Office: Carbon Management
Learn More: DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize
Prize Amount: $3.2 million

Background Information

On December 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced the Direct Air Capture (DAC) Prize for support and prize awards totaling $115 million to promote diverse approaches to direct air capture. The Direct Air Capture Pre-Commercial Prize provides up to $15 million in prizes to incubate and accelerate research and development of breakthrough direct air capture technologies. The Direct Air Capture Commercial Prize provides up to $100 million in prizes to qualified direct air capture facilities for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Direct Air Capture (DAC) Pre-Commercial Technology Prize awards up to $3.2 million in cash prizes and $800,000 in technical assistance vouchers to teams that identify a critical need in the DAC industry, develop a solution to address this gap, and test the idea to a degree of scale. It focuses on the steps of ideation and entrepreneurship needed to prepare technologies and businesses for commercialization.

The DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize (DAC Technology Prize) is part of a suite of interconnected competitions in the American-Made DAC Prize program. Understanding that there are several steps to move from an idea to a marketable product, the DAC Prizes are a suite of prizes that work together to advance carbon dioxide removal technologies and the incubators that make this process possible.

Direct air capture is technically challenging compared to other carbon capture systems, which prevent the release of additional emissions. However, it is an increasingly important tool in counterbalancing hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Because of this, the DAC Technology Prize focuses on developing DAC technology innovations, such as novel materials or systems integration, that will accelerate opportunities and successes in the industry.

This funding is provided from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Sections 41005a.

The deadline to submit applications for this funding opportunity has closed.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include private entities (for-profits and nonprofits) and nonfederal government entities (such as states, counties, tribes, municipalities, and academic institutions).

Read the official rules for more information on eligibility.

Prizes

Webinar

An informational webinar will be hosted on May 16, 2023 at 3:00PM ET to discuss this prize as well as the competition rules and eligibility.

Register here

Key Dates

Last Updated: March 16, 2023