Countdown to the California Clean Tech Open : Ecopreneurist

Countdown to the California Clean Tech Open

Written by Julie Sammons

Published on June 11th, 2008

Looking for a ten thousand-fold return on your investment? For just $250 and the time it takes to complete a three-page application, you could be the next $100,000 winner of the California Clean Tech Open. Just be sure to submit your bright idea by midnight on June 14th.

Clean Tech Call for Entries

“The California Clean Tech Open is unique among business plan competitions: it seeks entries from professionals, scientists and students alike; focuses solely on clean technology; and […] the prize package of cash, services and office space goes above and beyond other awards and is not typically available to early-stage start-ups.“

Eligible entries are accepted in categories as diverse as green building; smart power; air, water and waste management; energy efficiency; renewables; and transportation. Competition winners will be showered with an incredible array of resources designed to fast-track the startup phase. The generous prize packages include $50,000 in cash, one year of office space, legal and insurance services, marketing support, accounting services, and enrollment in the exclusive Summer Workshop Series for entrepreneurs.

Not ready to share your big idea with the world? CCTO offers a wealth of resources for non-entrants, including:

CCTO Sustainability Starter Kit

Formerly reserved for competition winners, CCTO’s extensive Sustainability Starter Kit is now available for download at no cost to curious clean tech ecopreneurs. Proposing concrete solutions to a broad range of challenges faced by sustainability change agents, the kit includes information on topics such as:

Sustainable supply chain management
Waste management strategies
Company case studies
The five rules of green marketing
B2B resources for forward-thinking companies

Smart Power Innovators Symposium

Focused on opportunities in the power market, tomorrow’s Smart Power Innovators Symposium in Sunnyvale, California brings together industry professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors to discuss the future of the global power grid. Expert panelists and CCTO competitors will be on hand to educate attendees about developments in “smart meters, improved storage, real-time monitoring and demand management” as components of the emerging “Smart Power” infrastructure. Later this summer, learn how California companies are tackling alternative power sources at the CCTO’s Renewable Energy Symposium (July 14th) and driving efficiency at the Energy Efficiency Symposium (July 30th).

Trendwatch: 2007 Clean Tech Competition Results

Reflecting broader trends within the clean tech sector, CCTO competition categories continue to evolve from year to year. Updates from 2007 included a new Green Building category and expanded Water Management category to include Air and Waste projects. This year, organizers even considered adding a category focused on projects for the developing world, prompted by an increase in proposals geared toward international development. With 121 business proposals submitted last year in total, the following breakdown demonstrates the relative appeal of the existing competition categories:

Renewables: 21%
Transportation: 19%
Air, Water and Waste: 17%
Green Building: 17%
Energy Efficiency: 13%
Smart Power: 13%

Ready to join their ranks of past CCTO winners, including Microvi Biotech, BuildFast, and Synchromatics? Gather your team, fire up your computer, and submit your clean tech innovation by the competition deadline on June 14th. Keep an eye on the contenders and expect an announcement of the finalists on July 21st.

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2 Comments

1
Todd McKissick said on June 11th, 2008 at 5:40 am

Limiting this to only applicants who promise to place their business in California further suppresses all the startups in every other state and will stifle society’s progress as a whole.
2
Julie Sammons said on June 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Thanks for your feedback Todd. One aim of the CCTO appears to be stimulation of California’s economy and leadership in the clean tech sector, yet there are a number of other clean tech competitions out there for motivated entrepreneurs. While each offers different incentives, some of the more prominent competitions include the MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize, the Cleantech Group’s Cleantech Awards, and the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.

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