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The 2024 application cycle has closed. The stored deadline of 2026-03-31 does not appear to correspond to any announced open cycle; the page states applicants should sign up for the mailing list for notifications on the next call.
CalSEED Concept Award is a grant from the California Energy Commission that provides $150,000 in funding to early-stage clean energy innovators in California. The program targets individuals, businesses, and nonprofits developing hardware, software, or integrated solutions at Technology Readiness Levels 2-4.
Eligible technology areas rotate each cycle and have included battery recycling and reuse, long-duration energy storage, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification, industrial electrification, and advanced EV charging. Applicants must be located in California, have under $1 million in private funding, and propose innovations that benefit California ratepayers.
Concept Award winners also receive professional development resources and access to accelerator programs, and may compete for a subsequent $450,000 Prototype Award.
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Watch our series of videos highlighting our awardees: CalSEED Stories Play/Pause video Your browser does not support the video tag. Decorative video CalSEED gives grants to early-stage clean energy innovators throughout California 1 Determine whether you are eligible The technology areas being funded changes each year, so it is very important that you review them before beginning your application.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria and/or your innovation does not fit within one of the technology categories, your application will be disqualified. More information about eligibility below. Expand / Close Accordion item 1-1 2 Read the application manual Once you have determined you are eligible to apply, please read the application manual.
This resource will give you detailed information on important dates, technical readiness levels, equity and inclusion, and so much more. 2024 CalSEED Application Manual Expand / Close Accordion item 1-2 3 Review application questions The application questions are available for review and practice before the application window opens.
2024 application questions Expand / Close Accordion item 1-3 4 Review the terms and conditions CalSEED awardees must agree to the terms and conditions , including providing a detailed scope of work, budget, additional provisions and any other important documents and contact information. See below for more information about terms and conditions.
Expand / Close Accordion item 1-4 5 Understand the importance of impact and social equity Within your application you will be asked to identify how the proposed technology can create economic opportunities, increase access to clean energy solutions, decrease pollution burden, be deployed in a disadvantaged community and/or low-income community, or improve the resiliency and reliability of electricity services impacted by extreme weather-related events (ex.
wildfires). Expand / Close Accordion item 1-5 6 Attend an information session and review the FAQ’s CalSEED hosted virtual information sessions to go over the application manual and process in March and April 2024. You can watch a recording here!
Expand / Close Accordion item 1-6 7 Complete the initial application online The initial application takes about an hour to complete through SmartSimple. If your application passes the eligibility screening you will be asked to fill out the full application.
Expand / Close Accordion item 1-7 CalSEED seeks applications from individuals, businesses and nonprofits that are working on early stage innovations — from concept to basic prototype. Specifically, CalSEED seeks hardware, software, or integrated solutions that fall between Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 2-4 on the DOE defined TRL scale.
Eligibility criteria will be used to determine which applicants will be asked to complete a full application and advance to the review committee.
Please only apply if you can respond yes to the following statements: The proposed innovation benefits California ratepayers — through either greater reliability, lower utility costs, and/or increased safety You are located in California, can provide your California address, and are in good standing with the California Secretary of State Your company is under the $1 Million private funding cap Your concept is on the pre-demonstration scale (Technology Readiness Level 2-4) Your innovation fits within one of the specified technology areas below Each CalSEED solicitation focuses on specific themes and technology areas.
