Conductive materials are fundamental to nearly all energy use applications. Developing manufacturing processes for conductivity-enhanced materials in motors, generators, and renewable power technologies could lower costs and climate impacts while improving performance.
The competition aims to unite a diverse collection of researchers and inventors to develop transformative, cost-effective approaches and technologies to accelerate American entrepreneurship and pinpoint pathways for further research and development funding and technology transition efforts.
The Conductivity-enhanced materials for Affordable, Breakthrough Leapfrog Electric and thermal applications CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize aims to help supercharge our U.S. energy and manufacturing industries. Competitors must demonstrate significant enhancements in conductivity and design affordable conductors that enable U.S. manufacturers to leapfrog to next-generation materials.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) is launching the CABLE Conductor Manufacturing Prize to encourage such breakthrough conductivity-enhanced materials. Up to 4 Grand Prize winners will be selected in this three-stage, three-year contest.
Competitors will submit their breakthrough concepts to develop and manufacture a new, affordable, conductivity-enhanced material useable for electrical or thermal applications. This stage of the prize will inform DOE about the minimum-conductivity enhancement and other property standards, as well as the types of support that competitors will likely need from DOE national laboratories or other American-Made Challenges Network providers in the next two stages of the prize. Up to 10 winners each will receive $25,000 in cash awards and a stipend for third-party testing of their material in Stage 2 of the prize. DOE invites all registered prize competitors to the upcoming CABLE Big Idea workshop during Stage 1. Prize competitors are encouraged to connect with the rest of the CABLE Big Idea innovation ecosystem.
Stage 2:
Competitors will provide a sample of their material for electrical conductivity testing according to prize requirements. Competitors will also provide preliminary plans to scale-up and manufacture the material. Up to 6 competitors each will win $200,000 in cash awards and $100,000 in noncash voucher support to work with a DOE national laboratory or other American-Made Challenges Network provider in Stage 3.
Stage 3:
Competitors successful in Stage 2 will develop a larger sample of their conductivity-enhanced material. Competitors also must provide substantial background information on how the sample was made and plans to commercialize the material. At least two testing organizations will evaluate each material sample for conductivity and other characteristics. Scores will be based, in part, on the conductivity enhancement (size and extent of breakthrough), other important material characteristics, and leapfrog manufacturability and affordability. Up to 4 competitors will split a total prize pool of at least $2,000,000.
Please review theofficial rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
If you would like 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 .
Don’t forget to submit a registration form for free testing of your conductive material by 5 P.M. ET Today (August 25). The registration form can be found on the CABLE Prize HeroX homepage by clicking on “Solve this Challenge” and then “Begin Entry”.
The registration form is easy and should only take a few minutes to complete. You can find a visual help guide posted to the HeroX Resources page with screenshots of the registration process.
The registration deadline for free sample testing is this week! Stage 2 competitors should submit a registration form for free testing of their conductive material on or before Thursday, August 25 5 PM ET. The registration form can be found on the CABLE Prize HeroX homepage by clicking on “Solve this Challenge” and then “Begin Entry”.
The registration form is easy and should only take a few minutes to complete. You can find a visual help guide posted to the HeroX Resources page with screenshots of the registration process.
We are looking forward to seeing you all at today’s CABLE Voucher Service Provider Networking Event, which is happening on Zoom from 12:30 – 2:00 P.M. ET.
To help you prepare for the event, we strongly encourage you to review the VSP Capabilities Menu of Services, and the Lab capabilities presentations from the 2022 CABLE Workshop to get an overview of the various lab capabilities ahead of the event. The focus of today’s session is to provide competitors with an opportunity to meet with prospective voucher service providers to find the best fit for your enhanced conductivity materials. Below is the agenda for the event:
Time (ET)
Description
12:30–12:35
Welcome
12:35–12:40
CABLE Prize Workshop and CABLE Innovation Ecosystem Overview
12:40–12:50
Voucher Process Overview, CABLE Prize Updates and Upcoming Deadlines
12:50 – 1:05
Round Robin National Lab Introductions
1:05
Breakout Rooms Open
1:05–1:55
Breakout Room: Prysmian Group
Breakout Room: Sandia National Laboratories
Breakout Room: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Breakout Room: National Energy Technology Laboratory
Breakout Room: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Breakout Room: Argonne National Laboratory
Breakout Room: Ames National Laboratory
Main Room: CABLE Prize Administration
2:00
Event Close
As a reminder, you are required to submit a Voucher Summary Slide as part of your Stage 2 submission, which is due (along with the rest of your Stage 2 Submission) on December 8, 2022 at 5 P.M. ET.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.
Please join us for the Stage 2 Voucher Networking Event, scheduled for August 18 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ET. Stage 2 competitors are encouraged to attend and meet with both national lab researchers and American-Made Network Voucher Service Providers to scope potential use of their $100K noncash voucher (which will be used in Stage 3 to support to work with a DOE national laboratory or other American-Made Challenges Network provider).
We’d also like to remind you that the registration deadline for free sample testing is quickly approaching! Stage 2 competitors should submit a registration form for free testing of their conductive material on or before August 25. The registration form can be found on the CABLE Prize HeroX homepage by clicking on “Solve this Challenge” and then “Begin Entry”.
We look forward to seeing you at the networking event!
We've uploaded a modified version of the CABLE Prize Stage 2 rules (see the resources tab or access them here), which includes these important revisions:
Updated testing sample size requirements for non-superconductors to be thinner and longer to conform to industry practice
Please note: that if you have already made your sample to the previous testing specifications and are unable to make a new sample, please email us at cableprize@nrel.gov and we will work with you
Corrected the score card testing data temperature requirement for superconductors’ critical current measurement to be either at 77K or at 4K depending on the superconductors’ critical temperature
Added minimum threshold for critical current density Jc of 1 Mega Amp per centimeter squared (1 MA/cm2) for superconductorsto enter CABLE prize contest
Moved Stage 2 final submission deadline from December 1 to December 8, 2022
Updated terms and conditions
Please take a moment to review these important updates to the rules at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at cableprize@nrel.gov .
Also, a quick reminder that Stage 2 competitors should submit a registration form on HeroX for free testing of their conductive material on or before August 25. The registration form can be found on the CABLE Prize HeroX homepage by clicking on “Solve this Challenge” and then “Begin Entry”.
