The Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize aims to catalyze domestic manufacturing of critical clean energy technology components, moving manufacturing facilities from planning to shovel-ready and enabling strategies for vibrant manufacturing activities in communities. This prize, developed by the Office of Technology Transitions in partnership with the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, has a prize pool of approximately $30 million spread across two tracks: Facilities and Strategies.
The Strategies Track aims to help build interest and engagement around manufacturing clean energy technologies and expand the potential for more clean energy jobs and economic opportunity. In this track, competitors will be asked to develop a roadmap to establishing clean energy manufacturing in their region and get a letter of commitment from an entity interested in establishing a facility in their region.
This page outlines the eligibility and track structure for the Strategies Track. More information on the Strategies Track and instructions for competing can be found in the official rules document.
For information on the Facilities Track, where competitors develop clean energy technology manufacturing facilities to the point of being shovel-ready, please visit the Facilities Track HeroX page.
Competitor Eligibility
The Strategies Track is open to teams working to promote manufacturing activity development in their regions. More information on eligibility can be found in the official rules document.
Track Structure
The Strategies Track offers two opportunities to compete through two rounds. Each round includes three phases.
Phase 1: Engage: Competitors submit a narrative describing their team, region, potential elements to include in their roadmap, and a community engagement plan. Approximately 30 winners will be awarded $50,000 each across two rounds of competition and will advance to Phase 2: Create.
Phase 2: Create: Competitors submit their concept roadmap, including the results of their community engagement, and a list of potential manufacturers for the region. Approximately 20 winners will be awarded $100,000 each across two rounds of competition and will advance to Phase 3: Activate.
Phase 3: Activate: Competitors submit their final roadmaps and demonstrate commitment from at least one entity interested in establishing a clean energy manufacturing facility in the region. Approximately eight winners will be awarded $250,000 each across two rounds of competition.
Round 1 Phase 1: Engage Submission Deadline: October 18, 2023
Round 1 Phase 1:Engage Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Round 2 Phase 1: Engage Submission Deadline: February 15, 2024
Round 2 Phase 1: Engage Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Round 1 Phase 2: Create Submission Deadline: May 1, 2024
Round 1 Phase 2: Create Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Round 2 Phase 2: Create Submission Deadline: November 2024
Round 1 Phase 3: Activate Submission Deadline: November 2024
Round 2 Phase 2: Create Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Round 1 Phase 3: Activate Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Round 2 Phase 3: Activate Submission Deadline: May 2025
Round 2 Phase 3: Activate Winner Announcement: approximately 60 days after deadline
Informational Webinar
The MAKE IT Prize Strategies Track informational webinar recording gives an overview of the Strategies Track and its phases, timelines, and submission requirements. Watch the webinar recording to learn more.
Challenge Guidelines
The official rules document contains the complete application process and instructions for competing.
Follow the challenge page to receive the latest updates. For any questions, please use the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at
Guidelines
Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
Follow the challenge page to receive the latest updates. For any questions, please use the contact feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at
The U.S. Department of Energy announced 13 teams as winners for the Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize Round 1 Phase 1 Strategies Track.
Each team will be awarded $50,000 and be eligible to compete in Phase 2 of the Strategies Track for an additional award of $100,000.
Please see the list of winning teams below, and learn more about each team's concepts by viewing their summary slides in our Resources Tab. You can also read the official winner announcement on energy.gov.
Congratulations to our Round 1 Phase 1 Winners!
An Engagement Project for South Texas Wind Energy
Beatrice Nebraska Clean Energy Manufacturing
Berkshire Clean Tech Initiative (BCTI)
Chicago Grid Mod Manufacturing Initiative
Driving Climate Tech Solutions & Job Growth in NY
Empowering Lifecycle Clean Energy in Tulsa
Evansville Energy Nucleus
Greening the Great Plains: OK Resilient Energy Hub
Manufacturing Action Plan
Manufacturing Energy Solutions & Advancement in NM
NextCorps Rochester Clean Energy Manufacturing Hub
Northeast Ohio Clean Manufacturing Partnership
Regional Energy and Educational Tech Center
An additional opportunity to submit to Phase 1 is now open and will close on February 15, 2024. Visit the HeroX MAKE IT Strategies main page and click "Solve This Challenge."
The Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Prize Strategies track will award communities up to $400,000 to define what it means to participate in the clean energy transition, and how each community can benefit. Competitors will develop a community roadmap for clean energy manufacturing and ultimately engage with manufacturers to establish manufacturing activity in the region. Competitors interested in developing a roadmap for regional clean energy manufacturing should go to www.herox.com/make-it-strategies and get started, because Phase 1: Engage submissions are due October 18th!
While this Prize is open to any community from any region of the country (including U.S. territories), a specific focus is on communities with a strong history of manufacturing and that want to repurpose existing brownfield or shuttered facilities for clean energy manufacturing. This blog post will discuss this specific use case: why it is important to leverage existing brownfields or unused facilities for future use in clean energy.
Does your community have one or more brownfield or abandoned facilities within it? Well, if you have abandoned buildings or manufacturing facilities—or other development that is no longer in use—then you have an opportunity for adaptive reuse! Adaptive reuse, where development is used for a purpose other than that of its original design, is a great opportunity to save time when bringing a new manufacturing facility online. Existing buildings where infrastructure is in place and where electrical and mechanical equipment are already installed can reduce build times and costs. Both tracks of the MAKE IT prize—Facilities and Strategies—are particularly interested in revitalizing shuttered facilities, developing brownfield sites, and repurposing existing facilities.
Existing facilities are a great opportunity for leveraging existing resources, amplifying benefits to existing workforce and local communities, and attracting new manufacturing. Repurposing a site saves on many the most time-consuming and costly aspects of a new facility such as permitting analysis and infrastructure design, which happen before construction even begins. In addition, the existing infrastructure such as electrical, plumbing, roads, and possibly rail already can be a huge benefit that greatly reduces development timelines. To a manufacturer, time is money!
By taking advantage of brownfield sites with the support of the MAKE IT Prize, your community will be able to build a new future that takes advantage of the clean energy transition and works for you! Submit your Phase 1: Engage materials for the MAKE IT Strategies track by October 18th!
Meet the two Power Connectors supporting MAKE IT Prize applicants: yet2 (Facilities Track) and the Clean Energy Business Network (Strategies and Facilities Tracks). Together, these Power Connectors are offering two Group Sessions, starting with a quick review of the prize goals, rules, timelines, and considerations impacting which track is the best fit for you, along with information on yet2 and CEBN’s respective areas of expertise and assistance. Then they will open the session to Q&A, applicant feedback, and any other guidance requested. Two identical group sessions are being offered to accommodate different time zones.
In case you missed the MAKE IT Prize Strategies Track Informational Webinar on August 17, 2023, you can view the recording and slides at any time. Links below.
