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Before submitting a Phase I SBIR or STTR proposal, you must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through DOE’s Portfolio and Management System (PAMS).  The LOI is due approximately 3 weeks after the release of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).  The LOI is mandatory, and DOE will not accept an SBIR or STTR award application if the letter has not been submitted by the deadline. 

The LOI is important in that it provides DOE with an idea of what type or proposals will be submitted and allows officials sufficient time to secure reviewers with the appropriate technical expertise to evaluate the incoming proposals.  Secondly, this early review allows DOE officials to advise prospective applicants if their proposed R&D is inconsistent with the intentions of the topics/subtopics.  If an applicant submits an LOI that suggests that the project direction is inconsistent with the vision of the topic author, DOE reviewers will notify the prospective applicant, who then has the opportunity to take corrective actions.   

Drafting Your Letter of Intent 

Requirements 

Instructions 

Due Date 

Letters of Intent are due approximately 3 weeks after the FOA is released 

Length 

Not to exceed 500 words and no more than 2 pages 

Project Title 

The LOI must include a descriptive title of the planned R&D. This title should be the same title that you use when you submit the application in Grants.gov. 

Topic Number & Subtopic Letter 

The LOI must include the topic number and subtopic letter as provided in the corresponding FOA Topics document.  

Principal Investigator 

The LOI must include the name and contact information of the Principal Investigator 

Business Official 

The LOI must include the name and contact information of the Business Official submitting the LOI if they are not also the PI.  

Subcontractors/Consultants 

The LOI must include the names of any proposed subcontractors or consultants if any. 

Registrations 

The PI and Business Official must each be registered in PAMS. 

Technical Abstract 

  • Do NOT include proprietary information. 
  • Begin with a short paragraph that describes the proposed project and its importance. 
  • Include a section that clearly and concisely describes how the proposed project addresses the problem/opportunity identified in the topic/subtopic.  
  • Include sufficient detail so that DOE personnel can determine what kinds of disciplines and expertise will be required among the reviewers. 
  • If space allows, include a few sentences on the potential commercialization aspect of the project and the possible market opportunity.   

 


Pro Tips: 

  • The Letter of Intent is not a letter.  It is a technical abstract. 
  • Do not include proprietary data. 
  • Include specific statements that address how the proposed project is directly related to the DOE topic/subtopic problem/opportunity presented by the Topic Document. 
  • Complete the PAMS registration as early as possible.   
  • DOE will not provide feedback in response to an LOI unless the proposed R&D described appears to be nonresponsive to the selected topic and subtopic.   
  • If you do not have a Letter of Commitment from your subcontractor as submission nears, reach out to DOE and request guidance. You can change your consultants and subcontractors between the time of submission of the LOI and the application.

Phase 0 Resources: