DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Funding Opportunity Announcements
U.S. Department of Energy — Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
$500K–$20M+ per award
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 9 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
EERE clean energy R&D and demonstration grants
EERE issues competitive Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) year-round across clean energy technology areas: wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen, vehicle technologies, advanced manufacturing, building efficiency, and bioenergy. Awards range from small R&D projects under $500K to multi-million applied technology demos. Small businesses, startups, manufacturers, and universities all compete. This umbrella record covers the EERE FOA channel; applicants search eere.energy.gov/funding for active opportunities matching their technology area.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $300,000 – $20,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most small-business and startup awards range from $500K to $3M for R&D-focused FOAs. Larger multi-year demos can reach $…
- Deadline
- Rolling — multiple FOAs open at any given time. Search eere.energy.gov/funding or grants.gov for current active opportunities by technology area.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- reimbursement
Who qualifies
- Open to U.S.-based entities: for-profit companies (including small businesses), universities, nonprofits, state/local governments, and national laboratories
- Foreign entities may participate as subrecipients but are generally ineligible as prime awardees
- SAM.gov active registration with valid UEI required before application
- Most FOAs require cost-share: 20% for most R&D FOAs; 50% for later-stage demonstrations (verify per specific FOA)
- Concept Paper submission typically required; full application only requested from 'Encouraged' applicants
- Specific technology scope, eligibility restrictions, and set-asides vary by individual FOA — read the FOA carefully before preparing an application
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Salaries and fringe benefits for technical and management personnel
- Laboratory equipment, instrumentation, and test infrastructure directly tied to the project
- Materials, components, and prototype fabrication costs
- Subcontracts with universities, national labs, or other partners
- Travel for collaboration, conferences, and DOE review meetings
- Indirect/overhead costs at the organization's federally negotiated rate (NICRA)
- Computing resources, data management, and software
Ineligible expenses
- Costs incurred before the award start date
- Construction of new buildings or major facility renovations (unless specifically allowed by FOA)
- International travel (requires specific DOE approval)
- Lobbying
- Profit or fee for nonprofits and universities (for-profit awardees may include fee per DOE policy)
How to apply
-
1
Find and review an active EERE FOA
Search exchange.energy.gov or eere.energy.gov/funding for open opportunities in your technology area. Read the full FOA document — pay attention to: technology scope, applicant eligibility, cost-share percentage, page limits, and the Concept Paper submission window.
~4 hrs
-
2
Register on EERE eXCHANGE and confirm SAM.gov status
Create an account at exchange.energy.gov — EERE's proprietary FOA management portal where Concept Papers and full applications are submitted. Confirm your SAM.gov entity registration is active and your UEI is valid. Note: SAM.gov new registrations take up to 10 business days.
~3 hrs
-
3
Submit Concept Paper
Most EERE FOAs require a 2–5 page Concept Paper before a full application is invited. The Concept Paper describes your proposed approach, team, and cost-share plan. DOE reviewers respond with 'Encouraged' or 'Discouraged' — only 'Encouraged' applicants are asked to submit full applications. Investing in a full application after a 'Discouraged' response is almost never worth it.
~20 hrs
-
4
Develop full application (if encouraged)
Write the technical volume (project narrative, approach, milestones, merit criteria response), management volume (team qualifications, facilities), and budget. Prepare SF-424 forms. Confirm cost-share source and document it — DOE scrutinizes cost-share commitments heavily.
~80 hrs
-
5
Submit via EERE eXCHANGE
Submit all required documents through exchange.energy.gov before the FOA deadline. Submit at least 48 hours early — the system is sometimes congested near deadlines. Track status in the portal.
~4 hrs
Industry & certifications
NAICS codes: 541715, 541712, 335999, 333611, 334413
A 'Discouraged' Concept Paper response is a hard stop — pursuing a full application anyway almost never results in an award.
Deadline & timing
EERE issues dozens of FOAs per fiscal year across its program offices. Each FOA has its own timeline, typically 30–90 days from announcement to full-application close. Applicants typically must first submit a Concept Paper (2-5 pages) that is invited/discouraged before a full application is requested. Monitor the EERE eXCHANGE portal (exchange.energy.gov) — this is EERE's primary FOA management system, separate from grants.gov.
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