Frequently Asked Questions

General
Application, Fees and Judging Process
Prizes
Eligibility and Rules
Judging Criteria
Intellectual Property and Inventions
Sponsorship
Account questions
Liability and other Rules

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General

Q: Who is behind the Accelerator in the USA?

A:In 2006, a group of individuals saw a need to accelerate the creation of clean tech companies in California. As a result the group formed the California Cleantech Open Competition. The group quickly realized that this organization should be taken to the national level - 2009 marked the beginning of the national Cleantech Open Competition, which included 3 regions; California, Rocky Mountain, and the the Pacifc Northwest.

Fast forward to 2012 - the competition is now referred to as the Cleantech Open Accelerator due to the breadth of programs it includes which serve to accelerate cleantech ideas to successful businesses and encompasess 7 regions.

• 581 entreprenuer teams have completed the Accelerator and become part of the Cleantech Open Alumni community and network
• Since 2006 these teams have collectively received over $660 million in outside funding
• The mentor program includes over 1,000 professionals to which our applicants, semifinalists and alumni have access
• There are now 13,000+ members in the Cleantech Open national community

The entire organization is supported by a large number of generous sponsors. Click here for a complete list of our sponsors.

Q: What is the mission of the Cleantech Open?

A: The mission of the Cleantech Open is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. Our programs constitute much more than a competition; we're a non-profit organization devoted to helping cleantech companies succeed. The competition itself is only a small part of what you will experience if you are selected as a semifinalist. Our focus is on entrepreneurs and on great ideas that provide environmental benefits in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution reduction and resource protection and conservation. We also use our events to educate our program participants and the general public about the challenges we face and to demonstrate clean technologies that can provide solutions to those challenges.

Q: How does the Accelerator work?

A: The Accelerator consist of a number of programs; a competition, mentoring, training, showcasing of your clean technology or service, and access to the investment community. The first step is to apply for the Accelerator.

• Entrepreneurs with an early-stage clean technology company submit an online application describing their technology and their business. Each team must apply to a region and choose a category in which they would like to compete. Check here for online application deadlines and for application fees.
• From these applications up to 150 teams will be selected to continue as semifinalists (this isn't a hard number; we will accept more if the number of quality applications merits a larger intake).
• Semifinalist teams pay a heavily-subsidized participation fee per team member. This low participation fee is made possible through the generosity of sponsors and volunteers and covers a long list of benefits for each team:
  • access to a comprehensive mentor matching program consisting of 1,000+ business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs nationwide that have helped commercialise hundreds of promising technologies
  • extensive training thorugh our national academy, business clinics and webinars addressing every aspect of the business creation process
  • showcasing opportunities at regional and national events – includes some meals, booth space, free tickets for each paid member of your team
  • access to the investment community
  • essential and relevant feedback on your business model from each judging session
  • lifetime membership in the Cleantech Open Alumni network

• Semifinalists are invited to attend one of the academies that is put on during the month of June. Attendance to one of the academies is mandatory. We run an east coast and a national academy located on the west coast.
• Near the end of the summer, all semifinalist teams submit their investor pitches and the worksheets they have developed through the training and mentoring programs, and present to a judging panel. Each region will pick their finalists that will be invited to participate in the final judging at the Global Forum in November.
• All semifinalists are invited to exhibit and to participate in the Global Forum in November which is attended by business leaders, government officials, investors and potential clients . The Regional Finalists face off at the Global Forum. Category winner, winners from each region, and an overall winner all receive a prize package of cash/investment and services to help build their businesses.

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Application, Fees and Judging Process

Q: Who can enter the Accelerator?

A: The competition is open to early-stage entrepreneurs who meet the application criteria.Your company must have less than $1 million in external private funding (from angel investors, venture capitals or other third party sources of equity funding), less than $5 million in all other sources of funding (grants, friends and family and your own investments in your company) and at least one team member must be a US citizen or resident alien.

Q: Can I participate with more than one team?

A: Yes - if you have more than one technology. Applicants may enter multiple technologies, each with the same team members, as long as each team has a different Team Leader. However, judges reserve the right to consider whether the commitment level of the team to a particular submission is affected by the multiple entries.

