Seeking Solar Small Businesses: New R&D Funding

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Energy dot gov Office of Energy Efficiency and renewable energy

Solar Energy Technologies Office 

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SBIR-STTR

On December 13, 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 2022. Through SBIR/STTR, U.S. small businesses are encouraged to engage in high-risk, innovative research and technology development (R&D) with the potential for commercialization.

Small businesses play a major role in spurring innovation and creating jobs in the U.S. economy. SBIR/STTR enables DOE to achieve its research and development goals through funding to small businesses. 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.

Letters of intent for this funding opportunity are due January 3, 2022, by 5:00 p.m. ET. Along with your business information, the letter of intent must contain a 500-word technical abstract of your innovation. Please review the FOA for more information.

Topics 15 and 16 contain the solar subtopics for the funding opportunity, which are:

  • Multiuse Integrated Photovoltaic (PV) Systems (15a)
  • PV Recycling (15b)
  • Next-Generation Power Electronics Based on Silicon Carbide and/or Planar Magnetics (15c)
  • Technologies to Integrate Solar Generation with Energy Storage Systems and/or Electric Vehicle Charging (15d)
  • Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power System Construction, Manufacturing, and Reliability (15e)
  • Solar Hardware and Software Technologies: Affordability, Reliability, Performance, and Manufacturing (15f)
  • Transferring Novel Solar Technologies from Research Laboratories to the Market (16a, STTR only)
  • Concentrating Solar Power Technologies for Industrial Decarbonization (16b, STTR only)
  • Next-Generation Solar Forecasting (16c, STTR only)

Two additional technology transfer opportunities are available, which are designed to transfer a patented technology from a National Lab to a small business for commercialization:

  • Hierarchical Distributed Voltage Regulation in Networked Autonomous Grids (15g)
  • Novel Solar Collector Tracking Error Direction (15h)

Visit the SBIR/STTR webpage to learn more. We look forward to seeing your applications!