The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (STTR) offer seed funding to small businesses in order to support development and commercialization of novel ideas and ground-breaking research. Both SBIR and STTR programs were created by Congress to support the nation's economy through providing a platform for investing federal research funds into projects with high scientific and technological potential.
SBIR and STTR Phase I grants enable small businesses to research technical feasibility of new innovations that advance the Department’s mission. Phase II grants let prior Phase I grantees develop novel prototypes or processes to validate their Phase I research findings.
View a full listing of U.S. Department of Energy SBIR and STTR awards by fiscal year.
The Energy Department awarded 231 SBIR and STTR grants totaling $46 million to 202 small businesses in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Seven small businesses were selected by EERE’s Water Power Technologies Office. In this round of funding, businesses received Phase I Release 2 grants to demonstrate technical feasibility for innovations during the first phase of their research. Most Phase I awards are for $200,000 for less than one year.
As part of a $34 million announcement by Energy Department Secretary Rick Perry, for SBIR and STTR research and development projects, EERE funded 87 new projects across 34 states, totaling nearly $13 million in funding. WPTO selected four projects for Phase I funding within the topic area of environmentally-acceptable lubricants for hydropower applications.
The Energy Department awarded 263 research and development grants totaling $116 million to 184 small businesses in 40 states—including four grants for water power projects. SBIR and STTR selections were for both Phase I and II research and development.
In support of National Small Business Week, the Energy Department announced 61 projects led by small businesses in 25 states to develop clean energy technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation. The awards of $150,000 each, totaling more than $9 million, help small businesses with promising ideas that could improve manufacturing processes, boost the efficiency of buildings, increase transportation sustainability, and generate electricity from renewable sources. WPTO selected five total projects across both Phase I and Phase II.