Funding Notice: Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) today announced up to $58 million in funding to advance novel, high-impact chemical technologies that use domestically sourced alternative and waste feedstocks. Projects funded through this initiative will advance new methods of chemical production that maximize the use of America’s vast biomass and waste resources. This funding supports President Trump’s Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, which calls for targeted federal investment in technology innovation that strengthens the U.S. chemical sector. 

The Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) funding opportunity promotes the development and commercialization of chemical technologies that lower costs, enhance performance, reduce reliance on imports, and unlock strong market growth potential. ASPECT seeks to reduce time to market by moving projects from laboratory research to pre-pilot scale testing with two primary topic areas, BENCH ASPECT and Pre-pilot ASPECT. 

TOPICS

• Topic Area 1: Bench ASPECT

  The Bench ASPECT topic area will move technologies beyond proof-of-concept to bench and pre-pilot scale seeking proposals that validate and optimize technologies and provide economic assessment for further development. Applicants can choose between two sub-topic areas:

  • 1a:       Bench-Scale Technologies
  • 1b:       Bench-Scale and Unit Operation Pre-piloting

• Topic Area 2: Pre-pilot ASPECT

  Pre-pilot ASPECT topic area proposals should accelerate the development and market entry of strategically valuable, domestically produced chemicals. Proposals will focus on the design, construction, and operation of pre-pilot scale facilities that convert alternative feedstocks into chemicals. Applicants can choose between two sub-topic areas:

  • 2a: Unit Operation Pre-piloting and Pre-pilot System Integration
  • 2b: Pre-pilot System Integration

Applicants must submit concept papers by October 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, to be eligible to submit a Stage 1 full application. More information on the ASPECT funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0003647) can be found on DOE eXCHANGE. The full ASPECT funding opportunity application is also available on Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Contact ASPECT@doe.gov for additional information.

Informational Webinar 

AFFO will host an informational webinar for potential applicants on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET, to discuss the streamlined application and review process.

Teaming Partner List 

DOE is facilitating a Teaming Partner List to help organizations find potential collaborators and form project teams for this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Teaming Partner List allows organizations interested in participating in a project to express their interest to other applicants and explore potential partnerships. The Teaming Partner List for this NOFO is available on DOE eXCHANGE, and it will be regularly updated to reflect new Teaming Partners who have provided their information until the close of the Full Application period.  

Important Note: When you submit a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, your organization consents to publication of the registration information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that ask to be placed on the Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for any information you provide, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for developing such information.

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