The deadline to complete and submit the Voucher Recipient application is July 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET.

The HyTN Voucher Opportunity for Phase 2 launched on June 16, 2026. Please see the announcement article for more information: [DOE link -------]

DOE will present and summarize the details of the HyTN Voucher Opportunity. Potential Voucher Recipients can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Opportunity and ask questions of the DOE staff.  

• Register for the Informational Webinar on June 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM ET
  
  • Focuses predominantly on explaining the Opportunity with some time for questions at the end.

• Register for the Informational Webinar on July 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET
  
  • Focuses predominantly on answering questions from potential applicants.

‍Phase 1 – Voucher Provider Capability Submissions [March 12, 2026 – April 23, 2026] – Complete

Phase 2 – Voucher Recipient Applications and Matchmaking [June 16, 2026–- September 30, 2026]: Hydropower Technology Developers apply to receive a testing service available in the network and meritorious applications will be matched to one of the requested capabilities approved during Phase 1. Technology Developers are encouraged to contact potential Voucher Providers to verify capability alignment with proposed scope, prior to submitting an application.

• Informational Webinar [June 25, 2026 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET]: DOE will present and summarize the details of the HyTN Voucher Opportunity. Potential Voucher Recipients can better understand the scope, scale, and intent of the Voucher Program and ask questions of the DOE staff.

• Informational Webinar [July 15, 2026 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET]: DOE will host Informational Webinar to answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.  

• DOE Selection [July 24, 2026 – September 30, 2026]: DOE will review submissions based on the selection criteria and will notify selected entities for next steps. NOTE: DOE may choose to meet with applicants or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.

• Project agreement development [October - December 2026]: Matched Provider-Recipient pairs will have an option to accept or decline the match. Accepted pairs will then establish project agreements with DOE or EnergyWerx to define the scope of work, budget, timing, and outcomes.

‍Phase 3 – Project Execution [January 2026 – January 2027]: Projects will have one year from the agreement start date (listed in the Provider contract with DOE or EnergyWerx) to complete testing activities, including the five standardized milestones.

Project Milestones

All projects will be required to complete the following five milestones, including:

• Milestone 1 – Memorandum submitted to the HyTN point of contact verifying that all requisite agreements (e.g., non-disclosure agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), site access paperwork) between the Voucher Provider and Voucher Recipients are completed. This document must be signed by both the Voucher Provider and Recipient.

• Milestone 2 – Test plan and Gantt chart documents submitted to, reviewed, and accepted by the HyTN point of contact describing the scope and schedule for the planned testing activities. Test plans for physical testing should include metrics for each parameter that will be measured to include expected values during testing and any specific goals for the testing based on current industry state of the art. H2O may recommend changes to the test plan during their review.

• Milestone 3 – Testing progress update presentation submitted to the HyTN point of contact containing a status description of testing activities and any relevant images. A virtual meeting may also be requested by HyTN program staff.

• Milestone 4 – Project Summary Report submitted to, reviewed, and accepted by the HyTN point of contact containing a summary of the project objectives, methods, results, discussion, and attachments with relevant data.

• Milestone 5 – Completed questionnaire on hydropower testing gaps and standards submitted to the HyTN point of contact.

The Voucher Provider is responsible for timely submission of all milestones to the HyTN point of contact, but the Provider and Recipient are expected to work collaboratively on project milestones. Templates will be provided for each milestone submission.

The schedule of milestone due dates will depend on the project and will be established in the relevant agreement between HyTN and the Voucher Provider. Milestones 1 and 2 must be completed before testing activities can begin. Milestone 3 should be completed approximately 50-75% through the project timeline, while testing is ongoing. Milestones 4 and 5 must be completed within one year of the agreement start date (listed in the Provider contract with DOE or EnergyWerx).

Eligible applicants (Voucher Recipients and Voucher Providers) must meet the following criteria:

1. Applicant qualifies as a domestic entity, and  

2. Applicant must certify it is not owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a government of a country of risk.  

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; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States. DOE defines countries of risk¹ to include China, Russia, North Korea, and 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.

In the interest of promoting fair access, organizations may apply as both a Voucher Provider and Voucher Recipient but may not apply for voucher services from their own capabilities. Employees of the Department of Energy are NOT eligible to apply for HyTN vouchers. National laboratory (FFRDC) employees are eligible to apply as Voucher Recipients but may not apply for voucher services from their own laboratory. Voucher Recipient applicants cannot use H2O funds to contribute to Voucher Recipient activities, such as application drafting, test plan development, or testing activities.

Please review the HyTN Voucher Opportunity Rules document and the Intellectual Property Management Plan included in the Downloadable Files for additional rules and considerations regarding eligibility, project activities, NEPA, cost share, project milestones, and intellectual property.

The Voucher Recipient application form requires information about the applicant, the technology to be tested or evaluated, the objectives of the project, and a prioritized list of capabilities with which to be matched. Potential Voucher Recipients are encouraged to discuss their application with preferred capabilities prior to applying to assess project compatibility with Voucher Provider capabilities. The capabilities requested must be selected from the approved list on the HyTN Website (or in the HyTN Capabilities Overview in the Downloadable Files section). All capabilities on the approved list were reviewed during the Phase 1 solicitation.  

Each Voucher Recipient applicant may only submit one application form. In the application form, applicants will be able to list up to 3 capabilities in the priority list to be matched with. Meritorious applications may only be matched to one capability from the priority list. Organizations (e.g., a national laboratory) may have multiple applicants if those applicants are from distinct business units with distinct technologies.

