The Energy Center is looking for U.S. and Israeli consortia that are making progress in energy storage, fossil energy, or the energy-water nexus

TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 11, 2026 — The U.S.-Israel Energy Center has issued its second Call for Proposals. Managed by the BIRD Foundation (Binational Industrial Research and Development), the program will center on three key areas: energy storage, fossil energy, and the energy-water nexus.

Industrial firms, research institutes, and post-secondary schools from the U.S. and Israel are invited to form consortia and submit applications. Every consortium must have at least one industrial company and one research institute or post-secondary institution from each nation.

Through this call, two binational consortia will be chosen to receive $6 million grants each. Due to mandatory cost-sharing, each consortium’s total budget should be at least $12 million over three years, with the possibility to submit a proposal for two more years. This new call follows the Energy Center’s first five years of successful operation, during which four active consortia produced 11 pilots, 19 patents, 231 scientific papers, and an estimated annual commercial potential of $500 million within a decade.

The Energy Center’s objective is to boost energy efficiency, security, resilience, and economic growth by researching and developing innovative energy technologies. It also aims to encourage collaboration among consortia made up of U.S. and Israeli companies, universities, and research institutes.

Jaron Lotan, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation, said, “This strategic U.S.-Israeli partnership establishes a direct and essential connection between our two innovation-led economies. By bringing together our top companies and universities, we’re creating a strong driver for economic growth. This initiative speeds up the transition of next-generation energy technologies from the lab to industrial application, building key infrastructure while generating jobs and prosperity in both the United States and Israel.”

Yossi Dayan, Director General of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, added, “The U.S.-Israel Energy Center creates a space where breakthrough ideas become real-world solutions, enhancing resilient energy infrastructure. By promoting strong collaboration between academia and industry in both nations, the program develops long-term capabilities that support energy security, economic growth, and technological leadership.”

Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority: “This call builds on a successful Israel-U.S. collaboration that unites industry and academia to address shared technological challenges. By matching industry needs with the depth of academic research and knowledge, these binational consortia speed up the development and maturation of breakthrough technologies for real-world commercial impact. Led by industry and supported by international partnership, this model provides significant value to Israel’s innovation ecosystem and strengthens the strategic technological bonds between Israel and the United States.”

Congress first authorized the creation of a joint U.S.-Israel Energy Center in the 2014 U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act. On June 25, 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoE), and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) signed an Implementation Agreement establishing the U.S.-Israel Energy Center and its focus areas.

In 2019, the DOE, MoE, and IIA named the BIRD Foundation as the Energy Center’s operating agent. Founded by the U.S. and Israeli governments in 1977, the BIRD Foundation fosters mutually beneficial collaboration between U.S. and Israeli companies—including startups and established organizations. Alongside the Energy Center, BIRD runs the BIRD Energy Program, which funds collaborative R&D projects submitted jointly by one U.S. and one Israeli company or research institute.

Executive summaries must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

Additional details about the Calls for Proposals and the application process are available on the .

About the BIRD Foundation 

The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation is a binational entity for industrial research and development established by the Israeli and U.S. governments. It promotes and funds R&D partnerships between Israeli and American companies across multiple technology sectors.

For further information, please contact:

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SOURCE The BIRD Foundation