The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) manages West Gate, the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office’s newest Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), which is hosted by NREL with support from Colorado School of Mines.
Donor Name: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 01/30/2022
Size of the Grant: $100,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
West Gate provides innovators the time, training, and technical capabilities to accelerate a promising technology into an early-stage company ready for growth.
West Gate supports innovators with entrepreneurial mentorship and technology de-risking over a 2-year runway. Through a competitive selection process, West Gate provides up to five selected innovators with:
- An annual stipend of $100,000
- Two-year technical assistance funding of $175,000 redeemable at NREL, Mines, and other program affiliates
- Curated, individualized programming
- Entrepreneurial curriculum, mentorship, and support
- Healthcare and relocation benefits for qualifying candidates.
Eligibility Criteria
They are looking for talented scientists, engineers, inventors, and entrepreneurs with a promising technology they seek to commercialize. Selected innovators must relocate to the greater Denver area and commit full-time to building their company for the duration of the program. To be eligible for the program, interested participants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen and able to provide documentation for verification
- Hold a minimum of a bachelor of science degree in science, technology, engineering, or math
- Have at least 2 years of post-bachelor experience or education in a technical field
- Have a technology concept in prototype stage at minimum that is aligned with NREL research and development areas and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s strategic goals in the areas of advanced manufacturing, building efficiency, and solar energy production.
For more information, visit West Gate.