Sustainable Cities Challenge Detroit

Grant Information

Innovators are being called on to demonstrate solutions that reduce fossil fuel use and cut costs of freight operations in Eastern Market.

Solutions should address one or more of the following:

• Reduce idling time
• Reduce partial loads and empty miles
• Reduce reliance on fossil fuel for cold chain logistics and freight management
• Reduce implementation costs and barriers to adopting clean freight technologies

Innovators will be supported in developing their solutions by:

• Up to ten $50,000 implementation grants in the semi-finalist stage
• Up to five $130,000 implementation grants in the finalist stage
• $1.5 million final implementation funding, to be shared among up to 3 winners
• Connections to businesses in Eastern Market to understand their operations
• Facilitation to engage directly with city leaders
• Capacity building support
• Access to a network of like-minded innovators

All funding must be used by teams to develop, test and demonstrate their solutions for Detroit’s Eastern Market, with the final funding to be used for implementation in Eastern Market. 

Detroit’s Eastern Market is the largest open-air market in the nation and is the city’s hub for food distribution, selling more than $360 million of wholesale food annually, and double that in exports. The district is poised to expand and is considering strategies to address environmental concerns, carbon emissions, and pollution, while adding residential units to this bustling community. It organizes farmers, wholesalers, distributors, and logistics operators into distribution activities designed to move food that feeds millions.

Timelines

• Monday, May 29, 2024: Sustainable Cities Challenge Detroit Launches
• Thursday, September 12, 2024: Entries close
• November 2024: Semi-finalist announcement
• May 2025: Finalist announcement
• Early 2026: Winner's announcement

Application

The grant application is now open. To learn more and apply, please click the button below. The deadline for entries is 16:00 UTC on September 12, 2024. 

APPLY NOW