The Energy Department selected Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to develop and pilot training with over a dozen partners to help cleantech startups advance prototypes into scalable products.
The private sector, not government, ultimately determines which innovations will succeed in the marketplace. Rather than funding individual technologies, the Technology-to-Market Program (Tech-to-Market) focuses on eliminating the barriers that otherwise prevent market exploration of new technologies. Tech-to-Market is working to ensure that every U.S. dollar invested in clean energy research and development (R&D) has the potential for economic return. We focus on two interrelated areas to accomplish this:
Preparing Innovations for Market Potential
Many innovations never go beyond the lab, despite billions invested in next-generation clean energy technology each year by U.S. taxpayers. At the same time, there is an increasing need for U.S. industry to have access to emerging technologies in order to maintain a global competitive advantage. Our programs address these challenges by bringing the business mindset into the lab and by increasing collaboration with industry so that promising American-made innovations can be evaluated by the market.
PROGRAMS: Lab-Corps, Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP), Build4Scale, National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy (NIICE)
Lowering Barriers to Resource Access
The U.S. innovation system is a cornerstone of American competitiveness—from its top universities and robust national lab system, to an entrepreneurial culture and thriving capital markets. Yet barriers prevent the efficient alignment of these resources, stifling innovation and economic impact. Our programs lower the barriers to accessing capital and physical resources in service of sustaining America’s competitive edge and yielding economic growth.
PROGRAMS: Small Business Vouchers Pilot (SBV), Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR), Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
Innovative Pathways Funding Opportunity
Tech-to-Market’s Innovative Pathways Funding Opportunity is now open. Click here to learn more. To register for our upcoming informational webinar on January 4, 2017, go here. Letters of Intent must be submitted by January 18, 2017, in order to be eligible to submit a full application.