The funding opportunity titled "Plant Engineering to Revolutionize Sustainable Energy Production and Heighten Opportunities for Novel Efficiency SBIR/STTR (PERSEPHONE SBIR/STTR)" is being offered by the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) under the U.S. Department of Energy. It supports small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The announcement number for this opportunity is DE-FOA-0003552, and all necessary details, templates, and updates can be found on ARPA-E eXCHANGE or other federal grant platforms like Grants.gov. The funding focuses on the development and application of advanced plant engineering technologies that contribute to sustainable energy solutions.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to promote innovation in plant engineering to address sustainable energy challenges. It aims to support technical advancements that enable improvements in traits such as crop yield, resilience, and energy efficiency. The program also seeks to accelerate commercialization pathways for bioengineered solutions and to foster collaborations between small businesses and research institutions.

Funding can be used for research and development in specific technical categories, such as tool development, novel tools for plant engineering, and biocontainment strategies. Each category has unique technical performance targets. For example, Category A focuses on improving iteration time, throughput, and genotype independence, while Category C emphasizes biocontainment metrics like gene flow and invasiveness. Projects must adhere to the technical and cost-sharing guidelines specified in the notice, with ARPA-E substantially involved in monitoring and directing funded projects.

Eligibility is restricted to small business concerns as defined by the SBA, with specific work-sharing requirements for SBIR and STTR programs. Under the SBIR guidelines, small businesses must perform at least 66.7% of the work in Phase I and 50% in Phase II and IIS. STTR projects require 40% of the work to be completed by the small business and 30% by a research institution. Applicants must also meet other SBA eligibility benchmarks. Joint applications meeting both SBIR and STTR criteria are permitted under certain conditions.

Applicants are required to submit a range of documents, including a technical volume, budget justification, summary for public release, and a single summary slide, among others. Templates for these components are available on ARPA-E eXCHANGE. Full applications must also include a completed SF-424 form, company registration from SBIR.gov, and any necessary ownership certifications. Submissions must follow strict formatting and content guidelines, and incomplete or non-compliant applications may be disqualified.

Evaluation criteria include the technical merit and impact of the proposed project, as well as the qualifications of the project team. Applicants have the opportunity to respond to reviewer comments prior to final selection. Key dates include a submission deadline of March 4, 2025, for full applications, with replies to reviewer comments due by April 1, 2025. ARPA-E anticipates announcing selections in May 2025, with funding agreements expected to be finalized by August 2025.