1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Department of Energy collaborates with the STTR and SBIR grant programs to assist businesses with environmental management, energy use, and production costs. These programs are open to women-owned businesses in tech and research.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) | Department of Energy DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Light Text on a Dark Overlay (Default) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are competitive non-dilutive funding programs that support American small businesses in developing innovative technologies with strong commercial potential.
The DOE recently consolidated the management of the SBIR/STTR programs to the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), reflecting DOE’s focus on moving taxpayer-funded research toward real-world impact. The SBIR/STTR programs align directly with OTC’s mission to accelerate commercialization, streamline innovation pathways, and strengthen engagement between small businesses and the DOE National Laboratory system.
This transition reinforces DOE’s commitment to improving operational efficiency and investing in technological advancements towards energy dominance. Additional resources and program information will be added to this site as program updates are finalized. SBIR and STTR are congressionally authorized programs that reserve a portion of federal research funding for U.S. small businesses.
Through a competitive, phased process, companies receive funding to establish technical feasibility (Phase I), further develop and prototype their technology (Phase II), and pursue commercialization and follow-on opportunities (Phase III). Participation is limited to for-profit U.S. small businesses that meet Small Business Administration eligibility requirements.
DOE coordinates its SBIR/STTR implementation with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971) was signed into law on April 13, 2026.
This Act extends the SBIR/STTR Programs through Fiscal Year 2031. The program is structured across three phases.
Phase I Phase II/IIA/IIB/IIC Phase III Feasibility/Proof of Concept 6 to 12 months in duration Prototyping and Demonstration Up to 2 years in duration Note: Teams can receive multiple sequential Phase II awards to continue developing of promising projects Work that derives from, extends, or completes the effort of prior Phase I and II awards Awardees are responsible for managing their projects in accordance with DOE SBIR/STTR Terms and Conditions.
Required technical and financial reports for projects awarded prior to 2026 are submitted through DOE’s Portfolio Analysis and Management System (PAMS) and FedConnect . DOE maintains requirements related to fraud, waste, abuse, and foreign risk management to protect U.S. taxpayer investments. Awardees must disclose relevant affiliations and comply with all reporting and oversight requirements .
American Made Challenges incentivizes innovation through prizes, training, teaming, and mentoring, connecting the nation’s entrepreneurs and innovators to America’s national labs and the private sector. ConnectWerx administers critical energy opportunities to heighten energy security and strengthen national security ecosystems.
EnergyWerx facilitates discovery, engagement, and acceleration of energy innovation to strengthen national security and energy resiliency. TechWerx is a hub that connects visionaries, researchers, industry and energy leaders with the opportunities for technological advancement. Will SBIR/STTR opportunities be open for applications in 2026?
DOE has several planned SBIR-STTR announcements this year: June opening for applications to Phase II topics June or July opening for applications to some Phase I topics Late summer opening for applications to additional Phase I topics” I have a currently active project. Will it be impacted by the program management transition to OTC? No, currently active projects will not be impacted by this change.
All projects awarded prior to March 2026 will continue under the same points of contact. I have an active Phase I project. Will I have the opportunity to apply for a Phase II award?
Yes, recipients of Phase I awards will be able to apply for Phase II awards. Stay tuned for updates by subscribing to the OTC SBIR/STTR newsletter . What technology areas do the DOE SBIR/STTR programs support?
DOE SBIR/STTR topics are drawn from the mission areas of the Department. DOE offers opportunities annually. Future SBIR/STTR opportunities will address national challenges in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, quantum information science, semiconductors, energy innovation, and more.
What is the difference between SBIR and STTR? The SBIR program was established by Congress in 1982 [Public Law 97-219].
It major goals are to: Stimulate technological innovation Use small business to meet Federal R/R&D needs Increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal R/R&D, thereby increasing competition, productivity, and economic growth The STTR program was established by Congress in 1992 [Public Law 102-564].
Its major goals are to: Stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions Foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions How can I share my feedback about the SBIR and STTR programs? DOE is committed to continuous program improvement.
You can email SBIR and STTR program feedback and recommendations to sbir-sttr@hq. doe. gov .
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Small businesses conducting scientific research and development, including women-owned businesses, particularly those focused on environmental management, energy use, and production costs. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program is funded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
The solicitation lists 5 required documents: Letter of Intent (LOI), Budget justification, Data management plan, Foreign relationships disclosure, and Indirect rate documentation. Check the official notice for formatting and page-limit rules.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs (Phase I) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The USDA SBIR/STTR programs focus on transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial potential and/or societal benefit in agriculturally-related areas. This can include app development for agricultural technology, rural development, and smart farming. Phase I aims to demonstrate technical feasibility.
Developer Grants is sponsored by Circle. Circle's Developer Grant initiative supports projects leveraging USDC to create practical solutions. While the 2025 applications are closed for reimagining, they will place greater emphasis on Arc-specific grants and evaluate projects based on alignment with Circle products, team strength, innovation, and impact on the USDC network in 2026.
On June 2, 2026, the Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation selected two demonstration-scale facilities — Phoenix Tailings (with MIT and the University of Minnesota) for $66 million, and the Colorado School of Mines (with ElementUSA, PNNL, Principal Mineral, and Rare Earth Technologies Inc.) for the balance — under the Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility Program. Both projects pull rare earths from industrial waste — red mud at the Gramercy refinery in Louisiana, and a mix of mine and refining tailings elsewhere. Here is what the selections tell researchers, small businesses, and downstream magnet customers about where DOE thinks the chokepoint actually is, and what to do before the next demonstration-scale solicitation opens.
Read articleThe Energy Department's flagship Early Career Research Program is funded at $145M for FY2026 — $79M in current-year dollars, the rest contingent on FY27 appropriations. Full applications are due June 2 from the ~150 researchers DOE pre-cleared in March. Here's what the program rewards, why this year's announcement leans hard into Executive Order 14303 on Gold Standard Science, what untenured PIs at academic institutions vs. national labs should expect, and how to position for the FY27 pre-application gate next March.
Read articleDOE's Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership is offering $200K-$575K project awards plus 24 months of national-lab technical support for rural and tribal communities under 10,000 people. July 2 deadline.
Read article