Direct Air Capture Prizes
The American-Made Direct Air Capture (DAC) Prizes are a suite of prizes that work together to advance carbon dioxide removal technologies and the incubators that make this process possible. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, the suite of DAC Prizes include the DAC Pre-Commercial Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize, the DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize, the Commercial Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Purchase Pilot Prize, and the Commercial DAC Pilot Prize.
What is Direct Air Capture?
The Commercial DAC Prize will build on the progress made through the DAC Pre-Commercial Prizes, as well as historic and ongoing DOE investments in applied DAC and CDR research and development. The Commercial DAC Prize offers up to $100 million in prizes and support to be split among two competition tracks: the Commercial DAC Pilot Prize and the CDR Purchase Pilot Prize (launched March 2023). Together, these tracks leverage CDR purchasing contracts and new DAC pilots and to advance the DAC industry and other CDR technologies.
Why a Suite of Prizes?
Recognizing that there are numerous steps involved in moving an innovation from idea to marketable product, the DAC Prizes are split into separate but connected programs, each addressing a different phase of the pre-commercial process. Competitors choose which prize best fits where they are in the innovation process, work to achieve milestones, and win cash and other incentives along the way.
Together, the DAC Prizes strengthen our country's energy prosperity and advance just and sustainable decarbonization efforts.
DAC Pre-Commercial EPIC Prize (DAC EPIC Prize)
The DAC EPIC Prize awards up to $3.7 million in cash prizes to regional incubator teams that submit creative and impactful plans to support entrepreneurs and innovators in the DAC space and create meaningful community engagement. It aims to support both emerging and established direct air capture incubators and accelerators in implementing those plans to develop strong clusters, resources, and connections for energy startups and entrepreneurs.
The DAC EPIC Prize follows the structure of the original EPIC Prize, created by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions, but applies a carbon capture focus to the competition. Teams win increasingly larger prizes as they make the most progress and impact over the course of three phases: Think It, Move It, and Prove It.
Learn more about the DAC EPIC Prize on HeroX, the official prize platform.
Phase 1
Think It
Think Up an Incubator Program
Read More
Phase 2
Move It
Move Program Toward Implementation
Read More
Phase 3
Prove It
Prove Program Success
Read More
DAC Pre-Commercial Technology Prize (DAC Technology Prize)
The DAC Technology Prize awards up to $3.2 million in cash prizes and $800,000 in technical assistance and support 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 aims to focus on the steps of ideation and entrepreneurship needed to prepare a technology and business for commercialization.
Teams will win increasingly larger prizes as they successfully meet technology milestones over the course of three phases: Develop, Design, and Deliver. Each phase requires compounding progress of the team's DAC technology development.
Learn more about the DAC Technology Prize on HeroX, the official prize platform.
Phase 1
Develop
Develop a Solution
Read More
Phase 2
Design
Design a Proof of Concept
Read More
Phase 3
Deliver
Deploy the Technology
Read More
Commercial Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Purchase Pilot Prize
The Commercial CDR Purchase Pilot Prize will build on the progress made through the DAC Pre-Commercial Prizes, as well as historic and ongoing DOE investments in applied DAC and CDR research and development.
The CDR Purchase Pilot Prize marks the first initiative by the U.S. Federal Government to directly purchase CDR from domestic providers. It offers up to $35 million in cash awards and purchase agreements to teams that provide impactful purchase contract designs, commercial CDR supply offerings, and commitment to delivery requirements.
Learn more about the CDR Purchase Pilot Prize on HeroX, the official prize platform.
Commercial Direct Air Capture Pilot Prize
The DAC Pilot Prize aims to provide support for first-of-a-kind DAC pilots that meet the technology standards to progress towards commercialization. Through this prize, the Department of Energy (DOE) will catalyze innovation and accelerate maturation of DAC technologies with an equitable approach focusing on environmental, community, and workforce advancement. This prize will award DAC developers as they achieve key milestones in their project development - including pre-FEED and FEED studies.
DAC solutions are critical for meeting climate goals, and the DAC Pilot Prize aims to de-risk technology, help teams demonstrate commercial viability, and ultimately deploy their technology in the industry. In addition, prize winners will demonstrate their potential to contribute to, or participate in, the Regional DAC Hubs program.
Learn more about the DAC Pilot Prize on HeroX, the official prize platform.
Who is Eligible to Compete?
Each prize has its own set of eligibility requirements. For more information, please see each prize’s HeroX page and review the official rules.
Solutions that help shape the future
Are you ready to advance carbon dioxide removal technologies or incubators? Join the challenge by following the DAC Prizes on HeroX, the official prize platform.
