This Request for Proposals (this “RFP”) is being issued by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (“MassCEC”) in order to seek applicants to MassCEC’s Catalyst Program (“Catalyst”) as well as MassCEC’s Diversity in Cleantech – Early Stage (“DICES” and together with Catalyst, the “Programs”) to stimulate the commercialization of early-stage clean energy technologies developed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (the “Commonwealth”).
Donor Name: Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/16/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $75,000
Details:
While Catalyst or DICES funding may be used to support prototype development of any technology or proposed business model that meets MassCEC’s definition of “Clean Energy Technologies” (as defined in Section VI below), particular emphasis will be placed on identifying projects in one or more the following four (4) areas:
- High performance buildings
- Impactful, resilient, and cost-effective electrification technologies and approaches to decarbonizing the building sector.
- Clean transportation
- Cutting-edge, clean transportation technologies that address the market barriers to electric vehicle deployment.
- Offshore wind
- Project risk reduction, market confidence enhancement and economic development that advance this new industry.
- Net-zero grid
- Technologies that enable a transition to an electric grid that can support the high penetration of intermittent renewable generation and electrification load needed to meet the Commonwealth’s Net Zero by 2050 goal.
Program Goals
The goal of the Programs is to stimulate the commercialization of “Clean Energy Technologies” (as defined in Section VI below). The Programs are targeted towards projects for which successful completion would demonstrate the feasibility of an applicant’s technologies in specific market applications and thereby attract increased industry and investor interest. Project activities may include gathering initial data to demonstrate proof of concept, conducting market research to demonstrate how the technology compares to existing technologies and its competitive advantages, or developing a prototype for the technology. Successful applicants will demonstrate:
- The proposed project addresses a critical energy/climate challenge and reduces or prevents greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
- The proposed technology speaks to a significant commercial need in the energy market;
- The technology prototyped in the project has strong commercialization potential;
- The proposed project will advance the technology’s commercial readiness;
- The proposed project will enable an emerging clean energy company to demonstrate the value of its technology to potential customers and investors; and
- The proposed project is viable and feasible within the timeframe allowed by the Programs.
Examples of successful prior proposals include:
- Alloy Enterprises (Somerville): prototyped an aluminum printing process that will enable light weighting of airplanes and automotive vehicles.
- Harvard University (Cambridge): prototyped a water-based flow battery that could be used as a cost-effective energy storage solution for electric vehicles.
- FLxDER (Brookline): prototyped its cloud-based software to optimize electric fleet vehicle charging so as to reduce electric grid impacts and costs, and coordinate operation with other distributed energy resources
Funding Information
The Catalyst Program provides grants of up to $75,000 to researchers and early-stage companies looking to demonstrate initial prototypes of their clean energy technologies. Catalyst is jointly administered by MassCEC and MassVentures with a goal of stimulating the commercialization of clean energy technologies developed in the Commonwealth. Specifically, the program is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of transforming new ideas from the research stage to commercially viable technologies to increase industry and investor interest. All awardees gain access to a vast network of partners, expert local market and policy insights, and mentoring from MassCEC and MassVentures, while all finalists receive complimentary pitch coaching and business mentoring.
Eligible Applicant
An eligible applicant must be one of the following:
- A Principal Investigator (“PI”) at a Massachusetts-based nonprofit research institution;
- A Massachusetts-based early-stage clean energy company that (i) has not received in excess of Two and One-Half Million Dollars ($2,500,000) in combined debt or equity financing, grant funding, and revenues over the past five (5) years, and (ii) has four (4) or fewer full-time equivalent employees; or
- Student (or group of students) led by a faculty member or researcher who will act as the PI and will be responsible for managing the grant and reporting requirements.
Applicants may not submit Program applications for the same idea or concept more than three (3) times, unless there has been a substantial change in the technology or market which advances the case for an award. MassCEC strongly encourages an applicant who is re-applying to either Program to highlight how the applicant has taken prior MassCEC and/or judge feedback into account in such applicant’s new proposals.
Additional eligibility information for early-stage companies:
- The company may not have more than four (4) full-time equivalent employees. It is acceptable for companies to have received funding from other sources, including other government agency grant funding, foundation grants, business plan competitions or other private sources, so long as total equity and debt financing and grant funding does not exceed Two and One-Half Million Dollars ($2,500,000) over the past five (5) years. The company’s primary manufacturing operations, headquarters, primary sales and marketing, and primary research and development operations must be located in Massachusetts.
- Companies may be student-led; however, if any of the company’s intellectual property (IP) has been licensed or is to be licensed from a university, then verification of the license or option to license must be provided. A pre-incorporation entity may submit an application, but proof of incorporation will be necessary in order to receive the award.
For more information, visit Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
