Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003459
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), acting through the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), has announced its intent to release a Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) called the Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator. The basic purpose of the program is to help push promising solar photovoltaic (PV) innovations out of the lab and into the marketplace by filling a common gap in the commercialization pipeline: many early-stage and emerging PV technologies struggle to attract enough private capital to fund the research and development (R&D) and research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) work needed to prove performance, validate manufacturability, and reduce risk to a point where investors and customers will commit. The SMASH Incubator is designed to reduce those barriers and accelerate real-world deployment of new PV technologies and supporting hardware.
The funding is expected to be provided through cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE will remain actively involved during the project period rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. The administering office listed for the opportunity is DOE's Golden Field Office. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding under the energy activity category, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.087. The funding opportunity number is DE FOA 0003459. The listing shows an original closing date of 2024-10-10, reflecting the timeline associated with this notice of intent and the anticipated NOFO process.
A key structural feature of this opportunity is who can lead projects versus who can participate as partners. Prime recipients (the main awardees) are expected to be for-profit entities, which aligns with the program's commercialization focus and its goal of helping technologies reach the market. At the same time, DOE explicitly anticipates that these prime awardees may bring in subrecipients to strengthen technical depth and validation capabilities. Eligible subrecipients include institutions of higher education, for-profit entities, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and federally recognized Indian Tribes. In practical terms, this sets up a model where companies lead product-focused development while universities, national-lab-like partners (where applicable), or specialized nonprofits and public entities can contribute testing, metrology, independent performance validation, manufacturing expertise, or other targeted capabilities that improve the credibility and readiness of the technology.
Projects funded under the SMASH Incubator are expected to fall into one of three topic areas, each tied to a major segment of the U.S. PV manufacturing and deployment ecosystem. The first topic area targets crystalline silicon (c-Si) module technology and is intentionally broad across the supply chain. That includes innovations related to input materials, production tools and equipment, manufacturing processes, and module assembly, essentially spanning the pathway from upstream materials through finished modules. The second topic area focuses on cadmium telluride (CdTe) module technology and likewise spans the supply chain, with emphasis on improvements in materials and processes, manufacturing and components, metrology and measurement, demonstration activities, and end-of-life considerations such as recycling and reclamation. The third topic area shifts away from modules and addresses non-module hardware, meaning the structural and electrical components and the tools that support PV systems in the field. This can include improvements that raise performance, increase functionality, boost reliability, or reduce installation difficulty and time, all of which can lower costs and improve adoption even when the PV module itself is unchanged.
Several listing fields in the source data suggest this is an intent announcement rather than a final, fully quantified solicitation. For example, the award ceiling is shown as 2 (as listed in the source data) and the expected number of awards is shown as 0, which commonly indicates placeholders or incomplete figures pending the full NOFO release. The core takeaway is that DOE is signaling an upcoming competitive funding opportunity aimed at de-risking and commercializing PV module innovations and balance-of-system hardware, led by for-profit companies and supported by a broad set of potential technical and validation partners.Apply for DE FOA 0003459
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Issue Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator Notice of Funding Opportunity" 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 2024-09-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-10-10. (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 $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the SMASH Incubator funding opportunity?
The Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator is an anticipated Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It is being advanced through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), specifically the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO).
What is the main purpose of the SMASH Incubator?
The program is designed to move promising solar photovoltaic (PV) innovations from the lab toward the marketplace. It focuses on a common commercialization gap where early-stage and emerging PV technologies often struggle to secure enough private capital to complete the R&D and RD&D work needed to prove performance, validate manufacturability, and reduce risk for investors and customers.
What problem is DOE trying to solve with this program?
DOE is addressing the challenge that many early-stage PV technologies face in attracting private investment before they have demonstrated performance and manufacturability at a level that reduces risk. The SMASH Incubator is intended to reduce those barriers and accelerate real-world deployment of new PV technologies and supporting solar hardware.
Which DOE office is administering this opportunity?
The administering office listed is DOE's Golden Field Office.
What type of funding instrument is expected?
Funding is expected to be provided through cooperative agreements. This typically means DOE remains actively involved during the project period rather than issuing funds with minimal federal engagement.
Is this a finalized solicitation or an early notice?
Based on the information provided, this appears to be an intent announcement signaling an upcoming competitive NOFO, rather than a final solicitation with complete award counts and dollar figures.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is DE FOA 0003459.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 81.087.
What category of funding is this?
The listing categorizes it as discretionary funding under the energy activity category.
What closing date is shown for this opportunity?
The listing shows an original closing date of 2024-10-10, reflecting the timeline associated with the notice of intent and anticipated NOFO process.
Who is expected to be eligible as a prime recipient (lead applicant)?
Prime recipients (main awardees) are expected to be for-profit entities. This aligns with the program's commercialization focus and intent to support market entry of PV innovations.
Can a university or nonprofit apply as the lead applicant?
Based on the information provided, prime recipients are expected to be for-profit entities. Universities and nonprofits are specifically identified as eligible subrecipients (partners), not as expected prime recipients.
Who can participate as a subrecipient or partner?
