Get Involved

It takes a village to groom our innovators for success. The West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program welcomes the support of technical, entrepreneurial, and commercialization experts and organizations.

There are many ways you can get involved in West Gate. Contact us to get involved with our program as a reviewer, mentor, or sponsor. We also welcome program referrals for qualified applicants.

westgate@nrel.gov

Reviewer

West Gate depends on commercialization or technical experts to help review applications and inform candidate decisions during the multiphase downselection process. Reviewers may analyze applications, attend roundtable interviews, or judge pitch presentations. The time commitment varies but typically involves six hours or more.

Mentor

Image of a man motions as he communicates with two other men.

Mentors assist at different points during the innovators' 2-year runway with West Gate. Mentoring may include helping an innovator develop a business model and create a pitch deck. It may also involve making industry connections, sharing knowledge, and advising an innovator on the path to commercialization.

Partner

Image of an auditorium that has round tables, an audience sitting in chairs, and a person at a podium on a stage

A partner is an outside organization, beyond the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, that sponsors a specific West Gate innovator during the two-year runway.

West Gate partners contribute to West Gate innovator development by contributing to stipends, offering technical assistance, and more.