Climatetech Testing & Demonstration Assets (TDA) Program

4. Can Letters of Interest come from organizations outside of MA?

Yes.

5. Is there a place where interested but ineligible organizations can express their interest to partner on this if they have something an eligible ESO might need, like office space, coworking space, lab space, etc.?

While consortium/collaborative applications are eligible, there is not a dedicated place for organizations to express their interest in partnering on TDA applications.

6. For organizations that were previously awarded, can they apply again?

Yes, previously awarded organizations can apply again, provided that the project/scope of work of the new project is separate from the previously awarded one. See Section IV (p. 7) of the RFP for more detail.

7. Whether non-Massachusetts technology companies may participate as users/industry partners in a TDA proposal led by an eligible Massachusetts ESO.

Yes, with a few conditions. They can join by submitting a letter of support, but only at the Full Application stage, not with a Concept Paper. Finalists are invited to submit a Full Application on September 25; see Section VII (p. 14) for more details on the two-phase process. Non-Massachusetts technology companies can't be Co-applicants, since Co-applicants must be Massachusetts-based and meet 5 of the 6 criteria in Section IV (p. 8). They can, however, use the funded assets once installed, under a service agreement set by the Grantee.

8. Whether letters of interest, use cases, technical requirements or prospective utilization commitments from technology companies can strengthen an ESO's concept paper.

Not at the concept-paper stage. Concept Paper applicants can't submit letters of support. But they matter later: Full Applicants must include 5 - 10 letters of interest from potential users, as noted in Section VII (p. 14) of the RFP.

9. Whether MassCEC can point us toward eligible ESOs currently developing water, infrastructure-resilience, grid or municipal testbed concepts for the September 4 concept-paper deadline.

We can't point you to applicants, but you can check the Mass Founders Network's ESO directory to find providers relevant to the equipment you're after.

10. Whether there are separate MassCEC programs better suited to an international TRL 7–8 company seeking a Massachusetts real-world pilot and commercialization pathway.

Unfortunately not. There are no other MassCEC programs for international companies seeking Massachusetts pilots.

11. Can my funding request change between the concept paper and full application?

Yes, absolutely.

12. How much detail is needed in the project budget for the concept paper?

Provide as much as you can. We understand that you may still be gathering quotes or understanding what equipment / construction is needed for your project. If you can't provide a specific line item, you can provide a generalized cost (e.g., microscope fit out - $10,000). It's okay that project budget you'll submit with your Full Application is different than the one you submit with the concept paper. Full Application budgets will need to be as specific as possible.

13. May TDA funds be used to complete unfished or shell space within an applicant's existing facility if the space will be dedicated to shared climatetech testing and demonstration?

Yes. For more detail on eligible costs, see Section V (p. 10) in the RFP.

14. May TDA funds be used to acquire an existing building that would be renovated, equipped, and dedicated to shared climatetech testing and demonstration? We note that the Sample Agreement references land with existing facilities and buildings.

Yes. The Sample Agreement lists "Capitalized Equipment, Land with existing Facilities, and Buildings…". These are all eligible for reimbursement. For more detail on eligible costs, see Section V (p. 10) in the RFP.

15. May TDA fund permanent infrastructure across a commercial or industrial campus—such as electrical infrastructure, interconnection, metering, controls, communications, and data acquisition—to enable real-world climatetech testing and demonstration?

Yes. However, competitive applicants must be clear that the permanent infrastructure is directly related to the project scope and program goals. See Section III (p. 6) in the RFP for details on the program goals.

16. May a TDA project include complementary assets in multiple buildings or locations on the same campus if they are operated as one publicly accessible testing and demonstration platform?

Yes, assets can be across a campus and do not need to be consolidated to one location. They must still meet the Publicly Accessible requirements listed in the RFP. See Section IV (p. 9).

17. How does MassCEC view a project designed to complement specialized testing infrastructure operated by another organization, rather than duplicate it, with the applicant providing development, integration, demonstration, and commercialization capabilities?

MassCEC will take into consideration complementary testing assets. Based on the Selection Criteria (Section VIII p. 16) in the RFP, competitive applicants must prove the Justification of Need for their project and will be scored based on their "potential to catalyze broader ecosystem activity..." in the Relevance to the Innovation Ecosystem criterion.

18. Cost-share reduction: For a project located and programmed in a Gateway City, what information would MassCEC find most useful in considering a reduced cost-share request based on geographic need, applicant resources, and/or exceptional public benefit?

All the information regarding the Cost-share waiver can be found in Section V (page 12) of the RFP. We provide the example "more than 50% of projected users come from [Gateway Cities or Burdened Areas]" as criteria that could be taken into consideration. We encourage the Applicant to include quantifiable metrics that can prove equitable access, public benefit (see Section IV, p. 10), and available resources of the Applicant for their Project.