Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001771
The FY 2018 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001771) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science funding call designed to help small businesses move promising, mission-relevant technologies from early technical concept into commercially viable products or services. It sits within the SBIR/STTR framework, which is meant to bridge the gap between federally supported research and real-world market adoption by backing focused research and development (R&D) that can lead to commercialization. The program is also explicitly intended to stimulate private-sector innovation, broaden participation by women-owned and minority-owned small businesses, and increase the public return on investment from federally funded R&D through economic and societal benefits.
This solicitation is categorized as a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology / research and development activity area (CFDA 81.049). Eligible applicants are small businesses, reflecting the core SBIR/STTR purpose of strengthening the innovation capacity of the small business sector. The DOE emphasizes support for high-quality, innovation-driven R&D efforts that address important scientific or engineering problems aligned with DOE mission needs, with the key expectation that the work has strong commercialization potential. In other words, the program is not looking for open-ended academic inquiry; it is looking for targeted technical advances that could become products, platforms, tools, or services with a plausible pathway to market.
Funding under this Phase I release is structured around early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept work rather than large-scale development. The award ceiling listed is $225,000 per award, and DOE anticipated making about 106 awards under this release, indicating a competitive but substantial funding pool aimed at seeding many promising concepts. The solicitation was created on November 27, 2017, with an original application deadline of February 26, 2018, which is typical timing for a Phase I cycle where applicants are expected to propose a clearly scoped technical plan, milestones, and a credible commercialization rationale within a limited budget and performance period.
A notable boundary the DOE draws in this announcement is what it will not fund through these SBIR/STTR awards. The program does not support basic science projects (work primarily intended to generate fundamental knowledge without a defined applied objective) and it does not support demonstration projects (large-scale validation or deployment efforts that go beyond early feasibility and into proving a mature system in operational settings). The intent is to focus Phase I funding on innovative, applied R&D that can reduce technical risk, validate key assumptions, and position the small business to pursue further development and eventual commercialization, often through follow-on Phase II support or private-sector investment.
Overall, this opportunity is best understood as DOE Office of Science seed funding for small businesses with novel, mission-aligned technical ideas that are ready for disciplined early-stage R&D and have a realistic plan for translating technical progress into commercial impact, while staying away from purely exploratory basic research and late-stage demonstrations.Apply for DE FOA 0001771
- The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2018 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 27, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 26, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $225,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 106 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY 2018 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 2 opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science SBIR/STTR Phase I funding call intended to help small businesses move a promising, mission-relevant technology from an early technical concept toward a commercially viable product or service through focused early-stage R&D.
What is the funding opportunity number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number (FON) is DE-FOA-0001771.
Which federal agency and office are running this program?
The solicitation is run by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science.
What is the overall purpose of the DOE SBIR/STTR program in this call?
The purpose is to bridge the gap between federally supported research and real-world market adoption by supporting targeted R&D that can lead to commercialization. It also aims to stimulate private-sector innovation, broaden participation by women-owned and minority-owned small businesses, and increase the public return on investment from federally funded R&D through economic and societal benefits.
What type of funding opportunity is this?
This solicitation is categorized as a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the activity area and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The activity area is science and technology / research and development, and the CFDA number listed is 81.049.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are small businesses, consistent with the SBIR/STTR program purpose of strengthening innovation capacity within the small business sector.
What kinds of projects is DOE looking to fund under Phase I?
DOE is looking for high-quality, innovation-driven R&D efforts that address important scientific or engineering problems aligned with DOE mission needs, with a clear expectation of strong commercialization potential. Phase I is oriented toward early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept work.
Is this funding intended for open-ended academic research?
No. The solicitation emphasizes targeted technical advances that could become products, platforms, tools, or services with a plausible pathway to market, rather than open-ended academic inquiry.
What is the maximum award amount for Phase I under this release?
The award ceiling listed is $225,000 per award.
About how many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making about 106 awards under this release.
What is the main focus of Phase I funding in this announcement?
The main focus is early-stage feasibility and proof-of-concept R&D designed to reduce technical risk, validate key assumptions, and position the small business for further development and eventual commercialization.
What types of projects are explicitly not supported by this SBIR/STTR award?
The announcement states the program does not support basic science projects (work primarily intended to generate fundamental knowledge without a defined applied objective) and does not support demonstration projects (large-scale validation or deployment that goes beyond early feasibility into proving a mature system in operational settings).
Does the program fund large-scale demonstrations or deployment efforts?
No. Demonstration projects and large-scale validation or deployment efforts are specifically identified as outside the scope of what this Phase I SBIR/STTR funding supports.
Does the program fund purely fundamental or basic science without an applied objective?
No. Basic science projects focused on generating fundamental knowledge without a defined applied objective are not supported under this solicitation.
What is meant by "mission-relevant" in this context?
In this call, "mission-relevant" refers to technologies and R&D efforts that align with DOE mission needs and address scientific or engineering problems important to the DOE Office of Science, while also showing credible commercialization potential.
How important is commercialization to this solicitation?
Commercialization is a central expectation. The DOE frames the program as helping move technologies toward commercially viable products or services, and it emphasizes that the proposed work should have strong commercialization potential and a credible rationale for a path to market.
What is the typical next step after Phase I, according to the description?
The description indicates Phase I is meant to position the small business for further development and eventual commercialization, often through follow-on Phase II support or private-sector investment.
When was this solicitation created?
The solicitation was created on November 27, 2017.
What was the original application deadline?
The original application deadline was February 26, 2018.
Why does the program mention women-owned and minority-owned small businesses?
The program is explicitly intended to broaden participation by women-owned and minority-owned small businesses as part of its broader goals to stimulate innovation and increase the public return from federally funded R&D.
How should an applicant think about the scope of a Phase I project based on this description?
The description suggests a Phase I project should be clearly scoped around feasibility and proof-of-concept objectives, include focused R&D aimed at reducing technical risk and validating key assumptions, and present a credible commercialization rationale, all within the Phase I budget ceiling.
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