Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) | DE FOA 0003647

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003647

The Department of Energy is soliciting proposals under the ASPECT program (Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies), issued by DOE CMEI through Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003647. The central idea is to push promising chemical production technologies that rely on alternative and waste feedstocks further down the commercialization path, moving beyond lab proof-of-concept toward integrated systems that can be demonstrated at meaningful scale. DOE frames this as part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic supply chains (including critical minerals), support next-generation energy and manufacturing innovation, and deliver practical, affordable solutions that can reach the market faster. In plain terms, the opportunity is focused on turning underused U.S. resources like waste streams and alternative feedstocks into valuable chemicals, while reducing reliance on conventional, more constrained, or less sustainable inputs.

ASPECT is structured around the reality that technologies mature in stages, and teams need different "entry points" depending on how far along their process is. The NOFO is split into two Topic Areas, each with two Subtopic Areas, to create a ladder from early research through pre-pilot operation. Topic Area 1 is aimed at research and development (R&D) progression. Subtopic 1a supports earlier-stage efforts that still need to be advanced to bench scale, which typically means the work is still validating core chemistry, catalysts, separations, or process conditions at small but controlled scale. Subtopic 1b is for projects that are beyond early research and need to close key gaps on the way to pre-pilot readiness, especially by developing and demonstrating critical unit operations that will make or break later scale-up (for example, a challenging reactor step, a difficult separation, feedstock pretreatment, impurity management, or product upgrading that must perform reliably before a larger integrated system is justified).

Topic Area 2 is the scale-up on-ramp for technologies that are ready to transition from R&D into true pre-pilot scale design, construction, and operations. The expectation here is not just incremental lab improvement, but moving into an integrated pre-pilot system that can be built and run. Both Subtopic 2a and 2b share the same end goal: getting technologies into integrated pre-pilot systems and operating them. The difference is the starting point. Subtopic 2a is intended for teams that still need preliminary pre-pilot testing of one or more critical unit operations before they can confidently begin full-system engineering and design. Subtopic 2b is for teams that are essentially ready to proceed with engineering design and construction of an integrated pre-pilot facility, meaning the major technical unknowns have been reduced enough that building and operating the integrated system is the logical next step.

From an administrative standpoint, awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which usually means DOE anticipates an active partnership role during project execution (for example, regular technical reviews, milestone-based oversight, and coordinated decision-making as the project progresses). The opportunity is categorized under energy (CFDA 81.087) and is managed through DOE's Golden Field Office. DOE lists an award ceiling of $20,000,000 and anticipates making around 10 awards, signaling that selected projects are likely to be substantial in scope and geared toward producing tangible scale-up outcomes rather than purely academic results.

Eligibility is broad and includes state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), individuals, for-profit companies (including small businesses), and other entities. That said, DOE adds important participation limits designed to keep the program market- and deployment-focused. Institutions of higher education may serve as a prime recipient for Topic Area 1, but for Topic Area 2 they can participate only as subrecipients, which effectively means an industry, nonprofit, or other eligible non-university entity would typically need to lead Topic Area 2 projects. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), whether DOE or non-DOE, may participate only as subrecipients and cannot be prime recipients. Likewise, other federal agencies (non-DOE) may participate only as subrecipients. NETL is explicitly limited to subrecipient status and cannot serve as the prime recipient.

Applicants must submit through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system, and the NOFO emphasizes that deadlines are "hard" because the platform automatically disables submission functions at the cutoff time. A required concept paper is due on 10/09/2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, and the full application is due on 12/01/2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (which also matches the listed original closing date). DOE provides a narrow path for accepting late submissions only when the lateness is caused by technical issues beyond the applicant's control, the applicant contacts the eXCHANGE helpdesk, and the application is successfully submitted within 24 hours of the deadline with DOE assistance. For help, DOE directs applicants to exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov (and notes that EERE eXCHANGE administrators may also be involved), while program-specific questions about the NOFO itself are directed to ASPECT@doe.gov.

Finally, DOE points applicants to a Teaming Partner List that was assembled under the related Notice of Intent activity (referenced as DE-FOA-0003646 in eXCHANGE, with Teaming Partner List identifier TPL-0000073). The practical purpose of that list is to help organizations find collaborators and form stronger project teams, which is often critical for scale-up and pre-pilot efforts that require a mix of capabilities such as feedstock supply, process engineering, equipment design, analytical support, operations experience, and commercialization planning. For full details and the official requirements, DOE instructs applicants to consult the complete NOFO on eere-exchange.energy.gov.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-12-01. (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 $20,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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