SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAMS
The SBIR/STTR programs are U.S. Government programs, intended to help certain small businesses conduct Research and Development (R&D). The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SBIR/STTR programs provide grant opportunities to small businesses performing R&D in support of the DOE mission. Grants are competitively awarded for the development and commercialization of new ideas and innovative research. To date, DOE SBIR/STTR programs have provided funding to thousands of small U. S. businesses, including newly established small businesses across the country. Projects must have the potential for commercialization and meet specific DOE mission-specific R&D needs.
The DOE Office of SBIR/STTR Programs works collaboratively with 13 program offices throughout the DOE. Each DOE program office considers its high priority research needs and program mission, as well as the Department’s goals in developing their SBIR/STTR research topics. The specific research topics selected for the SBIR and STTR programs are developed by DOE technical program managers. DOE annually awards approximately 400 Phase I and 200 Phase II awards with an annual budget more than $300 million and offers more than sixty technical topics and 250 subtopics, spanning research areas that support the DOE mission in Energy Production, Energy Use, Fundamental Energy Sciences, Environmental Management, and Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation.
In addition to the DOE’s SBIR/STTR program, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) maintains another SBIR/STTR program, which is part of their Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) list.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (FOAs) ACROSS DOE
FOAs are the publicly available documents that contain the official information about Federal grants, including goals, deadlines, eligibility, and reporting. Using FOAs, the Federal grant-making agencies announce grant availability and provide instructions on how to apply for the grants. DOE’s Office of Science (SC) leads the DOE in supporting fundamental scientific research of energy and physical sciences. Please visit the clearing house for the Office of Science FOAs or the other DOE program offices’ FOAs below:
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy FOAs
- Office of Nuclear Energy FOAs
- Office of Fossil Energy FOAs
- Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy FOAs
OTHER PROGRAM OFFICES
DOE supports several other grants, loan, and financing programs. Learn more about these programs and how they can help you, whether you are a startup energy business looking to launch a pilot project, a company with proven technology that needs help reaching commercial scale, or a state, local or tribal Government looking for funding resources for energy projects.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
The Office of EERE accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Please visit the EERE Small Business Program page to learn more.
The Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
The Office of FE is responsible for several high-priority initiatives including implementation of the $2 billion, 10-year Clean Coal Power Initiative to develop a new generation of environmentally sound clean coal technologies, the Fossil Energy elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve and Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, both key emergency response tools available to the President to protect Americans from energy supply disruptions. Visit the FE Solicitations and Business Opportunities page for additional information on solicitations and business development opportunities.
Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
The ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E empowers America's energy researchers with funding, streamlined awards process, technical assistance, and market readiness through a rigorous program design, competitive project selection process, and active program management ensure thoughtful expenditures.