All information provided in the Voucher Recipient application may be shared with one or more Voucher Providers to ensure appropriate matches. As such, Recipient applications should not include proprietary or business sensitive information. Additionally, by submitting the Voucher Recipient application, the applicant consents to publication of the following information on the HyTN website and for DOE articles and related media: Project Title, Company Overview, Testing Subcategory, and Public Project Summary.

Please review the HyTN Voucher Opportunity Program Rules document and the HyTN Intellectual Property Management Plan in the Downloadable Files section for additional rules and considerations regarding eligibility, project activities, NEPA, cost share, project milestones, and intellectual property.  Additionally, please review the Sample HyTN Application Questions and the HyTN Capabilities Overview in preparation for completing the application.

Apply for testing services by completing a Voucher Recipient application.

The following criteria will be used by DOE to review and select Voucher Recipient applications for voucher projects.  

• The application demonstrates a direct relevance and benefit to advancing the technology readiness of a feasible, cost-effective, and scalable hydropower technology.

• The proposed technologies and objectives require physical testing and/or modeling capabilities that are within scope of the network of testing facilities to advance the readiness of the technology.

• The proposed objectives are feasible and achievable given the scope of the Voucher Opportunity.

• The application involves research questions that require testing at technology readiness level (TRL) 3 (Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof of concept) up to a maximum of TRL 7 (full-scale, similar or prototypical system demonstrated in relevant environment).

• The application demonstrates how the proposed technology supports the needs of the hydropower industry and other relevant stakeholders.

• The application team clearly indicates that the applicant team can dedicate the time, personnel, materials, and resources needed to work with a testing facility to develop a plan of testing, conduct the tests, and evaluate results to inform refinements to the technology.  

DOE retains the prerogative to require additional information from the applicants to verify the applicant meets the eligibility requirements and selection criteria. H2O may disqualify an application for any reason, including but not limited to, if the applicant engages with the HyTN Program in a manner that, in the sole discretion of the H2O, is indecent, obscene, or lacking in professionalism. This includes, but is not limited to, the application itself or emails to the facilities or HyTN Program staff.  

The selection process for voucher applications is competitive and subject to available funding. DOE retains the prerogative to decide whether to fund the proposed project entirely, partially, or not at all. Per H2O’s discretion, applicants may be selected as an alternate to be awarded if funding becomes available. Awarding of the voucher is dependent on successfully establishing an agreement between the matched Voucher Provider and the Voucher Recipient.

What is considered a hydropower technology?

Hydropower technologies are defined as the equipment, materials, and structures used to support the construction and/or operation of hydropower projects, which capture the potential energy of flowing water over an elevation or pressure drop (referred to as head). Technologies do not have to be directly related to power generation and can include a variety of powertrain, environmental, electrical, electronic, hydraulic, structural, materials, and mechanical technologies. These technologies can be applied to existing hydropower systems, non-powered dam retrofits, new stream-reach developments, conduit hydropower, and pumped storage hydropower. Hydrokinetic technologies, which capture the kinetic energy of flowing water without a significant head, and marine energy technologies are not within scope as these technologies may be more applicable to the TEAMER program run by H2O’s Marine Energy program.

What are the roles of EnergyWerx and the Department of Energy?

The HyTN program is directed by the Department of Energy Hydropower & Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) who is responsible for all selections. Voucher Opportunities (VO’s) are conducted through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with EnergyWerx. PIA’s are “designed to increase outreach to and engagement with small business firms, institutes of higher education, and non-traditional partners.” PIA’s are an alternative to conventional financial assistance opportunities, like notice of funding opportunity announcements (NOFOs), and work through an intermediary to provide streamlined and flexible solicitations that are approachable to entities unfamiliar with DOE funding programs.  

EnergyWerx was selected as the Partnership Intermediary for DOE’s PIA Pilot program, which started in 2023. EnergyWerx is tasked with several aspects of the HyTN Voucher Opportunity, including management of the opportunity announcement webpage and application, engagement with applicants through webinars and office hours, and contracting of selected projects. ENERGYWERX acts as a neutral facilitator and resource for program participants.

Why is HyTN referred to as Voucher Opportunity-6?

In partnership with several DOE offices, EnergyWerx has created a platform of voucher opportunities that support the commercialization of energy technologies and projects. The initial HyTN Voucher Opportunity is the sixth program to begin work with EnergyWerx, so it is referred to as VO-6.

How is matchmaking conducted?

In Phase 2, applicants are required to submit a prioritized list of pre-approved capabilities within the network that they would like to work with. Applicants are also encouraged to contact capabilities of interest prior to applying to verify capability alignment with proposed project scope. The list of capabilities is available on the HyTN website and in the HyTN Capabilities Overview in the Downloadable Files section. During selections, the meritorious applications will be initially matched to a Voucher Provider based on the strength of the application, the relevance of testing needs and capabilities, the availability of the facility (capability throughput), and the prioritized list provided by the Recipient. Once initial matches are made, the Voucher Provider and Voucher Recipient will be contacted by HyTN Program staff to ensure a proper match and begin developing project agreements. If a match is not successful, H2O has discretion to proceed to another facility on the prioritized list or discontinue the application.

What project agreements are needed?

The project agreements depend on the type of Voucher Provider on the project. The following table describes the possible avenues.

‍Are there cost share requirements?

DOE and EnergyWerx do not require direct cost share from Voucher Providers or recipients. However, selected Recipients are expected to fund their own travel, arrangements, materials, shipping, personnel, and any other miscellaneous costs to ensure successful completion of the proposed project activities. No funding is distributed to Voucher Recipients through the VO.