About this programme
The Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Program is a Clean Energy Fund grant run by the Washington State Department of Commerce, funding "strategic research and development of new and emerging clean energy technologies" that support the state's climate goals. The current round (2025-27 biennium) makes roughly $10 million available, drawn from Climate Commitment Act (cap-and-invest) revenue rather than the state's general fund.
The program is technology-category-specific: applicants must be working in one or more of advanced bioenergy/biofuels/biorefining, advanced energy storage (including battery recycling and battery technologies), greenhouse gas removal and carbon capture, or flexible load integration and grid modernization. It is not a general-purpose clean-tech grant — a project outside these four categories does not qualify.
Commerce also gates by technology maturity, not just topic: projects must sit at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 through 7 at the time of award — past pure lab-bench proof of concept, but not yet a fully commercial, market-ready product. This is Commerce's newest RD&D round; the program has run prior rounds under earlier Clean Energy Fund biennia (including a 2018 round and a 2021-23 round), with past awards ranging from roughly $93,000 to $2.3 million per project across a portfolio Commerce has described as $8.2 million across 10 projects in one prior cycle.
Applications are administered through Commerce's EPIC (Energy Policy, Innovation, and Carbon) group and run on a standard Request for Applications (RFA) cycle with a pre-application conference, a written application window, and a single announced notification date — this is a competitive, cyclical grant, not a rolling or always-open one.
How it works
Commerce publishes an RFA (Request for Applications) with the technology categories, eligibility rules, and full application materials posted to a linked Box folder on the program page.
A virtual Applicant/Pre-Application Conference is held before the deadline so prospective applicants can ask Commerce staff questions about the RFA and the process directly.
Applicants submit a full written application by the stated deadline; Commerce does not publish a public per-project funding minimum or maximum for the current round on the pages checked.
There is no stated matching-fund requirement in the materials reviewed for this round — unlike some other Clean Energy Fund RD&D rounds Commerce has run in the past, which have used a match structure.
Commerce reviews applications and issues award notifications on the date stated in the RFA; awarded projects must be at TRL 4-7 at the point of award.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants are Washington-based organizations: for-profit companies, nonprofits, local governments, research institutions, federally recognized Tribes, higher education institutions, national labs, and state agencies.
Out-of-state organizations may still qualify if they can show the project benefits Washington State and that the organization has a significant presence in Washington through investment or research activity there.
The proposed project must fall within one of the four eligible technology categories (advanced bioenergy/biofuels/biorefining; advanced energy storage and battery recycling/technologies; greenhouse gas removal and carbon capture; flexible load integration or grid modernization) and must be at TRL 4-7 upon award — earlier-stage lab research and later-stage fully commercial products both fall outside the window.
How to apply
- Register for and attend the virtual Applicant/Pre-Application Conference.
- Review the full Request for Applications and supporting materials in the linked Box folder on the official program page.
- Prepare and submit a complete application confirming the project sits within an eligible technology category and at TRL 4-7.
- Submit the application by the stated deadline.
- Await Commerce's notification of award decisions on the date given in the RFA.
- For questions during the process, email EPICGrants@commerce.wa.gov with "RD&D RFA 25/27" in the subject line.
Frequently asked
What is the RD&D Program?
It's a competitive grant run by the Washington State Department of Commerce's Clean Energy Fund, funding research, development and demonstration of new and emerging clean energy technologies aligned with the state's climate goals. The current round makes roughly $10 million available from Climate Commitment Act funding.
What technologies does this program fund?
Four categories: advanced bioenergy, biofuels and biorefining; advanced energy storage, battery recycling and battery technologies; greenhouse gas removal and carbon capture; and flexible load integration or grid modernization technologies. A project outside these categories is not eligible for this round.
Does my project need to be at a specific stage of development?
Yes. Commerce requires projects to sit at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 through 7 at the point of award — that is, past initial lab-scale proof of concept but not yet a fully commercialized, market-ready product. Commerce points applicants to the U.S. Department of Energy's TRL guidance to self-assess this.
Can an out-of-state organization apply?
Washington-based organizations are the primary eligible applicant pool, but out-of-state organizations may qualify if they can demonstrate the project benefits Washington State and that they have a significant presence in the state through investment or research.
Is there a matching-funds requirement?
The RD&D program materials for the current round do not state a matching-fund requirement. (Note that Commerce has run separately branded Clean Energy Fund "match grant" rounds in other biennia, which is a different program from this one — check the current RFA directly if this matters to your project.)
How do I get my questions about the RFA answered?
Attend the virtual Applicant/Pre-Application Conference before the deadline, or email EPICGrants@commerce.wa.gov with "RD&D RFA 25/27" in the subject line.
Where do I find the full application requirements and forms?
Commerce posts the full Request for Applications and supporting application materials in a linked Box folder on the official program page, rather than inline on the page itself.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.