The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a significant investment in innovation with $52 million in grants awarded to 229 small businesses across 39 states. This funding, part of the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, supports a wide range of projects aimed at advancing technology and energy solutions.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to fostering small business growth and technological advancement. “Since Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has supported small businesses, prompting record growth in the U.S. economy,” Granholm stated. “With research and development grants awarded for small businesses in nearly every state, DOE continues to invest in an industrial strategy that leaves no community behind as we transition to a clean energy economy.”
The DOE’s funding primarily supports Phase I research and development, with a limited number of Fast-Track (combined Phase I & II) awards. The median Phase I award amount is $200,000, covering a period of six to twelve months. These projects aim to solve critical problems such as enhancing cybersecurity for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, developing new methods for radiation threat detection, and manufacturing lithium metal for batteries.
Among the notable projects receiving funding:
- Advanced Grid Technologies, Lancaster, PA: Working to extend the lifetime and reliability of distribution transformers, addressing the shortage of new transformers and improving grid reliability.
- Resonant Link, Inc., Shelburne, VT: Developing high-performance wireless chargers for electric transit systems to optimize charging infrastructure and support sustainable urban mobility.
- Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc., Frederick, MD: Creating a low-cost biomass conversion system for sustainable aviation fuels, aiming to reduce SAF costs and meet environmental targets.
- RookStack, LLC, Indianapolis, IN: Utilizing AI to accurately size residential heating and cooling equipment, reducing equipment oversizing.
- RhinoCorps, Albuquerque, NM: Investigating new technologies for enhancing physical protection and reducing operational costs at nuclear facilities.
- Nokomis, Inc., Charleroi, PA: Developing hardware-based cyberthreat detection technology for electric vehicle charging infrastructure to safeguard against cyberattacks.
These projects, funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, reflect the DOE’s ongoing effort to support cutting-edge innovations and ensure that advancements benefit all communities. The SBIR/STTR programs have a proven track record, with previous grantees raising $8.6 billion in private-sector follow-on funding and making over a thousand inventions and patent applications.
