EnergyTech University Prize
The Florida High Tech Corridor is a regional convener of the EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) competition, which challenges post-secondary student teams of two or more to build a business plan around high-potential energy technologies for the chance to win their share of $370,000 in federal funding.
Sponsored by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) at the U.S. Department of Energy, EnergyTech UP encourages students to build business plans around National Laboratory technologies, or technologies development at their university or independently.
This is an ideal learning opportunity for students interested in energy industry careers, including entrepreneurial pursuits.
2023 Florida Regional EnergyTech University Prize Competition
Save the date! For the second straight year, The Corridor is hosting the regional EnergyTech UP competition, Feb. 28, 2023. During this virtual event, participating student teams will present their business proposals to a panel of expert judges for the chance to win cash prizes and advance to the national competition at Zpryme’s Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas. All participants will also receive access to the OTT’s Energy I-Corps curriculum.
Student teams must register by Jan. 26, 2023, with a summary of their business plan. Find more information on the American Made Challenges website.
Finalists for the regional competition will be announced Feb. 9, 2023.
Post-secondary students of any level are eligible to compete, including but not limited to students attending community colleges, colleges, universities and graduate schools. Students will self-certify their eligibility as part of a registration for the competition. Teams with students from multiple collegiate institutions are allowed and multiple teams from the same collegiate institution are allowed. Individual students may be members of only one team.
See all official rules and OTT National Laboratory partnering information.
Regional Event Details
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, 3–7 p.m.
The regional competition will be held virtually and is open to the public. Register to attend.
Student teams selected to pitch their business plan at the event do not need to register, and instead will receive a unique link and calendar invitation from flstemconnect@floridahightech.com.
More Information
Interested students may also learn more about the 2023 competition in this informational webinar:
Contact
For more information about the regional EnergyTech UP competition hosted by The Corridor, contact Amanda Allen at amanda.allen@floridahightech.com.
Please direct general questions about EnergyTech UP to ott.energytechup@nrel.gov.
2022 Regional EnergyTech UP Competition
“EnergyTech UP provided us with genuine and valuable feedback from industry experts that helped improve our future business model and gain a new perspective on our project,” said Samuel. “The prize has helped us take steps toward acquiring patents to protect our technology and take the next steps in our business plan.”