Grants for CleanTech Companies in California (2026)
California is one of the world's most active cleantech markets, with an unusually deep non-dilutive funding stack. The California Energy Commission (CEC) runs one of the largest state energy innovation programs in the country, including the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program and Gas R&D program, which have funded hundreds of clean energy startups. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) administers clean mobility programs. Utilities PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E run partner innovation programs with substantial non-dilutive funding. Federally, DOE SBIR/STTR, ARPA-E, and Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations programs flow heavily into California. Private programs include Third Derivative, Elemental Excelerator (with California cohorts), and LACI (LA Cleantech Incubator) programs combining grant-style support with pilot partnerships. Bootstrap Directory aggregates California-eligible cleantech grants, prize competitions, and non-dilutive programs across state, federal, utility, and private sources for efficient prioritization by sub-sector (solar, storage, EV, hydrogen, circular economy, etc.). Stacking CEC programs with DOE SBIR and utility pilots is the most reliable path to 18-24 months of non-dilutive runway for CA cleantech teams.
Last updated
This guide and matching listings are refreshed from the Bootstrap Directory database as source data changes.
Data sources
Sources include Grants.gov, SAM.gov, SBIR.gov, CareerOneStop, state agencies, universities, and verified organizations.
Refresh cadence
Listings are checked weekly where source data allows, with stale or closed programs removed from public results.
Verification
Always confirm eligibility, deadlines, and award details on the official source or application page before applying.
Get alerts for this search
Create a free account, run the matching search, and save it to get new funding, grant, or training updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the California Energy Commission EPIC program?
EPIC (Electric Program Investment Charge) is administered by the California Energy Commission, funded by investor-owned utility ratepayers, supporting clean energy technology development, demonstrations, and market facilitation. EPIC has funded hundreds of California cleantech startups with non-dilutive grants, often in the $500K-$5M range, across solar, storage, grid, EV, and efficiency sectors.
How do utility innovation programs work?
PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E each run partner programs (often in coordination with CEC) that support technology pilots and demonstrations. These typically combine non-dilutive funding with utility pilot opportunities — valuable beyond the cash since utility pilots are often gate-kept and hard to access. Programs have included Innovation Pilots and equity-free challenge competitions.
When are California cleantech grants open?
CEC EPIC solicitations run on a rolling multi-year cycle with specific RFPs opening periodically. Federal DOE and ARPA-E programs run year-round. Utility programs have their own cadences. Private accelerators (LACI, Elemental, Third Derivative) run annual or biannual cohorts. Bootstrap Directory tracks current California cleantech openings.