DOE’s Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office Announces up to $58 Million to Promote Chemical Innovation

DOE will fund research, development, and pre-pilot testing of innovative chemical technologies that use domestically-sourced alternative and waste feedstocks

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) today announced up to $58 million in funding to advance novel, high-impact chemical technologies that use domestically sourced alternative and waste feedstocks. Projects funded through this initiative will advance new methods of chemical production that maximize the use of America's vast biomass and waste resources. This funding supports President Trump's Executive Order, Unleashing American Energy, which calls for targeted federal investment in technology innovation that strengthens the U.S. chemical sector.

"By investing in projects that use our abundant domestic resources and build strong industry partnerships, DOE will bolster American chemical manufacturing," said AFFO Director Valerie Sarisky-Reed. "This funding will turn cutting-edge research into market-ready industrial solutions, strengthening our chemical supply chain, lowering costs for U.S. businesses and consumers, and securing America's economic future."

The Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT) funding opportunity promotes the development and commercialization of chemical technologies that lower costs, enhance performance, reduce reliance on imports, and unlock strong market growth potential. ASPECT seeks to reduce time to market by moving projects from laboratory research to pre-pilot scale testing. It includes two main topic areas:

• Topic Area 1: Bench ASPECT

  Proposals should support the development and adoption of new technologies for producing chemicals from alternative feedstocks, moving beyond proof-of-concept to bench and pre-pilot scale.

• Topic Area 2: Pre-pilot ASPECT

  Proposals should aim to accelerate the development and market entry of strategically valuable, domestically produced chemicals.

AFFO will host an informational webinar for potential applicants on September 11, 2026, to explain the streamlined application and review process.

Applicants must submit concept papers by October 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, to be eligible to submit a Stage 1 full application. To learn more about topic areas, registration requirements, applicant eligibility, webinar registration, and the Teaming Partner list, visit the ASPECT web page. Visit DOE eXCHANGE to view the full ASPECT funding opportunity application.