Two-year program for fellows focusing on energy and advanced manufacturing technologies. Through an annual national call and competitive stage-gate process, top entrepreneurial-minded fellows are selected to join the program. Selected innovators receive a fellowship that includes a personal living stipend, along with health insurance and travel allowance, a substantial grant to use on collaborative R&D at ORNL, and comprehensive mentoring assistance to build a sustainable business model.

The Department of Energy's Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to encourage DOE prime contractors to assist small disadvantaged businesses certified by the Small Business Administration under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (8(a)), other small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority institutions of higher learning, and small business concerns owned and controlled by service disabled veterans in enhancing their capabilities to perform contracts and subcontracts for DOE and other Federal agencies.