Test & Pilot
Test and develop your technology in Michigan
PlanetM Mobility Grants
Separated into two categories – testing and pilots – the PlanetM grants are helping mobility companies test their technologies in Michigan or at Michigan's state-of-the-art testing facilities.
The PlanetM Testing Grant will accelerate innovation by providing mobility companies the opportunity to access the following Michigan advanced testing facilities:
Other test sites may be added in the future. The reduced cost will allow mobility companies to focus their resources on enhancing and proving out their technologies, and deepen ties to the Michigan mobility ecosystem.
Location: Statewide
Timeframe: October 2019 — September 2020
Value: Minimum 25% match required by participant. Grant amounts will vary.
The PlanetM Pilot Grant will support global mobility companies to deploy their technologies in Michigan, ultimately optimizing the movement of people, goods and/or data. The scoring criteria will focus on technology and business model uniqueness, budget, partners, location, sustainability, and feasibility of deployment. The PlanetM Pilot Grant will fund multiple innovative mobility pilot projects of varying sizes that will provide mobility solutions in Michigan and beyond.
Organizing Grant Partners: NextEnergy and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT)
Location: Statewide
Timeframe: October 2019 — September 2020
Value: Minimum 25% match required by one or more of participant's partners and may not be in the form of a discount. Grant amounts will vary. Anticipated grant range is $50,000 – $100,000.
Israeli companies awarded grants will have the opportunity to test and pilot their qualified technologies at Michigan’s facilities including American Center for Mobility (ACM), Mcity, and/or on Michigan roadways. Grant recipients will also have access to top technology incubators, accelerators and industry leaders in Michigan.
Qualifying projects should be ready for demonstration, commercialized, or at the ready to market stage. Special consideration will be given to projects related to cyber security and autonomous transportation.
Organizing Grant Partners: Israel Innovation Authority, Michigan-Israel Business Accelerator
Timeframe: December 2019 — September 3, 2020
Value: PlanetM funding will be a maximum of 50% the approved budget. Israel Innovation Authority funding will also be a maximum of 50% the approved budget.
PlanetM Startup Grants Informational Session
The PlanetM Startup Grant Informational Session and Webinar took place on December 11, 2018 and welcomed representatives from PlanetM, Michigan Department of Transportation, American Center for Mobility, Mcity, Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center, Derq and NextEnergy. These experts shared insights and details about the program, application process, and how the grants can help accelerate your path to commercialization.
By the end of 2019, at least 32 PlanetM-facilitated mobility pilots will be underway in Michigan. Find out more about each challenge below.
In partnership with the Governor’s office and MDOT, the NAIAS 2020 Michigan Mobility Challenge calls upon industry innovators to propose new and dynamic technology deployments that embody how automated and connected vehicle technology can transform how we live, work and play. The demonstration will provide automated transportation for NAIAS attendees to and from Detroit Metro Airport and places of interest in downtown Detroit — all brought together through a seamless user-experience app. Winners were announced in the press releases below:
The $8 Million Michigan Mobility Challenge is a grant initiative seeded with an $8 million legislative appropriation to address core mobility gaps for seniors, persons with disabilities and veterans across the state. The Challenge is a collaborative effort that is led by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and PlanetM with collaboration from four other state agencies. A total of 13 projects in communities of varying sizes throughout Michigan have been funded.
Formerly the City of Tomorrow Challenge, PlanetM, Ford, Mobile GR, City of Grand Rapids and The Right Place awarded Chicago-based Kaizen Health a grant to modernize and streamline access to transportation in partnership with providers, payers, self-insured employers and municipalities.
Ford, PlanetM and the City of Detroit launched the City:One Challenge, a collaborative project offering local residents and businesses the opportunity to suggest ideas and pilots to solve mobility problems and help improve the quality of life for people living, working and visiting the community surrounding the historic Michigan Central Station in Corktown.
In addition to Technology Activation Challenges, PlanetM is also facilitating a number of mobility city pilots throughout Michigan. Find out more about each city pilot below.
Project Kinetic is a unique collaboration between the public (City of Detroit and PlanetM), private (General Motors, Lear, DTE Energy, Quicken Community Fund, Bedrock Detroit and Boston Consulting Group) and philanthropy (New Economy Initiative) sectors. Representatives from each of the partnering organizations worked hand-in-hand for 12 weeks to brainstorm more than 120 innovative solutions to tackle some of the most pressing mobility challenges facing Detroit.
PlanetM, Ann Arbor SPARK, Ford & Deloitte will deploy pilots, including an enhanced simulation pilot that will allow for scenario-planning to better understand the use and impact of new and emerging mobility modes.
Nine Michigan companies, as well as the city of Grand Rapids and PlanetM, formed a unique coalition placing May Mobility autonomous vehicles on city streets. The coalition – a first of its kind – brings together enterprise and infrastructure to gather and analyze critical information with the goal of understanding the usage of autonomous vehicles in a city environment. The fleet will operate complementarily to the City’s existing DASH transportation fleet. Learn more about May Mobility here.
