American-Made Challenges (SETO)

American-Made Solar Prize

Funds U.S. entrepreneurs advancing early-stage solar manufacturing prototypes through a DOE prize competition under the American-Made Challenges program.

The American-Made Solar Prize is a prize competition administered by the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) under the American-Made Challenges program. Launched in June 2018, it is a $3 million total-pool competition designed to revitalize U.S. solar manufacturing by supporting early-stage solar prototypes.

The competition awards cash prizes to teams that advance through multiple stages, from concept to prototype demonstration. The $3 million figure is the total prize pool across all stages and winners; no per-applicant award cap is stated in the source. DOE does not take equity in applicants. Prize disbursements are milestone-based, tied to stage completion.

Eligibility is broad: for-profit companies, nonprofits, universities, and individuals may all participate. The competition targets U.S. entrepreneurs and innovators. Detailed eligibility rules — including any citizenship or company-size requirements — are published in the official competition rules on the HeroX or Energy.gov platform when an active round is open.

Applications are submitted through the competition platform (HeroX or equivalent) when a round is open. The competition uses a staged structure: teams submit concepts, advance to prototyping, and compete through demonstration milestones. Judges evaluate technical innovation and potential impact on domestic solar manufacturing.

No specific upcoming deadlines are published on the source page as of verification date. The prize was listed as active on the DOE solar prizes page, but no open submission window was advertised. Check the DOE American-Made Challenges portal for current round status before applying.