For the 2024 Concept Awards, applications are being accepted for only these kinds of technologies: Reuse potential: “Second life” applications for used EV batteries Design for recycling: battery design to better enable material recovery in end of life while maintaining performance Advanced battery recycling: recovery of critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and aluminum Alternative material sourcing: sourcing of critical materials from alternative or waste resources, such as copper from mine tailings Long Duration Energy Storage High-temperature thermal storage (1,500–2,000°C) using bulk composite materials Flow batteries with: chemistries at lower cost ($/kWh) and that support long cycle life (LCOS of 2cents/kWh); solvent and active material stability within the flow battery operating voltage range; and are safe with non-flammable and non-toxic materials Electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles Automatic load management for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles Onsite battery storage development to support high power charging High-power electric drive systems for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle applications Electrochemical production of industrial products Electrification of industrial processes Wide Band Gap semiconductor devices for efficient power transfer Advanced EV charging technologies (e.g., high-power charging, wireless charging) Next-generation electric heat pumps Hardware Software Integrated Solution Description Physical components—tools, machinery, durable equipment—that require design and testing Software or digital technology that is based on advanced data science approaches and algorithms, such as machine learning, that provides information and analysis used in the planning and operation of a safe, reliable, and resilient electricity system An innovative combination of software and hardware where the software is based on advanced data science approaches and algorithms, such as machine learning, that directly controls or communicates with energy-related hardware components and devices Manufacturing equipment; sensors; components; transmission and distribution infrastructure improvements; equipment Smart learning from data/real-time modeling; algorithms for grid reliability and control; demand response or distributed energy solutions; sophisticated analytical tools for assessing climate-related risks to the electric system Solutions which leverage software and hardware to increase efficiency and resilience of the grid and/or solve community access issues (e.g. vehicle to grid concepts) Project financing for already existing technologies; manufacturing line scale up; funding a commercial scale prototype; infrastructure projects; natural gas projects Customer acquisition software; apps/games; website development for an existing company; training and/or workforce development platforms Single non-replicable solutions; concepts that are not novel or innovative in application If CalSEED funding seems right for you, check out the contractual terms and conditions.
Reading them is not only in your best interest but will provide you with important information on what is required of you by signing this contract. Seriously, go read it. Don’t apply before reading!
Check out our in-depth FAQ’s page to get answers to your questions. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, you can reach out at info@calseed. fund .
Please note that we do not take phone calls and due to the small size of our team may need up to three business days to respond to emails. "CalSEED has been instrumental in advancing our marketing and technical goals in California, and in doing so, discovering new partners through its networks and events. ” —Kevin Kung, CEO, Takachar "Participation in CALSEED has cemented our ambitions to actively grow the California hydrogen ecosystem.
Valuable introductions have been only the tip of the iceberg of what we have benefitted." —Sven Dybdahl, Director, EH Group Technologies Inc “The support and credibility boost Gridware received from CalSEED catapulted our company to early success in building our team and raising money.
” —Tim Barat, CEO & Co-Founder, Gridware CalSEED provides Concept Awards to promising innovators, awarding them $150,000 in grant funding, unprecedented professional development resources, and access to the best accelerator and incubator programs in California. Concept Award winners are also eligible to compete for a $450,000 Prototype Award in the annual Business Plan Competition.
Signup for our mailing list to get up-to-date info about our upcoming funding opportunities! Complete Signup Form in Modal This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Name (Required) First Last Accelerator Representative Clean Energy Thought Leader I am interested in...
Donating Marketing Permissions I agree to receive promotional emails from CalSEED The California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development Initiative (CalSEED) is made possible by the California Energy Commission and funded through the Electric Program Investment Charge. CalSEED is administered by New Energy Nexus.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: California-based individuals, businesses and nonprofits working on early-stage clean energy innovations at TRL 2-4. Must be located in California, under $1M private funding cap, and technology must benefit California ratepayers. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $150,000 (Concept Award); $450,000 (Prototype Award) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 31, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This NSF SBIR topic focuses on cutting-edge technologies in deep learning-based AI systems and AI-based hardware. It emphasizes next-generation AI technologies that are safe, reliable, fair, robust against adversaries, privacy-preserving, and efficient. It also includes hardware technologies for sustainable AI, edge devices, and AI technologies that lead to better hardware systems.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program - Artificial Intelligence (AI) topic is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This NSF SBIR topic focuses on cutting-edge technologies in deep learning-based AI systems and AI-based hardware. It emphasizes next-generation AI that is safe, reliable, fair, robust against sophisticated adversaries, privacy-preserving, and efficient. It also includes cutting-edge hardware technologies for sustainable AI and edge devices.
America's Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) - Robotics (R) Topic is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This NSF SBIR/STTR topic focuses on robot intelligence and experiential learning, specifically in high-performance processors or hardware that provide situational awareness and improved artificial intelligence. It encourages innovations in voice, obstacle and image recognition, emotional response, and hand-eye coordination. Proposals that borrow features from animal nervous systems and include biologists, neuroscientists, and psychologists are also encouraged. The program also seeks proposals for next-generation automation, flexible assembly lines for mass customization, advanced control with agile robotic systems, and applications supporting individuals with disabilities, healthcare, smart drones, and personal robots.