The American-Made Challenges’ Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize recognizes the nation’s most innovative incubators. Sponsored by the Office of Technology Transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy, EPIC will award prizes to competitors that submit the most creative and impactful plans to develop strong clusters, connections, and support for startups and entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on energy-related technologies. Up to 20 teams will be awarded $50,000 each.

This funding opportunity is part of the American-Made Challenges series, which unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 DOE National Laboratories, the Network is primed to create a sweeping portfolio of innovations to demonstrate the promise of additive manufacturing.

The Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks innovators to design water desalination systems powered by marine renewable energy. The Waves to Water prize, aligned with the Water Security Grand Challenge, is a 5-Stage competition that offers up to $3.3 million in cash prizes, with a goal to demonstrate small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems that use the power of ocean waves to provide clean drinking water for disaster recovery and for remote and coastal communities.

This funding opportunity is part of the American-Made Challenges series, which unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 DOE National Laboratories, the Network is primed to create a sweeping portfolio of innovations to demonstrate the promise of additive manufacturing.

The American-Made 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 concepts and then early-stage prototypes ready for industry testing. Competitors have the chance to win $3 million in cash prizes and other resources to help them advance in the competition and accelerate the development of their solution.

This funding opportunity is part of the American-Made Challenges series, which unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 DOE National Laboratories, the Network is primed to create a sweeping portfolio of innovations to demonstrate the promise of additive manufacturing.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) has announced the Innovations in Advanced Manufacturing for Hydropower (I AM Hydro) Prize to dramatically lower costs of hydropower components and systems designs by leveraging advancements in manufacturing and material.

I AM Hydro is inspiring disruptors and innovators to compete for up to $250,000 in cash prizes and help support the hydropower industry using the ingenuity of advanced manufacturing.

This funding opportunity is part of the American-Made Challenges series, which unites the world’s best-in-class research base with the unparalleled entrepreneurial support system of the American-Made Network. Consisting of pioneering maker spaces, dozens of energy incubators, universities, and 17 DOE National Laboratories, the Network is primed to create a sweeping portfolio of innovations to demonstrate the promise of additive manufacturing.

Pitch your business case in front of an international investor audience from home.

WHEN: November 19th, 11:00 ET

WHO: 6 promising startups selected by the Solar Impulse Foundation
Exclusively for labelled solutions

AUDIENCE: 50 to 100 international VCs, Corporate VCs, Cleantech Funds and Impact Investors tune in to listen to the pitches. In the past, examples of participating investors were BNP Paribas, Demeter IM, Barclays, ZAZ Ventures, Suez Ventures, Engie New Ventures, P&G and Schneider Electric.

PITCH FORMAT: Online, 7 mins + 2 mins Q&A

REQUIREMENTS: Must have received Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label by November 1st and offer a game changing Cleantech Solution in energy, water, industrial innovation, smart city & mobility, circular economy, or agriculture.

The DOE Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is launching a $1,000,000 prize competition to award cash prizes to the nation’s most innovative incubators for creative plans to build clusters supporting entrepreneurs and innovators launching businesses focused on energy-related technologies. OTT welcomes incubators, organizations that aid in the development of new business ventures, business accelerators, co-working startup communities, or any other organizations that self-identify as advocates for innovation and entrepreneurship. This prize also seeks to strengthen innovation clusters or geographic concentrations of specialized skills, industries, and technologies that have the ability to turn their talents towards energy innovation.

To compete, competitors must submit a ten-slide presentation and a 90-second video. OTT anticipates selecting up to 20 winning competitors for cash prizes of $50,000 each.

Nexus and IN2 are granting two $15,000 grants for clean energy startups that can demonstrate positive impacts on underserved communities. New Energy Eligibility Criteria for $15,000 Clean Economy Grants:

a) Location: must be a California-based clean energy organization
b) Number of employees: must have at least two W2 employees
c) Must demonstrate impact on underserved communities
d) Must demonstrate financial need and urgency

The American-Made Challenges: Solar Desalination Prize is a multi-stage prize competition designed to accelerate the development of low-cost desalination systems that use solar-thermal power to produce clean drinking water from saltwater. Each stage of the competition will have increasing prize amounts, totaling millions of dollars.

Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech accelerator, providing entrepreneurs and corporate innovators the resources they need to launch and grow successful cleantech businesses. Our one-of-a-kind innovation ecosystem built over the last 10 years of programming spans key cleantech innovation hubs in the U.S., linking labs and universities, service providers, investors, corporations, governments, and other cleantech incubators and accelerators. Through our annual accelerator, we provide between 100-150 companies in the U.S. a rich program of customer discovery, extensive mentoring, training, investor meetings, startup-corporate matching, and showcasing at both the regional and national levels. Since 2005, more than 70% of our reporting U.S. alumni companies are still operating and have collectively raised over $1.2B in external funding. Join this exciting community and be a part of our global network of innovation.

CalSEED is a $24m grant program created by the California Energy Commission to help early stage California clean energy startups bring concepts and prototypes to market. CalSEED provides Concept Award grants of $150,000 each to 20 – 25 projects each year. Additionally, the CalSEED program holds an annual Business Plan Competition for Concept Award winners. Winners of this Prototype Award competition receive an additional $450,000 in funding.

Learn more about eligibility requirements.

Leading European utilities are seeking small businesses to apply for deal-focused pilot projects to demonstrate technologies. Participants include EDP (Portugal, Brazil, Spain, USA), American Electric Power (USA), Verbund (Austria), and TurningTables – Grupo Cuerva (Spain). Applicants will also have the opportunity to compete in a pitch competition and win 50,000 EUR.

The Venture Summit will honor a select group of more than 100 Top Innovators from the Technology, CleanTech, Life Sciences, Healthcare, and FinTech sectors. These companies will be chosen to present their breakthrough investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of Venture Capitalists, Private Investors, Investment Bankers, Corporate Investors, and Strategic Partners.