SOLAR ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
Funding Notice: Small Business Awards for Solar R&D

On January 18, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new funding for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I program for Fiscal Year 2024. The SBIR/STTR programs are competitive funding opportunities that encourage U.S.-based small businesses to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development with the potential for future commercialization.  

SBIR/STTR provides funding in two phases: Small businesses can receive up to $200,000 in Phase I to prove the feasibility of an idea; successful awardees can then receive up to $1.1 million in Phase II for prototype development. 

Mandatory letters of intent for this funding opportunity are due February 2 by 5:00 p.m. ET. Please review the funding opportunity announcement for more information. 

Through the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), SBIR/STTR funding is awarded to companies that are working to advance the affordability, reliability, and performance of solar technologies on the grid. SETO seeks solutions in the following subtopics: 

• Power Electronic Technologies for Solar Systems 
• Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Cycles for Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power (CSP)  
• CSP Technologies for Gen3 CSP, Commercial CSP (Gen2 CSP), or Concentrated Solar Industrial Process Heat  
• Solar Hardware and Software Technologies: Affordability, Reliability, Performance, and Manufacturing  

SETO, through the American-Made Network, is providing free application education services. Email the following points of contact for more details. 

• ADL Ventures: Frank Yang, Athanasios Tsouknidas, and Nigara Nizamidin 
• Clean Energy Business Network: Lynn Abramson, Andy Barnes, Allie Judge, and Awa Darboe
• Entrepreneur Futures Network: Thomas Jensen 
• OpenSeas Technology Innovation Hub at Old Dominion University: Jerry Cronin and Steve Goad 
• University of Arizona Center for Innovation: Amanda Buchanan and Casey Carillo  

Learn more about this funding opportunity and view the slides from SETO's informational webinar.