American-Made Program Prize Challenges
U.S. Department of Energy / National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)
$50K–$3M+ per challenge
DOE cash prizes + national lab vouchers for cleantech innovators
The American-Made Program (formerly American-Made Challenges) is a DOE initiative directed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) that runs prize competitions and issues national laboratory vouchers for clean energy innovators. Challenges span solar, energy storage, grid modernization, bioenergy, water, and advanced manufacturing. Winners receive cash prizes ranging from $50K to $3M+ per challenge plus national lab vouchers ($25K–$100K) providing direct access to DOE laboratory facilities, equipment, and expertise — no overhead bureaucracy required.
- Funding type
- Award
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $50,000 – $3,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most participants win $50,000–$500,000 across multiple prize phases. National lab vouchers averaging $50,000 in lab time…
- Deadline
- Varies by challenge — multiple competitions open simultaneously year-round; check the Prizes & Competitions page for current open challenges
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump sum
Who qualifies
- US-based individuals, teams, startups, small businesses, nonprofits, or universities
- Must be legally organized and operating in the United States
- Generally must be 18+ years of age for individual competitors
- Technology must align with the specific challenge's focus area (solar, storage, grid, water, bioenergy, etc.)
- Must agree to challenge-specific terms and conditions
- No revenue or employee size requirements — open to pre-revenue startups through established companies
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Cash prizes can be used for any business purpose — no expense restrictions on winnings
- National lab vouchers cover: facility use, equipment access, expert consultation, testing and characterization, simulation software, and specialized technical analysis at DOE national laboratories
- Vouchers specifically for prototyping, performance testing, and validation activities
Ineligible expenses
- Vouchers cannot be converted to cash
- Lab vouchers cannot be used for marketing, sales, or administrative activities
- Voucher activities must relate directly to the technology being validated
How to apply
-
1
Identify an open challenge
Visit americanmadeprogram.org/compete/prizes-and-competitions to find currently open competitions. Each challenge has a specific technology focus — filter by sector (solar, storage, grid, bioenergy, water) and phase (concept, prototype, demo).
~1 hrs
-
2
Register on the challenge platform
Most American-Made challenges are hosted on HeroX, XPRIZE, or the American-Made platform itself. Create an account and register for the specific challenge. Registration is typically free.
~1 hrs
-
3
Submit a concept paper or application
Phase 1 (Concept/Idea) typically requires a written submission of 2–10 pages covering: technical approach, team background, proposed innovation, and commercialization pathway. Some challenges also require a short video pitch.
~20 hrs
-
4
Compete in hardware/prototype phase (if advancing)
Phase 2 (Hardware/Prototype) challenges selected Phase 1 winners to build and demonstrate working prototypes — often tested at national lab facilities. Vouchers to cover lab testing costs are typically awarded at this phase.
~200 hrs
-
5
Final demo and judging
Phase 3 finalists demonstrate at a live event or provide detailed performance data. Cash prizes are awarded based on judging criteria including technical performance, commercial viability, and impact potential.
~40 hrs
Phase 1 submissions win funding to develop a prototype — you don't need a working prototype to enter. The national lab vouchers are often more valuable than the cash prizes: direct access to DOE labs for testing credentializes your technology for enterprise customers and future grants.
Deadline & timing
Each American-Made challenge runs its own intake schedule. Typically 3–6 challenges are open simultaneously. Challenges are staged: early phases (concept) open to all, later phases (prototype, demo) require prior phase wins. Monitor americanmadeprogram.org/compete for new challenge postings — new competitions launch quarterly.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.