2025 EPIC Pitch Competitions
This program provides funding for innovative energy startups nominated by previous incubators, with cash prizes awarded to top pitch competitors and their supporting organizations.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is excited for the 2025 Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Startup Pitch Competition Prize program. This startup pitch competition program aims to infuse capital directly into groundbreaking startups nominated by previous EPIC Prize incubators. Through the EPIC Pitch Competition program, DOE seeks to fund organizations that are developing innovative energy hardware technologies. A minimum of two national pitch competitions for energy-related startups will be hosted in 2025, with more specific details to come early in the year. Each EPIC Pitch Competition will offer a minimum prize pool of $105,000 per pitch competition, including first, second, and third place prize winners, as well as an incubator prize for the organization that nominates the first place winner.
Award Range
$105,000 - $315,000
Total Program Funding
$315,000
Number of Awards
Not specified
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
This competition is open only to individuals; private entities (for-profits and nonprofits); nonfederal government entities such as states, counties, Tribes, and municipalities; and academic institutions, subject to the following requirements: • An individual prize competitor (who is not competing as a member of a group) must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. • A group of individuals competing as one team may win, provided that the online account holder of the submission is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Individuals competing as part of a team are eligible to participate if they are legally authorized to work in the United States. • Private entities must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. • Academic institutions must be based in the United States. • DOE employees, employees of sponsoring organizations, members of their immediate families (e.g., spouses, children, siblings, or parents), and persons living in the same household as such persons, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in the prize. ● Individuals who worked at DOE (federal employees or support service contractors) within six months prior to the submission deadline of any contest are not eligible to participate in any prize contests in this program. ● Federal entities and federal employees are not eligible to participate in any portion of the prize. ● DOE national laboratory employees cannot compete in the prize ● Entities and individuals publicly banned from doing business with the U.S. government, such as entities and individuals debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs, are not eligible to compete. ● Individuals participating in a foreign government talent recruitment program2 sponsored by a country of risk3 and teams that include such individuals are not eligible to compete. ● Entities owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a government of a country of risk are not eligible to compete. ● To be eligible, an individual authorized to represent the competitor must agree to and sign the following statement upon registration with HeroX:
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
Not specified
Application Closes
December 30, 2025
Grantor
U.S. Department of Energy
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