ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready (DE-FOA-0003467)

Executive Summary

ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready funds $5 million to $20 million, roughly 36-month pre-commercial scaling projects for energy technologies invented under a prior ARPA-E award, including companies that license those inventions. The notice is open on a rolling basis, with a closing date of September 29, 2029.

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The deciding question is the invention. Your project must scale a subject invention that was conceived or first reduced to practice under an ARPA-E award, reported in iEdison, and covered by a filed U.S. patent application (provisional is fine) or issued patent. If you hold or license that IP, this is one of the largest non-dilutive scaling awards available.

Solicitation at a Glance

• Agency: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy
• Opportunity: Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP) Ready
• Number: DE-FOA-0003467 (Assistance Listing 81.135)
• Award Vehicle: Cooperative agreement
• Funding: Federal share of $5 million to $20 million per award; about $50 million per fiscal year in total, subject to appropriations
• Period of Performance: About 36 months
• Technology Maturity: Proven at bench scale under ARPA-E, ready for pre-commercial scaling
• Due Date: Rolling; the notice closes September 29, 2029 unless amended

Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before you start your application.

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What Is SCALEUP Ready?

SCALEUP Ready is ARPA-E's standing program for taking its own most promising technologies past the lab. Most ARPA-E projects prove a concept. SCALEUP Ready pays for the next step: building commercially scalable versions, integrating them into larger systems, collecting extended performance data, and validating manufacturability and reliability.

What Problem Is ARPA-E Trying to Solve?

Technologies that succeed under ARPA-E often get stranded when the original award ends. They still carry too much technical and commercial risk for investors and industry to fund the scale-up alone. ARPA-E wants to close that gap so that intellectual property developed with U.S. taxpayer dollars is scaled and manufactured in the United States, not captured by foreign competitors.

Priority Capability Areas: What ARPA-E Is Looking For

• Scale translation: moving performance achieved at bench scale into a commercially scalable form of the technology.
• System integration: integrating the technology with the broader systems it must work in.
• Extended performance data: long-duration operating data that investors and customers need.
• Manufacturability and reliability: validating that the technology can be built at cost and run reliably.
• Any energy application: ARPA-E sets no technical targets here. Each applicant must show how the project creates a viable path to market.

Funding and Award Terms

• Award size: Federal share of $5 million to $20 million per project.
• Cost share: Small businesses, consortia of small businesses, and small-business-led teams where small businesses do at least 80% of the work provide at least 20% of Total Project Cost. Other teams face the higher base requirement in Section II.F.2 of the NOFO.
• Deferred cost share: Awardees do not make a cost share payment for roughly the first year of the award.
• Financial Partners: ARPA-E expects cost share to come from Financial Partners such as venture capital, strategic investors, accelerators, angel or impact investors, or philanthropic funders. Cost share above the minimum can be scored favorably.

Eligibility Requirements and Participation

• Subject invention: conceived or first actually reduced to practice during an ARPA-E award.
• Reported in iEdison: the invention must be reported in the iEdison system.
• Patent status: covered by a filed U.S. patent application (provisional allowed) or an issued U.S. patent reported in iEdison. Some software developed under ARPA-E awards is handled separately in Section II.B.
• Licensees qualify: companies that license or buy the rights to an eligible ARPA-E invention become eligible.
• Teams: universities and national labs are encouraged to join as team or consortium members on business-led proposals. Consortia must include at least one U.S. for-profit business.
• Foreign participation: restrictions apply, including on foreign nationals from countries of concern. See Section II.C.

How to Apply

• Talk to ARPA-E first (optional): request a pre-submission discussion with a Technology-to-Market advisor at ARPA-E-SCALEUP@hq.doe.gov.
• Register in ARPA-E eXCHANGE: all materials go through arpa-e-foa.energy.gov. ARPA-E will not review submissions sent any other way.
• Find your invention number: identify the subject invention in iEdison before you write.
• Line up Financial Partners: secure cost share commitments early.
• Submit the full application: allow at least an hour to upload, and submit at least 48 hours before any deadline.

What Happens After You Submit?

• Reviewer comments: ARPA-E shares written reviewer feedback on full applications.
• Reply to Reviewer Comments: you get a short window to respond using ARPA-E's template.
• Finalist notification: ARPA-E notifies finalists.
• Final selection: expected about 80 days after finalist notification, followed by cooperative agreement negotiation.

Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?

It is a strong fit if your company was an ARPA-E performer, or licenses technology from a university, lab, or company that was, and the technology now needs a multi-million dollar scale-up to reach customers. It is not a fit for new concepts with no ARPA-E history; those belong in ARPA-E's OPEN or program-specific notices.

How BW&CO Can Help

BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For scaling awards like SCALEUP Ready, we help you:

• Confirm eligibility: trace your invention through iEdison and your patent filings or license.
• Shape the scale-up plan: define milestones that de-risk manufacturing and reliability.
• Build the cost share story: structure Financial Partner commitments that strengthen the score.
• Write the market case: show a credible path to commercial deployment.
• Manage the reviewer reply: respond to reviewer comments quickly and precisely.

Plan Your SCALEUP Ready Application

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have had an ARPA-E award myself?

No. The invention must come from an ARPA-E award, but a company that licenses or buys the rights to that invention is eligible.

How much funding is available?

The federal share of each award ranges from $5 million to $20 million. ARPA-E expects about $50 million per fiscal year in total, subject to appropriations.

Is there a deadline?

The notice is open continuously until amended, with a closing date of September 29, 2029. You can apply at any time while it is open.

How much cost share do I need?

Small businesses and qualifying small-business-led teams provide at least 20% of Total Project Cost. Other teams follow the base requirement in Section II.F.2 of the NOFO. No cost share payment is required for roughly the first year.

Who can provide cost share?

ARPA-E expects Financial Partners such as venture capital firms, strategic investors, accelerators, angel or impact investors, or philanthropic funders.

Does the invention need a patent?

Yes. It must be covered by a filed U.S. patent application, which can be provisional, or an issued patent reported in iEdison. Some ARPA-E software is handled separately.

Can universities apply?

Universities and national labs are encouraged to join business-led teams as members. Consortia must include at least one U.S. for-profit business.

Is this basic research funding?

No. ARPA-E funds applied research and development. Basic research belongs with DOE's Office of Science.

Can BW&CO help with a SCALEUP Ready application?

Yes. We help teams confirm eligibility, plan the scale-up and cost share, and write the full application. Book a call with our team.

Source: ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready, DE-FOA-0003467 on Grants.gov