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American-Made Challenges

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The American-Made Challenges are a series of prize competitions designed to accelerate and sustain American innovation through a diverse and powerful support network that leverages national laboratories, energy incubators, and other resources from a…
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Challenges 112
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Challenges 112
by American-Made Challenges
2025 EPIC Pitch Competitions
A pitch competition program designed to infuse capital directly into startups nominated by previous EPIC Prize incubators.
Pre registration
$315K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
The U.S. Department of Energy AlgaePrize 2025–2027
The AlgaePrize is a national algal-based competition that challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals.
Pre registration
$250K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2025 Renew America's Schools Prize
Funding energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at public K-12 schools to lower energy costs and improve indoor air quality.
Enter - 101 Days Remaining
$4.2M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Capacity Accelerator for Tribal Offshore Wind Engagement
Do you have ideas about how to build Tribal capacity to engage in offshore wind energy decision making? We want to hear from you!
Pre registration
by American-Made Challenges
Industrial Energy Storage Systems Prize
Developing energy storage solutions that can accommodate cooling, thermal, and/or electric energy loads at the industrial facility size.
Pre registration
$4.8M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Heat Pumps PATHs Prize
The GHP PATHs Prize aims to catalyze regional outreach-focused partnerships to improve Geothermal Heat Pump workforce pipeline development.
Enter - 51 Days Remaining
$3M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
MAKE IT Prize Round 2
Catalyzing domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components.
Enter - 120 Days Remaining
$32M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize
Prize pool of up to $4.1M to Tribal Colleges and Universities for creating projects at the intersection of clean energy and food sovereignty
Judging
$4.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2024 Geothermal Collegiate Competition
College students: Compete to solve real-world geothermal technical and policy challenges for a chance at thousands in DOE prize funding!
Judging
$10K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Beyond the Meter: Energy Storage Integration Prize
$200,000 prize for companies and coalitions that demonstrate their grid-edge technology and plans to integrate with partners in the grid.
Judging
$200K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Promoting Registration of Inverters and Modules with Ecolabel (PRIME) Prize
Incentivizing EPEAT registration of solar PV modules and inverters for easier identification of eco-friendly equipment.
Enter - 115 Days Remaining
$2.7M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Community Power Accelerator Round 3
A prize designed to fast-track the efforts of emerging & expanding solar developers & co-developers to grow distributed solar projects
Judging
$10M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
DAC Pilot Prize
Supporting the development of multiple first-of-a-kind DAC pilots and enabling these technologies to be deployed in the commercial space.
Enter - 46 Days Remaining
$52.5M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize
Supports cattle agrivoltaics projects to explore benefits to ag producers, landowners, and rural communities, and advance solar development.
Enter - 73 Days Remaining
$8.2M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize
Expanding opportunities for accessible, good jobs in clean energy and increasing diversity in the workforce.
Enter - 39 Days Remaining
$3.4M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
EnergyTech University Prize 2025
Prizes available to students who create/present an energy tech business plan & faculty who elevate energy entrepreneurship at their school.
Enter - 21 Days Remaining
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 8
The Solar Prize Round 8 offers more than $4.2 million in prizes to entrepreneurial teams moving innovative ideas toward commercialization.
Judging Closed
$4.2M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Energy Storage Innovations Prize Round 2
Propose transformative energy storage solutions that address niche markets and inform the DOE’s strategy to accelerate grid modernization.
Enter - 119 Days Remaining
$300K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Framing the Future: Industrial Technologies Photo Contest
Documenting the latest advancements in decarbonization within the industrial sector.
Judging
$27K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Science Synthesis Prize
Generate new and comprehensive knowledge on the current state of science in renewable integration with the $125,000 Science Synthesis Prize
Judging
$125K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Hydropower Collegiate Competition 2025
Challenging multidisciplinary teams of collegiate students to offer unique solutions to converting non-powered dams to hydroelectric dams.
Submission Deadline
$325K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
The Marine Energy Collegiate Competition 2025
Challenging multidisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students to offer unique solutions to modern marine energy challenges.
Submission Deadline
$420K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2025 Collegiate Wind Competition
Helping college students prepare for jobs in the wind and renewable energy workforce through real-world experiences.
