BIRD Energy

BIRD Energy

Supports United States and Israel energy collaborations across technology, grid optimization, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure security.

Eligibility · United States, Israel

BIRD Energy is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israel Ministry of Energy, the Israel Innovation Authority, and the BIRD Foundation, established under the U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 with Israeli government approval. It funds U.S.–Israeli joint projects in energy technology with significant commercial potential. Unlike the BIRD General Program, BIRD Energy permits a company to partner with a university or research institute, broadening the eligible partner structure. The maximum conditional grant is $1.5 million per project, covering no more than 50% of the joint R&D budget. Grants are repaid via royalties on commercial revenues; no repayment is required if the project does not commercialize. For the 2026 cycle, Executive Summaries are due July 8, 2026; Full Proposals are due October 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST; decisions are expected December 2026.

The 2026 topical priorities include grid optimization, AI-integrated data centers, digital and AI energy solutions, advanced manufacturing for industrial affordability and resilience, the water-energy nexus, supply of critical minerals and materials, deployment of reliable energy solutions, emerging energy technologies improving system performance, and cybersecurity for energy infrastructure and critical energy assets. Each project must involve at least one U.S. entity and one Israeli entity. Co-funding by DOE and the Israeli government means that funded projects must reflect U.S. and Israeli energy policy priorities, not just commercial opportunity.

Applicants should use BIRD's Executive Summary template available via the BIRD Energy program page and submit through the BIRD upload portal at https://upload.www.birdf.com. The strongest proposals combine a technically credible innovation, an identified bilateral commercial pathway, and alignment with one or more of DOE's current energy priorities. Meeting form for preliminary discussions with BIRD program staff is available at https://birdfoundation.activetrail.biz/BE-Call-for-Proposals. The PDF call document (BIRD-Energy-Call-for-Proposals-2026.pdf) contains detailed application instructions, page limits, and scoring rubric.