Skip to Content
Skip to Content
U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition

Learn more about the Department of Energy's National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition structure, past finalists, and past runner-up teams:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition is designed to build regional networks of student-focused business creation contests across the country. Launched in 2011, the NCEBPC is part of the Obama Administration's Startup America Initiative, the White House campaign to inspire and promote entrepreneurship. Six regional organizations were funded under the competition to hold clean energy business plan competitions. In addition to the regional competitions, each June at the National Competition Event, the six finalists from the regional business plan competitions will pitch their business plans to a panel of expert judges– competing for the National Grand Prize of $100,000.

On June 13, 2012, NuMat Technologies from Northwestern University won the inaugural competition, taking home the $100,000 prize, as well as legal, financial, technical and commercialization assistance that was tailored to their business.

The Competition is now in its second year. Competitions at the regional level will take place until early May, with the national competition scheduled for June of 2013.

US Department of Energy National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition regional competition map. Shows First Look West, California Institute of Technology, CU Cleantech New Venture Challenge, University of Colorado Boulder, Clean energy Student Challenge, Clean Energy Trus, MIT Clean Energy Prize, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ACC Clean Energy Challenge, University of Maryland, and DOE Clean Energy Prize, Rice Business Plan Competition, Rice University. Western Region Winner: California Institute of Technology (Los Angeles, CA) Western Midwest Region Winner: University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) Western Southwest Region Winner: Rice University (Houston, TX) Eastern Midwest Region Winner: Clean Energy Trust (Chicago, IL) Southeast Region Winner: University of Maryland (College Park, MD) Northeast Region Winner: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

Events

Features