Applicants are invited to apply for the Spark Cleantech Accelerator Program to support early stage cleantech businesses and drive commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee and throughout the Midwest.
Donor Name: UT Research Park
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Accelerator
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 04/11/2022
Details:
The Spark CTA was created in partnership with Evergreen Climate Innovations (previously Clean Energy Trust) and other partners to support early stage cleantech businesses and drive commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee and throughout the Midwest.
The accelerator is an early-stage business accelerator that offers a comprehensive set of services to support promising cleantech technology companies.
The Spark Innovation Center was founded in 2020 as the entrepreneurial initiative of the UT Research Park in Knoxville, TN.
In their 12-week, in-person program, they offer:
- Stipends to help defray travel/living costs and to support business and technical milestones,
- Prototyping services through the University of Tennessee’s Center for Materials Processing,
- Mentoring and one-on-one support from our experts in business, market analysis and positioning, and IP/ patent strategy, product design, engineering, prototyping, testing, material selection, tooling design, and manufacturing,
- Connections with customers, investors, strategic partners, suppliers, and universities and national laboratories,
- Training Workshops and one-on-one support, including individual meetings with DOE SBIR/STTR staff, and
- Partnerships with organizations such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, the University of Tennessee, the City of Knoxville, and members of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants from Tennessee, the Midwest, and beyond
- Companies that demonstrate a positive impact to energy efficiency, generate renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase recycling/upcycling and a circular economy
- Companies that show strong market potential and defensible intellectual property, with issued patents or pending patents filed
- Those who demonstrate their technology can support the challenges and needs of Spark partners, such as
utilities, local governments, universities, manufacturing companies, commercial building operators, etc. - Those that create software or hardware technologies including intelligent connected devices, advanced
materials processes, or with technology companies at a Technology Readiness Level. - Applicants who are open to Tennessee as a permanent business location.
NOTE: This program is not open to individuals or academic entities that are not incorporated.
For more information, visit Spark Cleantech Accelerator Program.