Q: Can I enter my technology into more than one category?

A: No. A given technology may be entered in only one category. However, as explained above, the same team members may form a different team with a different technology and enter to compete in a different category, as long as the Team Leader is different for each team.

Q: How do I enter the competition?

A: Click here for complete details.

Q: What does it cost to enter the Accelerator?

A:  Go here for the current application and participation fees.No refunds are provided. Student teams must have a full-time student as the Team Leader and at least half the team must be students.
The fee is for one team to enter one category. Each individual team entered into the competition must pay the full entry fee.

Q: How do I pay my application fee?

A: You can pay your application fee by credit card through our online payment system.

Once you have completed and submitted your final online application you will need to pay your application fee in order for your application to be accepted. To do this - login to your team profile and, select the "Please Pay Entry Fee" option, and follow the instructions.

Q: What happens to my application fee?

A: Your fees goes twoard supporting all benefits you are provided during the Accelerator.

Q: How do I submit my application?

A: Applications are submitted online once you have created your team. You must first register on our website and create your team. Once this is done, log in, select "Complete your Application", and follow the instructions. Do not send us your application by e-mail or the postal service.

Q: Can I change my application after it is already submitted?

A: Yes, you can change your application online as many times as you like before the application deadline.

Q: Will I receive feedback on my application?

A: Yes, you will receive limited feedback on the sections of theapplication that needs improvement. In addition, events organized by the Cleantech Open are good opportunities to receive informal feedback from experts in the field.

Q: Assuming my entry is competitive, what are my chances of being selected as a semifinalist and then winning a prize?

A: It's important to understand that you should not enter the Cleantech Open focused mainly on the prize money. That undervalues your business and its potential. Participants from previous years repeatedly tell us that the major value came from all the training and mentoring and the opportunity to plug into a major cleantech network. to give you a sense from previous years, about one third of applications have been accepted as semifinalists.

That said, if you're looking for the odds of winning one of the prizes, here's a guide based on our intake in the past. Please note that past experience is only a guide to what might happen in future. In previous years, about one third of applicants have been selected as semifinalists. This is not a hard percentage - it varies based on the quality of applications we receive each year. About one fifth of all semifinalists have then gone on to be chosen as finalists; all finalists automatically receive a prize. The minimum prize this year is $20,000 in cash and services.

Q: I can't log into my Clean Tech Open account.

A: Make sure you are currently logged out by clicking the "Logout" link next to the banner at the top. If it says "Log In", you are already logged out, so you can ignore this step. Close all of your browser windows. Open your browser again and try to log in on our site. If this does not work, delete the cookies in your browser and log in again.

Q: What services and benefits will finalists receive?

A: Click here for all the benefits and services teams receive.

Q: Assuming my entry is competitive, what are my chances of being a finalist and then winning a prize?

A: Each region is looking to recruit a different number of contestants, though the ratio of semifinalists to original contestants will be even to maintain consistency and fairness.

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Prizes

Q: How many prizes are there, and what is included?

A:Each regional finalist will receive a prize package worth $20,000 in cash and services. Each region will also select a sustainability winner who will receive a further $10,000 in cash and services and a regional winner who will also receive $10,000 in cash and services. One national winner will receive a grand prize package worth up to $250,000 in investment and additional services. The grand prize investment  is subject to change.

Q: The in-kind service provides are not located in the same city I am. How do I benefit from winning these prizes if I am not located near these companies?

A: All service providers are willing to provide their services via telephone and e-mail. In-kind prizes are almost always sourced from service providers in the region in which you participate.

Q: What kind of legal entity do I need in order to accept a prize?

A: A startup can be a group of people who have formed a team to enter the competition. However, a legal entity (corporation, LLC, or similar) must be created prior to receiving any prizes, and any such legal entity must have an ownership structure typical of an independent startup.

Our prizes are not intended to subsidize corporate or university projects. The amount and source of any secured capital arrangements should be clearly identified in the team's application.

Q: Are winnings taxable?

