WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) announced its intent to fund the advancement of novel, high-impact chemical technologies. The proposed funding opportunity, Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT), will advance technologies for producing chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks. In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Unleashing American Energy, this funding opportunity will strengthen domestic supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign imports, and accelerate American technology innovation.
More than 96% of manufactured goods rely on products from the U.S. chemical sector, which directly employs more than half a million Americans. The ASPECT funding opportunity will reinforce domestic manufacturing and chemical supply chains by expanding the use of alternative feedstocks. Funding provided through ASPECT will target chemical technologies that improve performance, reduce costs, and show large market growth potential.
AFFO expects to issue a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) in August 2026, making up to $58 million available for projects that address the following topic areas:
Topic Area 1: Bench ASPECT
Topic Area 1 will support the development and adoption of new technologies for producing chemicals from alternative feedstocks, moving beyond proof-of-concept to bench and pre-pilot scale. Applicants can choose between two sub-topic areas:
- Topic Area 1a (Bench Only): This sub-topic area is intended for technologies currently beyond proof-of-concept and ready for additional bench scale research and development (R&D) work. Funding in this sub-topic area will support process development and optimization at the bench scale for promising early-stage chemical technology development.
- Topic Area 1b (Bench Scale and Unit Operation Pre-Piloting): This sub-topic area will allow for both the R&D work in sub-topic area 1a and will lower scale-up risk by pre-piloting one or more unit operations at the successful completion of the initial R&D work.
Topic Area 2: Pre-pilot ASPECT
Topic Area 2 will aim to accelerate the development and market entry of strategically valuable, domestically produced chemicals. This topic area will seek proposals to design, construct, and operate pre-pilot scale facilities that convert alternative feedstocks into chemicals. Applicants can choose between two sub-topic areas:
- Topic Area 2a (Unit Operation Pre-Piloting and Pre-Pilot System Integration): This sub-topic area will support the development of technologies that require testing of one- or two-unit operations at scale before an integrated pre-pilot facility can be designed. Upon successful completion of these tasks, projects funded in this sub-topic area will then design, construct, and operate an integrated pre-pilot system.
- Topic Area 2b (Pre-Pilot System Integration Only): This sub-topic area will support the development of technologies that have prior-scale data and are ready for pre-pilot system integration. Projects funded in this area will design, construct, and operate an integrated pre-pilot system.
View the NOI DE-FOA-0003646 on DOE eXCHANGE for more information on applicant eligibility and registration requirements. The full NOI is also available on Grants.gov.
Informational Webinar
Following the NOFO announcement, AFFO intends to host an informational webinar to discuss a new, streamlined application and review process.
Teaming Partner List
DOE expects to facilitate a Teaming Partner List should an ASPECT NOFO be issued. The aim of the list is to help organizations find potential collaborators and form new project teams for this potential NOFO. The Teaming Partner List is available on DOE eXCHANGE under NOI DE-FOA-0003646. The list will be updated periodically to reflect new Teaming Partners who have provided their information until the close of the Full Application period.
Important Note: By asking to be on the Teaming Parter List, you agree that the information you provide can be shared publicly. By facilitating this List, DOE does not endorse or otherwise evaluate the qualifications of the entities that self-identify themselves for placement on the Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any respondents for the development of such information.
This NOI is for informational purposes only; DOE is not requesting comments or applications at this time. All information provided here is subject to change. This notice serves to inform interested parties that DOE may issue a NOFO. Please be aware that any future NOFO could differ significantly from what is described here, or one may not be issued at all. DOE will provide a designated channel for questions once a NOFO is officially released.