Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0002785: Exploratory Topics (SBIR/STTR) | DE FOA 0002785

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002785

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002785, titled "Exploratory Topics (SBIR/STTR)," is an ARPA-E funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy aimed specifically at small businesses proposing high-risk, high-reward energy technology research and development. The core idea is to create space for unconventional, early-stage concepts that could become genuinely disruptive if they work, meaning they could open up entirely new technical pathways, reset cost and performance expectations, and eventually compete with or replace incumbent energy technologies. Unlike programs that focus on steady, incremental improvements along well-known development roadmaps, ARPA-E is looking for approaches that could produce a fundamentally new "learning curve" with the potential for dramatic cost or performance advantages over time.

This FOA sits under ARPA-E's broader congressional mission, established through the America COMPETES Act and later updates, to strengthen U.S. economic and energy security through advanced energy technologies. The mission areas emphasized include reducing reliance on imported energy, cutting energy-related emissions (including greenhouse gases), improving energy efficiency across the economy, advancing solutions for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management, and improving the resilience, reliability, and security of energy infrastructure. In practice, that means proposals can span a wide range of energy applications as long as they plausibly connect to these mission outcomes and aim at transformative impact rather than marginal gains.

The opportunity is offered through the federal SBIR and STTR programs, which are designed to stimulate private-sector technological innovation and commercialization, meet federal R&D needs using small business agility, and increase the economic return from federally supported research. SBIR also emphasizes participation from socially and economically disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses. STTR, in contrast, specifically encourages formal collaboration between a small business and a partnering research institution. ARPA-E runs a combined SBIR/STTR effort structured around the standard phased approach (Phase I, Phase II, and Phase IIs), which generally supports feasibility/proof-of-concept work first and then expands support as technical merit and commercialization prospects become clearer.

A defining feature of DE-FOA-0002785 is that it is intentionally broad, but it is not open-ended. Applications are only accepted under specific, pre-announced "Exploratory Topics" that ARPA-E posts on its ARPA-E eXCHANGE system. These topic postings act like mini-solicitations under the umbrella FOA: each one defines the area of interest and sets its own deadline window. Only topics that are currently open in eXCHANGE are eligible, and ARPA-E will only review submissions that directly respond to one of those open Exploratory Topics at the time of submission. Once a topic deadline passes, that topic notice is removed from eXCHANGE and ARPA-E stops accepting applications for it. This structure allows ARPA-E to continuously test new ideas and gather momentum around promising areas without needing to run a full, standalone program each time.

In terms of what ARPA-E expects to fund, awards can support different kinds of early work as long as it is geared toward transformative outcomes. Some projects may be exploratory analyses or technical studies that help ARPA-E understand an emerging area well enough to shape future, more focused programs. Others may be hands-on proof-of-concept R&D aimed at validating a new technical approach or demonstrating a critical component that could unlock a larger disruptive technology pathway. Across these categories, ARPA-E emphasizes applied research and experimental development rather than basic science, and it expects applicants to think ahead about manufacturability, scalability, and the conditions needed for eventual market impact, even though the funded work is early stage and inherently risky.

Administratively, the FOA is run through ARPA-E eXCHANGE, and that is the only submission pathway ARPA-E will accept. Applicants must register and submit all required application materials through the eXCHANGE portal, and ARPA-E will not consider concept papers or applications submitted by email or other methods. ARPA-E provides a dedicated eXCHANGE User Guide to help applicants navigate the system, and technical support is available via ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov (the FOA name and number should be included in the subject line to speed routing). For program or policy questions, ARPA-E directs applicants first to its FAQ page, and then to ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov for issues not already addressed.

From the published opportunity metadata, eligibility is limited to small businesses, and ARPA-E indicates it may use several funding instruments including cooperative agreements, grants, or other mechanisms depending on the project and topic. The listing shows an award ceiling of up to $2,500,000, with a posted creation date of September 13, 2022. The original closing information included a specific deadline example (Topic A submissions due by 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on November 15, 2022) and encouraged applicants to submit at least 48 hours early to reduce last-minute submission risks. Because this FOA operates through rotating topic notices, the practical deadlines that matter are the ones tied to each active Exploratory Topic posting in eXCHANGE, not just the umbrella FOA header dates.

Finally, ARPA-E draws a clear boundary around fit. If a project is primarily aimed at incremental improvements along established technology roadmaps, it may be better suited for other DOE applied offices (such as EERE, Fossil Energy, Nuclear Energy, or Electricity). If the work is primarily basic research focused on fundamental scientific understanding rather than a practical technology objective, DOE's Office of Science is typically the better match. ARPA-E is positioned in between: applied, milestone-driven R&D with a credible path to step-change impact, where a relatively modest, time-bounded investment could significantly advance a radical idea toward early technical validation and future commercialization.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the opportunity zone benefits, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0002785: Exploratory Topics (SBIR/STTR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 13, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 15, 2022 Submissions to Topic A are due no later than 930 a.m. Eastern Time on 11/15/2022. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit at least 48 hours in advance of the due date.. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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