The Procurement Forecast tool is a list of anticipated USDA solicitations that small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses may be able to perform under direct contracts with USDA, or through subcontracting opportunities.
mPOWER programs are designed to rebalance opportunity and access for startups building physical products that are founded by women and people of color. Harnessing the existing resources of the nation’s leading independent innovation center for physical product companies, each participant receives hands-on support to turn ideas into hardtech businesses.
The next mPOWER cohort will be focused on Black Founders in partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers Chicago Chapter. To be eligible for the next mPOWER cohort, you must be a Black innovator and/or founder, have a clear problem that you are trying to solve through a physical product, and be able to dedicate 7-10 hours a week during the 6-month program beginning in August.
Sea Grant and the NOAA Climate Program Office seek to establish programs aimed at at placing people across the country into good jobs that advance climate resilience and assisting employers in developing a 21st century workforce that is climate literate, informed by climate resilience, and skilled at addressing consequent challenges. NOAA envisions making between 10-20 awards under this competition, at amounts ranging from $500,000-$10 million each. NOAA expects projects to range in duration from 24 months to 48 months, beginning no earlier than August 1, 2024. This opportunity is open to state, tribal, territorial and local governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations in coastal states or territories. Resources from NOAA’s Climate Program Office, Office for Coastal Management, and National Sea Grant Office and its partners will be available to provide technical assistance to applicants and recipients to support these innovative efforts.
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.
StartOut Growth Lab (SGL) is a startup accelerator that offers top quality mentoring, education, and networking opportunities for companies that happen to be founded or co-founded by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. SGL hosts a new virtual cohort of early-stage companies twice a year. Up to ten companies are selected for each cohort.
The Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program (WOSB Program) is to help provide a level playing field for women business owners. The federal government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses that participate in the WOSB Program. These contracts are specific industries where WOSBs are underrepresented. Some contracts are restricted further to economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). SBA maintains a list of those eligible industries and their NAICS codes.
The DOE Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Implementation Grant Program (Implementation Grant Program) provides grants funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) to implement recommendations made in IAC and Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) assessments. These grants will bolster the American manufacturing base by supporting projects to improve energy and material efficiency, to increase productivity, and to reduce emissions at SMMs. These grants will also advance the objectives of the Justice40 initiative by improving business performance, increasing energy affordability, and creating pathways to high-quality jobs in disadvantaged communities by driving federal investment into these communities and utilizing registered apprenticeship programs and IAC Program participants in implementation projects (Workstream 1).
Additionally, the Implementation Grant Program will begin soliciting applications from non-IAC or CHP TAP assessment providers to qualify assessments from other parties as “IAC-equivalent.” Qualification of third-party assessors will enable further availability of IAC grants for SMMs across the United States (Workstream 2).
The Solar Prize encourages the rapid development of innovative solar energy solutions capable of addressing the tough challenges facing the solar industry. Solar Prize competitors participate in three contests—the Ready!, Set!, and Go! Contests—to transform their ideas into reality in months, rather than years. Competitors have the chance to win part of $4.1 million in prizes to help them advance in the competition and accelerate the development of their solution.
Round 7 includes an optional additional challenge that focuses on advancing solar in underserved communities. Participants who choose to incorporate this initiative into their solutions have the chance to be considered for a new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest and a bonus cash prize!
Dream Climate Tech Launchpad, with support from Dream.org, is a milestone-based investment readiness program that will support Black and Latinx-led climate tech startups, especially those building solutions in the Built Environment, Electric Transportation & Infrastructure, Food Systems, the Circular Economy, and Carbon Tech sectors.
NYSERDA is seeking applications from organizations who wish to host a full-time Climate Justice Fellow for 1 year. NYSERDA will fund the fellow’s salary as well as professional development training/mentoring and/or wrap-around services. Fellows must be members of a priority population. Host organizations must be working to advance climate justice and clean energy priorities for disadvantaged communities. It is anticipated that fellows will work in community-based organizations, universities, municipalities, climate tech innovators/start-ups, venture development organizations and clean energy businesses. NYSERDA anticipates funding approximately 150 fellowships through 2024. For eligible host employers, the total award amount is capped at $40k per fellow. A total of $6 Million in funding is available for this program. Applications from eligible host employers will be accepted on a continuous first-come, first-served basis until funds are expended. Funding may be adjusted based on demand and availability of additional funds.
The Justice40 Accelerator will support community-based and community-led groups/organizations working at the frontlines of environmental crises and advancing community-driven climate solutions. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, fiscally sponsored projects, and cooperatives based in the U.S., including sovereign lands located within the U.S. and its territories, are eligible to apply. The Accelerator is a 12-month long learning community of projects accountable to communities and committed to delivering climate-related solutions. The Accelerator is designed to be a cohort experience to meet projects where they are at in their journey to become eligible for public funding. The Accelerator will provide project development support and technical assistance to cohort members in order to competitively apply for grant funding.
GRID Alternatives and WRISE are partnering again for a Rising Solar fellowship program to give aspiring solar professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue a career in renewable energy. The program, part of GRID and WRISE’s workforce diversity initiatives, is aimed at anyone identifying as a woman or marginalized gender training for careers in installation and design as well as college and graduate students studying renewable energy and related fields. Rising Solar Fellows receive:
