Applicant teams must include at least one Clean Energy Company (as defined in the FAQ section below) with proprietary technology to be demonstrated, who will serve as the “Lead Applicant”. The Lead Applicant must meet the definition of a small business, as outlined by the United States Small Business Administration’s “Table of Small Business Size Standards”.

Applicant teams must also include one or more demonstration project partner(s) who will provide a host site or sites for the proposed project.

The Lead Applicant does not have to be a Massachusetts-based company, however, if the Lead Applicant is not a Massachusetts-based company, then at least one project site must be in Massachusetts and the proposed technology must fall within one of the four focus areas:

1. High-performance Buildings

2. Clean transportation

3. Offshore wind

4. Net Zero Grid

Lead Applicants must have a headquarters location in the United States.

If the Lead Applicant is a Massachusetts-based company, as defined in the RFP and in the FAQ section below, then the there is no requirement that the project site(s) be in Massachusetts.

There are several resources available to startups in Massachusetts, in addition to MassCEC grants. If your company is interested in learning more about the region's accelerators and incubators, read more here.

How do I know if my technology qualifies as cleantech under this program?

For the purposes of this program, “Clean Energy Companies” are considered to be companies that have “...advanced and applied technologies that significantly reduce or eliminate the use of energy from non-renewable sources, including, but not limited to: energy efficiency; demand response; energy conservation and those technologies powered in whole or in part by the sun, wind, water, biomass, alcohol, wood, fuel cells, any renewable, non-depletable or recyclable fuel...” Definition based on enabling legislation for MassCEC, Chapter 23J, Section 1 of the General Laws of Massachusetts (https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter23J/Sect...).

Can I use my own lab as the demonstration site?

Read Section IV. Eligibility in the RFP for a full definition of Demonstration Partner/s. A Demonstration Partner should be a potential customer/organization that is external to the Lead Applicant's company and affiliations. Sometimes, early project work in the lab is necessary and appropriate, but the project should include an Demonstration Partner and utilize the partner's "host site" in some capacity. 

Can an incubator serve as an eligible Demonstration Partner?

Read Section IV. Eligibility in the RFP for a full definition of Demonstration Partner/s. An incubator is typically not an eligible Demonstration Partner. Unless your target customer type is incubator facilities. 

How will I know if my technology will be considered to fall within one of the four focus areas?

Applicants are encouraged to use best judgement when determining if the proposed technology falls within one of the four priority areas. Applicants are encouraged to use pillar area justification in the application materials. Please contact MassCEC with questions. MassCEC will determine if applications and projects are eligible, based on the terms outlined in the RFP.

What qualifies as a Massachusetts based company?

Please refer to section IV. Eligibility of the RFP for complete eligibility requirements. To qualify as a Massachusetts based company, the company must have a majority of its business operations in Massachusetts; whether that be an office, headquarters, incubator space, lab space, manufacturing, or sales and marketing.

What expenditures may the proposed InnovateMass budget be used for?

It is MassCEC’s policy not to compensate for general administration, overhead, or general-purpose expenses including general purpose materials or facilities. Budget items must be:

• Uniquely associated with the proposed project
• Justified as to why it is a necessary and reasonable part of the project
• Incurred after the execution of a grant agreement with MassCEC

All budget items generally fall into one of three categories: 1) eligible cash expenses; 2) eligible cost share expenses; or 3) other budget items ineligible for grant funding or cost share.  It must be clear why each budget item is necessary for the project. 

Please refer to the “Eligible Budget Items” section of the RFP to see a list of expenses that may be included in the InnovateMass project budget.

Is salary factored into cost-share?

Yes – direct labor on the project is an eligible cost share expense. Please note that cost share may only be up to 80% in-kind.

Are software proposals eligible?

Software proposals are eligible but should endeavor to highlight the novel innovation at the core of the proposed technology.

May entities submit more than one Application and be part of more than one Applicant Team?

Yes, Applicants may submit multiple applications and participate in multiple Applicant Teams.

If I’ve applied in the past, but was not awarded, may I re-use the same letters of intent from my project partners?

Yes, if the letters are still applicable with any changes you’ve made in your application and if the relationship is still active. The letters should demonstrate an active relationship and cooperation with critical partners, which will last at least the duration of the proposed project. To this end current letters are preferred, as it indicates that the cooperating parties are still in the relevant positions and the relationship is ongoing.

How many letters of support does a typical applicant have?

On average, the typical applicant provides 1 to 3 letters of support. These are typically from partners directly related to the proposed InnovateMass project, such as a demonstration site or manufacturing partner.

What role does the 3rd party technical support from MassCEC play?

The InnovateMass Technical Assistant (TA) supports awardees through all phases of the project, from workplan development through the final report. They act as the day-to-day project managers representing MassCEC. MassCEC meets with the TA on a monthly basis to get a project status update on each awardee.

Does winning an AmplifyMass or Catalyst award affect eligibility for InnovateMass?

No, it does not affect eligibility. However, we do not typically award two projects to the same entity at the same time.

innovate@masscec.com