process for joining this year’s cohort. If you did not apply for the V4C Program but are selected as a finalist for the Challenge, we’ll ask that you fill out the additional application questions later on.

Shimizu Corporation is an architectural, civil engineering and
general contracting Japanese firm with more than 210 years of
history. They are looking for solutions in plastic waste management,
battery storage for renewable energy, hydrogen generation from
water, carbon offset, emission trading and reduction of Co2, and
insect-tech

Meet the Buyer events offer interesting opportunities for your company to get in touch with the leading enterprises in a variety of business sectors. The event is invite-only and will give you the chance to have an individual one-to-one meeting with key decision-makers. Join the event, establish valuable collaborations, pitch your products and services, and discuss business partnerships that can fast-forward your company’s growth.

Shimizu Corporation has set an investment allowance with a maximum cap of 10 billion yen（US$94 million）to invest in venture firms and venture funds in Japan and overseas. The areas targeted are venture firms engaged in AI, robotics, drones, BIM and CIM, sensors, project management, new materials, smart cities, environment and energy, and new business domains.

Shimizu can also offer:
o Collaboration opportunities mainly in Japan and the Southeast Asia region
o Develop PoC projects with the start-ups
o Potentially utilizing the existing methods and technologies from architectural/civil
engineering domains
o Provide test-bed opportunities in Japan and other countries
o R&D to pilot projects co-working for new business establishment
o Potentially partnering towards commercial stages

If you have any questions, please contact Camila Vila by sending her an email to [email protected].

This four-year global competition invites innovators and teams from anywhere on the planet to create and demonstrate solutions that can pull carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere or oceans ultimately scaling massively to gigaton levels, locking away CO2 permanently in an environmentally benign way. Solutions will be scientifically evaluated across multiple criteria such as; amount of CO2 removed, life cycle analysis of the removal process, energy efficiency, land footprint and sequestration capabilities. Any carbon negative solution is eligible: nature-based, direct air capture, oceans, mineralization, or anything else that sequesters CO2 permanently. More details to be announced on April 22, 2021.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is working to bring sustainable, affordable housing to communities throughout California.

The Next EPIC Challenge: Reimagining Affordable Mixed-Use Development in a Carbon-Constrained Future is a competition challenging multi-disciplinary project teams to design and build a mixed-use development – using cutting-edge technologies and advanced construction practices – that’s affordable, equitable, emissions-free, and resilient to climate change impacts and extreme weather events. For more information, click here and join the CEC virtually on Thursday, January 21 for a pre-application workshop.

Additionally, on Thursday, January 28, 2021, join the first Empower Innovation Event, focused on connecting diverse stakeholders to accelerate building sustainable, affordable housing in California’s communities. The goal is to help local governments, community leaders, developers, and clean energy technology innovators meet and learn from each other, starting conversations that may lead to further opportunities for collaboration. Register today. 

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how to get involved in the Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge Program, please reach out to Hannah Schanzer ([email protected]).

The Solar Energy Technologies Office is seeking applicants for the FY21 Systems Integration and Hardware Incubator funding program. The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent is January 11, 2021, by 5 pm ET. The goal is to advance solar hardware and systems integration, including the creation of a consortium dedicated to developing control technologies for a modernized electric grid. Be sure to register for the webinar on January 6, 2021, at 1 p.m. ET. SETO staff will go over all the topic areas in this funding opportunity and answer questions.