The SBIR/STTR Programs Office works collaboratively with 13 program offices throughout the DOE. Each DOE program office considers its high priority research needs and program mission, as well as the Department’s goals for the program in developing research topics. The specific research topics selected for the SBIR and STTR programs are developed by DOE technical program managers. DOE offers more than sixty technical topics and 250 subtopics, spanning research areas that support the DOE mission in Energy Production, Energy Use, Fundamental Energy Sciences, Environmental Management, and Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. The topics are released, typically twice a year, in July (Release 1) and November (Release 2), with different program offices participating in each release. Applicants should visit the DOE Funding Opportunities page for the release schedule, direct links to the Topics documents, relevant FOAs, and associated webinars. We have also provided the schedule below.
Phase I | Release 1 | Release 2 |
---|---|---|
Topics Issued | Monday, July 10, 2023 | Monday, November 6, 2023 |
Document | Phase I Release 1 Topics | |
Phase 0 Application Assistance (free for first time applicants) starts | Monday, July 10, 2023 | Monday, November 6, 2023 |
Topic Webinar, week of | Monday, November 13, 2023* | |
FOA Issued | Monday, August 7, 2023 | Monday, December 11, 2023 |
Document | DOE-FOA-0003110 | |
FOA Webinar | Friday, August 11, 2023 Slides | Friday, December 15, 2023* |
Letters of Intent (LOI) Due | Monday, August 28, 2023 5:00pm ET | Wednesday, January 3, 2024 5:00pm ET |
Non-responsive LOI Feedback Provided | Monday, September 18, 2023 | Tuesday, January 23, 2024 |
Full Applications Due | Tuesday, October 10, 2023 11:59pm ET | Wednesday, February 21, 2024 11:59pm ET |
Award Notification | Tuesday, January 2, 2024** | Monday, May 20, 2024** |
Projected Grant Start Date | Monday, February 12, 2024 | Monday, July 1, 2024 |
Awardee Webinar, week of | February 26, 2024 | July 8, 2024 |
Phase Shift I Kick-off | April 2024 | September 2024 |
Principal Investigator Meeting | June 2024 | October 2024 |
*Registration link will be posted here, one week prior to the webinars. To receive this link automatically via email, please join our Mail List. | ||
**Preliminary dates subject to change | ||
Phase II | Release 1 | Release 2 |
FOA Issued | Monday, October 16, 2023 | Monday, February 26, 2024 |
Document | ||
Webinar(s) | Friday, October 20, 2023 | Friday, March 1, 2024 |
LOI (All Phase II applications) Due | Tuesday, November 7, 2023 5:00pm ET | Wednesday, March 27, 2024 5:00pm ET |
Applications Due | Tuesday, December 5, 2023 11:59pm ET | Tuesday, April 30, 2024 11:59pm ET |
Award Notification | Tuesday, February 20, 2024** | Monday, July 29, 2024** |
Projected Grant Start Date | Monday, April 1, 2024 | Tuesday, September 10, 2024 |
**Preliminary dates subject to change |
Phase I and Phase II Timeline
Applicants should also keep in mind the Phase I and Phase II timeline when preparing their application and planning their project. The Phase II application is due approximately 9.5 months after the start of the Phase I budget period, meaning that applicants should be able to demonstrate the achievements and commercial potential of the project by that time. Therefore, it is imperative that applicants plan their Phase I project in such a way as to provide evidence of project achievements and potential commercialization at the 9-month mark.