Date: 9/23/2015

To overcome the technical challenges inherent in bringing innovations to market, the Energy Department launched its Small Business Vouchers Pilot in July to help clean energy small businesses connect with national laboratories. Now small businesses can apply to access the Department's world-class facilities and more than 10,000 leading scientists and engineers at five national laboratories: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. More than 100 small businesses selected through the pilot's merit review process will receive $50,000 to $300,000 vouchers to exchange for national lab technical assistance or initiate collaborative research projects. The assistance will focus on a technical challenge identified by the small business in the following areas: wind, water power, advanced manufacturing, buildings, vehicles, bioenergy, fuel cells, geothermal, and solar. Three cycles of competitions will be offered to interested small businesses in 2015 and 2016.