Submission Deadline
$280K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Open Voucher Call
Accelerating technology commercialization while connecting the public with U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory facilities.
Enter
$2.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2024 Renew America's Schools Prize
Funding energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at public K-12 schools to lower energy costs and improve indoor air quality.
Closed
$6.9M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce
Accelerating the expansion of US solar manufacturing workforce & building skills to revitalize domestic solar manufacturing supply chain.
Judging
$7.8M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Photo Competition: Hit Me with Your Sun Shot
A photo competition bringing attention to solar energy’s importance to the clean energy transition.
Won
$17K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
E-SCRAP Prize
Designed to stimulate innovative approaches that reduce the costs and environmental impact of critical material recovery from e-scrap.
Judging Closed
$4M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Data-Driven Distributed (3D) Solar Visibility Prize
Incentivizing the development & deployment of distribution system state estimation tools.
Won
$250K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
SOLVE IT Prize
Enabling innovative solutions for local energy-related challenges.
Judging Closed
$5M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Power At Sea Prize
Create reliable and cost-effective renewable power at sea to support Powering the Blue Economy™ initiatives. #PowerAtSea Prize
Judging Closed
$1.7M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Re-X Before Recycling Prize
Seeking innovations to unlock new or expanded supply chains that can reintegrate end-of-use products into the economy before recycling
Judging Closed
$5.6M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize Round 3
The Office of Technology Transitions EPIC Round 3 incentivizes incubators that implement high-impact ideas to support energy startups.
Judging Closed
$4M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Community Energy Innovation Prize
Provide support, build trust, and strengthen partnerships with underserved communities while advancing the clean energy transition.
Judging Closed
$7.5M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Building Envelope Innovation Prize - Secondary Glazing Systems
This prize encourages production of high-performance, cost-effective secondary glazing systems to improve efficiency of commercial windows.
Submission Deadline
$2.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Packaging Prize
The $2.25M SiC Packaging Prize invites competitors to propose, design, build, and test packaging prototypes that advance the industry.
Submission Deadline
$2.2M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Digitizing Utilities: Round 2
Help electric utilities tackle data and cybersecurity challenges to advance grid reliability/resiliency and mitigate cybersecurity risks
Judging
$2.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Lab MATCH Prize
Accelerates efforts of diverse entrepreneurs by working directly with national labs and their researchers on IP commercialization.
Enter - 98 Days Remaining
$620K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
The U.S. Department of Energy AlgaePrize 2023-2025
The AlgaePrize is a national algal-based competition that challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals.
Submission Deadline
$215K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Collegiate Competition - Fall 2023
College students: Compete to solve real-world geothermal technical and policy challenges for a chance at thousands in DOE prize funding!
Submission Deadline
$10K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Collegiate Competition
Foster understanding of geothermal, communicate benefits of geothermal technologies, and overcome non-technical barriers to development.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
The U.S. Department of Energy AlgaePrize 2022-2023
The AlgaePrize is a national algal-based competition that challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals.
Enter
$130K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Advanced Cybersecurity Technology 1 Prize
Empowering utilities with limited cybersecurity resources to make critical investments in hardening their systems against threats.
Judging Closed
$10.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
H2Os Prize - Phase 4
Optimize hydropower operations to better complement variable renewable energy resources, like wind and solar, to help power the grid!
Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize
Developing a cost-effective and sustainable recycling industry for fiber-reinforced composites and rare earth elements in wind turbines
Judging Closed
$5.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Ambassador Prize
Identifying and engaging Puerto Rican households for solar and battery storage installations, with a focus on vulnerable residents.
Enter - 39 Days Remaining
$6M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
MSI Contract Readiness Prize
This prize aims to increase the DOE-contract readiness of HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs through mentoring, teaming, and technical support.
Won
$775K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
EnergyTech University Prize 2024
Tasking students to create & present a business plan around energy tech. Tasking faculty to elevate energy entrepreneurship at their school.
Enter
$550K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Data Bounty Prize
Designed to incentivize photovoltaic (PV) system owners to share information-rich datasets from their assets.
Won
$1.4M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 7
The Solar Prize Round 7 offers $4.2 million in prizes to competitors over three progressive contests.
Won
$4.2M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Community Power Accelerator Round 2
Fast-tracks the efforts of solar developers to learn and grow their operations to support multiple, successful community solar projects.
