Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC)

EPIC Innovation Clusters Award

Helps research teams and institutions for EPIC Innovation Clusters Award in energy systems and climate technology.

The Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC), administered by the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) in partnership with the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI), provides competitive prize funding to technology business incubators and accelerators that support energy startup pipelines. The program is delivered through the American-Made Challenges platform operated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). EPIC operates at two tiers: incubators and accelerators compete for direct prize funding, and their portfolio startups separately compete in associated pitch competitions.

Historically, EPIC has run multiple funding rounds. Round 2 awarded four incubators $500,000 each. Round 3 allocated $4 million total: Phase 1 (April 2024) awarded 23 incubators $150,000 each, and Phase 2 (December 2024) awarded five teams cooperative agreements of up to $1 million each for three-year periods. Separate Spring and Fall 2025 EPIC Pitch Competitions were held, the latter completed in March 2026 at TechConnect World in Raleigh, NC. The Spring 2026 pitch competition awarded $120,000 total — $50,000 for first place, $20,000 for second, and $10,000 for third. Eligible applicants are U.S.-registered for-profit companies and nonprofits operating as incubators or accelerators; universities and individual applicants are not eligible.

As of research time, no Round 4 or new 2026 open competition had been announced. The program is between cycles, and future pitch competition invitations are communicated directly to prior EPIC Prize winners by OTC. Organizations that have not previously received an EPIC award should monitor the American-Made Challenges platform and OTC program pages for future competitive openings.