Accelerating Energy Innovation (AEI) is a new project being launched by the International Energy Agency (IEA). It aims to assist countries both within the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) and beyond in establishing a clear framework in which innovation of clean energy technologies can thrive, and within which effective and efficient policies can be identified, with the specific goal of advancing research, development, demonstration and, ultimately, deployment (RDD&D) of clean energy technologies. To this end, this first AEI paper draws on analysis of literature, past IEA work and country experiences (via case studies) to identify good practices to support the design and implementation of a strategic framework for energy technology policies.