ConnectWerx, a Partnership Intermediary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), intends to open an initial Small Business Innovation Research – Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I funding opportunity in collaboration with the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC). As the first Phase I funding opportunity under OTC’s management of the DOE SBIR/STTR Programs, this Genesis Mission opportunity introduces a more streamlined, applicant-focused approach to the Phase I program. A broader Phase I funding opportunity covering additional technology topics will follow later this summer. Through the Genesis Mission opportunity, DOE intends to make approximately 40 awards totaling in $10,000,000, representing up to $44M of cumulative SBIR/STTR funding over the projects’ lifecycles.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for SBIR/STTR Phase I awards as outlined on the Eligibility Page, as well as adhere to the below topic language in their proposals.

1. Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution
This topic area calls for proposals to leverage advanced AI for biotechnology, including for biochemicals and bioproducts applications. Areas of interest include AI tools to support biomolecular design, establish genotype phenotype relationship, support predictive microbiome engineering and microbiome gene expression, accelerate bioreactor design and biomanufacturing, and otherwise enhance genome engineering

2. Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery: AI for Quantum Computing and Networking
This topic seeks proposals that leverage AI to characterize and mitigate decoherence in qubits; develop and implement effective quantum error correction codes; control quantum processing units and quantum network systems; automate and optimize quantum resource estimation tools focusing on scalability and interoperability for multiple quantum computing architectures; develop computationally efficient and scalable tools for quantum computing performance verification and validation; develop tools to translate high-level problem descriptions into executable quantum programs; develop tools to manage computational workflows that integrate classical high-performance computing, AI, and quantum resources; and ensure the scalability of quantum processors and network systems.

3. Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality
This topic area seeks proposals that leverage advanced AI frameworks to facilitate easier materials design. Successful proposals should accelerate the discovery and deployment of advanced materials that are essential for American competitiveness in energy, manufacturing, and technology by enabling “inverse design,” where materials are engineered to meet specific property requirements.

4. Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories
This topic area seeks proposals that seek to integrate AI directly into experimental workflows to accelerate discovery, improve repeatability, and generate richer datasets. Areas of interest include advanced robotics, AI for Network Operations, diagnostics, remote handling, and neuromorphic computing circuit primitives.

All applicants will be required to submit an initial Pitch application for review before they can have the opportunity to access the full application. Only successful Pitch applications will be invited to submit a full application.

How to Participate

1. Review this page for details on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and how to apply.
2. Attend one or both of the two (2) virtual Office Hours sessions in mid August.
3. Download the Pitch Development Guide template, answer the 4 questions paying mind to maximum word counts.
4. Gather Bibliography & References Cited (if applicable).
5. Complete the Submission Form in the AMP application portal (application link coming soon). Submissions are due no later than September 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET.

Timeline:

• Wednesday, 7/22: Program is announced, opportunity and resources posted, applicants can request access to the Acquisition Management Portal (AMP)
• Mid August: AMP Applications Open
• Mid August: Two (2) virtual Office Hours sessions with DOE and CWX representatives
• Thursday, 9/10 at 2 PM ET: Application Closes

Future Considerations:

Selected Phase I awardees will enter into a funding agreement with DOE and ConnectWerx. Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time. Based on their successful completion of project milestones, a subset of Phase I awarded companies will be granted Phase II 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.

Complete the online application and upload the appropriate project information and supporting documentation in the AMP application portal (application link coming soon).

Submissions are due no later than September 10, 2026 at 2:00 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.

Within the application, there will be 4 open-text questions to guide the formation of your pitch. Essentially a short “elevator pitch”, these questions are your opportunity to convince DOE to accept and then review a full application for your project. The four questions that make up the pitch portion of the application, guidance, and requirements can be found here. Because of strict word count requirements, it is highly recommended that you download and then draft your responses outside of the application portal and then paste them in when you are ready to apply.

You will also have the opportunity to upload a Bibliography & References Cited Document to support your pitch, but it is not required.

Files shall be submitted in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format 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.

September 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

The official announcement of the DOE FY26 SBIR/STTR Phase I Genesis Mission opportunity can be viewed here.

The Genesis Mission unites DOE National Labs, industry, academia, and more to harness AI for breakthroughs in energy dominance, discovery science, and national security. To learn more about this initiative go to genesis.energy.gov.

To access your company’s eligibility for this opportunity, please see here.

Applications will be evaluated against these four equally weighted areas.

1. Summary, Topic, and Mission Alignment:

How your project aligns with your chosen topic area as well as DOE’s mission and priorities.

2. Technical Promise:

• Significance: the importance and urgency of the challenge being addressed
• Innovation: the novelty of the proposed solution to help provide a viable product or service
• Feasibility: the ability to successfully prove the concept within the proposed timeline and budget

3. Commercialization Potential:
How your technology addresses a market need and what pathway there is to customers and revenue, including:

• Value Proposition: the technology’s ability to meet identified customer needs
• Competitive Advantage: a realistic assessment of the competitive landscape
• Go-to-Market Strategy: the pathway to market, including supply chain planning, target customers, and sales channels

4. Team Qualifications:
The team’s technical expertise, commercialization experience, and strategic partnerships necessary to successfully execute the project, considering:

• Company: the relevant experience of the team
• Partnerships: the strength and relevance of external partners, or plans to secure partners, who will enhance the likelihood of the project’s success
• Financials: 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.

Please visit the ConnectWerx SBIR/STTR Resource page for additional templates and FAQs.