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MN Cup is an annual competition for entrepreneurs, researchers, and inventors run by the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. The competition connects emerging businesses with education, mentorship, and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures.

As part of the competition, the MPCA offers a Sustainable Chemistry Prize of $10,000. The purpose of the prize is to increase sustainable chemistry awareness and innovation and to help those within Minnesota’s sustainable chemistry community connect with each other. 

The MPCA has adopted the Expert Committee on Sustainable Chemistry's recent definition of sustainable chemistry — “the development and application of chemicals, chemical processes, and products that benefit current and future generations without harmful impacts to humans or ecosystems” — as the basis for the prize.

The Sustainable Chemistry Prize is awarded to technologies and products that demonstrate safer or more sustainable chemistry than those already on the market providing the same function. Other judging criteria include:

  • use of one or more green chemistry principles
  • demonstrable potential to reduce a product's effect on public health, especially children, workers, or disadvantaged communities
  • replacement of one or more Minnesota Chemicals of High Concern

Qualifying new technologies may be:

  • new chemistry or formulations
  • nonchemical technology that performs as needed without using hazardous substances (e.g., flame-resistant coating that doesn't use hazardous flame retardants)
  • a production-method improvement that reduces toxicity in a product's life cycle

Candidate companies and technologies should be:

  • at practical proof-of-concept stage (demonstration testing completed)
  • commercial or have a planned path to commercialization
  • in compliance with applicable MPCA regulations for the past three years

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