The American-Made Network
The American-Made Network helps to accelerate and sustain innovation through a diverse and powerful network that includes national laboratories, energy incubators, investors, facilities and other valuable industry partners from across the United States who engage, connect, mentor, and boost the efforts of Geothermal Manufacturing Prize competitors.
American-Made Network members work with Geothermal Prize competitors, offering resources and support at every stage of the competition. There are a variety of roles within the American-Made Network—participants can be a Power Connector, Connector, facility, or a partner. All Network members are incentivized to help competitors succeed through performance awards or vouchers that competitors use at facilities and national labs.
The Network helps competitors solve pressing technology challenges, forge connections, and advance potentially game-changing ideas and innovations. It also leverages highly specialized skills, tools, and expertise to strengthen and scale critical connections to support the progress and success of competitors.
Connectors
National labs, accelerators, incubators, universities, industry organizations, and other entities who help competitors navigate the innovation process are called Connectors. Connectors recruit entrepreneurs to participate in the Geothermal Prize and provide the support, resources, and necessary connections needed to succeed in the competition.
The Geothermal Prize offers Connectors incentives to help competitors succeed. Connectors are eligible to win Recognition Rewards for a variety of activities, including:
- Attracting a diverse range of talented individuals to become contest competitors;
- Helping competitors refine their innovations, develop business plans, and connect competitors with investors and industry partners;
- Raising non-federal funding to support this program and its participants;
- Providing in-kind resources, tools, and facilities to accelerate competitors’ abilities to innovate, test, and refine their solutions while reducing technology and business risks; and
- Connecting competitors to regional prototyping and manufacturing expertise, facilities, and experts.
Connectors who support participants that go on to win any of the Ready!, Set!, Make!, or Geo! Contests can earn Recognition Rewards based on the table below.
| Anticipated Number of Awards | Dollar Amounts | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 | $50,000 pool | Distributed to Connectors for recruiting or mentoring a winning competitor into in the Ready! Contest. |
| Up to 15 | $75,000 pool | Distributed to Connectors that mentor competitors and facilitate partnership agreements of Set! and Make! Contest winners. |
Become a Connector
We are continually adding expertise and resources to the Network. If you or someone you know would make a great addition to the Network, we invite you to join! Sign up and submit an application to begin the verification process.
Power Connectors
Power Connectors are a core group of national labs, accelerators, incubators, universities, industry organizations, and other entities who further develop and sustain the program. They substantially help teams achieve project success, build long-term alliances and capabilities for the program, host demo days, and partner with NREL to envision and execute a long-term sustainable strategy for scaling the American-Made Challenges.
Voucher Payments
Registered national labs, Connectors, Power Connectors, private facilities, and industry partners can access competitors’ technical assistance requests and be invited to submit a single PowerPoint slide proposal for work that could be performed to help Set! and Make! prize winners advance their concepts via development, fabrication, testing, validation, or other capabilities and expertise.