DOE anticipates prime awardees may include subrecipients to strengthen technical capabilities. Eligible subrecipients include institutions of higher education, for-profit entities, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Why does DOE encourage the use of subrecipients?
The program structure anticipates that companies will lead product-focused development while partners can provide technical depth and validation capabilities. Examples noted include testing, metrology, independent performance validation, manufacturing expertise, and other targeted capabilities that improve technology credibility and readiness.
What types of projects does the SMASH Incubator expect to fund?
Funded projects are expected to fall into one of three topic areas covering major segments of the U.S. PV manufacturing and deployment ecosystem: (1) crystalline silicon (c-Si) module technology, (2) cadmium telluride (CdTe) module technology, and (3) non-module solar hardware.
What is included under the crystalline silicon (c-Si) module technology topic?
The c-Si topic area is broad across the supply chain, including innovations related to input materials, production tools and equipment, manufacturing processes, and module assembly. It spans the pathway from upstream materials through finished modules.
What is included under the cadmium telluride (CdTe) module technology topic?
The CdTe topic area also spans the supply chain, emphasizing improvements in materials and processes, manufacturing and components, metrology and measurement, demonstration activities, and end-of-life considerations such as recycling and reclamation.
What does "non-module hardware" mean in this opportunity?
Non-module hardware refers to structural and electrical components and tools that support PV systems in the field (often understood as balance-of-system hardware). The focus is on improvements that raise performance, increase functionality, boost reliability, or reduce installation difficulty and time.
Does the opportunity only support PV modules?
No. While two topic areas focus on PV module technologies (c-Si and CdTe), the third topic area specifically targets non-module hardware that supports PV systems in real-world deployment.
How does the SMASH Incubator support commercialization?
It aims to fill a commercialization pipeline gap by supporting R&D and RD&D work that helps prove performance, validate manufacturability, and reduce technology risk to a point where investors and customers are more likely to commit.
What do the listing fields suggest about award size and number of awards?
Some fields appear to be placeholders or incomplete pending the full NOFO. For example, the award ceiling is shown as "2" (as listed in the source data) and the expected number of awards is shown as "0," which commonly indicates that final figures may be provided later in the full solicitation.
What is the core takeaway for applicants and partners?
DOE is signaling an upcoming competitive funding opportunity aimed at de-risking and commercializing PV module innovations and supporting hardware. For-profit companies are expected to lead as prime recipients, with a broad set of eligible subrecipients available to add testing, validation, metrology, manufacturing expertise, and other capabilities.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Energy
Next opportunity: Grassland Ecological Potential and Restoration Effectiveness Evaluation
Previous opportunity: Toxic Exposures Investigator-Initiated Research Award
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DE FOA 0003459
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0003459) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Notice of Intent (NOI) to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies to Drive National Decarbonization DE-FOA-0003439 Apply for DE FOA 0003438 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003438 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Roadmap Draft Apply for DE FOA 0003463 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003463 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| DE-FOA-0003371 FY24 Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries Apply for DE FOA 0003371 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003371 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Undocumented Orphaned Well Characterization and Remediation Apply for DE FOA 0003343 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003343 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,400,000 |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) related to "HARMONY: Human-Centric Analytics for Resilient & Modernized Power sYstems” Apply for DE FOA 0003445 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003445 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Request for Information (RFI) Technology and Market Potential of Photovoltaic-Thermal (PVT) Systems in the United States Apply for DE FOA 0003465 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003465 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| SuperTruck Charge Apply for DE FOA 0003344 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003344 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $36,000,000 |
| Request for Information on Request for Information on Carbon Transport Research, Development and Demonstration Consortium Apply for DE FOA 0003330 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003330 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Advancing Technology Development for Securing a Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM) Apply for DE FOA 0002956 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002956 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,750,000 |
| Oxygen-conducting SOFC and SOEC Research and Development for Hydrogen Production Apply for DE FOA 0003366 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003366 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| TRIBAL CLEAN ENERGY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT - 2025 Apply for DE FOA 0003401 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003401 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| U.S.-Danish Floating Offshore Wind Energy Mooring and Anchoring Research and Development Apply for DE FOA 0003362 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003362 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Nuclear Reactor Safety Training and Workforce Development Program Apply for DE FOA 0003410 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003410 Agency: Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $40,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. DE-FOA-0003373: "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Provision 41007(b)(2), Wind Turbine Technology Recycling” Apply for DE FOA 0003443 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003443 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas – Fiscal Year 2025 Release Apply for DE FOA 0003428 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003428 Agency: Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| Circularity for Secure and Sustainable Products and Materials: A Draft Strategic Framework RFI Apply for DE FOA 0003455 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003455 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment Apply for DE FOA 0003485 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003485 Agency: Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $800,000,000 |
| REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - Egypt Energy Sector Activity Apply for 72026325RFI00003 Funding Number: 72026325RFI00003 Agency: Egypt USAID-Cairo Category: Energy Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE): A Mid-Course Evaluation Apply for DE FOA 0003471 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003471 Agency: National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies to Drive National Goals Apply for DE FOA 0003439 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003439 Agency: Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DE FOA 0003459", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.