NREL: Business Opportunities Home Page

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) offers numerous business and research opportunities and has a strong history of working with industry, academia, government agencies, and a diversity of businesses outside the Laboratory. NREL considers these partnerships invaluable in helping to commercialize renewable energy technologies and to supply the Lab with essential products and services. NREL offers a variety of mechanisms for you to benefit from the resources of the Laboratory.

NREL's Contracts and Business Services Office manages NREL's procurement activities, including purchasing and subcontracting. NREL acquires a variety of products and services, all of which help ensure that federally developed research and development reach the marketplace.

Working with small businesses is a cornerstone of NREL's philosophy, and the Contracts and Business Services Office coordinates the Lab's small business and other socioeconomic programs efforts with the Development and Industrial Partnerships Office. The Small Business Partnerships Development Manager continually seeks to partner with small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, Veteran owned, and Disabled Veteran owned businesses.

NREL's approach is to focus more on technology commercialization and deployment that includes bringing new small technology-based companies into the conduct of research related work for NREL. The Small Business Partnerships Office will work hand in hand with the Contracts and Business Services Office and implementing the procedures that specify "set-asides" for small businesses.

Purchasing

NREL purchases numerous items including laboratory supplies, scientific periodicals, computers, office supplies, etc. to support its R&D efforts. NREL utilizes purchase orders and the government credit card to procure these items.

Subcontracting

NREL utilizes the expertise of many professionals from outside the Lab via subcontracts. Subcontracting opportunities include research and development, technical support, construction, information technology, and facilities management. NREL's procurement policy is based on effective and meaningful competition to the maximum extent practical. Current Requests for Proposals (RFP's) are posted below.

Unsolicited Proposals

An unsolicited proposal is an application for support of an idea, method or approach which is submitted by individuals, businesses and organizations solely on the proposer's initiative, and not in response to a formal solicitation from NREL or the government. There are a number of applicable regulations relating to criteria governing acceptance and funding of an unsolicited proposal. For more information, please review the Guide for the Submission of Unsolicited Proposals.

It is recommended that all unsolicited proposals be sent directly to the U. S. Department of Energy Unsolicited Proposal Manager at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) for final disposition. The address is: