Is this actionable now?

unknown. The legacy Office of Science page now directs applicants to DOE's Office of Technology Commercialization and labels FY26 future; no current general Phase I submission deadline was verified on the reviewed page.

US for-profit small business ( 50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC (SBIR). STTR requires a US research-institution partner. US-based work.

What burden and restrictions apply?

Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

DOE SBIR/STTR (Office of Science)

Historically topic-specific: Phase I around USD 200,000 and Phase II around USD 1.15 million or more; current NOFO controls and no live universal cap was verified. · US Department of Energy (DOE) — Office of Science and program offices

The Department of Energy SBIR/STTR program funds small businesses developing energy, clean-tech, advanced computing, nuclear/high-energy physics, fusion, and scientific-instrumentation technologies. Grants (not contracts). Topics released in Phase I release cycles with a required Letter of Intent before the full application. Current lifecycle: unknown. Real economics: Historically topic-specific: Phase I around USD 200,000 and Phase II around USD 1.15 million or more; current NOFO controls and no live universal cap was verified..

Tier 2sbirsttrenergycleantech

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	US Department of Energy (DOE) — Office of Science and program offices
Amount	Historically topic-specific: Phase I around USD 200,000 and Phase II around USD 1.15 million or more; current NOFO controls and no live universal cap was verified.
Decision time	Topic, letter-of-intent and full-application review dates are set in each NOFO; no current general decision interval is published.
Eligibility	US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC (SBIR). STTR requires a US research-institution partner. US-based work.
Restrictions	Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
Status	unknown

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Register SAM.gov (UEI), SBIR.gov company registration, and DOE PAMS + Grants.gov accounts
Review the Topics document and select a subtopic tied to a DOE program office
Submit a required Letter of Intent (LOI) by the LOI deadline
Submit full Phase I application via DOE's PAMS / Grants.gov
Merit review by DOE technical reviewers
Phase I grant award; invited Phase II follows

Background

US Department of Energy (DOE) — Office of Science and program offices operates DOE SBIR/STTR (Office of Science). This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. DOE historically released SBIR/STTR topics twice yearly. The Office of Science page now directs applicants to a new Office of Technology Commercialization route. DOE provides Phase 0 and applicant resources.

How the application really works

Register SAM.gov (UEI), SBIR.gov company registration, and DOE PAMS + Grants.gov accounts → Review the Topics document and select a subtopic tied to a DOE program office → Submit a required Letter of Intent (LOI) by the LOI deadline → Submit full Phase I application via DOE's PAMS / Grants.gov → Merit review by DOE technical reviewers → Phase I grant award; invited Phase II follows

Tips

Show direct fit with DOE energy and science topics.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is unknown.
Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable.
Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Track record

DOE historically released SBIR/STTR topics twice yearly.
The Office of Science page now directs applicants to a new Office of Technology Commercialization route.
DOE provides Phase 0 and applicant resources.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: unknown. The legacy Office of Science page now directs applicants to DOE's Office of Technology Commercialization and labels FY26 future; no current general Phase I submission deadline was verified on the reviewed page.
What is the real economic value?: Historically topic-specific: Phase I around USD 200,000 and Phase II around USD 1.15 million or more; current NOFO controls and no live universal cap was verified.
Who is eligible?: US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC (SBIR). STTR requires a US research-institution partner. US-based work.
How does selection work?: Register SAM.gov (UEI), SBIR.gov company registration, and DOE PAMS + Grants.gov accounts; Review the Topics document and select a subtopic tied to a DOE program office; Submit a required Letter of Intent (LOI) by the LOI deadline; Submit full Phase I application via DOE's PAMS / Grants.gov; Merit review by DOE technical reviewers; Phase I grant award; invited Phase II follows. Topic, letter-of-intent and full-application review dates are set in each NOFO; no current general decision interval is published.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
What evidence exists?: DOE historically released SBIR/STTR topics twice yearly. The Office of Science page now directs applicants to a new Office of Technology Commercialization route. DOE provides Phase 0 and applicant resources. The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Sources

science.osti.gov/sbir/funding-opportunities — Official current lifecycle warning, historical schedule and public contact (checked 2026-08-10)
science.osti.gov/SBIRLearning/faqs — Official application materials, registration and Grants.gov process (checked 2026-08-10)
science.osti.gov/SBIRLearning/Applicant-Resources — Official proposal, budget and Phase 0 resources (checked 2026-08-10)