DOE Opens FY2026 Genesis Mission SBIR/STTR Phase I Opportunity Under New Pitch-First Process
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Initial Pitch applications are due September 10, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT.
Required Registrations
- System for Award Management (SAM.gov)
- SBA Company Registry
- DOE SBIR/STTR Application Hub, administered through ConnectWerx and the Acquisition Management Portal (AMP)
SAM registration provides the company’s Unique Entity Identifier and may take up to eight weeks. The SBA Company Registry requires the company’s UEI. Registration for the new DOE SBIR/STTR Application Hub is expected to take less than five minutes. Applicants should begin the registration process as early as possible. (The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov)
Key Dates
- July 22, 2026: Opportunity announced; applicants may request access to AMP
- Mid-August 2026: Pitch application portal expected to open
- Mid-August 2026: Two virtual informational Office Hours sessions
- September 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT: Pitch application deadline
- Fall 2026: Additional DOE Phase I opportunity expected to open
Dates and registration information for the two August Office Hours sessions have not yet been posted. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
DOE Introduces a Substantially Different SBIR/STTR Process
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new $10 million FY2026 SBIR/STTR Phase I opportunity on July 22, 2026. The opportunity is focused on four technology areas supporting the DOE Genesis Mission and is expected to produce approximately 40 Phase I awards. (The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov)
This is the first DOE Phase I opportunity released under the management of the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization and its partnership intermediary, ConnectWerx. The application and award process differs significantly from DOE SBIR/STTR competitions in previous years.
The most immediate change is a mandatory Pitch application. Applicants cannot proceed directly to a full Phase I application. Only companies whose Pitches are accepted will be invited to prepare and submit a full application. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
DOE has also redesigned how successful projects may advance through later phases. New participants enter through Phase I and may subsequently progress through Phase II, additional Phase II awards, and potentially a Strategic Breakthrough Award through milestone-based Go/No-Go decisions. DOE states that participants entering the new program will not be required to prepare separate applications for each subsequent phase. Advancement will instead depend on successful performance, completion of negotiated milestones, DOE approval, and the availability of funding. (The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov)
In practical terms, the new entry process has two steps:
- Submit a short Pitch application.
- If invited, submit the full Phase I application that enters the company into the new milestone-based program.
DOE is not currently offering a Direct to Phase II pathway for new applicants. New participants must enter through Phase I. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Phase I Funding
DOE intends to make approximately 40 Phase I awards totaling $10 million.
General DOE Phase I parameters include:
- Maximum Phase I award: Up to $250,000, excluding approved Technical and Business Assistance expenses
- Period of performance: Six to 12 months
- Purpose: Establish technical feasibility, demonstrate proof of concept, and begin commercialization planning
Following Phase I, DOE will make a Go/No-Go decision to determine whether a project may advance. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Genesis Mission Topic Areas
Applicants must select and remain aligned with one of the following four topic areas.
- Scaling the Biotechnology Revolution
DOE seeks advanced artificial intelligence tools for biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Areas of interest include biomolecular design, genotype-phenotype relationships, predictive microbiome engineering, microbiome gene expression, bioreactor design, biomanufacturing, genome engineering, biochemicals, and bioproducts.
- Realizing Quantum Systems for Discovery: AI for Quantum Computing and Networking
This topic seeks AI-enabled approaches that improve quantum computing and quantum networking. Potential applications include qubit characterization, decoherence mitigation, quantum error correction, processor and network control, resource estimation, performance verification, translation of high-level problems into executable quantum programs, and management of workflows combining quantum systems, AI, and high-performance computing.
- Designing Materials with Predictable Functionality
DOE seeks advanced AI frameworks that accelerate the design and deployment of materials with specified properties. Of particular interest is inverse design—the use of computational tools to begin with a desired function or performance requirement and identify materials capable of providing it.
- Achieving AI-Driven Autonomous Laboratories
This topic focuses on integrating AI into experimental workflows to accelerate discovery, improve repeatability, and produce richer datasets. Areas of interest include laboratory robotics, diagnostics, remote handling, AI for network operations, automated experimentation, and neuromorphic computing circuit primitives. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Applicants should review the complete topic descriptions on the FY2026 Phase I Genesis Mission opportunity page before determining whether their technology is responsive.
What Is Required in the Pitch?
The Pitch is a short, structured submission rather than a conventional full proposal. Applicants will answer four open-text questions, totaling no more than 700 words:
- Summary, Topic, and Mission Alignment — 100 words or fewer
Provide a layperson overview and explain how the project aligns with the selected topic and DOE’s mission. - Technical Promise — 200 words or fewer
Explain the project’s scientific and technical foundation, including the significance of the problem, the innovation of the proposed solution, and whether the concept can be demonstrated within the proposed time and budget. - Commercialization Potential — 200 words or fewer
Describe the market need, customer value proposition, competitive advantage, target customers, sales channels, supply-chain considerations, and pathway to revenue. - Team Qualifications — 200 words or fewer
Describe the team’s relevant technical and commercialization experience, external partnerships or plans to establish them, and the company’s strategy for securing follow-on funding.
