The Clean Tech Center at the Tech Garden in Syracuse is a NYSERDA-funded initiative focused on supporting companies commercializing environmental and clean energy technologies. Clean Tech refers to an emerging sector of products, services, and processes that harness renewable energy sources, reduce the carbon footprint, and advance sustainability.
In an effort to assist clean energy innovators to create manufacturing-ready prototypes, the DOE is providing the Build4Scale training program. The self-paced eight-module training provides the knowledge needed to assess manufacturing readiness, evaluate smart product design, and engage with manufacturing partners. Organizations and individuals involved in American manufacturing and technology innovation including energy hardware technologists: scientists, engineers, students, and innovators are requested to utilize this opportunity.
DOE is accepting applications from small businesses as part of its SBIR/STTR program (phase-1). The criteria for selection would be the feasibility of ideas with commercial potential and their alignment with DOE mission research guidelines. The grant application should concentrate on research that will contribute to proving the scientific or technical feasibility of the concept. Successful applicants in a DOE Phase I would be eligible to apply for DOE Phase II as well.
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NEXUS-NY is a clean energy seed accelerator that provides financial, business and educational support to startups involved in technologies that generate clean energy or reduce carbon emissions. Interested candidates from research universities and the general community are also requested to apply. Selected participants receive equity-free financial support along with additional services from mentors and partner organizations.
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The California Energy Commission’s CalSEED program funds entrepreneurs working on bringing early-stage clean energy concepts to market. Individuals/Businesses/Non-profit organizations with ideas on creating greater reliability, lower cost, and/or increased safety for California’s electricity grid are encouraged to apply. Apart from concept awards, the winners would also get access to California’s best accelerator and incubator programs.
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Schneider Electric and Powerhouse have announced the 4D challenge to invite software and/or hardware solutions for the clean energy industry, including a business model and go-to-market strategy that covers targeted markets and customers. The 4 dimensions of the contest include Decarbonize, Decentralize, Digitize and Democratize. Apart from non-dilutive funding, the winners would also be entitled to the Schneider Electric Incubation Program.
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Systematic improvements to grid investments and operations are needed to accommodate widespread adoption of distributed energy resources and enable market development across New York State. The Future Grid solicitation seeks innovative solutions to challenge areas that accelerate the advancement of the Distributed System Platform in New York State. Up to $3 million is available per challenge through 2019 for product development and demonstration projects.
NextCorps and Rev: Ithaca Startup Works can help you get it there. Hardware Scaleup is a new program that helps entrepreneurs develop a comprehensive roadmap for scaling their prototype product into a design that’s easy to manufacture and mass produce in New York State. It also provides the support and resources to speed time to market, and reduce risks, waste and costs along the way. Hardware Scaleup is a competitive, cohort-based program that requires an 18-month commitment. Eight teams will be selected for each cohort.
To qualify, you must be a clean energy hardware entrepreneur residing in New York State, or be willing to relocate to New York. Examples of clean technologies that would be applicable include (but are not limited to) sustainable energy sources, such as renewable, solar, geothermal and biomass energy; battery fuel cells; and wind and hydro power. It also includes technologies that improve conventional energy production processes to reduce or optimize the use of natural resources, such as greenhouse gas emission control, pollution monitoring, and clean coal.
Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) is USAID’s open innovation program that tests and scales creative solutions to any global development challenge. Innovative solutions come in many forms – whether a product, technology, service, or application of a creative business and delivery model. DIV is an open door to USAID – anyone, anywhere can apply at any time. USAID provides flexible, tiered grant funding to test new ideas, take strategic risks, build evidence of what works, and advance the best solutions. Proposals are accepted year-round across three stages, from any type of organization, in any country in which USAID operates.
In addition to tiered funding, DIV provides evidence grants (up to $1,500,000) to support research and evaluations that generate rigorous evidence of an innovation’s impact per dollar and potential for expansion. These applications are evaluated separately from proposals for tiered funding.
