Climate Innovation Hub at BAT

The Climate Innovation Hub will grow NYC’s climate tech ecosystem, accelerate the commercialization of climate technologies, and build shared prosperity for New Yorkers to advance a Just Transition.

The $100M Climate Innovation Hub at BAT RFP is now open for proposals. Please visit the RFP page to learn more.

The Climate Innovation Hub (CIH) at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) will anchor a growing ecosystem along the New York Harbor for new climate technologists, entrepreneurs, and talent working to develop, pilot, and deploy new solutions to combat the effects of climate change.

CIH will be a 112K-SF world-class hub for business development, incubation, and research commercialization, serving 150 startups over 10 years and offering workforce development opportunities for the local community. This new space will enable emerging market innovators, small companies, and growth-stage and commercialization-stage companies to:

1. Build and rapidly prototype products
2. Provide business support using the fit-for-purpose space
3. Carry out product research and development

In his third State of the City, Mayor Eric Adams announced the City’s commitment to invest up to $100 million in CIH.

The Urgent need for a Climate Innovation Hub

Globally, we are at an inflection point in the “decisive decade” to keep global warming to 1.5°C. New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires that the State and City’s grid be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040 and reach economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Achieving these renewable energy and decarbonization goals will require the creation and commercialization of innovative new technologies across virtually every sector of our economy.

The Adams administration is taking bold steps to grow innovation across key industries of the future, particularly within the green economy. In January 2024 during the State of the City Address, Mayor Adams committed to transforming NYC’s waterfronts, which once made New York the economic engine of the nation, into the “Harbor of the Future.” This initiative includes robust investments into emerging City-supported innovation centers across the city, from the Bronx to the Sunset Park District in Brooklyn, that are poised to become global hubs for green technology, innovation, and economic opportunity.

In February 2024, the Adams administration released the Green Economy Action Plan (GEAP), which outlines the City’s commitments to drive robust and equitable growth in the local green economy. This plan outlines several City-led actions that will complement private sector activity to grow the local climate technology ecosystem including de-risking emerging technologies; attracting and growing leading green economy businesses and private sector investment; building real estate for climate tech companies to grow, prototype, and pilot new technologies; and developing world-class talent for industry. As a key initiative of the GEAP, NYCEDC is embarking on an ambitious strategy to create a premier Climate Innovation Hub at the Brooklyn Army Terminal as an adaptive reuse project. The sheer density of the City’s built and waterfront environment, demand potential from large offtakers and customers within key climate tech verticals, mature tech innovation ecosystem, and entrepreneurial municipal government are positioning the Hub to support the growth of local climate tech industries and the export of climate solutions it enables for broader impact internationally.

The Climate Collaborative

NYC is activating over $725 million in public investment to support the green economy at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Governors Island, and the NYCEDC’s Sunset Park District to build a climate innovation ecosystem connected by NYC Ferry. By unlocking six million square feet of space, the Harbor Climate Collaborative will support the creation of 5,000 permanent jobs, educate and train 2,100 students, and generate $55 billion of economic impact. The Collaborative will leverage each of the partner’s expertise in research and climate education, business support for emerging companies and solutions, preparing New Yorkers for well-paying jobs, and to provide a home for new and existing businesses to scale in New York City’s growing the green economy.

NYCEDC intends to launch a Request for Proposals to solicit premier, mission-aligned entities to design and operate the Climate Innovation Hub at BAT.

The procurement will seek a consortium to:

• Develop and operate the Hub with cutting-edge facilities—from prototyping labs to testing platforms
• Establish business development services to accelerate both startup and incumbent climate innovation businesses to navigate pathways to commercialization
• Create workforce development programming for New Yorkers, including the immediate Sunset Park community, to engage in green job training and opportunities.

Pilot climate technologies through the recently launched “Pilots at BAT” program—an effort committed to demonstrating climate technologies and solutions at this historic industrial site. A consortium is defined as one or more stakeholders responding together to this RFP with key expertise in accelerator/incubator operations, real estate operations, lab/prototyping facility operations, pilot testing facility operations, an academic or R&D institution, workforce/talent development organization, business development entity, or a financial investor to develop, launch, and support the Hub.

Be a Part of Creating the Hub

Our Partner Form is now closed. To learn more about the opportunity at the Climate Innovation Hub, contact us at [email protected] or sign up for one of our Informational Session or Site Tours to learn more.

Learn more about the RFP here and direct any RFP related questions to [email protected].