DOE SBIR and STTR awards and R&D opportunities
DOE runs SBIR and STTR across its science, energy and nuclear offices, plus ARPA-E. The program moved to DOE's Office of Technology Commercialization in 2026, and most awards are grants. DOE's official SBIR/STTR site has its current topics and deadlines.
- Awards, 2022–2026
- 2,043
- Awarded
- $1.1 billion
- Phase II share
- 34%
- Open DOE R&D notices
- 22
Open DOE R&D opportunities, due soonest
22 open notices on SAM.gov have an R&D NAICS code or a BAA, SBIR, STTR or commercial solutions opening in the title.
- Request for Information (RFI) on Identifying Basic Research Challenges to Accelerate United States Biotechnology Leadership
Due in 5 daysOct 15, 2026
- Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project
✦ The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), a Department of Energy lab run by Alliance for Energy Innovation, says it plans to post a full and open competitive RFP for its…
Due in 5 daysOct 15, 2026
- Chain Reaction Innovations - Energy Technology Innovation
✦ Argonne National Laboratory (a Department of Energy lab in Lemont, Illinois) is running its annual Chain Reaction Innovations competition for the 2027 cohort.
Due in 20 daysOct 30, 2026
- Collaboration Opportunity: Efficient Adsorptive Recovery of HREEs and Critical Minerals from Coal Derivatives
Due in 31 daysNov 10, 2026
- 2026 Distributed Wind Turbine Competitiveness Improvement Project
✦ The National Laboratory of the Rockies (a DOE lab run by Alliance for Energy Innovation) is seeking proposals for small subcontracts to help U.S. companies develop, build, test,…
Due in 34 daysNov 13, 2026
- TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: PBI High-Temperature Hollow Fiber Membranes
Due in 55 daysDec 5, 2026
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Get R&D alertsDOE and the 2026 SBIR restart
SBIR and STTR lapsed from October 1, 2025 until the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act reauthorized them on April 13, 2026, through September 30, 2031. DOE moved SBIR and STTR to its Office of Technology Commercialization. A Genesis Mission Phase I opportunity opened July 22, 2026, and DOE says a broader Phase I opportunity is expected later this fall. Applications go through ConnectWerx rather than Grants.gov.
DOE SBIR and STTR awards by year
| Award year | Phase I | Phase II | Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | 0 | 1 | $1.1 million |
| 2025 | 149 | 67 | $110.3 million |
| 2024 | 361 | 193 | $309.7 million |
| 2023 | 390 | 193 | $308.6 million |
| 2022 | 442 | 247 | $372.8 million |
| 2021 | 465 | 229 | $349.1 million |
| 2020 | 440 | 224 | $333.9 million |
| 2019 | 418 | 202 | $296.6 million |
| 2018 | 407 | 194 | $277.4 million |
| 2017 | 342 | 192 | $252 million |
| 2016 | 330 | 170 | $226.9 million |
258 of the 2,043 awards since 2022 were STTR, which requires a research institution partner.
2025 and 2026 are low because the programs' authority lapsed from October 2025 to April 2026, and because agencies report new awards to SBIR.gov months late (some agencies' newest reported awards are from 2024 or 2025).
Top DOE SBIR recipients
Small businesses with the most DOE SBIR and STTR dollars since 2022:
| Company | State | Awards | Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. | MA | 44 | $28.3 million |
| Advanced Cooling Technologies Inc | PA | 32 | $20.1 million |
| Radiabeam Technologies, LLC | CA | 27 | $19.5 million |
| Tda Research, Inc. | CO | 25 | $14.2 million |
| Faraday Technology, Inc. | OH | 18 | $12.4 million |
| Coreform Inc. | UT | 17 | $12.1 million |
| Physical Sciences Inc. | MA | 23 | $12 million |
| Radiabeam Systems, LLC | CA | 12 | $8.9 million |
| Giner Inc | MA | 13 | $8.5 million |
| Kitware Inc | NY | 12 | $8.1 million |
| Sydor Instruments, LLC | NY | 9 | $7.6 million |
| Radiasoft LLC | CO | 15 | $7.6 million |
| Quantitative Biosciences, Inc. | CA | 8 | $7.5 million |
| Precision Combustion, Inc. | CT | 10 | $7 million |
| Nanosonic Inc. | VA | 15 | $6.9 million |
Newest DOE SBIR and STTR awards
| Awarded | Company | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2026 | Nanosonic Inc. | SBIR Phase II 3D Printed Bimetallic Structures for Radio Frequency Devices, Topic 34a | $1.1 million |
| Jan 1, 2026 | Sealion Energy Inc. | SBIR Phase II TARDIS-J: Tunable Activation & Regeneration in Devices using In-Situ Jamming | $1.3 million |
| Dec 20, 2025 | Verinomics, Inc. | SBIR Phase II Developing a sterile, high-yield phytomining platform to bring low-carbon nickel production to the United… | $750,304 |
| Oct 15, 2025 | Advanced Environmental Technologies LLC | SBIR Phase II Development of an Alfalfa/Biodigested Lignite/Fungal Bioleaching-based System to Enhance Phytomining of… | $305,941 |
| Oct 3, 2025 | Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. | SBIR Phase II Conformal Neutron Supermirrors by Atomic Layer Deposition | $1.1 million |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Spectral Energies LLC | SBIR Phase I Extending Lifetime of Sensors and Electronics by In-Operando Rejuvenation | $199,937 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Capesym Inc | SBIR Phase I Low-Cost High-Efficiency X-ray Imaging Panels for Field Radiography | $200,000 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Starfire Industries, LLC | SBIR Phase I PVD manufacturing process for inner protective liners enabling advanced cladding compositions to reduce… | $200,000 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Jouleone Inc. | SBIR Phase I Development of Publicly Available Online Microgrid Database with AI/ML Big Data Analytics Driven by Data… | $200,000 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | X-Wave Innovations, Inc. | SBIR Phase I EddyGraph: A Modular, Precision Swept Frequency Eddy Current Based Graphite Inspection System | $200,000 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Comprex, LLC | SBIR Phase I Low cost modular diffusion bonded heat exchanger | $206,500 |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Ultool LLC | SBIR Phase I Elasto-Hydrostatic Bearing for sCO2 Applications | $200,000 |
Frequently asked questions
How many SBIR awards does DOE make?
Department of Energy made 2,043 SBIR and STTR awards worth $1.1 billion from 2022 through the latest SBIR.gov data, 701 of them Phase II. The average Phase I award was about $215,848 and average Phase II about $1.2 million.
Where does DOE post SBIR topics?
On its official SBIR/STTR site (www.energy.gov/technologycommercialization/doe-small-business-innovation-research-sbir-and-small-business). Related R&D solicitations and broad agency announcements are also posted on SAM.gov.
Is DOE accepting SBIR proposals in 2026?
SBIR and STTR lapsed from October 1, 2025 until the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act reauthorized them on April 13, 2026, through September 30, 2031. DOE moved SBIR and STTR to its Office of Technology Commercialization. A Genesis Mission Phase I opportunity opened July 22, 2026, and DOE says a broader Phase I opportunity is expected later this fall. Applications go through ConnectWerx rather than Grants.gov.
Other SBIR agencies
DoD · HHS · NASA · NSF · USDA · Commerce · DHS · DOT · EPA · Education
Award data from SBIR.gov's public award file, updated monthly; contact and researcher names are left out. Open notices from SAM.gov, updated daily.