A new kind of American-Made opportunity created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Technology Transitions, the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) Open Voucher Call, will provide the public with opportunities to receive technical assistance from researchers at DOE National Laboratory facilities.
The $2.1 million TCF Open Voucher Call will help facilitate the commercialization of scientific discoveries by helping to identify pathways by which technological breakthroughs can make their way to market. Although a variety of technologies will be considered, applicants are encouraged to leverage the capabilities and initiatives of the National Laboratories when developing their ideas so they can further develop their technology alongside the National Lab.
Successful applicants will receive vouchers—valid for testing and validation, use of specialized equipment or software, simulation or modeling, consulting, or various other requests from a National Laboratory—which will ultimately allow them to advance their technologies. In this way, the call will foster a culture of curiosity and collaboration while bridging the gap between scientific expertise and public engagement.
Through the TCF Open Voucher Call, DOE intends to inspire a new generation of researchers and instill a sense of shared responsibility for advancing knowledge and innovation within the scientific community.
Open Voucher Call Structure
This single-phase open voucher call will award up to 21 teams a voucher of up to $100,000 to be redeemed at one of these eight national laboratories:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Ames National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
See the National Laboratories Capabilities section of the Official Rules for more information on the types of technologies each laboratory can assist with or explore the Lab Partnering Service for further information.
For each voucher awarded, winning teams will be required to provide a minimum cost share of $25,000 (either cash or in-kind). Teams will have one year to work with one National Laboratory of their choice and provide a progress report at the conclusion of their work.
Guidelines
The competition is open only to private entities (for-profits and nonprofits); non-federal government entities such as states, counties, tribes, and municipalities; academic and research institutions; and individuals, subject to the requirements detailed in the official TCF Open Voucher Call rules.
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Please note that there will be no save function when you go to submit your TCF Open Voucher Call application!
We highly recommend using the submission template from the official prize rules to craft your responses in a separate document, then copy and paste them into the submission form and submit all at once when you are ready.
Additionally, please note that once you submit your application for the voucher you will not receive a confirmation or copy of your submission. We apologize for this inconvenience.
New Resource - List of National Lab Prioritized IP
A list of National Lab Prioritized IP has been to the ‘Resources’ tab. The list shows intellectual property (IP) that has been identified as a priority by some of the participating labs. This may mean the IP either aligns with topic areas identified for the voucher call, aligns with researchers identified to assist with the vouchers, or is closer to commercialization than other lab IP.
*Please note that all National Lab IP can be included as part of your submission. This list simply serves as an additional resource.
Important Note – No Submission Confirmation
Please note that once you submit your application for the voucher there will be no confirmation of submission and no copies of the submission sent to you.
Connect With National Lab Researchers Before Sept. 20
If you’re looking to connect with national lab researchers to discuss national lab IP, reach out to openvouchercall@nrel.gov as soon as possible! Administrators for the TCF Open Voucher Call will not be able to facilitate any connections around national lab IP after Sept. 20.
Best of luck and we look forward to seeing your submissions!
Innovators, the deadline to apply for the TCF Open Voucher Call is coming up Oct. 3! Submit your big ideas for the chance to win one of 21 vouchers, each worth $100,000 in assistance from a U.S. Department of Energy national lab!
Vouchers can be redeemed at one of eight participating national labs, meaning you could get access to top-tier expertise and equipment that will help bring your concepts closer to commercialization.
New updates in the TCF Open Voucher Call ‘Resouces’ tab:
Webinar Q&A Document
Questions received during the July 17 TCF Open Voucher Call Informational Webinar have now been answered in the Questions and Responses document in the ‘Resources’ section of the HeroX page.
Updated National Laboratory Capabilities List
The National Lab Capabilities List in the ‘Resources’ section of the HeroX page has been updated and reposted to reflect additional capabilities shared by laboratory staff.
New helpful resources are available for those interested in the TCF Open Voucher Call! All of these resources can be found in the ‘Resources’ tab on the HeroX page.
Webinar Slides and Recordings
Review the slides or watch the recording from our July 18 informational webinar, where program administrators covered the background, timeline, eligibility requirements, and submission process for this voucher opportunity.
UACI Aug 22 Webinar
The University of Arizona Center for Innovation, a Power Connectors supporting this voucher, is hosting a webinar on August 22 around how to leverage the American-Made network as you create your submission.
