Submission Deadline: September 25, 2026 at 12 PM ET
Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected]
Information
ConnectWerx, a Partnership Intermediary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has opened an initial funding opportunity in collaboration with the Office of Technology Commercialization for up to $147,394,250 for Small Business Innovation Phase II awards.
This opportunity will be open to awardees who completed a DOE SBIR/STTR Phase I, Phase II, or follow-on Phase II award in FY24 or FY25. SBIR/STTR Awardees who applied to a subtopic under one of the following topics in DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 Opportunity are eligible to apply for the current Phase II opportunity:
This topic area seeks innovative solutions leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Information Science, Cybersecurity, and innovative sensing and remote detection technologies. This topic emphasizes applications that enhance national security, safeguard critical energy infrastructure, and provide advanced capabilities for monitoring, detection, and mitigation of threats across diverse operational environments.
This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-01. ENERGY SYSTEMS CYBERSECURITY
C58-02. QUANTUM SENSORS FOR UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSION MONITORING
C58-04. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
C58-05. AUTONOMOUS RADIATION SENSING AND MAPPING
C58-06. HIGH-ENERGY X-RAY SOURCES FOR FIELD RADIOGRAPHY
C58-08. TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE REMOTE DETECTION SENSING
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
This area targets transformative technologies for creating a more reliable, optimized, and secure national electricity grid that can support energy addition, capable of meeting all energy demands. Areas of interest include advanced grid architectures, control systems, and integrated energy storage solutions, including novel battery chemistries and management systems, to enable seamless integration of new energy sources and improved grid affordability.
This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-09. ADVANCED GRID TECHNOLOGIES
C58-10. ADVANCED BATTERY MANAGEMENT AND SENSORS FOR GRID-TIED ENERGY STORAGE
C58-21. JOINT WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE/OFFICE OF ELECTRICITY TOPIC: ENERGY STORAGE FOR WIND
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
This topic area calls for advancements in nuclear energy technologies, from novel reactor designs and fuel cycles to enhanced safety and operational efficiency. It also encompasses innovative approaches for the responsible and sustainable management, treatment, and disposition of unused nuclear fuel (UNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW).
This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-29. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY
C58-30. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUCLEAR WASTE
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
This area focuses on developing and deploying technologies to improve efficiency across industrial sectors and advance carbon usage, thereby advancing American energy dominance, security, and global leadership in line with the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) Strategic Plan, which aims to unleash the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy. This includes innovations in advanced materials and manufacturing processes, advancing the efficient use of carbon, and industrial process optimization, ultimately enhancing American industrial competitiveness and contributing to the security, stability, and strategic value of the Nation’s energy resources, which can be found at HGEO’s website1. This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-11. ADVANCED MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES
C58-12. INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY AND DECARBONIZATION OFFICE (IEDO)
C58-23. CARBON CAPTURE, CONVERSION, AND STORAGE
C58-24. CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL
C58-27. CARBON ORE PROCESSING
C58-28. ADVANCED REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
This topic area prioritizes research and development for securing and diversifying the supply chains of critical minerals and other essential materials vital for advancing energy technologies and achieving national security.
This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-26. CRITICAL MINERALS AND MATERIALS APPLICATIONS
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
This topic area encourages innovations in localized energy generation, energy systems in buildings, and other integrated energy systems. It includes advancements in generation, fuel and vehicle technologies that enhance energy reliability.
This corresponds to DOE’s SBIR FY24 Phase I Release 2 topics listed as:
C58-13. BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
C58-14. BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
C58-15. GEOTHERMAL
C58-16. HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES
C58-17. SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
C58-18. WATER POWER TECHNOLOGIES
C58-19. WATER POWER TECHNOLOGIES
C58-20. OFFSHORE WIND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
C58-22. VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
C58-25. HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES
Any completed Phase II DOE SBIR project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002572: FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award. Any completed Phase II, IIA or IIB project aligned with this topic and funded from DE-FOA-0002991: FY 2023 Phase II Release 2 is eligible to apply for a Phase II.2 award under this topic. If you received a Phase IIA or IIB in FY 2023 Phase II Release 2, you will be required to provide matching funds.
Process Details
Selected Phase II awardees will enter into a funding agreement with DOE and ConnectWerx. Based on their successful completion of project milestones, a subset of Phase II awarded companies will be granted follow-on Phase II.2 awards. Follow-on Phase II, II.2 and Strategic Breakthrough Awards will be made to this selected cohort on a go/no go basis, subject to awardee performance and funding availability in later years.
