This FOA seeks to validate grid-edge technology innovations in real-world situations and provide new tools for utilities, grid planners and operators, automakers and smart charge management service providers, and the communities they serve.

This FOA accelerates progress toward the goal of a clean energy economy for all Americans by optimizing systems with grid-connected buildings and electric vehicles powered by clean, distributed energy generation and demonstrating these advanced technologies are reliable, efficient, secure, and ready for wide-scale adoption.

This FOA has two major topical areas:

• Connected Communities, focused on grid edge technical measures in buildings, industry, and transportation to prepare the electric grid for these new loads, and improve the customer benefits and grid resilience; and
• Smart Charge Management, focused on various unique urban, suburban, and rural use cases to build confidence in it as an effective approach for electric vehicles to provide flexibility and value to the electric grid.

Powered by New Energy Nexus (NEX), we are thrilled to announce the launch the second round application for our 2024 NEX Climate Fintech Accelerator. Our mission is to propel fintech innovations that are crucial for climate finance. We provide an ecosystem of support, including business development, capacity building, and expansive networking opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is issuing this $4.8 million funding opportunity announcement (FOA) “Water Power Innovation Network” to support business creation, entrepreneurship, and regional innovation for water power systems and solutions. WPTO enables research, development, and testing of emerging technologies to advance marine energy as well as next-generation hydropower and pumped storage systems for a flexible, reliable grid. Through this FOA, WPTO seeks to fund new and/or expanded incubator or accelerator programs that enable entrepreneurship and accelerate water power innovation, business creation, and growth in communities and regions throughout the United States. Through this FOA, new and/or expanded incubators and accelerators in water power will be able to collaborate with one another and build a stronger water power innovation network in support of accelerating water power technologies to market.

Are you a long duration energy storage (LDES) technology innovator? This voucher opportunity seeks to provide LDES technology companies, including developers, vendors and manufacturers, with services such as market assessment support, business plan formulation, technical modeling or analysis, testing, performance validation, and commercialization strategy support. This support will come from providers, such as national labs, consulting firms, non-profits, or technology testing centers, to advance non-hydrogen, electricity-in/electricity-out LDES technologies.

Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. The value of each voucher will depend on the services defined in the Providers’ capability statements, with estimated values of support services per recipient ranging from $50k to $150k.

The Hydropower Testing Network (HyTN) program, pronounced “heighten“, aims to raise the technology readiness of hydropower innovations by connecting technology developers to testing facilities and implementing targeted testing activities that lead to the deployment of sustainable hydropower projects. The HyTN Voucher Opportunity (VO) seeks to provide U.S.-based hydropower technology developers the testing capabilities needed to increase the technical readiness and commercialization potential of innovative approaches to hydropower generation. The HyTN VO, developed in a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT), and ENERGYWERX, facilitates matchmaking between U.S.-based hydropower technology developers (voucher recipients) and test facilities (voucher providers) with relevant physical testing capabilities. Once matches are made, WPTO distributes funds to the test facilities to provide these testing capabilities to the voucher recipients for projects lasting up to one year. This solicitation is currently open to voucher providers.

This program provides loan guarantees up to $250 million to assist in the development, construction, and retrofitting of new and emerging technologies. These technologies are: advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products. To apply, you must have legal authority, experience, and expertise and demonstrate that you meet the FDIC definition of “Well Capitalized” at the time of application and issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee, including:

• Federal or state-chartered banks.
• Federally-recognized tribes.
• Cooperatives.
• Farm Credit Bank, or other Farm Credit System institution with direct lending authority.
• Credit Unions subject to credit examination and supervision by a state agency or the National Credit Union Administration.
• The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.

The Technologies to Emend and Obviate SYnthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE) program will emphasize strategies that lower the application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on corn and sorghum fields. Lowering the application of synthetic N fertilizer would reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as significantly lower farmers’ operating costs while maintaining crop yields. Small businesses can apply for the SBIR/STTR soliciations under this program.

The NSF SBIR/STTR and SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs support moving scientific excellence and technological innovation from the lab to the market. These NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs provide fixed amount cooperative agreements for the development of a broad range of technologies based on discoveries in science and engineering with potential for societal and economic impacts. Under a traditional NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award, a small business can receive non-dilutive funding for research and development (R&D) to demonstrate technical feasibility over 6 to 12 months and then, after completion of a Phase I project, companies may apply for Phase II funding to further develop the proposed technology.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Topics for the Department of Energy’s FY 2025 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 1 Funding Opportunity Announcement have been issued and are available on our website: https://science.osti.gov/sbir/Funding-Opportunities. The following DOE program offices are participating in this solicitation:

• Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
• Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
• Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
• Office of High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Office of Nuclear Physics (NP)

Cleantech Open Northeast, NECEC won a Department of Energy DAC EPIC prize to hold a DAC Academy in the fall of 2024. The purpose is to accelerate five (5) Direct Air Capture (DAC) startups on the path to commercialization.  This is designed for startups at TRL 3-6. The startups can be from just about anywhere, as long as they can participate in person at the Bootcamp in NYC on October 16 and the Finale in Boston on December 10, meet regularly with their mentors, and attend the virtual webinars and workshops.

The Environmental Tech Lab is a collaboration between the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New York City Partnership Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of the Partnership Fund for New York City. We provide companies with expedited paths to testing, expert feedback, access to key decision makers from DEP, and an accelerated go/no-go decision. We enable public sector climate leaders to source, evaluate, and Pilot new solutions to their most critical challenges.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, is seeking proposals from the small businesses to develop novel environmental technologies in the following topics areas: clean and safe water, air quality and climate, homeland security, circular economy/sustainable materials, safer chemicals.