EnergyTech University Prize 2025

The submission deadline for EnergyTech UP is just a few weeks away. Have questions about how to enter? Join the final informational webinar to get answers directly from prize administrators! 

During the webinar, the prize team will discuss submission requirements, team building, bonus prizes, and preparing a successful submission. Bring your questions and make sure you’re ready to meet the Feb 3. submission deadline! 

• Informational webinar: Jan. 23, 1–2 p.m. ET—Register here

Even if you are unable to attend at that time, please consider registering for the webinar so that you will be automatically emailed the session recording. 

A Reminder About Bonus Prizes

Don’t forget, the competition offers 12 additional bonus prizes related to technology focus, team location, or student makeup. Below are the U.S. Department of Energy 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 (OTT): 

• 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.
• OTT 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.

Student Track competitors will soon have the opportunity to pitch their innovative technology and associated business idea to a panel of judges based on their geographic region. (Read more about the Explore Phase pitch process in the official prize rules document.) The virtual events will take place March 4-6. 

Meet the regional conveners leading these exciting events and learn more about them at the next informational webinar on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET. Register here to reserve your spot! 

Eastern Conveners

• Cleantech Open Northeast, the Alliance for Climate Transition
• Partnership for Southern Equity
• Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster
• University of South Florida
• Urban Future Lab, New York University
• Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University 

Central Conveners

• Circular Venture Lab
• Evergreen Climate Innovations
• Grid Catalyst
• Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
• University of Kentucky

Western Conveners 

• Activate – California
• Clean Energy Institute - University of Washington
• Colorado School of Mines, McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Hawaii Innovation Lab (in joint effort with Applied Research for Communities in Extreme Environments, NREL)
• University of Arizona Center for Innovation

More details about the regional conveners during the next webinar. Prize administrators will also discuss teams will be divided, and tips for preparing a successful virtual pitch, and answer any lingering questions you may have.

Register here to reserve your spot at the Jan. 23 informational webinar!

Submission deadlines for both the Faculty Track and the Student Track are quickly approaching!

As a reminder, 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 recommend beginning your submission well in advance of each deadline to leave time for any technical problems you may encounter in the process. 

Questions? Ask a prize administrator!

There are still two opportunities to hear more about the prize and have your questions answered live by the EnergyTech UP prize team. Register today to reserve your spot:

• 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

Additional Resources

Curious about what you need to submit as part of your application? Make sure you read the official prize rules before submitting any materials. Plus, you can hear from past prize winners and gain a better understanding of the competition by watching a recording of the December informational webinar. 

We hope to see your submission soon! 

Any faculty interested in being considered for one of the ten $5,000 Faculty Explorer prizes should start preparing now to meet the Jan. 13 Explore Phase submission deadline! 

During the Explore Phase, prize administrators are looking for faculty interested in incorporating or expanding energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics into their institution’s educational activities. This track is designed to help faculty implement their ideas through cash prizes, resources, and mentorship. 

Read more about the success of the inaugural Faculty Track in this recently published technical report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Submission Next Steps

Step 1. Click “solve this challenge” on HeroX to begin your Faculty Track submission.

Step 2. Upload the following submission materials:

• A project title and short summary of your proposal (no more than 250 words)
• A single slide that summarizes the proposal for integrating or expanding the topics of energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship 
• A three-page written document addressing the suggested content shown in Table 10 of the Official Rules
• A completed entry form on HeroX with answers to all required questions, including institutional demographics
• Resume or CV.

Read more about submission materials for each phase in the Official Rules. 

Step 3. Press “submit final entry” by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 13, 2025.

A Reminder for Student Track Competitors

There’s still time to gather your team, choose an energy technology to leverage in a business plan, and get your initial submission ready before the student deadline on Feb. 3! If you still have questions about competing, consider bringing them to upcoming office hours on Jan. 8 (register here) or attending the final informational webinar on Jan. 23 (register here).

Good luck to all competitors! 

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.