DOE SBIR/STTR

DOE SBIR/STTR — Seed

Invests in teams advancing energy, climate, and manufacturing innovation projects.

The DOE Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program, now managed by the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization following a consolidation effective April 28, 2026, provides competitive non-dilutive grants to U.S. small businesses developing innovative energy technologies. The program is authorized through FY2031 under the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act. DOE SBIR/STTR covers topic areas spanning all major DOE program offices, including energy, climate, advanced manufacturing, materials, biology, AI, and hardware. Phase I awards are up to $250,000 over 6–12 months to test technical feasibility; Phase II awards are up to $1.6 million over up to 24 months for further technology development. Phase III is unfunded by DOE and targets commercialization through private or other federal funding.

For FY2026, Phase II applications for current Phase I awardees are opening in June 2026; some Phase I topic solicitations open in June or July 2026, with additional Phase I windows in late summer 2026. Eligibility is limited to for-profit U.S. small businesses with fewer than 500 employees and greater than 50 percent U.S. ownership. Phase I applicants must not have had prior Phase II work in the same topic area. STTR requires a formal research subcontract with a U.S. nonprofit research institution such as a university or federal laboratory, with at least 30 percent of the work performed by the small business and at least 30 percent by the research institution.

Applicants should subscribe to the DOE SBIR newsletter at govdelivery.com/accounts/USEERE/signup/49563 to receive solicitation release notifications, as exact Phase I topic open dates vary by program office. Following the April 2026 OTC consolidation, the application portal may have changed from the prior science.osti.gov/sbir address; applicants should confirm the current submission URL via the OTC website at energy.gov/technologycommercialization. Competitive proposals identify a specific DOE topic number, demonstrate clear technical innovation beyond the current state of the art, and present a credible pathway to commercial deployment within the U.S. energy sector.