A: Yes, all winnings are taxable and the winners must complete a form W-9 prior to payment.

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Eligibility and Rules

Q: Is my company eligible for the competition?

A: Click here for complete details.

Q: What are the regions of the Business Competition?

A: Click here for a list of current regions in the United States.

Q: I am not located in any state included in a current region, can I still enter a regional competition?

A: Yes, if you do not have team members in a state in a current region, you may choose to enter in any region. Bear in mind that training, mentoring and prize services from in-kind providers will come from the region in which you entered, you are strongly recommended to enter in the region closest to you. There is no requirement for semifinalists, finalists or winners to relocate to the competition region before, during or after the competition.

Q: Can I enter in any region?

A: No. If you have team members who live or work in a given region, you must enter in that region. If you have team members who live and work in more than one region then you must enter the region in which the majority of team members live or work. If your team is equally spread between two or more regions then you may choose from the regions in which you are eligible to apply.

Q: Do I have to give anything back to Cleantech Open, such as equity?

A: We are piloting a program this year where semifinalist can opt into an equity pool. If you are selected as a semifinalist you will have the option to assign a small piece of your company's equity to the pool. Participants in the pool will receive a dividend if any of the other companies who were semifinalists in the same year as you achieve a liquidation event (i.e. if the company goes public or is acquired on terms sufficient to benefit the shareholders). Part of the pool will be assigned to benefit the Cleantech Open (both in your region and nationally) and part will be assigned to the semifinalists who participated in the pool.

Additionally, prizes may be awarded as unrestricted cash or as a convertible note investment with terms highly favorable to the winner, or both. Terms offered for the note in the past have included deferred interest, no warrants and no obligation to repay the note, only a conversion to stock in a future round of investment on very favorable terms to the winner.

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Judging Criteria

Q: Our team has a breakthrough idea/technology, but we do not have a working prototype. Do we have a fair chance to win?

A: In the Competition portion of Accelerator, your team must demonstrate that your technology and/or idea are feasible and that they can be made commercially available in the short-term regardless of whether or not a prototype currently exists. Proven feasibility is a requirement to have a high chance to win the competition. From the pool of teams that demonstrated a convincing case of feasibility, our judges will choose the team with the most innovative and with the highest economic and environmental/social impact as the winner for each category. If your team feels that your technology/idea is ripe for commercial application but you are experiencing trouble demonstrating feasibility, please consult with our organizers at one of our briefings, or contact us.

Q: How will applicants and participants be assured that their technologies, concepts, and inventions will not be stolen during the competition?

A: This concern is one that many entrepreneurs share, and we are keenly aware of the need to treat this topic with sensitivity. Our judges handle the applications and other materials we receive with caution. An individual volunteer working closely with your company may choose to sign an non-disclosure agreement on his/her own behalf (but never on behalf of the Cleantech Open); if you plan to disclose confidential information you should ask your mentor or other volunteer assisting you if he/she will agree to sign a non-disclosure, noting that both the language and the execution of the agreement are your responsibility - the Cleantech Open does not provide or enter into such agreements. If you have valuable intellectual property, please seek legal advice prior to submitting your application. By entering the competition, each applicant will acknowledge that information provided by such entrant is at risk of disclosure. The disclosure of any information regarding your intellectual property may constitute a "public disclosure" that adversely impacts your potential rights. Practically, we expect that most applicants and participants will be able to present a compelling business case without divulging unprotected proprietary information.

Q: Although my team has not received any VC funding and do not plan to fundraise heavily before October 2012, we have been approached by some investors already and we believe that there is high likelihood of us having access to large investments in the near future. Do we have to prove that we "need" the competition to increase our likelihood of winning?

A: Our judges evaluate entries based on their merit. We want your team to tell us how you plan to take advantage of our prizes, but our decision will be affected mainly by your performance in the competition.

Q: Our startup will have tremendous environmental impact but our projected financial results are not too strong. Are we at disadvantage in comparison to other teams that have higher returns in the short-term?

