The Entrance Award is a leading innovation prize for pioneers who through their courage and innovation accelerated the energy transition.
There is an Entrance Professional Award and an Entrance Student Award.
The Entrance Professional Award can be won by individuals or organizations from across the Netherlands. The winner receives a prize worth € 100.000, -. The winner of the Student Award will be awarded € 3.000, -.
The winners will be announced at the New Energy Forum on June 19, 2025.
During the New Energy Forum 2025, the Entrance Professional Award was presented to the Brabant-based company Saltes. The award recognizes their promising invention of a molten salt-based heat battery, a technology that enables sustainable heat storage on an industrial scale. Saltes will receive a total amount of €100,000, of which €25,000 is in cash and €75,000 in support from the Entrance network in Groningen. Thomas Stroes, Director of Saltes, reacted enthusiastically: “This award helps us take the next step and build a 26 MWh ThermalPod—the equivalent of approximately 500 electric cars.”
Our expert jury
All applications are evaluated by an expert jury consisting of Ruud Koornstra, Jörg Gigler, Dick Pouwels, Koen Kok, Eelkje Oldenburger and Marcel Koenis. On June 10 the top 3 nominees will be announced.
Main criteria Entrance Professional Award
• How does the innovation strongly contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition or CO2 reduction?
• How can the upscaling of the innovation contribute to the acceleration of the energy transition or CO2 reduction?
• How can Entrance and the prize package contribute to the desired development?
The previous winners of the Entrance Professional Award include BioBTX (2022), Newborn Rubber (2023), Saluqi Motors (2024) and Saltes (2025).
The award is an initiative by Entrance in collaboration with a wide range of partners dedicated to accelerating innovation in the energy transition. The prize package consists of:
#1: €25.000, – cash prize + an additional support package worth €75.000, –
#2: €10.000, – cash prize
#3: €5.000, – cash prize
The support package consists of knowledge, advice or network contacts and is aligned with the wishes of the winner. Below, you will find an overview of the options.
Possible partners & support package
Rabobank
As partner of the Entrance Award, Rabobank funds the substantial cash prizes. The cooperative Rabobank is convinced that we can achieve more together. The climate goals and the necessary energy transition in the Netherlands are an enormous challenge to achieve. Only if government, educators, banks and other market players really work together are the ambitious climate goals reachable. Rabobank is initiating this connection and is investing all its cooperative talents to make this happen. The pioneers accelerate through their courage and innovations the energy transition. That is why Rabobank contributes this incentive award.
Ekwadraat
As a partner of the Entrance Award, Ekwadraat is once again contributing to the encouragement award for pioneers in the energy transition this year. Ekwadraat has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable energy. They gladly share their knowledge, experience, network and facilities with the winner of the Entrance Award to realize their sustainable ambitions. Concretely, they can support the winner by giving advice about technical and financial feasibility of sustainable energy installations; subsidy scans and advisory (innovation-, investment- and exploitation subsidy); advice about permits and environment management for realizing sustainable energy installations; available spaces (workspaces, meeting rooms and gatherings).
Strawberry Fields
As a Groningen-based agency for strategy and creation, Strawberry Fields is an insider in the energy transition. This year, they’re once again contributing to the Entrance Award. The agency will create a promotional video for the Top 3 nominees, and the winner can count on strategic communication advice to tell their complex story to the outside world. Spoiler: it’s not complex.
New Energy Coalition and partners GasUnie, Shell, NOM and EBN
New Energy Coalition and partners GasUnie, Energy Beheer Nederland, NAM, and Shell have once again pledged a contribution to the Entrance Award for 2025. The Northern Netherlands excels at positioning the energy transition in terms of human capital, research, and innovation. Through the national Entrance Award, the coalition fulfills this role.geeft de coalitie hier invulling aan.
GasTerra
As a partner of the Entrance Award, GasTerra is once again contributing this year to draw attention to an important innovation that supports the energy transition. Even more importantly, the energy transition genuinely receives a boost, as a groundbreaking innovation gets the opportunity to further develop.
Enablemi
At Enablemi, one philosophy is central: with everything they do, they want to contribute to a more sustainable and healthier planet. Stimulating courage and innovation in the energy transition naturally fits perfectly with this! That is why they are happy to participate in the Entrance Award. Enablemi offers the top three relevant guidance and smart subsidy advice. This way, they help these frontrunners to realize their ambitions faster.
With over 1750 visitors, the New Energy Forum 2024 was a great success, and the newest edition is coming on June 29, 2025. The event is a breeding ground for new ideas for a sustainable future and the ideal place to network and gain new insights.
At the New Energy Forum 2024, there were eight stages where visitors could enjoy interesting speakers, useful workshops, and over 25 demonstrations of the latest technologies and solutions in the field of energy and mobility. With an extensive food court and live music, the forum had a real festival feel, allowing visitors to not only be inspired but also meet each other in a lively and energetic atmosphere. Will you be there on Thursday, June 19, 2025? Register now!
“with the Entrance Award we could develop further than just technology”– Bio BTX, winner 2022. (Read more)
