Early-stage clean energy entrepreneurs face challenges in accessing testing facilities as they progress towards commercialization. The CalTestBed Initiative is a voucher program that assists clean energy entrepreneurs in gaining access to critical testing facilities. It expedites their pathway to commercialization through connection to a network of next-level partners.

Funds may be used to pay expenses associated with providing technical assistance and/or training (TAT) to: Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems relating to source, storage, treatment, or distribution; identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems relating to collection, treatment, or disposal: assist applicants, that have filed a pre-application with RUS, in the preparation of water and/or waste loan and/or grant applications; and/or provide technical assistance and/or training to water/wastewater system personnel that will improve the management, operation and maintenance of water and waste disposal facilities.

The DOE Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) aims to facilitate sustained community-wide economic and environmental benefits primarily through DOE’s clean energy deployment work. This opportunity is specifically open to low-income, energy-burdened communities that are also experiencing either direct environmental justice impacts, or direct economic impacts from a shift away from historical reliance on fossil fuels. Under Communities LEAP, DOE matches selected communities with technical assistance providers who assist them with bringing their clean energy planning and economic development vision to life.

The DOE Office of Technology Transitions Lab MATCH (Laboratory Making Advanced Technology Commercialization Harmonized) Prize is a $620K, three-phase competition aimed to accelerate national laboratory intellectual property (IP) licensing and commercialization. Lab MATCH provides an opportunity for innovators and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to work directly with national labs and their researchers to accelerate technology commercialization.

Participating national labs include:

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
• Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) invites Letters of Interest (LOIs) from eligible applicants interested in receiving technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support from the Thriving Communities Program (TCP) Capacity Builders to help them compete for federal aid and deliver quality infrastructure projects that enable their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.

For selected communities, the Thriving Communities Program will provide two years of deep-dive assistance to help them plan and develop a pipeline of comprehensive transportation, housing, and community revitalization activities as well as peer learning opportunities through assigned Communities of Practice. During the third year, communities will continue to receive peer learning support as Capacity Builders conduct evaluation, reporting, and transition activities.

The EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) is soliciting applications from eligible entities to provide technical assistance that directly benefits Tribal Nations and entities nationwide which are eligible for EPA Brownfield Grants funded under CERCLA 104(k) and 128(a) to build sustainable brownfield programs and strengthen capacity to manage successful brownfields reuse. This technical assistance should also help increase a Tribal Nation’s capacity to establish, manage, and administer their CERCLA 128(a) response programs and conduct and oversee brownfield assessment and cleanup activities.

The Capacity Building for Repurposing Energy Assets initiative will assist communities where a significant portion of their local economy has historically been supported by energy assets, such as coal, oil, and/or natural gas power facilities and accompanying equipment and infrastructure. The initiative will help these communities build technical capacity and develop a workforce necessary to help revitalize energy systems, address environmental impacts, and tackle challenges associated with energy assets that have been retired, or are slated for retirement.

Are you a carbon management or resource sustainability innovator and technology developer including, but not limited to, for-profit technology development firms, that needs commercialization support? This opportunity is designed to provide independent assessment of Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) technologies and practices for carbon management technologies and performance validation support for resource sustainability technologies.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-5) addresses key adoption risk areas faced by carbon management companies, including independent assessment of Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) technologies and practices for carbon management technologies, and resource sustainability technology performance validation support. The first submission window (Sept 26) solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. A second submission window (Nov 7) will be open soon to solicit requests from potential voucher recipients. Pending availability of funds, additional submission windows may open in the future.

Are you a company (for-profit entity) who received support from DOE through a research, development, and/or demonstration financial assistance agreement or prize program in the last 5 years? This opportunity is designed to provide additional support in the form of a voucher for help with market assessment, business plan formulation, fundraising road-mapping (from both public and private sources), and commercialization strategy.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-4) includes market research, business plans, fundraising road-mapping (from both public and private sources), and other commercialization strategy assistance for companies who have received funding from DOE’s RD&D programs. The first submission window (Sept 26) solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. A second submission window (Nov 7) will be open soon to solicit requests from potential voucher recipients.

States, local governments, tribes, and other Authority Having Jurisdictions (AHJs) interested in learning about and facilitating clean energy demonstration project siting and permitting processes should take advantage of this voucher opportunity. This opportunity is designed to help AHJs streamline siting and permitting processes to advance commercialization and demonstration of innovative clean energy technologies.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-3) enables expert assistance to help AHJs understand new clean energy technology benefits and challenges, evaluate siting and permitting best practices developed by similar jurisdictions, develop streamlined permitting processes, and support community engagement on related issues. The first submission window (Sept 26) solicits proposals from potential voucher providers. A second submission window (Nov 7) will be open soon to solicit requests from potential voucher recipients.