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American-Made Challenges

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MSI Contract Readiness Prize

This prize aims to increase the DOE-contract readiness of HBCUs, MSIs, and TCUs through mentoring, teaming, and technical support.

This challenge is closed

stage:
Judging
prize:
$775,000

This challenge is closed

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Summary
Timeline
Updates8
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Summary

About the Prize

The MSI Contract Readiness Prize is a one-phase capacity building prize that aims to boost equity across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contracting for small, medium, and large Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). This prize builds on the successes of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative that is working toward environmental justice for all Americans by involving MSIs as key strategic partners.

There are only a few agencies reaching out to institutions as a solution for federal requirements, which is a loss for the federal government and a missed opportunity for MSIs to gain beneficial financial resources. The goal of the MSI Contract Readiness Prize is not just a matter of increasing capacity for winning contracts, but also building a pipeline of long-term institutional support. MSIs will have a better knowledge of how to obtain future federal funding sources not only with the DOE Complex but with all federal agencies.


Overview

A total prize pool of $775,000 will be divided between approximately 35 winners, who will each receive a minimum of $15,000, based on their plans and activities that are leading to becoming DOE contract ready. To win the MSI Contract Readiness Prize, competitors will need to show they have increased their level of contract readiness. Teams will show this by developing a clear plan of action describing the steps taken to improve their contract readiness.

A successful submission should include, but is not limited to: 

  • Attending technical trainings on the federal contracting application process
  • Participating in mentoring opportunities with external partners such as the Power Connectors, DOE Mentor Protégé Program, or other partners
  • Providing information on how you will continue to train and develop staff, students, and other resources to respond to federal contract deliverables for your institution
  • Teams will be required to provide letters of support from their external partners. 

Prize Timeline

  • April 2024: Prize Launch
  • June – Sept. 2024: Submissions Open & Contract Readiness Webinars
    • June 26, 2024: Federal Contracting Basics
    • July 24, 2024: Create a Winning Capability Statement
    • Aug. 28, 2024: DOE Contact Forecasting & DOE Resources
    • Sept. 18, 2024: Win the Bid - The DOE Contract Landscape
  • Oct. 4: Submission Deadline (anticipated date)
  • Oct. 7 - Dec. 4: Review Period
  • Dec. 5: Winners Announcement (anticipated dates)

Eligibility

HBCUs, TCUs, MSIs, including AANAPISIs, HSIs, and PBIs are eligible to submit a proposal describing what their institutions are doing to become contract ready.

Teams should specify their institution size:  

  • Small institution (under 5,000 students) 
  • Medium-sized institution (5,001 - 15,000 students) 
  • Large institution (over 15,001 students) 

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the follow feature on the HeroX platform or reach out to MSIcontractingprize@nrel.gov

Timeline
Updates8

Challenge Updates

Deadline TODAY

Oct. 4, 2024, 6:57 a.m. PDT by Moderator

The deadline for the MSI Contract Readiness Prize is TODAY, Friday, October 4, 2024 at 5pm Eastern.

Any started submissions will not automatically submit at the deadline, so please be sure you hit the "Submit" button and receive your confirmation email. 

If you have any problems with the submission process, please contact MSIcontractingprize@nrel.gov for assistance. Please note: only submissions received through HeroX will be eligible. No emailed submissions or supplemental documents will be reviewed. 


Two weeks until deadline

Sept. 20, 2024, 2:05 p.m. PDT by Moderator

This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for the MSI Contract Readiness Prize is TWO WEEKS away! Please be sure you are following the challenge, watch the four videos in the web series, and submit your materials by October 4, 2024!


Increased Prize Pool

Sept. 5, 2024, 1:34 p.m. PDT by Moderator

We are happy to announce that the MSI Contract Readiness Prize pool has been increased to $775,000! With this increased prize pool, approximately 35 winning MSIs will receive a minimum of $15,000 each, depending on institution size and their plans and activities that are leading to becoming DOE contract ready. The deadline is less than one month away, so be sure you watch the webinars and get your submission in by October 4, 2024. 


Final Webinar and Resources

Sept. 3, 2024, 3:42 p.m. PDT by Moderator

There is only one webinar left in the Funding Futures Webinar Series. It takes place on September 18th so register now

Have you missed one another webinar in this series? Links to the videos will be posted in the HeroX resources Tab for your convenience. 


DOE Contact Forecasting & DOE Resources

Aug. 22, 2024, 8:22 a.m. PDT by Moderator

Join VentureWell for Part 3 of the Federal Contracting Basics web series. Learn why forecasting helps institutions build their contract pipeline by identifying upcoming contract opportunities. Includes an overview on key resources such as DOE Acquisition Forecast, DOE Office of Economic Impact & Diversity, DOE OSDBU and DOE federal labs.

Participating in the webinar will prepare institutions for the American-Made MSI Contract Readiness Prize, which offers up to $300K in prizes. This opportunity is designed to enhance the DOE-contract readiness of HBCUs, TCUs, and other MSIs. In addition to strengthening contract-winning capabilities, the prize aims to foster a sustainable funding source by guiding universities and colleges in successfully securing federal contracts.

Register here for this webinar, happening August 28, 2024; 3:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. MT. 


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