This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI will be treated as informational only and will not be viewed as a binding commitment for the respondent to develop or pursue the project or ideas discussed. No applications are being accepted and no funding is available through this RFI.The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Technology-to-Market (T2M) team is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001669. The purpose of this RFI is to gain public input on how T2M can best facilitate a more efficient clean energy innovation ecosystem in the U.S. by leveraging prior initiatives. T2M is looking to understand unaddressed challenges faced by early-stage clean energy start-ups and investors (and other capital providers) and industry partners that can help facilitate the transition of new technologies into the marketplace. The information being sought under this RFI is intended to assist EERE in further defining the scope and priorities of its initiatives by capitalizing on prior year investments to strengthen the U.S. Energy innovation ecosystem. Descriptions of current T2M efforts can be found at http://energy.gov/eere/technology-to-market/technology-market-program.
Background
The conventional technology-to-market pathway from invention to market entry has proven to be challenging for disruptive non-software clean energy technologies. Specific challenges include high capital needs, long development times, the need to integrate into complex systems and supply chains, the need to work with established industry in a commodity market, and the need to operate within a shifting regulatory environment.
In this complex landscape where innovation pathways encounter many market barriers, it is critical for the U.S. to build a more efficient and interconnected innovation ecosystem in order to transition to a clean energy economy. For the purpose of this RFI, we define the innovation ecosystem as the set of stakeholders (e.g. universities, business and industry, entrepreneurs and start-ups, labs and facilities, and capital providers) that can collectively enable the commercialization of clean energy technologies.
This RFI from EERE’s Office of Strategic Programs (OSP) T2M program seeks to obtain information from the broad innovation community on challenges that start-up companies face in launching and scaling their products and businesses, and understand the interventions in the clean energy innovation ecosystem that could address these challenges.
In February 2016, the Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC) within DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) issued a RFI on how to utilize DOE’s considerable resources and expertise to support the investor community. The questions posed in that RFI primarily addressed specific services and tools that CEIC could develop to maximize the value of DOE engagement with the investment community and support clean energy investment decision making by the public. In response to stakeholder input from that RFI, CEIC has initiated several efforts to serve the investment community, including the Laboratory-Investor Knowledge Series (LINKS), a forum for public-private discussion of the challenges and opportunities around clean energy investment, and a Lab Partnering Service to connect investors with subject matter experts at the DOE national labs. Descriptions of current OTT efforts can be found at http://energy.gov/technologytransitions/services.
This RFI is intended to build upon DOE initiatives already underway to strengthen the clean energy innovation ecosystem in the U.S.
Please see the full RFI document in the "DOCUMENTS" section below. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to T2M@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00pm (ET) on November 14, 2016.