active Federal Grant

SBIR Phase I — Department of Energy

Department of Energy (DOE)

Up to $250K (Phase I, by topic)

See if you qualify — free Visit official program ↗

Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 8 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓

The short version

DOE seed fund for energy R&D

DOE funds early-stage energy and science R&D through SBIR Phase I — awards of up to $200,000 or $250,000 depending on the topic, for 6–12 months of feasibility work. Two annual solicitation releases (spring and fall) cover topics across energy efficiency, renewables, nuclear, fossil, environmental cleanup, high-energy physics, and national security. Non-dilutive, non-equity. Submitted via Grants.gov; managed by DOE's Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) since April 2026.

Funding type: Grant
Level: Federal
Amount range: $200,000 – $250,000
Realistic amount: DOE Phase I ceilings are $200,000 or $250,000 depending on the topic. DOE Phase II awards typically range from $1.1M–$1.6M over 24 months.
Deadline: Open now for one topic: DOE ARPA-E's UNLOCK SBIR/STTR (subsurface resources, combined Phase I/II). Concept papers are due November 20, 2026; full applications are by invitation, date to be set. A broader DOE Phase I opportunity is still expected later this fall with no date posted.
Status: active
States: Nationwide
Payment model: advance

Who qualifies

For-profit US small business concern with 500 or fewer employees (including all affiliates)
More than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent resident aliens — or by another eligible US small business
Principal Investigator must be primarily employed (>50% of working time) at the applicant firm at time of award and throughout the project
Foreign-owned companies are not eligible (even if incorporated in the US, a >50% foreign ownership disqualifies)
Active SAM.gov registration with a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) required before proposal submission
Must register in the SBA SBIR Company Registry at sbir.gov before submitting
Proposed research must align with DOE's mission areas (energy production, use, environmental management, national defense, fundamental science)
Topics are pre-specified — you must apply to an open topic; open research proposals not accepted
No cost-sharing required for Phase I

Hard requirements

Must be incorporated
51%+ US ownership required

What it covers

Eligible expenses

Salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for personnel working on the project (PI, researchers, technicians)
Materials and supplies consumed during the feasibility study
Equipment needed for the research (items over $5,000 require prior approval in budget justification)
Subcontractor costs for research services (generally limited to 33% of total Phase I costs — majority of work must be by the small business)
Consultant fees for specialized technical expertise
Travel costs directly related to the project (domestic travel at GSA rates; foreign travel requires prior approval)
Other direct costs: cloud computing, software licenses, testing services, patent-related costs
Indirect costs at the applicant's negotiated rate or a federal de minimis rate

Ineligible expenses

Construction or renovation of facilities
Lobbyying, political activities, or advocacy
Fundraising or investor relations
Entertainment or personal expenses
Costs incurred before the Notice of Award date
Subcontract costs exceeding 33% of total award without prior approval
Work performed outside the US without specific prior approval
Foreign travel without prior DOE program office approval

How to apply

1

Register in SAM.gov and obtain your UEI

Create or renew your System for Award Management registration at sam.gov. New registrations can take 2–3 weeks to activate — start well before the solicitation closes. Your UEI is required on every federal application.

~4 hrs
2

Register in the SBA SBIR Company Registry

Create your company profile at sbir.gov — required for all SBIR applicants. Capture accurate employee count (including affiliates), ownership structure, and prior SBIR/STTR award history. Approval takes 1–3 business days.

~2 hrs
3

Identify the right DOE topic area and contact the program manager

Read the active DOE SBIR FOA (posted at science.osti.gov/sbir and grants.gov) and identify 1–2 topics that match your technology. DOE topics are specific technical challenges — misalignment is the leading rejection cause. Emailing the listed topic manager before submitting is strongly encouraged and often results in informal fit feedback within 1–2 weeks.

~10 hrs
4

Prepare the technical proposal

DOE Phase I proposals are submitted in Grants.gov Workspace using the SF-424 form family. The technical narrative covers: Statement of the Problem, Background and Significance, Innovation, Approach and Methodology, Related R&D, and Commercialization Plan. Phase I page limits are typically 25 pages. Include CVs/biosketches for all key personnel and letters of intent from collaborators.

~80 hrs
5

Prepare the budget and supporting documents

Complete the SF-424A (budget) and budget justification. DOE allows direct costs (labor, materials, equipment, subcontracts) plus indirect costs at negotiated or de minimis rates. Include the required Commercialization Plan (1–2 pages minimum), Facilities and Resources statement, and any required certifications (small business, debarment, drug-free workplace).

~15 hrs
6

Submit via Grants.gov Workspace before the deadline

Assemble the full package in Grants.gov Workspace and submit by 11:59pm ET on the published due date. Submit at least 48 hours before deadline to allow time for error correction — Grants.gov processing errors are common and cannot be fixed after deadline. Confirmation arrives via email within 1–2 business days.

~5 hrs

SBIR / STTR details

SBIR phase amounts

Phase	Max award	Duration
Phase1	$250,000	6–12 months
Phase2	$1,600,000	24 months

NAICS codes: 541715, 541714, 541330, 237110, 221113, 221122, 325412

Insider tip

DOE moved to OTC in April 2026 — use sbir-sttr@hq.doe.gov for program questions. Topic manager contact before submitting is the highest-ROI action for fit alignment.

Deadline & timing

DOE SBIR runs two solicitation releases per fiscal year. Release 1 (spring cycle): typically opens October–November and closes January–February. Release 2 (fall cycle): typically opens March–April and closes June–July. FY2025 Release 2 was announced under FOA DE-FOA-0003504 with applications due February 26, 2025. The DOE SBIR/STTR program moved from the Office of Science to the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) effective April 13, 2026 — contact addresses changed to sbir-sttr@hq.doe.gov for forward-looking questions. Award notifications typically arrive 5–6 months after the submission deadline.

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Research & Development Tax Credit (Section 41)
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Last updated October 31, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.