Department of Energy: Research Grant for Understanding Energy Technology Commercialization

This is a Request for Information only. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance. The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible formulation of future programs.

ARPA-E is focused on funding new, transformational energy technologies and facilitating awardees’ efforts to bring those technologies to market. Most successful ARPA-E performers will eventually need private capital to bring their inventions and innovations to market. Traditional “Venture Capital” funding has decreased by over 50% in the past 5 years for early-stage clean energy ventures . However, there is significant private capital in the U.S. economy that could be available to support this sector .

The purpose of this RFI is to solicit feedback from the broader private sector community and other stakeholders on their actual experiences related to: 1) either investing or declining to invest private capital in an early-stage energy enterprise; 2) either succeeding or failing to obtain private capital as an early stage enterprise; and 3) how government grant based capital either assisted or hindered the process. ARPA-E intends to use information that is responsive to this RFI on a non-attribution basis 1) to guide planning and execution of an upcoming ARPA-E public workshop on private capital financing mechanisms (venture, corporate and other funding); 2) for potential dissemination to the broader energy enterprise and stakeholder community; and 3) to strengthen potential new ARPA-E initiatives that would facilitate more private investment in emerging energy technologies.

Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments. In particular, ARPA-E is interested in receiving responses from the following types of experienced experts: 1) for-profit investors and 2) energy technology firms seeking post-grant phase funding from for-profit investors. For-profit investors include “angels”, venture capital, corporations, family offices, multilaterals and developmental institutions that have made recent investments or are considering making investments in early stage energy technologies/companies. ARPA-E welcomes factual information/comments specified in the questions below.

ARPA-E will not provide funding or compensation for any information submitted in response to this RFI. This RFI is not seeking/accepting applications for financial assistance or financial incentives, and a response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the ideas discussed. No material submitted for review will be returned. ARPA-E intends to summarize, for public release, the information submitted to response to this RFI on a non-attribution basis. ARPA-E will not publish a public compendium of each response received. ARPA-E has no obligation to respond to those who submit comments, and/or give feedback on any decision made based on the responses received.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA). NO FOA EXISTS AT THIS TIME.