The U.S. Department of Energy’s Geothermal Collegiate Competition (GCC) invites teams from collegiate institutions to develop real-world geothermal solutions while competing for cash prizes and gaining resume experience in the renewable energy industry. Registration will open in August 2023 for teams of three or more undergraduate and/or graduate students. Start forming your team today! Students of any discipline can participate, and multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. Final competition deliverables will be due in December 2023.

The Ocean Exchange Collegiate Award 2023 of $10,000 USD is given to the solution that advances our understanding of the ocean and that helps minimize our impact on these resources, even while using them for human benefit, resulting in more resilient bodies of water including healthy marine life and coastlines. Collegiate pitches will be conducted Sunday, Oct 22nd and Monday Oct 23.

Ocean Exchange is a global ecosystem whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy. 24 finalists will be selected to present at the Ocean Exchange event (expenses paid) October 22-24th, 2023. Finalists will present to delegates representing business, academia, government, and non-profits, who will select three monetary award winners and offer networking opportunities.

The new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) Program is a competition to select multiple Grantmakers around the nation to reduce barriers to the federal grants application process communities face and increase the efficiency of the awards process for environmental justice grants. Grantmakers will design competitive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement a tracking and reporting system, provide resources and support to communities, all in collaboration with EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

The mHUB EnergyTech Startup Pitch Competition will showcase cutting-edge hardtech startups specializing in climate and energy technologies. This pitch competition, taking place virtually on June 27, 2023, is designed to support under-represented women founders and entrepreneurs of color. Startups focused on innovative climate tech and energy technologies can apply to pitch virtually to a group of esteemed judges for cash awards totaling $8,500 and connections to industry decision-makers and investors interested in hardtech.

• 1st Place Prize: $5,000
• 2nd Place Prize: $2,500
• 3rd Place Prize: $1,000

By participating in the competition, schools and students connect with wind energy experts and industry contacts, enhancing schools’ curriculum offerings and strengthening students’ professional networks. This competition invites interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students to:

• Design, build, and present a unique, wind-driven power system based on market research and test the wind turbine in an on-site wind tunnel.
• Research wind resource data, transmission infrastructure, and environmental factors to create a site plan and financial analysis for a hypothetical wind farm.
• Partner with wind industry professionals, raise awareness of wind energy in their communities, and work with local media to promote their team’s accomplishments.

The Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize aims to catalyze domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components, moving manufacturing facilities from planning to shovel-ready and enabling strategies for vibrant manufacturing activities in communities. This prize, developed by the Office of Technology Transitions in partnership with the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has a prize pool of approximately $30 million spread across two tracks—the Facilities Track and the Strategies Track.

The Facilities Track accelerates clean energy technology manufacturing plant development and helps support establishing a robust, secure domestic supply chain for components deemed critical for the commercialization of clean energy technologies. This track invites U.S.-based entities to complete and submit the work necessary for a shovel-ready manufacturing facility for specific clean energy technology components.

The Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize aims to catalyze domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components, moving manufacturing facilities from planning to shovel-ready and enabling strategies for vibrant manufacturing activities in communities. This prize, developed by the Office of Technology Transitions in partnership with the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has a prize pool of approximately $30 million spread across two tracks—the Facilities Track and the Strategies Track.

The Strategies Track aims to help build interest and engagement around manufacturing clean energy technologies and expand the potential for more clean energy jobs and economic opportunity. In this track, competitors will  develop a roadmap to promote clean energy manufacturing activity in their region and provide a statement of interest from an entity interested in establishing a facility in their region.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is launching the HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize to help develop advanced clean energy programming opportunities and connections for HBCUs across the United States. The prize focuses on three primary goals:

1. Inspire K-12 and community college students to engage with and learn about clean energy subjects through HBCU-hosted educational programs.
2. Initiate partnerships between HBCUs and other universities with proven clean energy focused programs to build new cross-university degree and certificate programs.
3. Integrate and build programming between university and industry partners to advance career opportunities for HBCU students in the clean energy space.

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify, support, and elevate innovators who are spearheading transformative early-stage projects in the fields of the environment, heritage conservation, and social justice. In 2023, we will award up to ten Prizes, each including a cash award of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 in technical assistance funds, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees also receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, providing tools and training to support them through the challenges of a startup organization.

The American-Made Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar (The Sunny Awards) is a $200,000 prize competition that will recognize community solar portfolios and programs that employ or develop best practices to increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities. Community solar is any solar project or purchasing program in which the benefits of a solar project flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and other groups, within a certain geographic area.

The Urban Future Lab is pleased to announce the Urban Future Prize Competition, which seeks to find the brightest climatetech startups and, through the generous support of The New York Community Trust, MUFG Union Bank, and NYSERDA, award two winners with $50,000 cash prizes. These awardees will also receive admission into the ACRE Incubator, New York’s longest-running and most successful climatetech program.