The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced 106 awards totaling $126 million in research and development grants for 90 different small businesses whose projects will address multiple mission areas across the Department, including clean energy and decarbonization, cybersecurity and grid reliability, fusion energy, and nuclear nonproliferation.

According to DOE, small businesses are the backbone of the US’s economy, employing nearly half of all private-sector workers in the United States, and will play a major role in decarbonizing the economy, bolstering national security, and meeting President Biden’s ambitious climate goals.

“Big ideas become realities in the labs, workshops, factories, and plants of America’s small businesses,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Small businesses tackle monumental issues all over the country, including climate change. DOE’s small business grants help companies across the country to develop the technologies, products, and infrastructure we will need for the transition to clean energy,” she added.

American small business plays a critical role in facilitating the transition from discovery to innovation, helping create a bridge between the scientific laboratory and the commercial marketplace. DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards strive to transform DOE-supported science and technology breakthroughs into viable products and services. The awards also support the development of specialized technologies and instruments that aid in scientific discovery.  

Funded through the DOE’s SBIR/STTR program, selections are for Phase II research and development of projects that either demonstrated feasibility for innovations during Phase I or are continuing prototype and process development from previous Phase II awards. The median Phase II award is $1.1 million for a period of two years.