The West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) supports promising innovators as they develop technology concepts into startups that are primed for growth.

Selected innovators are equipped with funding, entrepreneurial training, and technical assistance to speed their commercialization efforts.

To be eligible to participate in West Gate, you must:

• Apply as an individual, not as a company or organization (West Gate will only review one applicant per company/team)
• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of application and maintain legal authorization to work in the United States for the full duration of the 2-year fellowship
• Have a technical degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate)
• Have 4-plus years of post-baccalaureate scientific research, engineering, or technology development experience
• Be willing to relocate to Golden or the greater Denver area for 2 years
• Be a novice startup founder of a U.S. company
• Have a technology that is at least proof-of-concept stage (Technology Readiness Level 3+)
• Have raised no more than the $2 million in debt or equity funding from  nongovernment sources within the 3 years prior to applying to the  program
• Successfully execute a cooperative research and development agreement with NLR
• Disclose background intellectual property rights, if necessary, that may be  needed to freely operate on R&D-related tasks as outlined within the cooperative research and development agreement.
• Have a technology that:
  • Is at least proof-of-concept stage (Technology Readiness Level 3+)
  • Aligns with and leverages NLR’s research areas
  • Addresses a large societal need that hinders American competitiveness or energy efficiency
  • Falls within the program's mission space as defined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):
    • Advanced Fuels and Feedstocks Technologies
    • Advanced Technologies for Domestic Critical Mineral Extraction, Midstream Processing, and Recycling
    • Advanced Transportation Technologies
    • AI and Advanced Computing Technologies
    • Battery Technologies for Dual-Use Applications
    • Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Technologies
    • Coal Technologies
    • Cutting Edge Energy Generation and Power Management Technologies
    • Cyber and Energy Security (U.S.-citizen applicants only)
    • Data Center Energy Technologies
    • Fusion Energy Technologies
    • Geothermal Technologies
    • Grid Energy Storage
    • Grid Information Security
    • Innovations in Manufacturing and Scale-up for Energy Applications
    • Next-Generation Building Technologies
    • Next-generation Technologies for Industrial Competitiveness
    • Nuclear Energy Technologies
    • Oil and Gas Technologies
    • Platform Technologies to Advance Scientific Research
    • Transmission and Distribution Technologies
    • Water Power Technologies
    • Other technologies that further the DOE's mission of ensuring America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy and nuclear challenges.

A formed company is not a requirement to apply to the program. However, if selected    to participate in West Gate, you will be required to incorporate your company upon    acceptance into the program. Your company must be based in the United States.

If you already have a formed company, to be eligible to apply for the program, you    must have an ownership stake in the company, and the company must be U.S.-based.

This program is not intended for serial entrepreneurs who have already demonstrated    an ability to successfully launch one or more startup companies.

Contact us if have questions or experience any issues during the application process.

For more information about West Gate, visit our website.