1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
This is the first SBIR/STTR Phase I release tied explicitly to DOE's Genesis Mission, the department's AI-for-science initiative, and it is aimed squarely at small businesses rather than national labs or universities. DOE announced it on 22 July 2026 with a USD 10,000,000 Phase I pool and roughly 40 anticipated awards, which works out to about USD 250,000 per company.
Four topic areas define the scope, and all four are AI-for-science rather than AI-in-general: Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution, which covers advanced AI for biotechnology including biomolecular design, genotype-phenotype relationships, predictive microbiome engineering and accelerated bioreactor and biomanufacturing design; Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery, covering AI for quantum computing and networking; Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality; and Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories.
Two features of the process matter more than the dollar figure. First, the programme has been redesigned and moved to the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization running through the ConnectWerx application hub, which DOE describes as streamlining delivery and reducing applicant burden.
Second, it uses a two-stage gate: companies must first submit a short Pitch application, and only those invited after Pitch review may submit a full application. That front-loads the competition into a brief document and rewards teams who can state a commercial thesis crisply. Pitch applications are due 10 September 2026 at 2:00 PM ET.
DOE has also signalled that an additional Phase I opportunity will open in fall 2026, so companies that miss this window have a near-term second shot.
Get alerted about grants like this
Get emailed when new opportunities from “U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Technology Commercialization, administered through the ConnectWerx SBIR/STTR Application Hub” or related funders appear. Free, weekly, unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants are American for-profit small businesses meeting SBA size standards with high-potential technologies; STTR awards additionally require a partnership with a qualifying research institution. Eligible Phase I and Phase II recipients from prior fiscal years may apply for the separate Phase II opportunity. The four Genesis Mission Phase I topic areas are: Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution, which calls for advanced AI for biotechnology including biochemicals and bioproducts applications, AI tools supporting biomolecular design, establishing genotype-phenotype relationships, predictive microbiome engineering and gene expression, and accelerated bioreactor design and biomanufacturing; Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery, covering AI for quantum computing and networking; Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality; and Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories. The application process is two-stage: companies must submit a short Pitch application first, and only companies invited following Pitch review may submit a full application. Pitch applications are due Thursday 10 September 2026 at 2:00 PM ET, submitted through the DOE SBIR/STTR Application Hub operated via ConnectWerx. The programme has been redesigned and is now managed by the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization. DOE anticipates approximately 40 Phase I awards from a USD 10,000,000 pool, with approximately USD 147,000,000 available in Phase II funding. An additional Phase I opportunity is expected to open in fall 2026. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows DOE anticipates approximately 40 Phase I awards from a USD 10,000,000 Phase I pool, implying an average Phase I award of approximately USD 250,000 per company. A separate Phase II pool of approximately USD 147,000,000 is available to eligible prior-year Phase I and Phase II recipients, and DOE has indicated as much as USD 44,000,000 in cumulative funding may follow across the projects' lifecycles. amount_min and amount_max are both set to the derived USD 250,000 Phase I average; DOE has not published a per-award floor or ceiling. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for DOE Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR FY26 Phase I Funding Opportunity for AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories, AI for Quantum, Materials Design and Biotechnology are due September 10, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
DOE Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR FY26 Phase I Funding Opportunity for AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories, AI for Quantum, Materials Design and Biotechnology is funded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Technology Commercialization, administered through the ConnectWerx SBIR/STTR Application Hub. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The Department of Defense FY2026 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) provides funding for U.S. universities to acquire research equipment and instrumentation in areas important to national defense, including AI and machine learning hardware. The program is administered jointly by the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), with approximately $34 million available and 95 awards anticipated. DURIP funds the acquisition of specialized computing hardware for AI/ML research (GPU clusters, TPUs, neuromorphic processors), robotics and autonomous systems testbeds, sensor arrays and data collection systems for machine learning training, high-performance computing infrastructure for defense-relevant AI research, and laboratory equipment for human-AI interaction studies. The program specifically supports equipment that enhances research-related education in DoD-priority disciplines. While general-purpose computing is not eligible, computing equipment directly supporting DoD-relevant AI research programs qualifies. No cost sharing is required.
Vinnova, Sweden's national innovation agency, funds projects developing applied AI solutions for Swedish industry through its Advanced Digitalization Programme. Each project can apply for between 2 and 10 million SEK (approximately $190,000 to $950,000 USD) covering up to 50% of eligible project costs. The total call budget is 60 million SEK. Projects run for 12-24 months and focus on two key areas: Intelligent Edge (AI for real-time application in the sensor chain) and AI-based decision support. All projects must address industrial needs and integrate gender equality and climate change perspectives. Scientific publications must be open access. A parallel call also funds AI and cybersecurity projects at 1-10 million SEK per project with a 50 million SEK total budget.
The Energy Department's first Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR Phase I solicitation offers roughly 40 awards of up to $250,000 against $10 million — but you cannot submit a full application anymore. A four-question, 700-word pitch now decides who gets to apply, there is no Direct to Phase II path for new entrants, and the $147.4 million Phase II pool is closed to everyone who has never won a DOE award.
Read articleS. 3971 reauthorized SBIR/STTR through 2031 after the longest lapse in the program's history. Buried inside are a new $30M Strategic Breakthrough Award, per-company proposal caps arriving in FY2027, eight-watchlist foreign-risk screening, and bigger TABA budgets. Here is what each change means for who wins and who gets squeezed out.
Read articleOn July 22, 2026, the Department of Energy opened the first Phase I SBIR/STTR release tied to its Genesis Mission — roughly 40 awards across biotechnology, AI-for-quantum, predictable-materials design, and autonomous laboratories — alongside about $147M in FY25 Phase II funding. Here is what each topic area actually wants, who is eligible, how this connects to the $5B Genesis Mission, and how a small business should position before the broader fall solicitation.
Read article