Innovative Concepts Program

Moving an idea from a concept to the marketplace is difficult. Innovators can overcome the obstacles with the help of US DOE`s Inventions and innovation program (IIP). IIP is one of several programs supported by DOE`s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which has the goal of developing cost-effective renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies. The Innovative Concepts Program (InnCon) provides valuable assistance at the beginning when innovators are just starting to explore their concepts. It provides seed money to allow innovators to determine if their ideas are technically and economically feasible. InnCon operates in cycles of roughly 1-2 years; for each cycle it chooses an energy-related topic and invites innovators to submit proposals for funding, and up to 15 innovators per cycle are awarded seed money. InnCon is intended to fund novel ideas that are significant departures from existing technologies. Well-developed inventions past the conceptual stage can apply to Energy-Related Inventions Program (ERIP), which is also part of IIP. This brochure describes the InnCon program and how it is advertised and administered, and gives a contact name and address