Judging Closed
$10M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2024 Collegiate Wind Competition
Helping college students prepare for jobs in the wind and renewable energy workforce through real-world experiences.
Submission Deadline
$280K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
HBCU Clean Energy Education Prize Partnerships Track
Advancing clean energy programming, opportunities, and connections for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Enter - 43 Days Remaining
$6.8M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Heliostat Prize
The American-Made Heliostat Prize is a 3-contest challenge designed to accelerate technology innovation of selected heliostat components.
Enter - 39 Days Remaining
$3M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
MAKE IT Prize Strategies Track
Enabling vibrant clean energy technology manufacturing activity in communities.
Enter - 135 Days Remaining
$5.5M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
MAKE IT Prize Facilities Track
Catalyzing domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components.
Judging Closed
$24M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
2023 Sunny Awards
Recognize community solar projects and programs that increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar.
Judging Closed
$200K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Hydropower Collegiate Competition
Challenging multidisciplinary teams of collegiate students to offer unique solutions to converting non-powered dams to hydroelectric dams.
Submission Deadline
$325K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
The Marine Energy Collegiate Competition
Challenging multidisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students to offer unique solutions to modern marine energy challenges.
Submission Deadline
$420K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Microbattery Design Prize
Seeking designs for microbatteries to support new uses for small electronic devices with improved performance, safety, and recyclability.
Enter
$1.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Prize
Propose new HVDC technology solutions to strengthen the U.S. energy grid.
Judging Closed
$200K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Community Power Accelerator Prize
Fast-tracks the efforts of solar developers to learn and grow their operations to support multiple, successful community solar projects.
Judging Closed
$10M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Buildings Upgrade Prize
Supports actionable and scalable solutions to advance energy efficiency and efficient electrification upgrades in existing U.S. buildings.
Judging
by American-Made Challenges
Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize
Let’s forge a wave-powered future together! New wave energy technologies have the potential to power much of the nation’s grid.
Enter - 35 Days Remaining
by American-Made Challenges
Energizing Rural Communities Prize
Supporting innovative partnership and finance plans to help rural or remote communities develop clean energy demonstration projects.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
EAS-E Prize
Supports design solutions, tools, and/or technology innovations that make electrification more affordable and accessible in U.S. homes.
Closed
$2.4M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize
Teams identify a critical need in the direct air capture (DAC) industry, develop a solution, and test the idea to a degree of scale.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
DAC Pre-Commercial EPIC Prize
Regional incubators develop creative and impactful plans to support entrepreneurs and innovators in the direct air capture (DAC) space.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
DAC Commercial CDR Purchase Pilot Prize
Teams develop and fulfill innovative, technically robust, validated, and commercial-scale CDR purchase agreements.
Judging Closed
$35M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Net Load Forecasting Prize
Develop probabilistic models that predict net load a day in advance and promote adoption of probabilistic forecasts and evaluation tools.
Won
$600K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Energy CLASS Prize
Building capacity within local educational agencies to identify and implement energy and health improvements in public school facilities.
Closed
$4.5M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Digitizing Utilities Prize
Round 2 is now open for submissions: www.herox.com/DigitizingUtilitiesRound2
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize
Encourages and recognizes coalitions that are addressing environmental inequities and energy challenges among disadvantaged communities.
Judging Closed
$2.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Energy Storage Innovations Prize
This DOE Office of Electricity-sponsored competition tasks innovators to submit transformative approaches to grid-scale energy storage.
Judging Closed
$300K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
SolarApp+ Prize
The SolarAPP+ Prize awards $15,000 to local governments to adopt SolarAPP+, an online permitting platform for code-compliant PV systems.
Won
$1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
The Sunny Awards
This challenge is closed.
Won
$100K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize Round 2
The Office of Technology Transitions EPIC Prize incentivizes incubators that implement high-impact ideas to support energy startups.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Carbon Management Collegiate Competition
Funded by DOE's Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Office, this competition tasks students to propose a regional carbon transport network.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize
The FLOWIN Prize will bring the U.S. closer to the goals of a decarbonized electricity grid by 2035 and a net zero economy by 2050.
Enter - 128 Days Remaining
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 6
The Solar Prize Round 6 offers $4.1 million in cash prizes to competitors over three progressive contests.
