Print This Page

Decorative Image

Process

Here’s how to submit your idea and what happens to a successful idea

What makes a great REV Connect idea?

Your idea submission should help advance New York State’s REV goals by addressing an unmet need, offering a superior solution to those currently in use, and/or enabling utilities to offer a significantly better value to electricity customers. This can be in the form of an innovative business or market model coupled with a product, service, or technology.

The REV Connect team evaluates submissions through steps 1 and 2 of our process before bringing qualified ideas to utilities. While REV Connect offers an initial screen using these criteria, the ultimate decision on whether to proceed with a partnership lies with utilities and submitters.

Information and sources to support a better understanding of REV and individual utility innovation interests and activities can be found on REV Connect’s pages for REV briefings, innovation opportunities, and utility profiles.

Screen 1: Review Submissions for Minimum Requirements

The submission must meet certain threshold requirements to receive an interview from a REV Connect team member.

Submissions must:

  • Complete all form fields
  • Provide a valid contact name and email address
  • Indicate interest in partnering with a utility
  • Not be a response to an active procurement (e.g. RFP)
  • Not include sales pitches or marketing materials
  • Not be a request for research and development (R&D) support
  • Not be policy position statement

If the submission does not meet these minimum requirements, we’ll send you an email to the contact provided with a brief explanation and links to relevant information.

Screen 2: Review Submissions and Qualify Consultation for Criteria for Facilitation

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The REV Connect team will use the following criteria to evaluate and categorize submitted ideas. REV Connect will consider both information provided in the online submission form as well as additional information provided during the qualify consultation. Submitters should develop their ideas and materials to clearly articulate how their idea meets or exceeds these criteria.

REV Connect will summarize its assessments in weekly reports to individual utilities and the NY state team. In these reports, submissions will be categorized based on the extent to which information provided in the submission form and/or qualify consultation address criteria for facilitation, as follows:

Criteria for Facilitation

The REV Connect teams evaluate ideas based on five criteria categories. While REV Connect offers an initial screen using these criteria, the ultimate decision for whether or not to proceed with a partnership lies with utilities and submitters.

  • Partnership Structure: Does the partnership structure employ an innovative approach beyond the traditional vendor/utility procurement relationship?
  • Viability of Business Model: Does the business model articulate all elements, including unique value propositions, and address market needs and opportunities?
  • Partnership Capability: Does team has experience in developing similar ideas with successful outcomes?
  • Advancement of REV: Does the idea advance REV by addressing REV objectives, enhancing DSP functional capabilities, or supporting market-based approaches?
  • Uniqueness of Innovation: Is the idea unique and take an innovative approach to traditional solutions?

For more information about criteria for facilitation and how assessments are made, please see our Criteria Assessment Guide.

Qualify Consultation

For more information on the questions we will be asking in the qualify consultation, which are used to assess the criteria, please see our Qualify Consultation Guide.