Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce
The American-Made Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce (Upskill Prize) is a $7.75 million prize designed to accelerate the expansion of the U.S. solar manufacturing workforce and equip workers with the skills necessary to revitalize the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain. This prize targets various facets of the U.S. solar photovoltaics (PV) module supply chain, addressing critical workforce needs.
A Prize Competition Structured for Success
The Upskill Prize encourages the expansion of the U.S. solar manufacturing workforce by rewarding proposals that focus on high-quality employment prospects and skillsets that can be utilized for career growth. Competing teams propose comprehensive workforce training plans that are composed of either or both:
New Worker Training: Develop and propose plans to train new workers with the skills they need to be successful in the solar manufacturing industry, particularly at new or expanding manufacturing facilities.
Incumbent Worker Training: Develop and propose plans to train incumbent workers with new skills needed to support the growth of solar manufacturing.
The prize also requires partnerships between U.S. manufacturers and training organizations, aiming to attract new individuals to careers in solar manufacturing with job-ready training programs. It offers flexibility in the types of training that can be provided, based on the needs of the manufacturer.
The Upskill Prize offers a total prize pool of $7.75 million in cash prizes. Winning teams receive up to $500,000 each for their submitted comprehensive workforce training plans. Prize administrators anticipate running several rounds of the prize until the allocated funding is awarded.
The Upskill Prize is currently in its second round. Round 1 launched in March 2024 and concluded in July 2024. Round 2 launched in July 2024 and is anticipated to conclude in early 2025. See Timeline for more details.
Building Workforce Diversity
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expects that the industry will need to grow to between 500,000 and 1,500,000 workers by 2035 to decarbonize the electricity grid. DOE is committed to making these jobs accessible to workers from all backgrounds and provide competitive wages and benefits.
The Upskill Prize asks teams to describe how diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives will be incorporated in the project. Teams are required to describe how their proposed training program will support lower-income and disadvantaged communities and individuals.
Who Can Compete?
Who Can Compete?
Are you a private entity, non-profit, non-federal government organization, or academic institution? You could be part of the Upskill Prize. Teams competing in this prize must be led by either a U.S.-based PV manufacturer or U.S.-based training organization.
For full eligibility requirements, please read the official rules.
Important Dates
Round 1 of the Upskill Prize concluded in July 2024. Here are the important dates and deadlines to keep in mind for Round 2:
Please see the official timeline in HeroX for the most current dates and deadlines. All dates are subject to change, including contest openings, deadlines, and announcements.
Please review the official rules 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 follow feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .
Looking for assistance? Contact the Power Connector, ADL Ventures, for the Upskill Prize:
The American-Made Upskill Prize is directed and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office. Learn more.
Today’s the day! Make sure to press the submit button on your Upskill Prize application before 5 p.m. ET today. Late submissions will not be accepted, so prize administrators strongly recommend submitting prior to the 5 p.m. ET deadline to manage connectivity issues or slow upload speeds.
This is your chance to be rewarded for building a stronger, more efficient solar manufacturing workforce and revitalizing the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain. Winning teams will receive up to $500,000 each in cash in support of their workforce training plans!
Don’t miss this chance to make an impact on the U.S. solar manufacturing industry—upload your Upskill Prize submission by 5 p.m. ET today. Good luck!
If you’re applying for Round 2 of the Upskill Prize, make sure your application is submitted by Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. ET. Prize administrators highly encourage you to apply early to avoid technical difficulties or upload delays. The submission portal closes at 5 p.m. ET sharp, so make sure you hit submit well before then!
Remember to read through the official rules for full details on what to include in your submission:
Team information: List basic information about your submission, including project title, team name and address, key project members, and a short description of the prize.
Declaration of other funding: Declare any other funding or in-kind support for training that the organization is currently receiving, if any.
Narrative: Follow the prompts in the official rules (not to exceed 3,000 words for new submissions and 4,000 words for returning submissions).
Summary PowerPoint slide: Share your team name, requested prize funding amount, key personnel and summary of plan in the suggested Summary Slide Template.
Letters of commitment or support: Include a mandatory letter of commitment from your partner; if you’re a U.S.-based manufacturer, then a letter of commitment from a training organization is required. If you’re a training organization, then a letter of commitment from a U.S.-based manufacturer is required.
If you have any questions you don’t see answers to in the official rules, the prize administrators would be happy to help you at upskill.prize@nrel.gov.
If you’re interested in applying to Round 2 of the Upskill Prize, now is the time to concentrate on completing your submission!
Eligible submissions will include a comprehensive training plan to upskill existing solar manufacturers, or to attract and train new workers in collaboration with training organizations. Before submitting, please read through the official prize rules in their entirety to understand what’s expected in each submission.
If you still have questions about the prize, reach out to prize administrators at upskill.prize@nrel.gov.
Why Was the Upskill Prize Created?
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The passage of this bill represents significant investments in clean energy and climate change mitigation, including more than $16 billion total investment across the solar PV supply chain in the U.S.
The large influx of solar manufacturing in the U.S. has led to increased demand of workers with talent and knowledge in solar photovoltaic manufacturing. Because of this, the U.S. Department of Energy has now invested $7.75 million in the Upskill Prize.
Competitors in this challenge–you are revitalizing the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain! We can’t wait to see your submission.
Join ADL Ventures, in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), for an engaging webinar focused on utilizing partnerships and workforce programs for success in solar manufacturing.
Discover valuable insights and strategies for workforce development partnerships within the solar manufacturing sector. Learn from industry experts Desari Strader and Blair Mandell, as they share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in advancing workforce training programs and overcoming logistical hurdles during factory rollouts in and out of the solar industry.
The webinar will take place at 1:00 pm ET on October 30, 2024. You can register to attend here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Don't miss this opportunity to gain actionable knowledge in the field of solar manufacturing!
The Upskill Prize now has a prize pool of up to $7.75 million! The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) has increased funding from $5 million to up to $7.75 million for all rounds of the Upskill Prize.
The Official Rules have been modified with the new prize amount.
Expanding the domestic solar manufacturing workforce is a priority for SETO. We hope to see your submissions!
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