EnergyWerx: Voucher Opportunity 11 (Provider) - i2X Interconnection Cost Reduction Solutions for Transmission (iCRS-T) Voucher Program

Submission Window: February 19, 2026 - April 2, 2026

Submissions are no longer being accepted. Applications closed on April 2, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET.

The iCRS-T Voucher Opportunity launched on February 19, 2026. Please read the full announcement article for more information.

Voucher Provider Informational Webinar: DOE will present and summarize the details of the iCRS-T Voucher Opportunity. Potential Voucher Providers can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Opportunity and ask questions of the DOE staff.

• An Informational Webinar was held on March 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET
  
  • Review the recording, transcript, and Q&A's under Webinar Resources.
• An Informational Webinar was held on March 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET
  
  • Review the recording, transcript, and Q&A's under Webinar Resources.

For an optimal experience, we recommend downloading the Microsoft Teams software to your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Voucher Provider Timeline

Phase 1 – Voucher Provider Capability Statement Submissions Open (February 19, 2026 – April 2, 2026): Interested potential Voucher Providers should complete the application including background information on the Provider as well as technical scope, deliverables, price, and throughput of the capability.

• Informational Webinar: DOE will present and summarize the details of the iCRS-T Voucher Opportunity where potential Voucher Providers can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Opportunity and ask questions of the DOE staff.
  
  • Review the recording, transcript, and Q&A's from the 3/5/2026 Webinar under Webinar Resources.‍‍
  • Review the recording, transcript, and Q&A's from the 3/17/2026 Webinar under Webinar Resources.‍

Phase 2 – Voucher Recipient Applications and Matching (Spring 2026): Transmission Providers will apply to receive services and meritorious applications will be matched to one of the capabilities approved during Phase 1. ‍

Phase 3 – Project Execution (Winter 2026): Matched Provider-Recipient pairs will establish project agreements with ENERGYWERX to define the scope of work, budget, timing, and outcomes.

Submission Window: February 19, 2026 - April 2, 2026

Submissions are no longer being accepted. Applications closed on April 2, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET.

All Voucher Provider (with Specialized Capabilities) applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Applicant is a U.S.-based public or private company, nonprofit organization, or academic institution with one or more advanced electric-system-modeling capability directly relevant to the U.S. bulk power system. Capabilities of interest include but are not limited to:
  
  • bulk power system transmission interconnection standards and modeling,
  • detailed modeling of power-electronics-interfaced loads or generation,
  • power electronics control for improved performance without adverse system control interactions,
  • dynamic system studies,
  • modeling and implementation of grid-enhancing technologies such as dynamic line ratings and power flow controllers, and
  • EMT modeling and simulation. Firms may be a part of a larger international organization with multiple facilities, but work must be performed in the United States, and the U.S. based firm must generally operate independently with a significant level of autonomy.
• Any applicant that is an Investor-Owned Utility will be required to provide a 50% cost share.
• Applicant must qualify as a domestic entity. To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States. The entity must have majority domestic ownership and control and have a physical place of business in the United States.  
• Applicant must certify that it is not owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of government of Country of Risk. The U.S. Department of Energy defines Country of Risk to include China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Belarus. This list is subject to change.

DOE retains the prerogative to require additional information from the applicants to verify the applicant meets the eligibility requirements and selection criteria. i2X may disqualify an application for any reason, including but not limited to if the applicant engages with the iCRS-T Program in a manner that, in the sole discretion of the i2X, is indecent, obscene, or lacking in professionalism. This includes but is not limited to the application itself or emails to the Program staff.

Merit Review Process & Evaluation Criteria

The i2X team will review and evaluate each application according to the merit review criteria, program policy factors, and the overall portfolio of proposed projects. In conducting the review, the teams may seek the advice of qualified non-federal personnel as reviewers. The applicant, by submitting its application, consents to the use of non-federal reviewers. The weightings for each criterion are equal; however, a low score in any one criterion may disqualify the proposal.

Criteria 1: Relevance & Specificity (25%)

• The degree to which the proposed services are relevant to the Voucher Opportunity.
• The clarity of the capability(ies) and specificity of activities to be performed.
• The reasonableness of the timeline(s).

Criteria 2: Expertise (25%)

• The degree of expertise and experience demonstrated in providing the capability.
• The degree to which the scale of experience matches the capability offered. For example, the size of systems modeled.
• Proficiency in software tools needed to support the capability offered.
• The specific experience in modeling advanced grid solutions offered in the capability.
• Documentation of past similar work to the capability offered.

Criteria 3: Technology (25%)

• Access to the tools/hardware necessary to execute the capability.
• Availability of specific software that is necessary to execute the capability.

Criteria 4: Price Competitiveness (25%)

• The degree to which the price is reasonable and competitive for the scope and scale of capability offered.

The i2X Program will apply the following program policy factors when reviewing and evaluating applications to select the most impactful projects aligning with national priorities:

• Alignment with i2X Program Objectives: The proposed services strongly align with the goals, priorities, and ongoing activities of the Interconnection Innovation e-Xchange (i2X) program. ‍
• Support for DOE Energy Goals: The proposed services advance key DOE energy goals related to grid modernization, streamlining of interconnection processes, and energy addition.  ‍
• Geographic Diversity: The proposed services expand the geographic diversity of organizations and regions participating in DOE-supported interconnection initiatives.

How do you define capability tiers?

DOE would like to keep the service levels as flexible as possible, allowing Voucher Provider applicants to differentiate between service levels as they have the most familiarity with the proposed capability. As the cost of providing a capability depends on the scale the capability is provided at, Voucher Providers may identify different levels of effort (or tiers) that they can provide based on the scale of the work required. Some possible tier schemes are:

• Existing expertise: by number of engineers to be trained (5 vs 50); by recipient’s current simulation capability (entry-level engineers vs mid-career)
• Size of system to be modeled: by number of electric buses the proposed capability can accommodate (50 buses vs 5,000 buses); by MW upper limit of simulation capabilities (10 MW vs 10 GW vs…); by number of customers served by the voucher recipient (5,000 vs 5,000,000)
• Urgency of need: by timeline needed by the voucher recipient (6 months vs 1 year vs 2 years)

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Can DOE National Labs and FFRDCs apply to this Opportunity?

National Labs and FFRDCs are not able to receive funding for this opportunity at this time; however, FFRDCs (e.g. DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration National Laboratories) may participate as Selectee's subrecipient. The FFRDC effort, in aggregate, shall not exceed 10% of the total federal share of the project, and ENWX and DOE will not be involved in, nor assist in, these activities. Selectees will receive full funding through a Business-to-Business (B2B) Agreement with ENWX. Selectees are solely responsible for funding and executing necessary agreements with subrecipients.

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What types of capabilities are specifically not of interest?

The following capabilities are considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed or funded for this opportunity. Please do not submit:

• Capabilities not specific to advanced electric-system-modeling on the U.S. bulk power system.
• Capabilities that focus on one specific generation source, load type, or solution set.
• Capabilities that focus solely on convening stakeholders or conducting research to produce new frameworks, propose new electricity regulations, or compile strategies for improving interconnection practices.
• Capabilities that focus solely on distribution-level (please see the Interconnection Cost Reduction Solutions for Distribution, iCRS-D).
• Capabilities that have not been tested or demonstrated successfully in the bulk power system.