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American-Made Challenges

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Buildings Upgrade Prize

Supports actionable and scalable solutions to advance energy efficiency and efficient electrification upgrades in existing U.S. buildings.
stage:
Application Support Webinar
prize:
$22,000,000+
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Summary
Timeline
Updates7
Upcoming Webinars & Recordings
Forum9
Teams776
Resources
FAQ
Summary

Upgrading existing buildings to efficiently run on clean energy will help address climate change.  Building upgrades may include transitioning to efficient electric equipment, including heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, and improving building efficiency through measures such as insulation and air sealing. Together, efforts will help reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, while improving indoor air quality and occupant comfort.

Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office (BTO), Buildings UP aims to build capacity to rapidly and equitably transform U.S. buildings. Teams will submit innovative concepts to leverage the billions of dollars available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), utility rebate programs, and many other funding sources, capitalizing on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to equitably transform a wide variety of buildings across diverse geographies. As teams progress through the prize, they will receive cash prizes and technical assistance to help bring their ideas to life. 

Upcoming Webinars 

See full schedule on the Upcoming Webinars Tab. 

Prize Structure 

Phase 1: Concept

Teams may apply to one of two pathways: Equity-Centered Innovation or Open Innovation. 

Equity-Centered Innovation Pathway 

Teams will propose a concept to deliver scalable and replicable upgrades to buildings in disadvantaged communities, low- and moderate-income households, and underserved commercial, nonprofit, and public buildings. Phase 1 Equity-Centered Innovation winners will each receive a $400,000 cash prize.

Open Innovation Pathway

Teams will propose a concept for replicable and scalable solutions that addresses a geographic area or building type. Phase 1 Open Innovation winners will each receive a $200,000 cash prize.

Winners of both pathways will be eligible to advance to Phase 2 and access technical assistance. 

Application Support Prize

Up to 50 winning teams will be awarded $5,000 and up to 10 hours of technical support through the Application Support Prize. Applicants are intended to be those who might not otherwise have the staff capacity, time, or expertise to submit a full Phase 1 submission. The primary competitors for the Application Support Prize are first-time applicants for BTO funding and community-based organizations (CBOs) representing or serving areas with equity-eligible buildings. Application Support Prize submissions will be reviewed and awarded monthly from February through May 2023, until funds are expended.

 

Subsequent phases are planned to offer similar prizes, subject to future funding.

 

Who Is Eligible To Compete? 

The competition is open to community-based organizations, local governments, tribes, building owners, utilities, nonprofit organizations, energy efficiency program implementers, and other organizations. Multi-stakeholder teams are encouraged to apply. Application support is available for new and under-resourced teams. More information can be found in the official rules document (English / Spanish). 

 

Timeline 

(see detailed timeline for exact times and dates)

 

  • January 18, 2023: Prize Announcement
  • January 18, 2023: Application Support Prize Opens
  • February 18, 2023: Phase 1 Opens
  • March–May 2023, Application Support Prize Winners Selected Until Funds Are Expended
  • July 18, 2023: Phase 1 Concludes
  • September 2023: Phase 1 Winner Announcement
  • October 2023: Phase 2 Opens

Please review the official rules document (English / Spanish). for the complete application process and instructions for competing.

If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at 

 

Timeline
Updates7

Challenge Updates

Application Support Submissions Due by March 15 at 5 p.m. ET!

March 14, 2023, 10:10 a.m. PDT by NREL

The second deadline to submit for the Application Support Prize is TOMORROW. To be considered for this round of the Application Support Prize, make sure your complete submission is uploaded to HeroX no later than 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 15!

Buildings UP offers this Application Support Prize during Phase 1 to encourage new and under-resourced applicants to participate in the full prize. Up to 50 teams will each be awarded $5,000  and 10 hours of technical assistance to support their Concept Plan submission development in Phase 1. For more information, see the official rules section 4.2 (/Español). 

You can also learn more about the Application Support Prize during one of our upcoming informational webinars or access previously recorded webinars on YouTube (English/Español).

Unable to make Wednesday’s deadline? Pending remaining awards, you'll have one last chance to apply for Application Support by April 14! 


Buildings Upgrade Prize First Round of Application Support Winners Announced

March 6, 2023, 9 a.m. PST by NREL Challenge

Congratulations to the Buildings UP Application Support Prize Round 1 winners. The 12 selected teams will each receive a $5,000 cash award and up to 10 hours of technical support. 

