Competition/Prize

Energy Storage Capital Challenge

The challenge is focused on accelerating energy storage project deployment in New York State by aligning capital resources and technical assistance to development stage energy storage projects. We’re specifically looking for innovative energy storage projects in New York State that are post site control and pre-financial close.

 

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Digitizing Utilities: Round 2

Following a successful Round 1, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity launched Round 2 of the $1.85 million Digitizing Utilities Prize, with support from DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. This prize connects utilities with interdisciplinary teams of software developers and data experts to transform digital systems and data analytics for utilities in the energy sector.

The Digitizing Utilities Prize supports competitors as they develop innovative solutions to transform data analytics and system digitization for utilities, such as energy use data, synchrophasor data, weather data, fire assessment data, and more. In Round 2, innovators have the option to focus specifically on addressing cybersecurity threats and risks through demonstrated improvements in risk identification, analysis, prediction, or proactive response for enhanced protection of digital energy infrastructures.

 

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SOLVE IT Prize

The Solutions for Lasting, Viable Energy Infrastructure Technologies (SOLVE IT) Prize aims to empower communities to identify and implement innovative clean energy solutions in a way that works for their unique needs and challenges. The prize will award competitors with a demonstrated history of productive work with communities. Competitors will work collaboratively with stakeholders interested in community-scale (neighborhood-, town-, or city-scale) planning around clean energy to engage their communities, build a network of support for clean energy or decarbonization projects, and develop plans for carrying out these projects.

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Lead2030 Challenge SDG13

The challenge seeks to support scalable youth-led solutions that:

  • Reduce the impacts of climate change, and/or empower others to act on climate change
  • Address root causes of the issue
  • Demonstrate ability to drive impact and potential to scale
  • Collaborate with others to accelerate or broaden impact
  • Utilize innovative approaches

They are looking for bold solutions that reduce impacts of climate change and/or empower others to act on climate change. Examples of solutions may include behavioural change, technology solutions or scaling of technology solutions, education, nature-based solutions, community actions or collaborations.

Areas

The solutions should drive impact in at least one of the following areas:

  • Actively contribute to carbon reduction, carbon sequestration, and/or the transition to clean, renewable energy
  • Support or empower local people who are undertaking climate action to improve their community, strengthen resilience and limit the effects of climate change
  • Promote meaningful collaboration across stakeholder groups such as communities, businesses, and governments, to advance climate change solutions and resilience measures
  • Support initiatives that develop job skills, improve educational outcomes, and provide access to opportunities within the green economy
  • Limit the negative human, environmental, or societal impacts brought on by climate change
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TEX-E Prize

The TEX-E Prize is a multi-round startup competition for Texas students who are developing innovative technologies and business models to advance the energy transition and address climate change. The goal of the competition is to support, encourage, and inspire students across the state of Texas to pursue entrepreneurship as a way to reduce emissions while also building a healthier and more resilient society.

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Fourth Revolution Awards (Illinois)

The Fourth Revolution Awards acknowledges outstanding manufacturing-based startups, community organizations, and hardtech entrepreneurs in the region. Winners will receive two 3-Month shared workspace memberships at mHUB, local and national recognition, personalized coffee chat/meeting.

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Bezos Earth Fund $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize

Greenhouse Gas Removal (GHGR) is crucial for achieving the Paris Agreement objectives and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. Our two-tier challenge is designed to illuminate and inspire groundbreaking ideas in the race to scale technological greenhouse gas removal solutions. The first phase involves awarding up to $4,000 to up to 50 compelling one-page proposals that present an innovative solution to a major GHGR challenge. These proposals set the stage for the optional second phase where up to 12 of the most promising ideas will receive grants of up to $50,000 to validate and experiment with the proposed solution space, accelerating the GHGR initiatives to scale.

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TECHCONNECT WORLD INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Launch your electrifying journey into the future of innovation! Join the world’s largest multi-sector commercialization program for emerging deep technologies. Pitch your groundbreaking innovations and connect with top-tier corporate, investment, military and federal leaders for partnering, licensing and investment opportunities. Whether you’re a startup, university TTO, federal lab, or federal awardee, seize the moment. Submit your commercially viable innovation now and connect with the largest gathering of tech-scouts and funding offices worldwide. Submit today!

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SBA Growth Accelerator Fund Competition

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers $50,000 to $200,000 in prize awards for impactful and inclusive approaches to foster a thriving, collaborative national innovation support ecosystem to advance research and development (R&D) from ideas to impact. By fostering connections between entrepreneurs, advisors, mentors, partners, philanthropies, corporations, investors, and other shared resources, the 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) will catalyze strategic ecosystem partnerships to build community and organizational capacity for the successful launch, growth, and scale of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-based entrepreneurs and startups.

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NASA MSI Incubator: Wildfire Climate Tech Challenge

NASA’s Wildfire Climate Tech Challenge, part of the MSI Incubator initiative, seeks innovative solutions for wildfire prevention and climate technology. NASA invites students and employees of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to address the escalating issues caused by wildfires exacerbated by climate change. Successful participants will have the opportunity to join a startup incubator program and compete for a prize of $100,000. Additionally, this initiative offers a platform for participants to present their ideas to venture capitalists and NASA experts, furthering the development of technology in the fields of wildfire prevention and climate change, while promoting inclusivity and diversity.

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Re-X Before Recycling’ Prize

This three-phase prize will award a total of $4.5 million in cash prizes and $1.1 million in national laboratory analysis consultation and technical assistance to teams that develop innovative ways to extend the lifetimes of products or parts via re-using, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, or repurposing (“Re-X”) before recycling.  

The innovations developed through this prize will reduce life cycle energy and emissions, strengthen circular supply chains for emerging clean energy technologies, and decrease the demand for virgin materials. Innovations that enable new or expanded Re-X supply chains can also engage communities and labor, advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and support the implementation of the White House Justice40 initiative

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National Small Business Week Awards

As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes the opportunity to highlight the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs, small business owners, and community members from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Every day, they’re working to grow small businesses, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation, and increase America’s global competitiveness. And in recognizing the changing face of America, the SBA’s National Small Business Week awards honor individuals and businesses that reflect our nation’s rich diversity.

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