SBIR/STTR FY 2017 Phase II Release 1 | DE FOA 0001645

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001645

The SBIR/STTR FY 2017 Phase II Release 1 funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0001645) is a Department of Energy Office of Science grant program designed specifically for small businesses that have already completed a related Phase I effort under the earlier FY 2016 SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 1 solicitation (DE-FOA-0001366). In plain terms, this Phase II call is the next step after Phase I: it funds the heavier research and development work needed to meet DOE technical objectives that were defined in the original topic and subtopic from the Phase I announcement. Because it is explicitly described as supplemental to the Phase I FOA, applicants are expected to treat the Phase I solicitation as the baseline source of general rules, definitions, and program structure, with this Phase II release providing the Phase II-specific pathway, timing, and award expectations.

The core purpose of an Initial Phase II award here is to move beyond early feasibility results and into substantive R and D that closes the remaining technical gaps and proves the technology at a much more convincing level. The DOE frames Phase II as the stage where a small business should be executing a focused development plan that advances performance, reliability, manufacturability, scalability, integration, and/or validation, depending on the technical area. The intent is not just to publish results, but to arrive at a tangible outcome that materially reduces risk for real-world adoption. In many cases, the DOE expects Phase II projects to yield a prototype, a product candidate, or a working process that can be demonstrated in a credible way to a potential investor or customer. That customer could be in the private market or within government, including the DOE itself, which underscores that the program is meant to bridge federal R and D priorities with commercial and operational deployment.

From a funding and competitiveness standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as a discretionary grant in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity area, listed under CFDA 81.049. The award ceiling is stated as up to $1,000,000 per award, which sets the maximum federal support anticipated for an individual Phase II project under this release. The DOE projected approximately 78 awards, indicating a relatively large cohort for a Phase II round, though actual selection would still depend on the quality of applications, alignment to DOE objectives, and available appropriations. The solicitation was created on October 24, 2016, with an original closing date of December 13, 2016, making it a time-bound Phase II competition rather than an open, continuously accepting program.

Eligibility is limited to small businesses, consistent with SBIR/STTR requirements and the program goal of strengthening innovation capacity in the small-business sector. The administering organization is the Department of Energy, Office of Science. Taken together, the announcement communicates a very specific expectation: Phase II funding is meant to be used to execute the next, more demanding stage of development that directly responds to DOE-defined objectives from Phase I topics, while also pushing the company toward a position where it can credibly pursue commercialization right after the grant. The end state the DOE is signaling is a demonstration-ready technology with a clear line of sight to investors and customers, rather than an exploratory research effort without an adoption pathway.

• The Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SBIR/STTR FY 2017 Phase II Release 1" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.049.
• This funding opportunity was created on Oct 24, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 13, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 78 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for DE FOA 0001645

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