  • Wesley Living, Mississippi
  • City of Moab, Utah 
  • SEEED Inc., Tennessee
  • West Anniston Foundation, Alabama
  • Destination Transformation - DT's Consultants, Alabama
  • RiseBoro Community Partnership, New York
  • IMPACT Community Action, Ohio
  • Montgomery County Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Virginia
  • City of Newburyport, Massachusetts
  • Clean Energy4All Ohio
  • Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Virginia
  • Community Dreams Foundation Corp., Florida

Up to 50 Application Support Prizes of $5,000 and 10 hours of technical assistance are available to help new and under-resourced teams complete Phase 1 applications. If your team missed this round, you still have two more chances to apply for the Application Support Prize by the deadlines of March 15 and April 14. Join our partners at Elevate for an upcoming Application Support Prize webinar to learn more about the support prize and ask questions. Previously recorded webinars are also available in English and Spanish

If you were not selected for award, you will be receiving a notification email with feedback on your application this week. If you’d like to revise your application, you are welcome to reapply to either the March 15 or April 14 deadlines.  

If you were selected for award, the Prize Administration team will be reaching out to you with next steps for how to collect your cash prize and get connected to our partners at Elevate for technical assistance. 

You can also prepare for the full Phase 1 submission by visiting the Upcoming Webinars & Recordings tab to register for training webinars hosted by our partners at ACEEE. These webinars will provide information and resources to help you successfully develop your team’s Buildings UP Phase 1 submission. 

Note: Attendance is not required at Buildings UP webinars or related events in order to complete a Phase 1 submission, and attendance will not influence the scoring of your prize submission.


Buildings UP Phase 1 Applications Now Open

Feb. 21, 2023, 1:27 p.m. PST by NREL

Teams interested in applying to the Buildings Upgrade Prize can now access the Phase 1 application via the HeroX platform. 

Before submitting an application be sure to read through the following materials and take advantage of all of the resources available: 
 

  • Read the official prize rules on HeroX (available in English and Spanish)
  • Register for the upcoming live informational webinar on April 7 at 2 p.m. ET
  • View pre-recorded informational sessions on YouTube
  • See if your question has been answered in the prize FAQs
  • Visit the Selected Federal Funding and Technical Assistance Sources for Building Upgrades Airtable 
    • This new resource provides a high-level, searchable overview of federal resources that can support communities, organizations, and individuals interested in energy-efficient upgrades to their existing building stock.
  • Email us at buildingsup@nrel.gov with any additional questions

Modifications to Application Support Prize and Locally Defined Equity-Eligible Buildings

Feb. 16, 2023, 2:51 p.m. PST by NREL

The official rules for the Buildings Upgrade Prize have been modified, including clarifications around the Application Support Prize. Please refer to the modifications by page below.

  • Page 9: Added clarification that Application Support Prize is intended for community-based organizations (CBOs) or other nonprofits that represent or serve areas with equity-eligible buildings (as defined in Section 3.5). 
  • Page 9: Added detail to Application Support Prize requirements emphasizing that a competitive Phase 1 submission must include the minimum technologies described in Section 2.5.  
  • Page 19: Added non-federally recognized tribal lands to Section 3.5 “Locally defined equity-eligible buildings”. 
  • Page 20: Added clarification that Application Support Prize is intended for community-based organizations (CBOs) or other nonprofits that represent or serve areas with equity-eligible buildings (as defined in Section 3.5).

To see a list of all modifications, refer to page 2 of the Official Rules.


Today: Application Support Submissions Due by 5 p.m. ET!

Feb. 15, 2023, 7:27 a.m. PST by NREL Challenge

Today is the first of three deadlines to submit for the Application Support bonus prize. If you would like to be considered for the February 15 deadline, please make sure your full submission is uploaded to HeroX no later than 5 p.m. ET today!

As a reminder, Buildings UP is offering an application support prize during Phase 1 to encourage new and under- resourced applicants to participate. Up to 50 teams will each be awarded $5,000 ($250,000 total) and 10 hours of technical assistance (500 hours total) to support their Concept Plan submission development in Phase 1. For more information, see the official rules section 4.2 (English / Español )

Unable to make today’s deadline? We’ll have two additional chances for teams to apply for Application Support - March 15 and April 14! 


Upcoming Webinars & Recordings
Forum9
Teams776
Resources
FAQ