The U.S. Department of Energy announced on September 24, 2026, a public funding opportunity of up to $41 million to help move technologies developed at national laboratories toward commercial products and services. The initiative is designed to bring federally funded research closer to companies, investors, universities, nonprofit organizations and entrepreneurs interested in technology commercialization.
The funding opportunity combines the Technology Commercialization Fund with the Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness program, known as CLIMR. Together, the programs focus on creating partnerships and infrastructure that can help transform laboratory research into solutions with potential applications in the private sector.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the initiative covers five priority areas connected to the agency’s activities: critical minerals and energy innovation; cybersecurity and energy security; hydrocarbons and geothermal energy; electricity; and nuclear energy.
National laboratories have until November to submit concepts
National laboratories can submit concept papers for the new opportunity until November 3, 2026, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The deadline establishes the next formal step for laboratories seeking to develop commercialization strategies and engage with potential private-sector partners.
The call reflects an effort by the federal government to reduce the distance between scientific discovery and market adoption. Rather than focusing only on basic research grants, the initiative emphasizes the structures, relationships and resources needed to make laboratory-developed technologies more accessible to companies and other organizations.
This approach is particularly relevant in sectors such as advanced energy, cybersecurity, nuclear technology and scientific software, where research often requires specialized facilities, technical validation and long development cycles before reaching commercial users.
DOE also selects six projects for more than $18 million
Alongside the new call, the Energy Department announced the selection of six projects that will receive more than $12 million in federal funding. The projects will be supplemented by more than $6 million in private-sector contributions, bringing the combined value of the selected efforts to more than $18 million.
The selected projects involve artificial intelligence, nuclear and fusion energy, scientific software and partnership models designed to improve collaboration between national laboratories and companies. The funding structure illustrates how public resources can be combined with private capital and expertise during the process of preparing research for broader use.
One of the initiatives, called COYOTE, is intended to use entity records and an artificial intelligence tool to connect technologies, organizations and business opportunities across the Department of Energy’s laboratory system. The project seeks to improve the way potential matches are identified within a large and diverse research network.
Another project, known as ELEMENT, proposes turning more than 20 software tools developed by national laboratories into commercial applications hosted on the internet. The initiative points to a possible route for making specialized scientific capabilities available beyond the institutions where they were originally created.
Commercialization targets strategic U.S. sectors
The Department of Energy’s program places technology transfer within a broader national context. Critical minerals, electricity systems, nuclear energy, geothermal resources and cybersecurity are all linked to industrial competitiveness, energy security and technological independence in the United States.
By encouraging laboratories to work with businesses, investors and universities, the initiative aims to address a recurring challenge in public research: promising technologies may require additional development, testing, business planning or infrastructure before they can attract customers and private investment.
The CLIMR projects also show that commercialization can involve more than a single invention. It may include digital platforms, shared tools, partnership frameworks and methods for connecting technical capabilities with organizations capable of developing them further.
The new opportunity therefore offers a mechanism for national laboratories to present ideas that are not only scientifically relevant but also prepared for engagement with the market. The next milestone will be the submission of concept papers by the November 3 deadline, after which the Department of Energy will continue the evaluation and selection process established for the funding opportunity.
Details about the selected CLIMR projects are available in the DOE project announcement. Official information on funding opportunities and submission procedures is provided through the DOE CMEI eXCHANGE platform.
