Innovation Programs

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) develops technology incubation programs and other solutions for public and private partners to solve advanced energy challenges, provide cutting-edge and de-risked solutions to meet sustainability goals, and bolster innovation. Learn more about **IEC programs.**

Our proven model can be adapted to meet specific needs and leverage the world-class facilities and expertise of NREL and our partners.

Program	What we offer	Who can apply	Eligibility	Application Window
Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)	Early- and mid-stage startup companies selected to IN2’s Emerging Tech track receive up to $250,000 in a non-dilutive award to validate their technologies in the world-class laboratories at NREL.	Startups	Startups need to be referred by our Channel Partners.	Referral only.
Shell GameChanger (GCxN) Accelerator Powered by NREL	Promising startup companies in rotating technology areas access up to $250,000 in non-dilutive funding in the form of technical experts to develop and demonstrate their new energy technologies.	Startups	Startups need to be referred by our Channel Partners. A preference is given to companies at technology readiness levels 3 through 5.	Referral only.
Chevron Studio	Chevron Studio is a program in partnership with Chevron Technology Ventures and NREL. The program offers entrepreneurs a chance to develop lower carbon technologies from national labs and universities and turn them into thriving startup companies through three phases of support.

Chevron Studio currently supports technologies in the following focus areas:

Carbon utilization
Energy storage systems
Hydrogen and renewable energy
Solutions for a circular economy
Wireless power
Robotics | Entrepreneurs | Chevron Studio seeks experienced U.S.-based entrepreneurs interested in starting a new company around Chevron-curated IP developed at Technology Partner universities and national labs. | Cohort 7 applications are currently open until September 30, 2025 | | Energy I-Corps | Energy I-Corps is a key initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), which sends teams of researchers and industry mentors through an immersive two-month training where the researchers define technology value propositions, conduct stakeholder discovery interviews, and develop viable market pathways for their technologies.

Researchers return to the lab with a framework for industry engagement to guide future research and inform a culture of market awareness within the labs. | National lab researchers | Applicants apply to OTC's Energy I-Corps as a team composed of:

A principal investigator (PI) with a commercially relevant technology from one of the national laboratories
An entrepreneurial lead (EL)
An industry mentor. | | | West Gate | West Gate offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop their technologies at NREL and enjoy the vibrant co-working space at the state-of-the-art Beck Venture Center, hosted by the Colorado School of Mines.

The West Gate program philosophy puts innovators first. Once accepted into our 2-year program, you will receive:

An annual living stipend of $115,000 Relocation, healthcare, and travel support stipends for qualifying candidates
2-year technical assistance funding worth $150,000 redeemable at NREL
Curated, individualized programming to fast-track training
Entrepreneurial curriculum, mentorship, and support. | Startups | To be eligible to participate in the West Gate program, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent U.S. resident at time of application Have a technical degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) Have 4-plus years of post-baccalaureate scientific research, engineering, or technology development experience Be a novice startup founder Have a technology that: Is at least proof-of-concept stage (Technology Readiness Level 3+) Aligns with and leverages NREL’s research areas Addresses a large societal need that hinders American competitiveness or energy efficiency Falls under the program’s mission space, including:

Advanced materials
Carbon capture and sequestration
Carbon dioxide removal
Circular economy technologies and systems
Energy storage and grid optimization
Food, water, and energy nexus
Grid sensors
Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies
Improving manufacturing efficiency
Industrial decarbonization
Lowering building carbon and energy footprints
Offshore land-based and distributed wind energy and energy supply chains *Solar energy *Quantum computing *Offshore land-based and distributed wind energy and energy supply chains
Wind energy social and environmental impacts (e.g., quieter wind turbines, repelling avian species so they won’t be harmed by turbines)
Other as determined by West Gate and the U.S. Department of Energy. A formed company is not a requirement to apply to the program. However, if selected to participate in West Gate, you will be required to incorporate your company upon acceptance into the program. Your company must be based in the United States.

If you already have a formed company, to be eligible to apply for the program, you must have an ownership stake in the company, and the company must be U.S.-based. | | | Canadian Technology Assistance Program | Canadian startups present their clean technologies to NREL researchers and receive feedback and support. | Canadian startups | | Reach out to Katie Woslager ([email protected]) with questions. | | NREL Technical Assistance Program | Funding for 40 hours to work on a small project | NREL researchers | Companies need to be based in the US and owned by a US-based entity. | Reach out to Monali Mujumdar ([email protected]) with questions. |

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