Vehicle Technologies Office

Energy Department to Fund National Laboratories to Establish Industry Partnerships for Battery Manufacturing Innovation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is soliciting proposals from the National Laboratories and industry partners that pursue radical innovations for American battery manufacturing leadership. Manufacturing competitiveness is a priority for the Trump Administration, and under this opportunity, DOE will directly fund the National Laboratories to establish public-private partnerships that solve engineering challenges for advanced battery materials and devices, with a focus on de-risking, scaling, and accelerating adoption of new technologies.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and Vehicles Technologies Office will jointly invest up to $12 million in projects that address capability gaps for enhanced lithium-ion batteries, next-generation lithium-ion batteries, and next-generation lithium-based battery technologies through the following four areas:

1. Materials processing and scale-up;
2. Innovative / advanced electrode and cell production;
3. Designer materials and electrodes; and,
4. Formation.

Interested industry partners should reach out directly to the National Laboratory contacts listed below about opportunities to collaborate. Proposals are limited to submission by the National Laboratories. Full applications from the National Laboratories are due on July 17, 2020.

Individual projects awards will range from $500,000 to $3 million over 24 to 36 months. A 50/50 cost-share will be required between DOE and the private partner, which can include an in-kind contribution. Funds will be awarded directly to the National Laboratories to support work with companies under Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs).

This funding opportunity is a part of the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, a DOE-wide effort to create and sustain global leadership in energy storage utilization and exports, with a secure domestic manufacturing supply chain that does not depend on foreign sources of critical materials. Visit the Energy Storage Grand Challenge website to learn more.

National Laboratory Contacts and Capabilities