GFO-20-301 - Bringing Rapid Innovation Development to Green Energy (BRIDGE) 2020

This purpose of this solicitation is to competitively award follow-on funding for the most promising energy technologies that have previously received an award from an eligible California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) program or United States federal agency.

BRIDGE 2020 seeks to 1) help start-up companies minimize the time between when their successful publicly-funded project ends and new public funding becomes available; and 2) mobilize more early-stage capital in the clean energy space by providing non-dilutive, matching investments in promising clean energy companies alongside investors and commercial partners.

This provides increased support for the most promising clean energy technologies that have already attracted interest from the market as they are developed and continue their path to market adoption.

Eligible projects must fall within the following project groups:

• Group 1: Energy Efficiency
  (Total funding available: $10 million); or
• Group 2: Energy Storage
  (Total funding available: $10 million); or
• Group 3: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Advanced Sensing
  (Total funding available: $10 million); or
• Group 4: Advanced Power Electronics/Power Conditioning
  (Total funding available: $10.5 million); or
• Group 5: Zero- and Negative-Carbon Emission Generation
  (Total funding available: $10.5 million)

As mentioned previously, the purpose of this solicitation is to help clean energy start-up companies bridge the gap from their previous public funding awards to private investment. As a result, this solicitation has special requirements including:

• Prior Funding Requirement: Projects must have previously received a funding award from the CEC or an eligible U.S. federal agency. (please see Section II.A.1. for the full list of federal agencies)
• Demonstrated Success: Applicants must provide documentation that they met key technical performance targets under their previous publicly funded award. Applicants are required to submit a Previous Project Evaluation Form (Attachment 14) with their proposal.
• Multiple Application Deadlines: There are multiple application due dates for this solicitation to provide an opportunity for applicants who have not yet secured private sector investment or do not have completed project results from their previous award to apply. Please carefully read the Key Activities Schedule (See Section I. E.) and Evaluation and Award Process (See Section IV.) portions of this solicitation.
• Commercialization: This solicitation requires the prime applicant to be a for-profit commercial entity with rights to the intellectual property being advanced under the proposed project. Applicants whose technology received funding while being developed at an academic institution, national laboratory, or non-profit private research institution are eligible as long as the core intellectual property resides with the applicant. 
• Letter of Investment Requirement: Applicants must provide proof, in the form of a commitment letter, that they have received private investment of at least 25% of the requested grant funds from an eligible entity. The private investment must have been made within 18 months of the solicitation release date. See Section I. D. for more detail list of eligible investment entities for more detail list of eligible investment entities.