The Washington Department of Commerce, hereafter called “COMMERCE,” is soliciting Proposals from fusion related industry-led clusters or consortia interested in participating in Fusion Cluster development as part of the Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program (ICAP).
Donor Name: Washington State Department of Commerce
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/12/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
ICAP is an economic development strategy aimed at strengthening industry ecosystems and accelerating economic growth. COMMERCE is seeking proposals for the development of a Fusion Cluster and the development of a legislative report with recommendations on the promotion and development of fusion energy in Washington State.
The goal is to expand the program over the coming decade to:

Establish Washington as a global leader in key industry sectors
Support tech transfer and commercialization
Accelerate new start-ups and scale-ups
Grow businesses
Create high-value jobs throughout Washington
Increase export opportunities
Increase and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in business ownership and  workforce

Innovation clusters are pivotal in key industry sectors in Washington State including fusion energy. Washington State has the highest concentration of fusion energy companies anywhere in the world, making now an opportune time to engage in “co-opetition” with one another to solve shared industry-focused problems through the fusion working group.
Funding Information

Commerce has budgeted an amount not to exceed $242,500 for this project.
Commerce is required to award competitively procured service contracts with an initial value less than $150,000 to the highest-ranked responsive and responsible Small or Veteran-Owned Business, unless there was no responsive and responsible Proposal from a Small or Veteran- Owned Business. 

Project Period
COMMERCE reserves the right to extend the contract for two one-year periods.
Eligibility Criteria
Minimum qualifications include:

Licensed to do business in Washington or submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor.
5 years of experience in/with clean energy and fusion energy
2 years of experience running an innovation or fusion working group
Experience with workforce development providers and academic training institutions
Experience in engaging in cross-border collaborations and supply chain development
At least ten (10) years of experience in/with managing complex multi-stakeholder consensus building projects, and at least two (2) years of experience working specifically within Innovation Cluster Development.
At least three (3) years of experience writing legislative reports, and presenting findings in a legislative setting.
The Proposer’s Project Manager, the person who would be assigned to manage the day- to day activities under this contract, must have at least three (3) years of experience managing complex multi-stakeholder, consensus-building projects.
Demonstrated experience working in Washington State and with communities, businesses, and other Washington State organizations
Demonstrated project management experience
Demonstrated stakeholder convening and management experience
Demonstrated experience working with stakeholders in the industry the cluster will focus on

For more information, visit Department of Commerce.