Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) 2026 Grant
DOE-GFO
In context
This call is open to universities, research institutions and large companies and 4 others, at idea and R&D stage and prototype and pilot stage. Funding is a grant. Coverage is read from the notice itself: United States.
This DOE cooperative agreement funds research, bench-to-pre-pilot development, and pre-pilot testing of technologies that produce chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks, across four subtopics for different maturity levels. It is aimed at US research institutions, companies, and consortia developing chemical technologies that can move toward market.
About this grant
The ASPECT NOFO (DE-FOA-0003647), issued by the DOE Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office through the Golden Field Office, supports research, development, and pre-pilot testing of innovative technologies that produce chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks. Its stated purpose is to mobilise America's alternative feedstock resources and to move promising chemical technologies quickly toward market. The NOFO is divided into two topic areas, each with two subtopic areas, to give technologies at different maturity levels separate points of entry. Topic Area 1 supports technologies in the R&D phase. Subtopic 1a advances early-stage research to bench scale, and Subtopic 1b moves projects closer to pre-pilot scale, where critical unit operations must be further developed and demonstrated. Topic Area 2 is an on-ramp for technologies ready to move from R&D to full pre-pilot scale. Subtopic 2a targets preliminary pre-pilot testing of critical unit operations before system-wide engineering begins, and Subtopic 2b covers technologies ready for design and construction of an integrated pre-pilot facility. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. The estimated total programme funding is $58,000,000, with an award floor of $2,000,000 and a ceiling of $20,000,000, and about 10 awards are expected. Cost sharing or matching is required, though the percentage is not stated on this page. Target chemicals are expected to have global annual markets or potential markets of at least 1 million metric tons. Per Modification 000001, Letters of Commitment must be submitted with Stage 1 applications. Per Modification 000002, the definition of construction and demolition waste was updated to align with the authorising statute. A Concept Paper is due 10/09/2026 at 5PM ET, and the Full Application is due 12/01/2026 at 5PM ET. Questions go to [email protected], and a Teaming Partner List (TPL-0000073) is available to help form project teams.
Get the official link (free account)
Create a free account to open the official notice and application link: 1 official link a month, free. Pro opens every link.
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types include private institutions of higher education, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education), for-profit organisations other than small businesses, small businesses, city or township governments, county governments, independent school districts, special district governments, state governments, public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities, federally recognised Native American tribal governments, Native American tribal organisations other than federally recognised tribal governments, and individuals. Institutions of higher education may apply as recipient or subrecipient for Topic Area 1 but only as subrecipients for Topic Area 2. DOE FFRDCs and non-DOE FFRDCs may be subrecipients only, provided there is no conflict of interest for DOE FFRDCs. Federal agencies and instrumentalities other than DOE may be subrecipients only. NETL may apply only as a subrecipient. No geographic restriction is stated on this page.
Key requirements
- ✓Concept Paper due 10/09/2026 at 5PM ET; Full Application due 12/01/2026 at 5PM ET
- ✓Cost sharing or matching is required (percentage not stated on this page); Letters of Commitment must be submitted with Stage 1 applications
- ✓Target chemicals are expected to have global annual markets or potential markets of at least 1 million metric tons
Funder contact
The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.
Frequently asked questions
- How much funding does DOE-GFO offer?
- Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) offers $2M – $20M.
- When is the Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) deadline?
- Applications close 1 Dec 2026 22:00.
- Who can apply for Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)?
- Eligibility covers organisations in US; university, research-institution, large-company, sme, startup, nonprofit, consortium. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
How this compares
- Compared with 28 similar grants (industry decarb in United States) listed in the last 12 months.
- Its value of $20m is above 100% of the 8 similar grants that state a value; their median is $1.3m.
- This is the only similar grant from this organisation listed here in the last 12 months.
Closest open grants
Figures are computed from notices listed on Raise Lens in the same sector and country over the last 12 months.
About this sector
Industrial decarbonisation funding helps heavy industry cut emissions through electrification, fuel switching, process change and efficiency. Support is often capital-intensive and tied to a specific site, with feasibility studies leading to larger deployment calls. Applicants need emissions baselines, engineering studies and a plan to keep production running during the change.
Free accounts: 1 official link a month · Pro: every link
Quick facts
Get alerts for notices like this
Create a free account and we save a search for this sector and country, so new grants like this one arrive in your weekly email.
Get alerts, free →