A: Ideally, our winners will have the highest overall potential in terms of combined environmental and financial impact. In order to win the competition, your team needs to demonstrate financial sustainability. At this time, we discourage nonprofits from applying, but we hope in the future to have a category to address those types of startups. Please note that a number of teams that participated in the competition in the past underestimated the potential market for their business. We encourage entrants to give some thought to all of the potential applications of their business and to address their market in an expansive way. Please attend our workshops to learn how you might improve your financials to increase your chances to win the competition.

Q: We incorporated our startup a few years ago. Although we are still in startup mode, we have existed for a while. Is the fact that we are an old startup and/or that we have participated in/won other business competitions going to hurt our chances to win the Cleantech Open Competition?

A: Our judges will want to understand why your company has not been able to make substantial progress since you started. You will need to prove that you understand what the problems were, and that you have a convincing plan and the ability to fix these issues in the near future. If appropriate, you may state how the competition will help you address any obstacles. Based on this information, our judges will evaluate your entry relative to other submissions. Whether your team has or has not won any prior business competitions is irrelevant to the judging panels. The most innovative team with the highest combined environmental and financial potential will win.

Q: Our team is addressing an environmental problem that requires more than five years to scale up and to become financially attractive. Do we have a chance to win the competition?

A: We're looking at startups that have solid financial and technical scale-up plans within a five year horizon. If your current solution does not meet this time frame, we encourage your team to focus on an aspect of the problem that will render a commercially viable product or service in less than five years for our competition.

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Intellectual Property and Inventions

Q: How will contestants be assured that their technologies, concepts, and inventions will not be stolen during the contest?

A: We appreciate your concern regarding this very sensitive matter. Our judges will handle the executive summaries and business plans that we receive with caution. However, the judges, sponsors, partners and Clean Tech Open organizers will not enter into a non-disclosure agreement with any entrant and by entering the competition, each entrant will acknowledge that information provided by such entrant is at risk of disclosure. The disclosure of any information regarding your intellectual property may constitute a "public disclosure" that adversely impacts your potential rights. If you have valuable intellectual property, please seek legal advice prior to submitting your application. Practically, we expect that most entrants will be able to present a compelling business case without divulging unprotected proprietary information.

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Sponsorship

Q: How can I learn more about becoming a sponsor?

A: Click here to learn more about sponsor opportunities.

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Account Questions

Q: I already registered last year. Do I need to register again?

A: You do not need to register again, but please login to your account to update your profile and let us know if you intend to compete in this year's competition. If you did not create a password last year, you can still use the password reset function to obtain a password.

Q: I did not receive a confirmation email after registration.

A: Check your spam/junk folder. If the email is not there, please contact us

In addition, please be sure to add notifications@cleantechopen.com to your address book to ensure that you continue to receive email communications from the California Cleantech Open.

Q: What if I have other problems?

A: Contact us. Please be specific in your message, and describe any error messages you see.

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Liability and other Rules

Q: What is Cleantech Open’s Liability?

A: Entrants acknowledge that the judges, sponsors, partners and Cleantech Open organizers intend to carry out a fair and open competition, but are volunteering their services for the benefit of the Competition with no expectation of incurring liability by virtue of such participation. As such, each entrant, by entering the competition, will agree and acknowledge that the activities of the competition and all decisions made in the competition are within the sole discretion and determination of the judges, sponsors, partners and other Cleantech Open organizers and the entrant will release and hold harmless all judges, sponsors, partners and other Cleantech Open organizers from any claims, liabilities, damages, demands or actions, of any kind or nature, by any entrant arising out of any of the activities of the competition, including, without limitation, decisions on competition winners and disqualifications, regardless of whether such actions are willful or negligent.

Q: Can I be disqualified?

A: The Cleantech Open reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entry that in its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the competition guidelines, processes and rules of the Cleantech Open competition, and its decisions are final and binding.

Q: Are there other rules?

A: Situations which are not covered by the above rules will be resolved by the judging team of the Cleantech Open and their decision will be final. The staff and judging team reserve the right to amend the rules without notice, including in the event situations occur that are not covered by the above rules or to further interpret or clarify the existing rules when necessary.