AmplifyMass Program for Academic or Startup Company Projects

AmplifyMass is a funding initiative managed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), aimed at facilitating the commercialization and de-risking of clean energy and climate technologies within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The program responds to a specific barrier in the innovation pipeline: the cost-share requirements often associated with federal or non-federal prime awards, such as those from ARPA-E, NSF, DOE, and USABC. These requirements can present significant financial obstacles for both academic researchers and small businesses. AmplifyMass provides supplementary funding to offset these challenges and help propel promising clean energy technologies toward market readiness. The program offers two distinct funding pathways. The first allows for up to $300,000 in support for Massachusetts-based academic institutions and small climatetech businesses seeking cost-share or adder funding associated with a federal or non-federal prime award. The second allows academic institutions to apply for awards up to $100,000 for follow-on or standalone projects not tied directly to a prime award, so long as the project meets the program’s goals of commercialization or substantial de-risking. Applicants must ensure that their proposals align with the definition of clean energy and climate technology as specified in AmplifyMass eligibility documentation. Small businesses must meet the U.S. Small Business Administration’s size standards and demonstrate a significant presence in Massachusetts. Both companies and academic institutions must apply for cost-share support before the associated prime award is contracted, although academic institutions may receive exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Academic institutions may also submit applications for non-cost-share projects aimed at innovation de-risking or commercialization; these are assessed independently and capped at $100,000. The grant process begins with verification of eligibility by MassCEC. Applications are then reviewed by technical experts and evaluated by an internal selection committee. Selection is based on the strength of the proposal relative to other applications. Once funding availability and eligibility are confirmed, MassCEC issues a firm commitment letter, followed by contracting with mutually agreed milestones and deliverables. Grants are disbursed upon execution of both the AmplifyMass and prime award agreements, if applicable. AmplifyMass operates on a rolling basis with awards subject to fund availability. Application reviews typically take between three and six months from submission, with contracting concluded about one month after award notification. Applicants should prepare their submissions carefully and are encouraged to review sample agreements and eligibility documentation provided on the MassCEC website. All application materials, including the application form, budget template, and authorized applicant form, must be submitted via email to amplifymass@masscec.com. While there are no deadlines for submissions due to the rolling nature of the grant, applicants must apply before their primary award contract is executed to be eligible for cost-share funding. Contact for the program is managed through the Business Front Door service, which connects applicants to additional state resources. For program-specific inquiries, the submission email is amplifymass@masscec.com, and the main phone number for MassCEC is 617-315-9300. Applicants are encouraged to leverage the additional resources and past awardee examples provided on the AmplifyMass webpage to better understand project expectations and success metrics.