This solicitation is the opportunity for existing Phase I or Phase II Awards to enter into the new program format.
How to Participate:
Review this page for details on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and how to apply.
Attend the Office Hours in mid August.
Download this Checklist to start gathering materials for the application. This includes developing a Project Narrative and Commercialization Plan from the provided templates and gathering Biosketches and Current and Pending Support documentation from key personnel.
Complete the Submission Form in the AMP application portal (application link coming soon). Submissions are due no later than September 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET.
Timeline:
Wednesday, 7/22: Program is announced, opportunity and resources posted, applicants can request access to the application portal
Mid August: AMP Applications Open
Late August: Virtual Office Hours session with DOE and CWX representatives
Friday, 9/25 at 12 PM ET: Applications Closes
Future Considerations:
All selected performers will be required to self-assess their cybersecurity practices as part of their award onboarding.
Follow-on Phase II, II.2 and Strategic Breakthrough Awards will be made to this selected cohort on a go/no go basis, subject to funding availability in later years.
How to Apply
Complete the online application and upload the appropriate project information and supporting documentation in the application link below. Key project components required for all applications are indicated in the table below. Applicants are encouraged to download this Checklistfor a full list of possible uploads, requirements, and resources that will be part of the application and to reference the FAQsfor additional questions.
Submissions are due no later than September 25, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET. Late submissions will not be accepted. Submissions can be made in advance of the deadline and updated (or files replaced) up to the deadline.
Files shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, unless otherwise specified, and not be larger than 5MB. ZIP files and other application formats are not acceptable. All files shall be print-capable, without a password. Filenames must contain the appropriate extension and shall not contain special characters.
File Title
Resource(s)
File Type
Commercialization Plan Note: 10 page limit, minimum size 12 font
Project Team Member Current & Pending Support (Individuals) Note: DOE strongly recommends that applicants use the SciENcv format approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Project Team Member CVs/Biosketches (Individuals) Note: DOE strongly recommends that applicants use the SciENcv format approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Informational Office Hours will be held in late August.
Eligibility & Review Criteria
Eligibility
To review the eligibility requirements, please click here.
Review Criteria
Applications will be evaluated against three equally weighted core areas. Scores from each area will be averaged to produce the overall proposal score. All application materials will be considered holistically to inform these scores. The core areas are as follows:
1. Technical Promise, evidenced by:
Significance: the importance and urgency of the scientific and technical challenge being addressed.
Innovation: the novelty of the proposed solution to help provide a viable product or service.
Feasibility: the likelihood of successfully proving the concept within the proposed timeline and budget milestone allocation.
2. Commercialization Potential, evidenced by:
Value Proposition: the technology’s ability to meet identified customer needs at a price point customers are willing to pay.
Competitive Advantage: a realistic assessment of the competitive landscape, including how the proposed solution compares to direct competitors, incumbent technologies, and alternative approaches.
Go-to-Market Strategy: the pathway to market, including supply chain planning, target customers, and sales channels. Acknowledge key hurdles and describe plans to overcome them.
3. Team Qualifications, evidenced by:
Company: the qualifications and relevant experience of the PI, company staff, and management; the adequacy of equipment and facilities.
Partnerships: the strength and relevance of external partnerships, advisors, subcontractors, or other collaborators that enhance the likelihood of the project’s success.
Financials: a realistic yet promising revenue model and growth projections, a sound proposal for using the award funds, and a credible plan for securing follow-on funding
While the scores and comments of the expert reviewers will be carefully considered, it is the role of the DOE Selection Official to maximize the impact of award funds. OTC keeps an updated list of program policy factors that may be considered, in addition to expert scores and comments in determining funding recipients on their website here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please visit the ConnectWerx SBIR/STTR Resource page for additional templates and FAQs.
The Work Plan is an outline of the key tasks and milestones you hope to accomplish over the course of your award. The Milestone Driven Roadmap is a longer term plan for your small business beyond the immediate award phase. The Work Plan should be a table submitted in the provided format in the Project Narrative Template to show the key tasks and milestones of your project, along with a proposed timeline for funding. The milestone Driven Roadmap is part of your submission for the Commercialization Plan. Note that all projects will have a specific number of business and commercialization Milestones on which they will invoice.
The Work Plan is an outline of the key tasks and milestones you hope to accomplish over the course of your award. The Milestone Driven Roadmap is a longer term plan for your small business beyond the award.
Although it is not required, DOE strongly recommends that applicants use the SciENcv format approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The SciENcv format can be generated on Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv). However, any format that contains the required information is acceptable, and a blank template is also available for download here.
