Washington State Department of Commerce

Supports Washington Department of Commerce, funding regional economic development, clean energy, and resilience in local communities.

Washington State Department of Commerce is the state's cabinet-level economic and community development agency. It funds clean energy deployment, resilience, housing, and local economic development across Washington through divisions such as Energy, Economic Development, Community Services, Housing, and Local Government. For founders, the most relevant lane is the Energy Division's EPIC framework, which channels climate-focused dollars into deployable projects.

Its main technology-facing programs are Clean Energy Grants, capped at $2.5 million, and Dairy Digester Grants. The 2025 Clean Energy Grants cycle combined Clean Energy Fund, Clean Energy Community Grants, and Solar and Storage Grants, with about $32 million available for construction-ready projects, a November 2025 deadline, and project starts beginning in early 2026. Eligible applicants include public and private entities, local governments, utilities, nonprofits, research institutions, state agencies, tribal governments, and tribal service providers.

The department favors projects that can move quickly, improve grid resilience, and deliver benefits to vulnerable or overburdened communities. Applicants do best when they can show a ready-to-build scope, a clear path to completion by June 2027, and a credible fit with clean energy deployment, permitting, or resilience goals. This is a state capital channel for deployable energy work, not an open-ended innovation fund.