CalSEED
Gives early-stage California clean-energy entrepreneurs non-dilutive grants, plus mentorship and connections to capital, to move a concept toward commercial readiness.
CalSEED pairs money with support: alongside funding, awardees get mentorship, legal counsel, and access to Cleantech Open and a network of Regional Energy Innovations Clusters. Two tiers exist — a Concept Award, and a Prototype Award that goes to the winner of an annual Business Plan Competition. It's funded by the California Energy Commission through the Electric Program Investment Charge and adm…
CalSEED backs early-stage entrepreneurs developing clean energy technology for generation, efficiency or storage, with a deliberate equity lens: applicants are asked how their technology, once scaled, would create economic opportunity, expand clean-energy access, cut pollution, or help a disadvantaged or low-income community. It's positioned as the first step in California's innovation pipeline, taking concepts from idea stage toward investment- and deployment-readiness.
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Guides for this application
All guides →Government Grants for Startups: What Deeptech Founders Should Know
A practical guide to government grants for startups, including Grants.gov, SBIR/STTR, state programs, eligibility, fit, timelines, and when to apply.
DocumentsEvaluation Plan for Grant Proposal: Template and Example
Learn how to write an evaluation plan for a grant proposal, including evaluation questions, indicators, data sources, timing, owners, and reporting logic.
Submit & reportGrant Progress Report Example and Template
Use this grant progress report example to structure accomplishments, milestones, challenges, budget status, evidence, next steps, and closeout preparation.
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