Voucher Opportunity 1 (Recipients) - Pre-Demonstration Commercialization Support (OCED)

Are you a company (for-profit entity) moving on from the research and development stage and ready to enter the market or demonstrate your technology at scale? This opportunity is designed to provide support for studies and analyses you need to accelerate the commercialization of your clean energy technology and prepare it for the market or for integration into a large-scale first-of-a-kind demonstration project. See below for additional info about eligibility and timeline.

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Technology Commercialization Fund, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), in collaboration with ENERGYWERX, are offering this Pre-Demonstration Commercialization Support Voucher Opportunity (VO-1) to eligible companies to increase adoption readiness (with a focus on value proposition and market acceptance) of clean energy technologies.

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View the Pre-Approved Voucher Providers: Click Here to View

Complete the Recipient Submission Form: Click Here to Submit for VO-1

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. VO-1 addresses key adoption risk areas faced by companies ready to advance past the research and development stage. VO-1 is intended to provide support for technologies that are nearly ready for pilot scale or large-scale demonstration, or commercialization.

DOE has selected and pre-approved a cohort of voucher providers offering a variety of capabilities you might be interested in: Click Here to View the Pre-Approved Voucher Providers. For this voucher opportunity, capabilities include:

• Bankability studies (including insurability evaluation)
• Manufacturing/supply chain assessments
• Techno-economic analyses
• Lifecycle analyses
• Market readiness analyses
• Community benefit assessments
• Quality assurance/control (QAQC) analysis and documentation systems

Accounting systems support to ensure compliance with DCAA and industry-standard practices accepted by investors and lenders

• Insurance support for pilot and demonstration projects to include assistance meeting insurance requirements and understanding other risk mitigation activities

Internal cybersecurity best practices improvements for new clean energy facility owners and operators (to NOT include grid operators). Examples of activities under this opportunity: (a) implement best practices related to information access, security of internal documents and plans, protection of intellectual property and facilities’ operational data; (b) develop plans to harden physical security of facilities, and cybersecurity of sensors and remote-controlled equipment

When you apply, you will review the available capabilities and submit your preferences in the voucher recipient request form. If you find something that can be valuable to your company and that can enable your company to accelerate demonstration, commercialization, and deployment of your product, please consider applying to receive that in kind support.

Note: The full list of pre-approved voucher provider capabilities is available here. Please carefully read through the descriptions, deliverables, required inputs, applicable technology area(s), and other related information for each capability. DOE will not allow changes to the high-level scope of work defined in the voucher provider’s capability submission.

Voucher Projects: Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. DOE anticipates the value of the voucher to be up to $50,000. However, the specific value depends on the specific capability and is discussed only between DOE and the provider.

Only work related to specific technology areas will be eligible to receive a voucher under this opportunity.

List of eligible technology areas:

• Advanced nuclear
• Carbon management (including carbon capture and direct air capture)
• Long-duration energy storage
• Clean hydrogen
• Industrial decarbonization
• Upgrades to the electric grid

DOE anticipates issuing up to 90 vouchers at this time.

Voucher Recipients: Limited to for-profit companies with a product prototype that fits one of the technology areas of interest listed above and is nearly ready for pilot scale, large-scale demonstration, or commercialization. DOE is particularly interested in supporting companies who have completed DOE funded research and development projects (from any DOE office including but not limited to Office of Science, EERE, FECM, Nuclear Energy, ARPA-E) and need a boost to get to the next level. Preference will be given to potential voucher recipients who have not previously received support through this program.

This opportunity is limited to one submission per requesting organization. In the case of multiple submissions, DOE will consider only the submission with the latest time stamp.

Pending availability of funds, additional submission windows may open in the future for this voucher opportunity.

Voucher Recipients: How to Participate in VO-1

• Watch the Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session recording: Click Here to Watch
• Submit questions into Slido to be answered during the live Office Hours session:
• Review the resources from the Informational Office Session on August 21, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET under Webinar Resources
• Complete the Recipient Submission Form: Click Here to Submit for VO-1 (Submissions are due NLT September 12, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET)

This is not the only voucher opportunity currently available through ENERGYWERX. See here for additional information related to other voucher opportunities: