The University of Wisconsin–Madison is purchasing innovative solutions to:
- achieve our net-zero carbon emissions and zero waste goals,
- offer opportunities to engage students in applied learning, and
- build relationships with startups, corporations, and organizations working in this space.
Additional information such as specific criteria and timelines can be found on this webpage below.
The most recent deadline to submit a pitch has passed. Please sign up below so that we can keep you informed about possible future opportunities to pitch sustainable products to UW–Madison.
The Green Fund
The Green Fund supports ideas that improve the sustainability of UW–Madison facilities, engaging students in the planning and implementation process.
A UW–Madison alumnus, Jim Weinert, has generously donated $660,000 to expand the Green Fund with a focus on innovative solutions. The expanded Green Fund’s vision is for projects to help UW–Madison achieve its sustainability goals and be a leader in the field, testing cutting-edge technologies and processes. A key driver of this vision will be collaborations with industry, including early-stage startups who are creative and nimble.
Benefits to Submitting a Pitch
- Scalability on and off campus: UW–Madison is a huge operation with significant buying power, vast facilities, and an ~80,000-member campus community. We hope that purchasing and piloting creative solutions on our campus will inspire other organizations to do the same.
- Visibility: We are excited to tell stories about the innovative sustainability solutions that help UW–Madison meet its sustainability goals. Our communications teams will support us in engaging internal and external audiences.
- Collaborators: UW–Madison is the site of world-class research and learning. Green Fund staff can help you connect with the right people to scope your project, navigate systems of review and approvals, and explore synergies between your solution and the campus community.
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Criteria
We are looking for products that meet the following criteria:
- Innovation: UW–Madison is looking to be an early customer for new technologies, to be a leader in the adoption of sustainability solutions (rather than established products like LED light bulbs and insulation).
- Learning opportunities: Open to collaborating with students and opportunities for meaningful applied learning. This could take the form of students joining site visits to scope a project, helping estimate project impacts, or another pathway. Green Fund staff would facilitate the learning process. Your business would simply need to be willing to welcome students at planning meetings and answer occasional questions.
- Applicability to campus: Your solution needs to be relevant to and be able to be integrated with UW–Madison facilities and operations.
- Contribution toward sustainability goals: Your solution needs to help UW–Madison facilities and operations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and/or waste.
- Potential for broader impact: If your solution could be successfully scaled on campus and beyond, it would have a significant positive impact on climate change mitigation and/or waste reduction.
- Cost less than $500,000: The total budget for this year is $660,000.
- Wisconsin connections: All businesses are welcome to share ideas. We encourage businesses that are connected to the state of Wisconsin or that are led by UW–Madison students, faculty, staff, or alumni to apply.
Timeline & Next Steps
- June/ July – Review application materials and connect with Ian Aley (iraley@wisc.edu or 608-890-3192) with questions and/or to discuss your pitch before submitting
- July 30 – Deadline to submit a written pitch using the link at the top of this page
- Early August – Committee of campus stakeholders evaluates pitches as they relate to the above criteria and invites the business who submitted the top 10 written submissions to record a 3-minute video pitch
- September 2 – Deadline for the top 10 businesses to submit a video pitch
- September 17 – EcoConnect event where UW–Madison students, faculty, and staff watch video pitches and form teams to develop funding proposals
- September 17 – October 27 – If there is interest from students in the idea pitched in the video, they will form a team and work with you, UW –Madison stakeholders to refine project costs, impacts, and implementation details with the facilitation and support of Green Fund staff
- October 20 – Deadline for students to submit their Green Fund proposals
- November – Committee of campus stakeholders evaluates proposals and allocates funding to the top ideas
- Early December – Receive notice of funding decision
- January – June 2027 – UW– Madison initiates a competitive purchasing process, formally requesting bids or proposals for products that meet the specifications outlined in the Green Fund project that received funding. Any business is welcome to submit a bid, including the one that worked with the student team to develop the successful funding proposal. UW–Madison will select the lowest bid or proposal that meets the specifications. We will then proceed with invoicing, purchase, and implementation.
- Future years – If this pilot year goes well, we hope to offer future calls for ideas and future rounds of funding. If your idea is not selected this year, you would be welcome to apply again if there are future calls for ideas.
Note: by soliciting ideas, UW–Madison is not committing to purchasing products from your company. All purchases will need to follow competitive purchasing protocols prescribed by the State of Wisconsin, which may include the submission of bids or proposals.
Questions?
Questions or want to discuss your pitch before you apply?
Contact Ian Aley, Green Fund Program Manager, iraley@wisc.edu or 608- 890-3192
Example solutions
Solar Bus Shelters
A team of Green Fund students worked with UW–Madison Transportation Services and the business, Urban Solar, to integrate curved solar panels into bus shelters that power lights and screens that display bus arrival information. The students used equipment to assess the shading at each campus bus shelter, modeled the output of the curved panels, and recommended sites and system sizing for the vendor to install. Read more here. The curved panel integration into bus shelters won the Innovative Solution Award from METRO, a trade organization for public transit service providers.
Cold Climate Cascade Heat Pump
UW–Madison is working with Trane to evaluate a cold climate cascade heat pump in a campus building. The project is exploring the system’s potential as an alternative to traditional hydronic boilers in certain applications. Faculty plan to incorporate the system into research and teaching, creating opportunities for hands-on learning and applied study. Staff from the Office of Sustainability helped facilitate connections and guide the project through stakeholder review and approvals.
Learn about additional green fund projects on the Green Fund Projects page.
The Goals
UW–Madison’s institutional sustainability goals include:
- Achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2048 or sooner
- Achieve a Zero Waste campus by 2040 by sustainably managing materials and related emissions from procurement and use to reuse or disposal.
- Meet prospective and current student demand by ensuring all interested students have access to sustainability educational experiences.
