Clean Energy Trust and U.S. Bank are on a mission to support underserved and underrepresented cleantech entrepreneurs. The U.S. Bank Cleantech Inclusion Award is a grant awarded to entrepreneurs who are female and/or people of color and who are building innovative companies that benefit the environment, create jobs, and drive economic development. Recipients of the Cleantech Inclusion Award receive a non-recourse grant of $25,000, 12-months of business mentorship from Clean Energy Trust, and heightened exposure to both investors and potential customers. Interested in applying? Click here.
Investment Criteria
Founder:
Company must have at least one company founder who identifies as female or a person of color
Eligible Geographies:
Companies headquartered in the following states are eligible: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Company Criteria:
- Company must be legally incorporated.
- Company employment must be within the range of 2-12 full-time employees.
- Company must not have raised greater than $1 million from external investors.
- Company must own or have a valid license to relevant IP.
- Preferred: Companies with a market-ready product or service.
Sector:
Eligible founders must have a product or service that mitigates harmful emissions, reduces carbon, or otherwise positively impacts the environment. Eligible sectors include renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart buildings/cities, water, ag-tech, energy storage, mobility/advanced transportation, and circular economy.
Additional Qualities:
While not explicitly required, other beneficial qualifications include:
- Founder’s product or service provides a positive social impact and has the potential to benefit disadvantaged communities
- Company is revenue-generating
To apply, please click here. Applications are due December 31, 2019.
If you have any questions, please email Program Manager, Dylan O’Reilly at dylan.oreilly@cleanenergytrust.org.
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