OCED Announces up to $31 Million for Small Businesses to Innovate American Energy Technologies – CleanTechnica

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OCED Announces up to $31 Million for Small Businesses to Innovate American Energy Technologies

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) today released a new funding solicitation for up to $31 million to validate in operational conditions new energy technology components or systems to be integrated in larger-scale energy projects. This funding, part of OCED’s Pilot-scale Rapid Operational Validation of key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (PROVE IT) program, aims to support small businesses as they innovate clean energy technologies. The goal of the program is to support and develop an ecosystem of small businesses providing new technology solutions and the workforce to meet the need of first-of-a-kind demonstration projects and the future clean energy infrastructure industry. This solicitation is issued under the OCED Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

This solicitation follows a Request for Information issued in June 2023 requesting input on the need and opportunity of a program to support pilot-scale operational validation. Responses largely came from small businesses and industry trade groups representing hundreds of businesses, and overwhelmingly identified a need for funding to validate, scale, and de-risk aspects of a new technology before being ready for a large demonstration effort or commercialization in the clean energy infrastructure industry. In response to this feedback, OCED is launching the PROVE IT program.

This funding will be open to small, independent, domestic businesses, and is split into two topic areas. The first offers up to $22 million for up to five pilot-scale-ready carbon capture projects. The second offers up to $9 million for up to two long-duration energy storage projects.

This solicitation builds on OCED’s existing Carbon Capture Large-Scale Pilot Projects Program as well as the Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations Program. Read the full solicitation here. Step 1 of applications are due by April 7, 2025, at 5 p.m., ET, with step 2 deadline to follow early June 2025. OCED is planning to host an informational webinar on February 5, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., ET to discuss the funding announcement. Register for the webinar here.