FAQ

NA Operations is a multi-faceted organization with teams supporting Amazon fulfillment, transportation, operations, and logistics.

Solve is an initiative of MIT. We believe that to build a better future for all, we need new voices and ideas. We launch open calls for exceptional and diverse solutions to the most pressing global challenges from anyone, anywhere in the world. Selected innovators get the backing of MIT and our community of supporters to scale their impact and drive lasting change.

MIT Solve is supporting Amazon NA Operations on the launch and selection of Amazon Sustainability Pilot Program participants. This partnership combines MIT Solve's expertise in global innovation sourcing and challenge design with Amazon's operational knowledge in supply chain, logistics, and sustainability.

Please refer to the Amazon Sustainability Pilot Program Benefits tab for details on program participation and benefits. This program offers your technology direct consideration by Amazon sustainability and technical teams, accelerating the pathway to connecting with relevant decision makers and working with Amazon through a structured three-phase process: Expert Review, Feasibility Assessment, and Technical Due Diligence/Pilot Opportunity.

While The Climate Pledge represents Amazon's company-wide goal to reach net-zero carbon by 2040, this program is scoped to Amazon’s NA Operations to enable focused, actionable review of emerging technologies. Successful pilots may inform future expansion opportunities across Amazon's global operations.

The timeline is subject to change at the discretion of Amazon NA Operations and MIT Solve; however, it will be approximately:

• March 10 – May 7, 2026: Application Open

• July 2026: Phase 2 Notification – Applicants will be notified if their application is progressing for additional technical, financial, and/or pilot feasibility consideration. Phase 2 participants may have the opportunity to provide additional information to and participate in calls with the Amazon team (NDAs available).

• December 2026: Phase 3 Notification – Phase 2 participants will be notified if their technology is proceeding for third-party technical due diligence consideration and/or pilot consideration. This requires reaching mutually agreeable commercial terms and meeting Amazon's technical requirements.

• 2027+: Technical Due Diligence and/or Pilots – Selected technology providers will engage in third-party technical due diligence activities and/or pilot their technology with Amazon NA Operations, with specific activities and timeline determined based on technology readiness and the agreed-upon pathway.

The application takes approximately 3+ hours and includes a required 3-minute video pitch. Do not include any proprietary information, trade secrets, or confidential business details in your application materials.

Your application will save automatically as you answer questions, and you are able to navigate to subsequent sections in the application without completing all prior questions. We encourage you to submit as soon as you have completed the required questions; you can edit your submitted application as often as you would like before the deadline.

The following provides a high-level overview of the required questions.

Basic Information

• Company name, one-line summary, description

• Technology category (hardware/software/service/other)

• Headquarters location; countries of operation

• Website/social media OR proof point upload

• 3-minute video pitch (YouTube/Vimeo link)

All Applicants

• Quantifiable sustainability metrics

• Business benefits

• Why applying to this Program

• Past pilots/deployments

• Current/past discussions with Amazon

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL 1-10)

• Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL 1-10) (if hardware)

• Comparison of current cost to industry-standard solutions

• Benchmark technology

• Timeline to cost parity

• Business model

• Team positioning

• Team Lead: name, title, email, phone, LinkedIn, background

• Backup Contact: name, title, email, phone 
  

Technology-Specific Questions (varies by focus area selected)

• MHE/conveyance: material types, dimensions/weight, throughput, safety, space requirements, interoperability

• Lower-Carbon Fuels: carbon intensity reduction, price parity potential, feedstock, applications, expected production capacity at commercial scale

• Waste Optimization: material types, automation level, operational requirements

If you use GenAI tools to assist with your application, you must check the content and ensure that it accurately reflects the status of your company. In your application, you will be asked to validate that you have reviewed the content and that it accurately reflects your company’s current status. Fabricated or misleading information in your application may lead to the removal of your company from the Pilot Program. 
 
Note that we discourage using generative AI chatbots to fully write your application for you. We want to hear your personal passion for and perspective on your company.

The Amazon Sustainability Pilot Program is open to anyone in the world, with the exception of United States embargoed countries: U.S. law prevents the Amazon Sustainability Pilot Program from accepting applications from people who are ordinarily resident in Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, or from parties blocked by the U.S. Treasury Department. We will prioritize applicants with already-existing North American projects or a clear path to commercial readiness in North America.

No, your application materials will not be publicly accessible at any point during the application or review process. All materials submitted will be internally reviewed by vetted judges, reviewers, technical reviewers, and program staff. While your information will not be published publicly, you should not submit any confidential information in your application. Applicants should not include any proprietary information, trade secrets, or confidential business details in the application materials.

Applying to the Program does not grant Amazon or MIT Solve rights to your existing IP. Upon submission of your materials, Amazon will own all rights to the application itself, and you grant each Program Team member a license to use, reproduce, distribute, and modify the submitted materials in connection with the Program.

We request applicants not to include proprietary information, trade secrets, or confidential business details in application materials. While Amazon will keep submitted materials confidential (subject to standard exceptions), applications are shared at your own discretion, and Amazon assumes no liability for protecting proprietary data. You acknowledge and agree that all submitted materials provided will be reviewed by the Program Team and may be shared with relevant stakeholders for purposes of allowing the Program Team to consider your application and participation in the Program.

The management and protection of your intellectual property is your sole responsibility throughout the application and participation phases. Selected participants will be required to sign a Participant Agreement and a Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) before participating in the Program (Phases 2-3). Participants may be asked to provide samples, prototypes, or additional technical details, which Amazon may use solely to evaluate, test, and assess integration feasibility.

Participation in the Program does not guarantee any commercial relationship with Amazon. Any future commercial opportunities, including any IP rights or licensing arrangements, are subject to separate negotiations and agreements.

A pilot in this program refers to a structured review of your existing technology's performance, safety, and operational feasibility. Depending on technology maturity and readiness:

• Validated technologies (TRL 6-8+) that meet Amazon’s business and technical requirements may be piloted at 1+ Amazon facility for real-world operational testing

• Earlier-stage technologies (TRL 4-5) may undergo third-party technical due diligence, or testing at your facilities or independent test sites, before consideration for Amazon facility deployment

The specific pilot approach will be collaboratively determined based on your existing technology's characteristics, safety profile, and operational requirements. Pilot scope, duration, and location will be finalized through mutual agreement between Amazon and selected participants. All pilots will include defined success metrics, data collection requirements, and evaluation criteria to deliver operational insights.

The number of finalists selected for Phase 3 will depend on the quality of applications and alignment with Amazon's operational priorities. We are seeking technologies that demonstrate strong potential for measurable sustainability impact.

Technologies selected for Phase 3 may follow different pathways depending on technology maturity and business requirements:

• Direct piloting at Amazon facilities in 2027 or later

• Technical due diligence pathway, which could include third-party technical due diligence, demonstration at your facilities, independent testing, or phased review

The pathway will be tailored to each technology's maturity, safety profile, and operational requirements. Selection for Phase 3 does not guarantee deployment at Amazon facilities.

Applicants progressing to Phase 2 should expect to participate in technical review call(s) and provide additional documentation during the July-November 2026 timeframe. If proprietary information is requested in Phases 2 and 3, NDAs will be available for participants.

Applicants selected for Phase 3 should be prepared to dedicate resources throughout 2027 for activities that may include technical due diligence (through third-party assessment or at your facilities) and/or pilot implementation at Amazon facilities, depending on the agreed pathway. Resourcing examples could include providing information to support third-party technical and safety diligence, dedicated maintenance, data collection and regular reporting, kick-off and wrap-up visits to a site, and an escalation contact for unexpected issues.