Technology Partnership Agreements
Through technology partnership agreements, NREL provides partners with technical support to help commercialize and deploy energy technologies and products. We do not fund any projects under a technology partnership agreement. The partner provides the necessary resources and covers our costs of providing technical services.
NREL does provide funding opportunities through competitively placed contracts. For more information, see our business opportunities.
Process
The technology partnership agreement process basically includes 11 steps. See the NREL Technology Partnership Agreement Process flowchart (PowerPoint 203 KB).
We are committed to working through these steps in a timely manner. Experience suggests that the fastest means to reach an agreement is through direct communications to create understanding and agree on actions. The assigned NREL technical contact will keep you apprised of an agreement's status throughout the process.
1. Discuss Project Proposal
During the first step, the NREL technical contact and the potential partner discuss the proposed project. To discuss a project, please contact the appropriate technical contact listed in the table below.
| Technical/R&D Area | NREL Technical Contact | Phone |
|---|---|---|
Bioenergy |
303-384-6858 |
|
Building Systems |
303-384-7520 |
|
Chemistry and Biosciences |
303-384-6462 |
|
Deployment (crosscutting technologies, finance, and analysis) |
303-384-6216 |
|
Electricity Resources |
303-275-4333 |
|
Energy Analysis |
303-384-7461 |
|
Hydrogen |
303-275-3830 |
|
Hydropower |
303-384-6911 |
|
Materials and Computing |
303-275-4121 |
|
Solar and Photovoltaics |
303-384-6496 |
|
Transportation |
303-275-4418 |
|
Wind |
303-384-6942 |
If you're interested in having a nontechnical business discussion about developing an industry partnership with NREL, see table below for contacts.
| Technology Areas | NREL Industry Partnership Contact | Phone |
|---|---|---|
Bioenergy, Hydrogen, and Transportation |
303-384-6216 |
|
Building Systems, Electricity Resources, Hydropower, Solar and Photovoltaics, and Wind |
303-275-3043 |
2. Determine if Project Meets Qualifications
NREL determines whether a proposed project meets the laboratory's qualifications for a technology partnership agreement. To see the checklist we use to determine whether a project qualifies, read NREL's Participant Data Sheet (PDF 136 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
3. Determine Agreement Type
If the project meets NREL's qualifications, the partner and NREL will determine the appropriate type of technology partnership agreement to develop. NREL's main technology partnership agreements include:
To learn more about all of our agreement types and compare them, read the NREL Technology Partnerships-Types of Agreements Chart (PDF 122 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
4. Develop Statement of Work
Once the partner and NREL determine what type of technology partnership agreement to use, they develop a statement of work, which includes project scope, costs, deliverables, and schedule.
5. Provide Draft Agreement
NREL drafts an agreement that includes the terms and conditions, and provides it to the partner.
6. Review and/or Negotiate
NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will review the statement of work and draft agreement. If needed, they will negotiate the technology partnership agreement with the partner.
7. Sign Agreement
The parties sign the technology partnership agreement.
8. Review and Approve
The technology partnership agreement then goes through DOE's final review, approval process, and signature process as applicable.
9. Send Funds
After DOE completes its final review and approval, the partner sends funds to NREL. Note: this step does not apply to shared-resources CRADAs.
10. Start Work
Once NREL receives, processes, and authorizes the funds, which may take 5-15 business days, work may start under the technology partnership agreement.
11. Manage Commitment
Both NREL and the partner manage their work and deliverables to achieve the project's goal towards commercialization.
Timeline
NREL generally expects technology partnership agreements to be executed within 45 business days. Longer timelines are generally the result of extended negotiations regarding agreement terms, partner funding delays, and/or negotiations related to the scope of work or partnership terms.
If you have a question regarding the status of a technology partnership agreement, please contact your NREL technical contact.
Contact
For questions about NREL's technology partnership agreements and process, contact Jennifer Schofield, 303-384-7424.
To discuss a project proposal, contact the appropriate NREL technical contact listed in the table above.
Ombuds
NREL strives to quickly resolve any issue or concern you may have regarding its technology partnership agreement activities. To learn more about our informal resolution process, see information about NREL's Technology Transfer Ombuds.
