The Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is advancing cutting-edge technology with research and a range of competitive opportunities—such as hydropower grants or marine energy technical assistance—to modernize the U.S. hydropower fleet and drive U.S. leadership in marine energy, with the goal of delivering low-cost, reliable power, and resiliency to the nation's electricity grids.
Types of funding announcements include:
- Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), formerly Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs)
- Notice of Technical Assistance (NOTA)
- Notice of Intent (NOI)
- Prizes & Competitions
- Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR)
- Seedling and Sapling Program
- Other DOE Funding Opportunities
Current Funding Opportunities
New EERE eXCHANGE Log-In Process: To make the sign-in process more secure, the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange (eXCHANGE) has been updated to integrate with Login.gov—a secure service used by the public to sign into participating government agencies. All potential applicants and reviewers must have a Login.gov account to apply to open opportunities. Please read the MFA Quick Guide for more information.
EERE Program Information Center Pilot Program: WPTO is participating in a pilot program in EERE’s newly updated portal for funding opportunities—the EERE Program Information Center. EERE will publish one announcement in the EERE Program Information Center in Fiscal Year 2024. Applicants will be required to register in the EERE Program Information Center to apply to the opportunity. All other announcements will continue to be published in eXCHANGE at this time.
| Technology Area | Type of Funding | Solicitation Title | Open Date | Close Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydropower, Marine Energy | SBIR/STTR | DE-FOA-0003504: Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs FY25 Phase I Release 2 | 12/27/2024 | Letters of Intent: Due 1/14/2025 |
| Full Applications: Due 2/26/2025 | ||||
| Marine Energy | FOA | DE-FOA-0003415: Oceans of Opportunity: U.S. Wave Energy Open Water Testing | 9/18/2024 | Full Applications: Due 2/6/2025 |
| Hydropower | Technical Support | Hydropower Technical Collaboration Program | 4/30/2024 | Rolling |
| Marine Energy | Technical Support | Request Technical Support from the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research Program | Rolling | Rolling |
Although WPTO attempts to maintain current information on these solicitations, the official source for funding information is EERE Exchange.
To explore closed funding opportunities, please visit the Past Opportunities page.
Other DOE Funding Opportunities
For other DOE funding and technical assistance opportunities that may be relevant for water power technologies, WPTO recommends looking into the following offices:
- The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E issues periodic funding opportunities focused on overcoming technical barriers around a specific energy area as well as open topics to identify high-potential projects that address the full range of energy-related technologies.
- The Grid Deployment Office (GDO) works to provide electricity to everyone, everywhere, by investing in critical energy sources—like hydropower—to bolster and improve the energy grid. GDO manages DOE’s three hydroelectric incentive programs: the Hydroelectric Production Incentives, the Hydroelectric Efficiency Improvement Incentives, and the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives.
- The Loan Programs Office offers four distinct loan programs to finance a wide array of energy infrastructure projects across the country. Water power projects may be eligible for DOE loan guarantees, especially under the Innovative Clean Energy Loan Guarantee Program or the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program.
- The Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is a multi-technology office with funding for demonstration programs that could support hydropower or marine energy technologies. OCED partners with private sector entities to accelerate market adoption of innovative energy technologies, including long-duration storage technologies such as pumped storage hydropower.
- The Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response supports development and deployment of advanced cyber applications, technologies, and threat collaboration efforts with the U.S. energy sector.
- The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains works to strengthen manufacturing and energy supply chains needed to modernize the nation’s energy infrastructure.
- DOE’s Technology Commercialization Fund leverages R&D funding in the applied energy programs, paired with private partners, to mature promising energy technologies with high impact potential.
- WPTO's Inflation Reduction Act Tax Credit Opportunities for Hydropower and Marine Energy webpage provides information on water power tax credits outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest investment in climate and energy in American history.
- In addition, DOE's Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs provides financial and technical assistance, education, and training to tribes for the evaluation and development of renewable energy resources on tribal lands.
If you are interested in applying for funding, but your project does not fit within the scope of the posted solicitations, please submit your proposal to DOE's Unsolicited Proposal Office.