Production of Norbornadiene - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV018

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

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Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop efficient and scalable methods for the production of norbornadiene from abundant domestic feedstocks.

Description:

Norbornadiene is a critical chemical used in the manufacture of fuels and cross-linked polymers. The conventional process for production of norbornadiene relies on a Diels-Alder coupling reaction between cyclopentadiene and acetylene. Acetylene air mixtures can be explosive, which has increased the cost of norbornadiene and reliance on foreign supply chains. The intent of this STTR topic is to establish a manufacturing process that will enable the safe and efficient domestic production of norbornadiene, which will in turn reduce acquisition costs.

Ultimately, this topic seeks to establish a process for the domestic production of norbornadiene at > 500 metric tons/year with target acquisition costs below $20/kg. The norbornadiene synthesized in this effort should have a purity > 97%. The utilization of advanced manufacturing techniques that generate acetylene on demand or incorporate novel methods for the safe storage of acetylene on-site are encouraged. Other approaches that generate norbornadiene via unique intermediates are also of interest. A preferred approach is to utilize domestic bio-feedstocks, including hemicellulose and furfural, as substrates for the production of norbornadiene.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

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