EnergyTech University Prize 2025

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. 

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! 

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: 

• Read the Official Rules document
• Watch a recording of the October informational webinar
• Register to join an informational webinar on Dec. 10 (where you can have your questions addressed live by prize administrators) 

We hope to see you at an event soon! 

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: 

• Register to join Office Hours | Nov 15. at 12 p.m. ET
• Register to join an Informational Webinar | Dec. 10 at 1 p.m. ET

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! 

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.

• Register to join the Dec. 10 Informational Webinar
• Register to join the Jan. 23 Informational Webinar (Student Track Only) 

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!