Voucher Opportunity 7: Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Technology Acceleration (Recipients)

Are you a long duration energy storage (LDES) technology innovator? 

This voucher opportunity seeks to provide LDES technology companies, including developers, vendors and manufacturers, with services such as market assessment support, business plan formulation, technical modeling or analysis, testing, performance validation, and commercialization strategy support. This support will come from providers, such as national labs, consulting firms, non-profits, or technology testing centers, to advance non-hydrogen, electricity-in/electricity-out LDES technologies.

Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. The value of each voucher will depend on the services defined in the Providers’ capability statements, with estimated values of support services per recipient ranging from $50k to $150k.

The DOE Voucher Program builds bridges between U.S. entrepreneurs, businesses, technology developers or other relevant partners and third-party voucher providers to advance commercialization and demonstration at scale of innovative energy technologies. Voucher Opportunity (VO-7) includes market assessment support, business plan formulation, technical modeling or analysis, testing, performance validation, and commercialization strategy support for U.S. for-profit companies who are currently developing or manufacturing a long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology.

This submission window solicits proposals from potential voucher recipients. Pending availability of funds, additional submission windows may open in the future. 

Voucher Projects: Expected voucher worth between $50,000 - $150,000 of work. Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. Only work related to specific technology areas will be eligible to receive a voucher under this opportunity. List of eligible technology areas include:

• Lithium-ion batteries
• Flow Batteries
• Lead-acid Batteries
• Zinc Batteries
• Batteries (Other)
• Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH)
• Compressed-Air Energy Storage (CAES)
• Mechanical (Other)
• Thermal Energy Storage (Bidirectional Electricity-in/ Electricity-out)

Note that hydrogen-based energy storage is excluded from this opportunity and hydrogen innovators are encouraged to explore other DOE opportunities that target hydrogen technologies. For more information on the listed technologies, please reference the  Long Duration Storage Shot Technology Strategy Assessments, released in July 2023, that describe 10 energy storage technologies and their pathways to low cost by 2030.

DOE anticipates issuing approximately 3-7 vouchers.

Voucher Providers: Including but not limited to consulting firms, business incubators/accelerators, startup coaches, public funding experts, and National Labs.

Voucher Recipients: Limited to for-profit companies who are developing, commercializing, or manufacturing an innovative LDES technology. Such a technology must have the capability to discharge at rated power for 10 hours or more, and have a pathway to meeting the Long Duration Storage Shot goal of $0.05/kWh levelized cost of storage(LCOS) by 2030.

To support the goal of building a clean and equitable energy economy, voucher projects are encouraged to: (1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; (2) invest in America’s workforce; (3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); and (4) contribute to the President’s goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to DACs (the Justice40 Initiative).

Following the submission process, recipients and providers will undergo a matchmaking process led by DOE. Please note that receiving a match is not guaranteed. Recipients may be selected to match with a provider based on factors including compatibility between recipient needs and provider capability, funding availability, impact of the voucher, and relevance to DOE objectives.

How to Participate

1. Attend the Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session on August 1, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Click Here to RSVP
2. Attend the informational Office Hours session on August 20, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Click Here to RSVP
3. Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit (Submissions are due NLT August 28, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET)

‍

For more detailed information on this opportunity from DOE: Click Here to Read More

Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [August 1, 2024]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher recipients can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place on August 1, 2024 from 3:00–4:00 PM ET (30-minute blocks per Voucher Opportunity). Click Here to RSVP

‍

Informational Office Hours [August 20, 2024]: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host an Informational Office Hours session on August 20, 2024 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline. Click Here to RSVP

‍

Submissions are due No Later Than August 28, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET

‍

Phase 1 - Voucher Recipient Capability Statement Submissions Open [July 17, 2024 - August 28, 2024]

• Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (IW/OSS) [August 1, 2024]: DOE will provide further details about Voucher Opportunities. Potential voucher recipients can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff. The virtual IW/OSS will take place from 3:00 PM-4:00 PM ET.
• Informational Office Hours [August 20, 2024]: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host an Informational Office Hours session from 3:00-4:00 PM ET to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.

Phase 2 - DOE Selection [Timing TBD]: DOE will review submissions based on relevance to the program objectives and will notify selected entities for next steps.
NOTE:  DOE may choose to meet with submitters or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.

Phase 3 - Negotiations [Timing TBD]: Subsequently, selected organizations will meet with ENERGYWERX to negotiate the scope of work, budget, timing, and impact.

‍

Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit (Submissions are due NLT August 28, 2024 by 3:00 PM ET)

‍

If you have any questions, please contact ENERGYWERX: info@energywerx.org

‍