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American-Made Challenges

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EnergyTech University Prize 2025

Prizes available to students who create/present an energy tech business plan & faculty who elevate energy entrepreneurship at their school.
Energy, Environment & Resources Technology
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Seeking Applicants, Faculty Entries due Jan 13 and Student Entries due Feb 3. Office hours on Jan 8 and Informational Webinar on Jan 23
Energy, Environment & Resources Technology
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Get Started Overview About the Prize Prize Structure for Student Competitors Prize Structure for Faculty Competitors How to Compete 2025 Important Dates

Get Started

Complete our Interest Form to be sure to receive important updates from organizers prior to signing up for the EnergyTech UP 2025 competition. 

Register for the next informational webinar on January 23 (Student Track only) or watch a recording of the last recording (both tracks) from Dec. 10.

Read the Overview section below for key prize details, then read the Official Rules document to learn more about the EnergyTech UP 2025 competition and regional pitch events. 

Explore Phase student registration is due February 3. Students will present to judges at their corresponding regional event on March 4, 5, and 6, and present a final pitch to judges at the national competition in late Spring 2025. 

Submissions for Faculty Explore prize consideration are due January 13.

Overview

Sponsored by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the American-Made EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) challenges student teams to compete for cash prizes for successfully identifying a promising energy technology, assessing its market potential, and creating a business plan for commercialization. Faculty are challenged to create innovative implementation plans that expand energy technology commercialization. 

Students: Develop and present a business plan that leverages National Laboratory-developed or other emerging energy technologies developed by students, faculty, or industry. Throughout the EnergyTech UP competition, they receive mentorship and materials to help them succeed, all while competing for more than $400,000 in cash prizes.

Faculty: Develop and implement educational activities to engage more students in energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics at their institution. While faculty have always been, and remain, welcome and encouraged to mentor a team competing in EnergyTech UP, this new track is designed to incentivize and support faculty directly, with more than $100,000 in cash prizes available.

About the Prize

The EnergyTech University Prize 2025 is sponsored by DOE’s OTT, as well as several other program offices. EnergyTech UP, in partnership with American-Made Challenges, is designed to be approachable, equitable, and scalable nationwide. Winners are chosen based on the strength of their business proposals and implementation plans. 

Participating students are provided with a curated list of National Lab technologies that are ready for commercialization and that can be used for their business plan. 

Prize Structure for Student Competitors

Student teams interested in EnergyTech UP will compete for more than $400,000 in cash prizes as they explore business opportunities for lab-developed or other high-potential energy technologies, assess commercialization opportunities through market analysis, and present a viable business plan to industry judges. 

Understanding that energy is often inherently local, competitor teams first present at their designated regional events in March, where regional finalists are identified. Teams that are invited to participate in the regional events receive free access to OTT’s Energy I-Corps curriculum. Finalists are provided exclusive mentorship to help students refine their ideas throughout March and April. Finally, the finalists pitch their complete business plan as part of a national conference in April 2025 (tentative).

Prize Structure for Faculty Competitors

The faculty track of EnergyTech UP is designed for educators who may benefit from mentorship and resources to create an implementation plan for their blossoming ideas for integrating or expanding energy technology commercialization or entrepreneurship activities at their home institution. 

Faculty (or faculty teams) will compete for more than $100,000 in cash prizes through three phases of competition. They will develop a proposal to expand energy technology commercialization or entrepreneurship activities at their home institution; receive access to a DOE mentor and DOE resources; and work toward showing how their plans could be integrated into student activities. 

How to Compete

Are you a collegiate student or faculty member interested in transitioning energy technologies to market? The EnergyTech University Prize is for you! Here are next steps you can take to get started: 

2025 Important Dates

Please see the official timeline in HeroX for the most current schedule of events for EnergyTech UP. All dates are subject to change, including contest openings, deadlines, and announcements.

To see the results of the 2024 EnergyTech UP competition, visit the now archived HeroX page: https://www.herox.com/EnergyTechUP2024.

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Challenge Updates

December Informational Webinar Recording Now Available

Dec. 16, 2024, noon PST by NREL Prize Moderator

You can now stream a recording of the Dec. 10 webinar covering important prize details such as track information, submission materials, key deadlines, and bonus prizes offered in the 2025 cycle of EnergyTech UP. You’ll also hear testimonials from past competitors and learn more about upcoming events for student competitors.

As a reminder, there are two more opportunities in January 2025 to hear about the prize and ask your lingering questions. 

  • Office Hours on Jan. 8 at 12 p.m. ET | Register here
  • January Informational Webinar (Student Track Only) on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET | Register here

Faculty who would like to be considered for Faculty Explorer awards should submit their applications by Jan. 13.  

Students ready to accelerate the clean energy market with a concise business plan that leverages National Laboratory-developed or other emerging energy technologies should apply with a 200-word summary by Feb. 3. 

We hope you have an enjoyable holiday break! In the meantime, feel free to post public questions on the HeroX forum or reach out to  with questions. 

