Introduction

The Work to Zero initiative at the National Safety Council is focused on making innovation more accessible for employers and helping to eliminate fatality risks at work through the use of safety technology. The goal of the Work to Zero Pilot Grant program is to support workplaces in their innovation journeys by matching organizations with innovative technology providers to trial emerging technologies in real-life applications.

This year’s grant program involves ten solution providers (listed below) who will be featured at the Safety Innovation Challenge Tech Pavilion at the 2026 NSC Congress & Expo (Sept 11-17, 2026, in Indianapolis, IN). The NSC Safety Innovation Challenge aims to explore cutting-edge solutions for addressing specific hazards across various industries. This year, solution providers applied to showcase their solutions addressing energy control (i.e: lock-out tag-out or LOTO). Ten solution providers were selected to participate and chosen to showcase their technologies.

Through support from the McElhattan Foundation, Work to Zero will provide funding assistance to companies interested in piloting one of these safety technology solutions. The Work to Zero program invites organizations interested in eliminating or reducing energy control related risks to apply for the Work to Zero Pilot Grant. Any company may apply but preference will be given to small- and medium-sized companies (under 500 employees), companies from safety-sensitive industries (e.g., construction, mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, utilities, etc.), as well as women, veteran and/or minority-owned businesses. The selected solution provider will work closely with the grantee to address energy control challenges and provide ongoing support throughout the pilot. It is our hope that solution providers will work with current or prospective clients to submit this application.

Grant Overview

The following are the nine participants from the 2026 Safety Innovation Challenge on Energy Control:

• AlchLight LLC: SecureCore technology enhances industrial valve sealing surfaces to reduce hazardous energy leaks caused by corrosion, fouling and wear; Contact: chivinhngo@alchlight.com

• BleedIO Tech: Hazardous Energy Awareness Network integrates smart lockout devices, sensors and wearable alerts to provide real-time visibility into hazardous energy conditions and lockout and tagout procedures; Contact: lee@bleedio.com

• FibrX: AI-powered platform that combines fiber optic sensing, edge analytics and digital twins to continuously monitor industrial equipment to detect hazardous conditions before workers are exposed; Contact: kamel@fibrx.io

• Lauretta AI, LLC: EnergyGuard uses existing cameras and sensors to identify hazardous energy risks and deliver real-time worker alerts; Contact: galvin@lauretta.io

• Master Lock: The cLOTO™ platform digitizes lockout and tagout procedures with guided workflows, real-time monitoring and automated compliance documentation; Contact: justin.kronmiller@fbin.com

• Namatad: CrossCheck uses mobile devices, wearables and geofencing to monitor hazardous energy work and strengthen lockout and tagout safety; Contact: matt@namatad.com

• NanoSieve Inc.: Autonomous technology detects and removes hazardous gases in real time to help protect workers and critical infrastructure; Contact: gabrielle@nanosieve.co

• Otterlocks: Safe Sync replaces traditional lockout and tagout padlocks with connected smart locks for real-time monitoring and automated compliance; Contact: john@otterlocks.com

• Valkim Technologies LLC: A safe robotic platform that performs remote inspections in hazardous environments to reduce worker exposure; Contact: kim@valkimtechnologies.com

Work to Zero will award up to $60,000 in total funding with an individual maximum award of $20,000, subject to the availability of funds and the merit of the proposal. Grant proposals less than $20,000 are encouraged.

The 2026 pilot grant application will open on September 18, 2026, and the grant period is 6-9 months after funding is distributed.

Grant Requirements:

• The grantee is a US-based organization/company that wants to pilot a hazardous energy control solution, and will partner with one of the Challenge solution providers to pilot their technology within one or more worksite(s), facilities, etc.

• The solution provider will develop and help implement for hazardous energy control risk reduction, train grantee staff on the technology, and conduct the pilot for a designated trial period (six months is recommended, but not required). This should include tracking metrics relevant to the solution, including injury metrics, exposure hours, employee feedback (e.g., through pre/post surveys), etc.

• Note: A solution provider may partner with more than one grantee to address their issues or submit one or more grant applications for consideration.

What can the funds be used for?

The funds will be disbursed directly to the grantee and the solution provider for administration. Funding is available for: 

• Shipping and transportation of technology solutions to and/or from the grantee

• On-site training needs, including equipment necessary to run the pilot (e.g., physical equipment, products, software)

• Travel essential to conduct the proposed project, including to present work related to the project at a future NSC event.

Funds may not be applied to:

• Employee salaries and/or benefits of organization grantee or solution provider

• General operating or indirect expenses not related to the project

• Purchase of equipment, hardware or software, or other costs not pertinent to the project

• Personal expense

• Accrued costs not attributable to the grant

What should we include in the Grant Application?

Each organization and solution provider grantee team will submit a joint proposal consisting of the following:

• Project title

• Names, email addresses and affiliations of grantee(s) and the solution partner

• Address(es) where the pilot will take place

The proposal (one to three pages) should incorporate the following:

• Specific aims of the pilot project

• Significance of solving for hazardous energy control at the grantee(s) workplace (e.g., metrics such as lost workdays, injury count, lagging indicators, employee feedback, etc.)

• Any other risk reduction strategies that have been implemented, attempted or planned to address hazardous energy control risks by the grantee

• Project design (e.g., study design, proposed metrics or data collection methods, population tested, implementation measurement procedures)

• Solution providers should work with the grantee to determine how success will be measured for the pilot

• Project execution timeline (e.g., start and completion of major activities, staff training using technology, results reporting).

• Anticipated outcomes, including injury reduction metrics, possible challenges.

• Budget justification (include itemizing costs, with an explanation of each item).

Grant Deliverables

Work to Zero will collaborate with grantees and solution providers to translate and disseminate the project findings across organizations for broader visibility in the form of case studies.

Work to Zero will also engage quarterly (1 hour per meeting) on an as-needed basis during the project's lifecycle to:

• Document progress reports and discuss changes in project scope (if any)

• Work through challenges/barriers to using the technology (including any adverse events)

• Discuss ways to scale the solution provider intervention(s) and implementation of recommendations

• Develop case studies (e.g., lessons learned, development of risk reduction metrics, return on investment insights).

The grantee and solution provider must report on project progress to the Work to Zero team through the delivery of one interim report halfway through the project (template to be provided). The grantee and solution provider must also submit a comprehensive report after the grant cycle (i.e., within 30 days of completion) and write a case study highlighting their experience implementing the solution for further dissemination to a broader audience. Details will be discussed with grantees during the project lifecycle.

Grant Outcomes

The expected outcome is that each grant awardee will present their results at a future NSC event (e.g., NSC Congress & Expo, NSC Safety Summit, etc.). Awardees may alternately or in addition be asked to present results at a future virtual or hybrid event. At the NSC events, grantees and solution providers will have the opportunity to showcase their findings, network with other potential organizations that are interested in utilizing the technology and have the potential to scale upward and educate the wider audience.

Timeline

Grant Proposal Request Opens: September 18, 2026

Grant Proposal Submission Closes: October 30, 2026

Grant Recipients Announced: December 1, 2026

Grant Funds Distributed: January 2027

Mid-Term Report: April 1, 2027

Final Report: July 1, 2027

For more information, including pilot grant eligibility and application requirements, please contact worktozero@nsc.org.