BIRD Energy has opened a new call for proposals offering conditional grants of up to $1.5 million for joint U.S.-Israeli energy research and development projects, the BIRD Foundation said this week.
The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry and the Israel Innovation Authority, will support collaborative projects aimed at improving the efficiency, reliability and resilience of the energy system.
Eligible proposals must include two partners, one from the United States and one from Israel. Applicants may apply as two companies or as a partnership between a company and a university or research institution. Projects must demonstrate significant commercial potential and a clear path to market.
Selected projects may receive grants covering up to 50% of their research and development budgets.
The program is seeking projects in areas including electric grid optimization, AI-based data centers, digital and AI-based energy solutions, advanced manufacturing, industrial resilience and the water-energy nexus. It also is encouraging projects focused on affordable and sustainable energy production, securing supplies of critical minerals and raw materials, advancing energy technologies and strengthening cybersecurity for energy infrastructure.
The deadline for executive summaries is July 8, 2026. Applicants invited to submit full proposals will have until Oct. 6, 2026, with final selections expected in December 2026.
“BIRD Energy connects innovation from the United States and Israel to advance practical solutions for a strong and reliable energy system,” Limor Nakar-Vincent, deputy director for business development and manager of the BIRD Energy program, said in a statement. “In the current cycle, we updated and expanded the focus areas to better reflect current priorities and encourage technologies that can have an impact on the efficiency, security and sustainability of the energy system.”
Since its launch in 2009, BIRD Energy has funded more than 70 projects, with about $50 million in government investment and roughly $65 million from the private sector, according to the foundation. Companies supported by the program have raised about $1.4 billion from private investors to expand their operations.
The BIRD Foundation, the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation established by the U.S. and Israeli governments, supports industrial R&D partnerships between Israeli and American companies across a range of technology sectors.
In addition to providing conditional grants of up to $1.5 million, the foundation works with companies to identify potential strategic partners and facilitate connections. It does not take equity or intellectual property rights in supported companies. Funding is repaid through royalties only if the project leads to sales, and support is capped at 50% of the project budget, from the R&D stage through the early stages of sales and marketing.