As the Pl and other project team members may have lengthy resumes and/or CVs, please only include the most relevant information to the proposed project.
While the biosketch template accommodates academic positions and appointments, at first glance it may not seem obvious of how to best utilize this form for private sector experience. Applicants should include all positions including those in the private sector, other research projects (whether or not they were federally funded), websites, or any initiatives undertaken in their field that are relevant to the current application or an aspect of the current application.
Biosketches and Current and Pending Support documents must be provided for the covered individuals in the full grant application, as defined in this FAQ.
All funding should be included. Each current and pending support form should list all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, whether paid or unpaid; provided as a gift with terms or conditions or provided as a gift without terms or conditions; full-time, part-time, or voluntary; faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary; cash or in-kind; foreign or domestic; governmental or private-sector; directly supporting the individual’s research or indirectly supporting the individual by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses. All foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs must be identified in current and pending support.
DOE strongly recommends that applicants use the SciENcv format approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The SciENcv format can be generated on Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv). Documentation for team members must be consolidated into a single PDF for upload.
All SBIR and STTR applicants must select one of two options for their Data Management Plan (DMP):
None of the data will be publicly disseminated
Some of the data will be disseminated publicly
If choosing Option 1, It is anticipated that all generated digital data will be protected as SBIR/STTR data and therefore will not be publicly shared during the applicable SBIR/STTR data protection period. If any data generated under this award are published, an effort will be made to also release any related digital data that is not protected SBIR/STTR data.
If choosing Option 2 where some of the data will be disseminated publicly, a data management plan will be required if awarded. Please see this resource on Data Management Plan Basics for additional information.
In determining which data should be shared and preserved, researchers must consider the data needed to validate research findings, or how results could be validated if data are not shared. Researchers are also encouraged to consider the potential benefits of their data to their own fields of research, fields other than their own, and society at large.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit commitments from the private sector or from non-SBIR/STTR funding sources. Letters of Funding Commitment should be printed on official letterhead, signed by authorized representatives, and provided with the application materials. The letter must provide details of the funds or resources committed to the project, and briefly address how the funds and/or resources will benefit the project. For instance, if the funds are designated for commercialization efforts the letter should briefly address those efforts and provide a reasonable estimate of how the funds will be allocated. If the letter of commitment concerns resources to be provided, the resources should be briefly described and the manner in which they will benefit the project. Please see an example here.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a Phase III follow-on funding commitment. The commitment must indicate when the funds will be made available, and contain specific technical objectives which, if achieved in Phase II, will make the commitment exercisable by the applicant. If the commitment is firm regardless of technical objectives achieved, it should state so. The commitment may include:
third party financing;
self-financing (in which case the proposing SBC must demonstrate the ability to provide the Phase III funding);
state or local government financing; or
Federal funding. In-kind contributions are allowed; however, the applicant or donor must estimate the dollar value of any in-kind contributions.
A third SBIR Phase II award is available to small businesses that have already received a DOE SBIR Phase II award and a DOE SBIR Phase IIA or IIB award. This award, which emphasizes commercialization, requires matching funds from a third-party investor. The matching funds for these awards must be equal to the award amount. Additional key provisions of this third-party match requirement:
The matching funds must be from an eligible third-party investor. The term ‘eligible third‐party investor’ means a small business concern other than the eligible entity, a venture capital firm, an individual investor, a non‐SBIR Federal, State or local government, or any combination thereof.
Please note that SBIR/STTR Phase I, II, or III funding from a federal agency may not be used as matching funds.
First and second Phase II awards do not require matching funds, but applicants are welcome to upload letters of funding commitment from third-party investors to strengthen their application.
It is recommended that the Letter of Support (LoS) be on official letterhead from an authorized representative of the institution committed its stated support. The LoS should include name and address of institution, specifics of the support, and certifying official’s name, phone number and email address.
All SBIR and STTR applicants must disclose their foreign relationships as required by the SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022. The required form that must be used to disclose these relationships is available here. Instructions are included on the form. Please note that even if you do not have any foreign relationships, you must complete this form to certify that such relationships do not exist. Failure to include this form may result in declination of your application without review at DOE’s discretion.
The foreign relationships disclosure form must be submitted with the application. Failure to include this form may result in declination of your application without review at DOE’S discretion.
Many SBIR/STTR awardees have foreign relations and the existence of foreign relationships that are not malign is acceptable to the due diligence process. Disclosure of foreign relationships required by this form does not mean your application will be denied.
