What is CalSEED?
The California Energy Commission’s CalSEED initiative is an early stage grant funding and professional development program for innovators working to bring clean energy concepts to market.
CalSEED is different than many grant funding initiatives in where it has a commitment to incorporate an Equity Priorities Framework. The Greenlining Institute is CalSEED’s “social equity” partner working to make sure that CalSEED is able to achieve its equity mission by conducting targeted outreach to bring regionally and demographically diverse entrepreneur applicants into CalSEED and to ensure that diverse and underrepresented communities have an important role in shaping California’s green economy. Once grant recipients are selected, Greenlining also works one on one with individual CalSEED awardees to bring their innovative clean energy solutions to our most vulnerable populations. These two strategies work to increase economic opportunity in historically underrepresented communities across California as well as to target environmental solutions toward areas that could benefit the most.
- Applications will open in February. Interested applicants should fill out an"Intent to Apply" form on the calseed.fund website so they can receive email notifications once the application is available.
- There will be 3 application cycles in 2018 so several opportunities to apply.
- We are looking for VERY early-stage clean energy ideas (TRL 1-3)
- Selected awardees will receive up to $150,000 to do research and development of their clean energy idea
- Awardees will not only receive funding, but will also have access to:
- A powerful network of technical and industry experts, investors, prospective partners and utilities
- Mentorship from experienced clean energy entrepreneurs
- Access to operational and technical resources throughout California
- Webinars and online training to enhance business building and fundraising skills
- Legal counsel to support business formation and intellectual property
- Opportunity to use cutting-edge facilities through the California Energy Innovation Ecosystem
- Participation in Cleantech Open Accelerator
- Opportunity to be featured in Energy Excelerator Silicon Valley Week
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out if to Victoria Paykar, Environmental Equity Policy Fellow at The Greenlining Institute, have any questions, .