Learn More About Bonus Prizes: Dec. 10 Webinar + Rules Update

Dec. 3, 2024, 8:03 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

Did you know EnergyTech UP offers multiple bonus prizes from an array of U.S. Department of Energy program offices to students who develop business plans around specified energy technologies? 

In the Explore Phase, bonus prize finalists will be awarded $5,000 each and invited to advance to the Refine and Pitch phases of the competition. At the conclusion of the Pitch Phase, each program office will choose a final Bonus Prize Winner to be awarded $20,000. Read more about the bonus prize focus areas below and in a new, updated Official Rules document located in the Resources tab. 

Applicants interested in learning more about these bonus prize opportunities are also encouraged to join the next informational webinar on Dec. 10. At this event, attendees can learn about the prize, including more information about the differences between the Student Track and Faculty Track, and ask questions during the live Q&A. Register for the webinar today to reserve your spot! 

Below are the DOE technology offices and their corresponding bonus prize challenges: 

  • Arctic Energy Office Bonus Prize 

As a team made up of Alaska-based students, demonstrate and propose an innovative business model for an emerging energy technology that helps meet the energy, science, and security needs of the U.S. and its Arctic allies. 

  • Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of geothermal technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges.

  • Office of Nuclear Energy Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced technologies supporting advanced reactors and fuel cycle technologies. 

  • Office of Electricity Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of GETs to benefit the U.S. power grid. 

  • Office of Electricity Grid-Scale Power Electronics (PE) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to stimulate the adoption of advanced power electronics in the U.S power grid. 

  • Office of Electricity Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to propose an LDES technology solution, explain the technology’s use case, and address market challenges to enable greater adoption of LDES in the U.S. power system. Innovative energy storage use cases are encouraged. 

  • Solar Energy Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of solar technologies in the U.S. grid and to tackle emerging challenges in the solar industry. 

  • Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to identify mechanisms for commercially viable hydrogen technologies to achieve market liftoff, supporting domestic competitiveness, job creation, and achievement of climate goals. 

  • Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Bonus Prize 

Develop an innovative business model or commercialization plan to increase the adoption of industrial decarbonization improvements at small- and medium-sized manufacturers. 

  • Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models for a novel hydropower or marine technology of your choice that tackles emerging challenges in the water power industry and aims to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of hydropower or marine energy in the United States. 

Below are additional bonus prizes offered by the Office of Technology Transitions: 

  • As in past years, the Office of Technology Transitions: National Lab IP Licensing bonus prize is awarded to a team who develops innovative business models to help accelerate the commercialization of technologies available on the Lab Partnering Service website.
  • Back again after its inaugural run in the EnergyTech UP 2024 cycle, the Office of Technology Transitions will also offer a bonus prize to an undergraduate-only team. Eligible teams must be made up of only undergraduate students, including those pursuing an associate degree or bachelor’s degree.

Ready to learn more? Register today for the Dec. 10 informational webinar! 

Join Us at Office Hours TOMORROW at 12 p.m. ET

Nov. 14, 2024, 9:07 a.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

Don’t forget, tomorrow, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET, is your next opportunity to meet with prize administrators and learn more about EnergyTech UP 2025. Office hours are a great opportunity for interested applicants to receive a high-level overview of the prize and ask questions about eligibility, teaming, submission materials, and more. 

Register today to reserve your spot at office hours!

Other Learning Opportunities 

Can’t make tomorrow’s office hours session? We’ve got you covered. Here are a few additional ways you can find out more about EnergyTech UP 2025: 

We hope to see you at an event soon! 

Questions About EnergyTech UP? We Can Help!

Nov. 4, 2024, 3:30 p.m. PST by NREL Prize Moderator

The EnergyTech UP prize administrators are here to help answer any questions you may have about the prize, submission materials, eligibility, and other important competition details. Get your questions answered: 

Office Hours are ideal for competitors hoping to ask direct questions or clarify details about the competition. For potential applicants seeking a full prize overview with additional details around deadlines, tracks, application support, and what to include in a submission package, we recommend registering for the Informational Webinar. 

Even if you are unable to attend the live Informational Webinar, we recommend registering for the event now to ensure you will be emailed a recording shortly after it concludes. 

We look forward to seeing you soon! 

First EnergyTech UP Informational Webinar Recording Now Available

Oct. 25, 2024, 1:50 p.m. PDT by NREL Prize Moderator

You can now stream the recording of our first Informational Webinar for EnergyTech UP 2025.  

During the session, prize administrators shared details about the more than $400,000 available to students and $100,000 available to faculty; explained the requirements for competing; and covered important dates within the competition timeline. 

A prize alum also joined to share about their experience with the prize, including the resume-building benefits of competing, and prize administrators fielded questions from participants. 

Students and faculty interested in competing are highly encouraged to watch the recording (and view the corresponding slides covered during the webinar) to learn the basics of the prize! And don’t forget to register for upcoming webinars to learn more about the differing tracks and get help fine-tuning your team, your strategies, and your submission.

Interested in the prize but not ready to register your team just yet? Complete an optional Interest Form to stay up to date on all things EnergyTech UP 2025!

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