Won
$4.1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
H-Prize: Hydrogen Shot Incubator
Accelerating the development of unique and novel technologies that show potential to produce affordable clean hydrogen.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Office of Technology Transitions EnergyTech University Prize 2022-2023
Tasking student teams to develop and present a business plan using National Laboratory-developed or other high-potential energy technologies
Won
by American-Made Challenges
American-Made Inclusive Solar Outreach Awards
The Inclusive Solar Outreach Awards recognize industry campaigns increasing solar adoption and workforce development in diverse communities.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Geophone Prize
The Geophone Prize will catalyze the development of high temperature, downhole seismic monitoring for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)
Enter - 235 Days Remaining
by American-Made Challenges
Office of Technology Transitions EnergyTech University Prize 2021-2022
Tasking student teams to develop and present a business plan that leverages lab-developed and other high-potential energy technologies.
Won
$250K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Forecasting Prize
Enabling solar industry stakeholders with state-of-the-art solar forecasting capabilities
Won
$375K Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize
Enabling a just and equitable transition to a clean energy economy
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Hydrogen Business Case Prize
The Hydrogen Business Case Prize engages student and professionals interested in hydrogen and fuel cells to develop a tool.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 5 Software Track
Solar Prize Round 5 Software Track offers $1.6 million in cash prizes over three contests.
Won
$1.6M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 5 Hardware Track
The Solar Prize Round 5 Hardware Track offers $3 million in cash prizes to competitors over three progressive contests.
Won
$3M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Lighting Prize (L-Prize)
The L-Prize will advance the state-of-the-art in LED lighting.
Submission Deadline
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Lithium Extraction Prize
Develop solutions that de-risk and increase market viability for direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Perovskite Startup Prize
The American-Made Perovskite Startup Prize is designed to accelerate the growth of the domestic perovskite industry.
Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Desalination Round 2
Develop systems that use low-cost solar-thermal energy to help clean water produced by oil & gas extraction & other industrial activities.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
E-ROBOT Prize
Catalyze the development of building envelope retrofit solutions that make retrofits easier, faster, safer and more accessible for workers.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize
Conductivity-enhanced materials for Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric applications (CABLE) Prize for materials inventors
Submission Deadline
$4.8M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Geothermal Manufacturing Prize
Catalyze geothermal manufacturing innovation by harnessing the rapid advances in additive manufacturing.
Judging
by American-Made Challenges
Water Resource Recovery Prize
Address the global need for safe, secure, and affordable water through cutting-edge water resource recovery.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Ocean Observing Prize
Integrate marine renewable energy with ocean observation platforms, to revolutionize data collection needed to understand and map the ocean.
Submission Deadline
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 4
The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate and sustain American solar innovation.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Waves to Water
Accelerated the development of wave-powered desalination systems to provide drinking water in disaster relief and coastal locations.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Groundbreaking Hydro Prize
Encourage the development of new ideas to cut the costs, timelines, and risks associated with small hydropower foundation development.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
I AM Hydro
Support hydropower by integrating advanced manufacturing technologies to lower costs, improve performance, and reduce manufacturing times.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize
Create impactful plans to develop strong connections and support for entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on energy technologies.
Won
$1M Prize
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Desalination
Expand the utilization of non-traditional sources of water, ensure water security in the U.S. and improve the resilience of infrastructure.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Fish Protection
Catalyzing new solutions, designs, and strategies to prevent fish from swimming into water infrastructure.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
INDIVIDUALS TAKING ENERGY ACTION IN MANUFACTURING (ITEAM) PRIZE
Identify ideas and practices for measurable energy savings at U.S. manufacturing plants to stimulate innovation at other facilities.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 3
The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate and sustain American solar innovation.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 2
The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate and sustain American solar innovation.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize
Identify innovative solutions for collecting, sorting, storing, and transporting spent lithium-ion batteries.
Judging Closed
by American-Made Challenges
Solar Prize Round 1
The American-Made Solar Prize is a $3 million prize competition designed to accelerate and sustain American solar innovation.
Won
by American-Made Challenges
FAST Commissioning for Pumped-Storage Hydropower Prize
For next-generation pumped-storage hydropower development and the encouragement of exploration for new use cases of PSH.
Won
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