Apply for DOE’s community energy prize – up to $100K available
Community energy innovation prize awards $8.42 million in federal funding to empower local communities
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the second round of its Community Energy Innovation Prize, offering $8.42 million in cash prizes and in-kind support to organizations dedicated to advancing clean energy, manufacturing, and transportation technologies in historically underrepresented communities. The prize is $75,000- $100,000 per project, with additional prizes available in future rounds. Applications for this round are due June 20, 2025.
Interested? Get application help through The Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program (FFGWAP)
Commerce offers free grant writing services for federal applications through our Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program. If your organization is interested in this opportunity, please email [email protected] with “Community Energy Prize” in the subject line, and a grant writer will be assigned to work with you.
Attend a webinar
FFGWAP will also host a webinar to walk through the application process, FAQs, and timelines on Wednesday, March 5 at noon. Register now.
Note: You do not have to wait for the webinar to reach out and request grant writing support. FFGWAP is available to support your application process as soon as you are ready to begin writing.
About the Community Energy Innovation Prize
The Community Energy Innovation Prize invites teams and organizations to propose impactful projects. The award range is $75,000 and $100,000 for projects across three tracks:
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Clean Energy Ecosystem Track ($3.22 million): Accelerate community-centric clean energy programs, including renewable energy projects, energy efficiency initiatives, and grassroots innovation.
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Manufacturing Ecosystem Track ($2.6 million): Foster innovation in clean energy manufacturing, workforce development, and supply chain resilience in partnership with local industry and academic institutions.
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Vehicles Ecosystem Track ($2.6 million): Enhance access to clean transportation solutions, such as electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and alternative fuels, while addressing community-driven transportation needs.
Eligibility
This competition is open to individuals, nonprofits, for-profits, academic institutions, and local governments based in the United States. Priority will be given to organizations with strong ties to historically underrepresented communities, including women, rural populations, veterans, and communities of color. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged to apply, and competitors can submit distinct projects in multiple tracks.
Submission
Interested applicants can register and submit their proposals via the HeroX platform. Submissions must include a 3-minute video pitch, an Impact Plan, and other key documents outlined in the competition guidelines.
For more information about the Community Energy Innovation Prize, visit the American-Made Challenges Community Energy Innovation Prize Round 2 webpage.
A note on the federal funding landscape
FFGWAP is available to support the application writing and development of federal grant applications. We continue to monitor programs and any changes to their availability or requirements. We will notify you if there are any updates to this specific prize if they occur; this is presently an available program.
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