Frequently Asked Questions

Rates depend on your registration path and when you register. Early bird pricing ends Feb. 25, 2027. See all rates on our Registration page.

Early Bird Registration ends Feb. 25, 2027

Choose the path that matches how you'll take part in IGF.

• Pitch Applicant Pass: For startups applying to the pitch competition. Includes a full conference pass and your application link. Available through Jan. 8, 2027.
• Startup: For founders attending to meet investors and partners.
• Investor: For fund representatives, including 1:1 table hosts.
• Accelerator/Incubator/University/Non-Profit: For organizations that support startups and the innovation ecosystem.
• Government/Professional: For attendees from government agencies and other professional sectors.

Yes. Email cancellation requests to IGF@nlr.gov. Refunds follow this Schedule:

• Full refund (minus $75 fee): cancellation received by April 2, 2027
• 50% refund: cancellations received April 2-23, 2027
• No refund: cancellations received after April 24, 2027, or no-shows.

The Pitch Applicant Pass is non-refundable.

We use registration data to plan the event and improve the attendee experience. Some details, such as your name and organization, appear in your attendee profile in the IGF mobile app so other attendees can find you and request meetings. We don’t share your data publicly or with outside parties without your permission. If you apply to the pitch competition, the IGF team may share that your company applied with the broader NLR ecosystem.

On-site self-parking is $54 per day, and valet parking is $64 per day. Parking directions are provided at check-in.

The venue is easy to reach by car or train. See directions on our Venue and Travel page.

See on-site dining and nearby restaurants is on the venue's dining page.

Note them in the dietary restriction section of the registration form. For other concerns, email IGF@nlr.gov.

IGF uses the Grip mobile app. Registered attendees use it to schedule 1:1 meetings and browse the agenda.

Once you register, you'll receive an email with instructions to download the app and create your profile. Only registered attendees can access it.

The app opens April 12 for all registered attendees to build profiles and view the schedule. Meeting scheduling opens in three waves:

• April 12: Pitch competition applicants and investor table hosts
• April 19: Startup Power-Up Package participants
• April 26: All other attendees.

Yes. We’ll host app office hours in April. Check back for the schedule.

Sponsoring IGF puts your organization in front of the founders and investors shaping energy innovation. Sponsors are promoted throughout the event based on their level, and packages fit a range of budgets. See levels and benefits on our Sponsors page.

Email the sponsorship team at IGF@nlr.gov.

IGF is intentionally designed to maximize meaningful connections across the energy innovation ecosystem through several types of structured 1:1 sessions. All 1:1 timeslots are booked in 15-minute increments with 10 minutes for the meeting and 5 minutes for transition. All meetings are pre-scheduled using the mobile app.

• Investor/Startup 1:1s: Focused conversations exclusively between investor table hosts and startup participants.
• Ecosystem 1:1s: Pre-scheduled meetings open to all attendees, featuring NREL technical experts, accelerator/incubator representatives, and IGF Resource Providers as table hosts.
• Ad-Hoc 1:1s: A flexible open session where any attendee can book meetings with any other participant type.

All 1:1 networking meetings are scheduled through the IGF mobile app. We recommend downloading the app as soon as it becomes available and booking meetings as early as your access window opens to maximize availability:

• March 2: Startup Pitch Competition Applicants (applications closed)
• March 9: IGF Power-Up Package Startups
• March 16: All Other Attendees

For more details about the event app, please visit our Mobile App page.

For more information on how the 1:1 networking works at IGF visit Networking and Investor Access page.

Yes. Investor-to-investor 1:1 meetings can be scheduled during the Ad-Hoc Networking session on April 2.

Each registered startup attendee has 12 meeting spots for the Investor/Startup 1:1 networking session on April 1 and an additional 12 spots for Ad-Hoc meetings on April 2. The Ad-Hoc meeting spots can be used to meet with investors or any other attendee.