DOE solicits applications for Technology Commercialization Fund

The U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 23 issued its fiscal year (FY) 2021 solicitation for the Technology Commercialization Fund, which aims to advance the commercialization of promising energy technologies and deploy lab-developed technologies to the marketplace.

“The Technology Commercialization Fund was conceived to bring together America’s private-sector innovators with our world-class National Labs to think seriously about how to accelerate the commercialization of promising lab technologies,” said Conner Prochaska, DOE’s chief commercialization officer. “We are always looking for new and updated models to streamline the tech-to-market process, and we’ve found that when both partners have some skin in the game, the outcomes can be truly incredible.”

DOE facilities, including national laboratories, plants and sites, are eligible to apply for the TCF, which is managed by the Office of Technology Transitions. OTT encourages private sector partners with interest in commercializing lab-developed technologies to contact DOE’s national labs and explore their options for working together.

Several DOE program offices participate in the TCF program, including the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, Office of Electricity, and the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response.

Projects associated with several Bioenergy Technology Office technology areas are eligible to receive TCF funding in FY 2021, including feedstock supply and logistics, advanced algal systems, conversion, and systems development and integration.

For FY 2020, the DOE awarded $33 million to 82 projects with project teams engaging with more than 130 different partners. For FY 2021, the DOE expects to make available approximately $23.14 million to $28.5 million in federal funding.

The deadline for national labs to submit proposal eligibility declarations is Oct. 8. The deadline to submit full proposals is Dec. 15. The DOE said it plans to make selection notifications in spring 2021. Additional information is available on the FY 2021 TCF solicitation website.