The four areas are equally weighted during Pitch evaluation. Applicants may also upload a bibliography and references document, although it is optional. Letters of commitment are not required at the Pitch stage, but DOE indicates that credible partnerships may strengthen the submission. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Applicants must disclose whether and how generative AI was used to develop both the Pitch and the full application. The applicant remains responsible for the accuracy, authenticity, and authorship of all submitted content. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Questions Raised by the New Process
When will applicants receive a decision on their Pitch?
DOE and ConnectWerx have not published a Pitch-review duration or a target date for decisions.
Applicants will receive an email confirming that the Pitch was received. They will receive another email when a decision is complete, with instructions to log into AMP and view the result. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
How much time will invited companies have to prepare the full application?
The full application deadline and the amount of preparation time provided to invited applicants have not been announced.
This is an important unanswered question because applicants will not know how much time they have to develop the technical narrative, work plan, budget, commercialization plan, team documentation, and other required materials until DOE publishes the next stage of the schedule.
Will an applicant receive feedback if its Pitch is declined?
Yes. ConnectWerx states that when DOE does not extend an invitation to continue, the company will receive a brief explanation. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Can the company or topic change after Pitch submission?
No. The selected topic and the prime small business cannot change between the Pitch and full application. A minor modification to the project title is permitted. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Can a company submit a full application without an accepted Pitch?
No. Companies that do not submit a Pitch—or whose Pitch is declined—will not be eligible to submit a full Phase I application under this opportunity. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Are there new registrations?
Yes. In addition to SAM.gov and the SBA Company Registry, applicants must register with the new DOE SBIR/STTR Application Hub administered through ConnectWerx and AMP. Grants.gov and DOE’s Portfolio Analysis and Management System are not identified among the three required systems in DOE’s current registration guidance. (The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov)
There is, however, an apparent ambiguity in the current instructions. DOE’s registration page states that all three registrations must be completed before an application can be submitted. The ConnectWerx FAQ states that a company still being formed may submit at the Pitch stage without completing all company registrations, provided the registrations are complete by the time of award. Applicants should seek clarification during Office Hours and should not delay registration if the company is already established. (The Department of Energy’s Energy.gov)
When are the August Office Hours?
DOE has announced two virtual Office Hours sessions for mid-August, but exact dates, times, and registration links had not been published as of July 23, 2026.
Applicants should monitor the Genesis Mission opportunity page and the ConnectWerx SBIR/STTR resources page for updates.
Additional Opportunity to Ask Questions
The U.S. Small Business Administration will host an America’s Seed Fund Summit Meet the Program Directors session on:
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
3:00–4:00 p.m. ET / 2:00–3:00 p.m. CT
Free and virtual
The session is intended to connect small businesses with federal SBIR/STTR program representatives. SBA had not published a list of participating agencies on the event page as of July 23, but the session may provide another opportunity to raise questions about current agency processes and funding opportunities.
View the SBA event and register. (Small Business Administration)
Separate $147 Million Phase II Opportunity
DOE has also opened a separate FY2025 Phase II opportunity providing up to $147,394,250 for eligible prior DOE awardees.
Phase II application deadline:
September 25, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. CT
This is not an open Phase II competition for new participants. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s prior DOE Phase I, Phase II, or follow-on Phase II award, the fiscal year of that award, and its alignment with the topics and prior funding announcements identified by DOE.
The Phase II opportunity is designed to bring qualifying legacy DOE projects into the redesigned milestone-based program. Eligible prior awardees should review the FY2025 Phase II opportunity page and any direct communication received from DOE or ConnectWerx. (sbir-sttr.connectwerx.org)
Before Preparing a Pitch
Prospective applicants should:
- Read the complete topic description and confirm that the proposed R&D directly addresses the stated scope.
- Request access to the DOE SBIR/STTR Application Hub.
- Begin SAM.gov and SBA Company Registry registrations immediately.
- Download the Pitch Development Guide and draft responses outside the portal.
- Clearly distinguish the proposed technical innovation from routine product development or engineering.
- Demonstrate that the Phase I work presents genuine technical uncertainty requiring research and development.
- Identify the initial customer, market need, competitive alternatives, and pathway to revenue.
- Confirm that the team can perform the proposed work and satisfy SBIR or STTR employment and level-of-effort requirements.
- Prepare specific questions for the August Office Hours sessions.
Minnesota-based small businesses seeking assistance with SBIR/STTR readiness and proposal development may begin with the MNSBIR Start Your Journey page.