The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering oversees the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. These competitive programs are Congressionally authorized set-asides established to encourage domestic small businesses to engage in research and development with the potential for commercialization. The SBIR/STTR programs support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy and accelerate capabilities to the warfighter. ​Find out what topics are currently open or learn when the next solicitation will be available.

This funding opportunity will invest appropriations of $45 million over three years for development of new solar photovoltaics (PV) technologies to improve U.S. domestic manufacturing and competitiveness and secure our domestic energy supply chains. Topic 1 is focused on demonstration activities that support the domestic silicon PV module supply chain. Topic 2 is focused on RD&D and product development for dual-use PV with the aim of developing these market segments in the United States and increasing deployment. In both Topic Areas, SETO funding aims to retire technical, business, and market risks of solar hardware to validate pathways to commercial success through customer engagement and trials.

mPOWER programs are designed to rebalance opportunity and access for startups building physical products that are founded by women and people of color. Harnessing the existing resources of the nation’s leading independent innovation center for physical product companies, each participant receives hands-on support to turn ideas into hardtech businesses.

The next mPOWER cohort will be focused on Black Founders in partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers Chicago Chapter. To be eligible for the next mPOWER cohort, you must be a Black innovator and/or founder, have a clear problem that you are trying to solve through a physical product, and be able to dedicate 7-10 hours a week during the 6-month program beginning in August.

The competition will award up to 60 grants to states, Tribal governments, municipalities, and eligible nonprofits to expand access to residential and community solar projects, storage, and enabling upgrades in LI/DAC in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Funds may be used for both financial and technical assistance, and this may include subgrants, rebates, subsidies, other incentive payments, or loans.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, is seeking proposals from the small businesses to develop novel environmental technologies in the following topics areas: clean and safe water, air quality and climate, land, homeland security, circular economy/sustainable materials, and safer chemicals.

The American-Made Solar Data Bounty Prize is designed to incentivize photovoltaic (PV) system owners to share information-rich datasets from their assets. With this data, the industry and research communities can continue to develop, validate, and fine-tune modeling tools for solar applications. This prize offers more than $1.4 million in cash prizes to competitors throughout two stages. The prize is comprised of two stages, and each stage has two tracks:

• Track A for small-to-medium systems (100-5,000 kW_DC)
• Track B for larger systems (> 5,000 kW _DC)

The InnovateMass program provides funding and technical support to applicant teams deploying new clean energy technologies or innovative combinations of existing technologies with a strong potential for commercialization. Successful applicants will propose projects that address important energy challenges within four focus areas (Clean Transportation, High-Performance Buildings, Offshore Wind, Net-Zero Grid), help to grow the state’s clean energy economy, and contribute to Massachusetts’ continued clean energy leadership.

The Global Climate Innovator Challenge is a global program which brings together changemakers, climate entrepreneurs, sustainability technologists, and decision makers in the climate world to help accelerate the next wave of innovative solutions to achieve our 1.5ºC climate goal. We are looking for innovative solutions or ideas (including but not limited to technology, product, business model, or approach) that can accelerate progress towards 1.5°C climate goal. Professional Innovators can participate in the Challenge as an incorporated entity. You need to submit a summary of your Solution, with an identified stage before the deadline. Youth Innovators (<24yo) can participate in the Challenge as a team of 2-4 members.

Top 3 finalists will be invited to attend the black-tie Ambassador Gala;  receive continued support to fast-track their growth in the following 12 months, including mentorship, feedback, training, and resources from the GCIC network; and be invited to showcase the progress of their growth in the next year at the 2024 Global Climate Innovation Summit.

The Clean Mobile Power Initiative aims to identify and deliver cost-competitive, zero-emissions mobile power at scale for the entertainment industry, including developing alternatives to diesel generators, which currently account for ~700,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year from the entertainment sector. We’re looking for the most innovative global startups that have clean power generating technologies (including, but not limited to, battery energy storage systems, hydrogen power units, and hybridized systems), or supporting business model innovations, to join the Clean Mobile Power Focused Cohort. If this sounds like your climate tech company, we invite you to apply and participate in our remote, global 18-month accelerator opportunity.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) is soliciting applications from Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to install clean energy technologies at TCUs.  The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications for: (1) clean energy project and curriculum planning (Topic Area 1); and (2) clean energy technology and curriculum deployment (Topic Area 2).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement will provide funding to support the recycling of consumer electronics batteries and battery-containing devices to help build a robust domestic critical material supply chain for EV batteries in the United States. The program will accomplish this by: 1) Development and implementation of education and behavior change campaigns to increase consumers in recycling programs; 2) Improving the economics of consumer battery recycling to create a market for recycling, including battery recycling research, development, and demonstration activities to create innovative and practical approaches to increase the reuse and recycling of batteries; and 3) Increasing the number of these programs, including state and local programs to assist in the establishment or enhancement of state consumer electronics battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing programs and to establish collection points at retailers.

The Battery R&D Consortium will convene major manufacturers of electric drive vehicles in the U.S., universities, National Laboratory partners, mineral and material suppliers, and other key battery stakeholders to address critical battery needs for the next phase of widescale EV commercialization. The consortium seeks to advance battery R&D that is relevant and responsive to the needs of EV manufacturers, and to further develop a domestic battery supply chain and recycling capabilities that are essential to meeting the rapidly growing demand for EV batteries.