From eligibility to application for ARPA-E grants: frame a concept paper, match the right FOA for transformational energy R&D, plus every other US grant you qualify for.
ARPA-E energy grants plus other US programmes, all with one application
Free
Eligibility check after you sign up
4 routes
Grants, family offices, angel investors & VCs
ARPA-E awards run $500K to $10M over roughly 2 to 3 years for high-risk, transformational energy technology, and require a specific, quantified technical target.
The founder's guide
What Is ARPA-E?
ARPA-E (the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy) funds early-stage, high-risk energy technologies that could fundamentally change how the US produces, stores, or uses energy, the ideas that are too early and too risky for private capital alone. Awards typically run $500K to $10M over two to three years, and they're non-dilutive: you keep your equity.
ARPA-E rewards audacity, but only when it's measurable. Funding runs through focused and open FOAs (Funding Opportunity Announcements), and every proposal must state a specific, quantified ARPA-E metric. Our free eligibility check shows whether ARPA-E, and every other US grant, fits your startup.
What makes ARPA-E different
How ARPA-E Funding Works
ARPA-E is unlike a typical grant. Three things define whether you'll succeed.
A Quantified Metric
Your concept paper must state a specific, measurable target, for example "achieve $50/kWh system-level cost." Without a hard number, you won't advance to full proposal.
Transformational, Not Incremental
ARPA-E funds potential step-changes in energy, long-duration storage, grid resilience, industrial decarbonisation, advanced nuclear, not modest improvements to existing tech.
Hands-On Program Directors
ARPA-E program directors are deeply involved with awardees. Engaging the cognisant director early, before you submit, is the single highest-leverage move.
Is there an open ARPA-E FOA for your technology?Complete the application form and we'll automatically match you with the most relevant grants, including the ARPA-E and energy programmes you qualify for. It's 100% free.
ARPA-E is open to startups, universities, and labs, but the bar on "transformational" is high.
A US-based entity. Companies, universities, and national labs can lead. Foreign entities may only participate as subawardees, not as prime applicants.
Energy-related technology with transformational, not incremental, potential. Existing energy firms can apply but face higher scrutiny on the high-risk criterion.
A clear, quantified target stated up front in the concept paper, the technical metric ARPA-E will hold you to.
A fit to an open FOA. Focused FOAs target specific challenges; open FOAs accept broader concepts. Match precisely before you write.
A founder's guide
How to Apply to ARPA-E
ARPA-E uses a concept-paper-first process. Here's the path from idea to award.
Step 1
Find an Open FOA & Contact the PM
Identify a focused or open FOA on arpa-e.energy.gov that fits your technology, and contact the cognisant program director informally before submitting. Run the free eligibility checker to shortlist the ARPA-E and other US grants you qualify for.
Step 2
Submit a Concept Paper
Lead with your quantified ARPA-E metric and why current approaches categorically cannot reach it. Concept papers are the gate, only the strongest are invited to submit a full proposal.
Step 3
Full Proposal & Award
Invited teams submit a full technical and commercialisation proposal. If awarded, expect intensive technical oversight and milestone-based management from your program director over 2–3 years.
Done-for-you service
Don't want to write it yourself? We build the application for you.
The steps above are the do-it-yourself route. If you would rather hand it off, our grant specialists write, package and manage the whole application for you, working alongside you so the technical detail stays yours while we handle the process.
1ApplyTell us about your startup and the grant you are targeting. It takes a few minutes.
2Chat with a specialistA grant specialist checks your fit, confirms the right programme, and scopes the work with you.
3We build your applicationWe write the narrative, budget and supporting documents to the funder's exact scoring criteria.
4We guide every stageMany grants run in several rounds (assessment, interviews, sometimes multiple phases, then reporting). We handle each step and explain everything as we go.
Transparent, mostly success-based pricingA modest upfront fee to scope and start the work (not always tied to your metrics), plus a success fee based on the grant, the amount awarded, and your business. Every engagement is quoted individually.
Apply and we'll come back with a tailored budget for your specific grant.
Interactive Tool
Check Your US Grant Eligibility in 30 Seconds
Every US programme is listed below by default. Tell us your stage and sector to narrow them to the SBIR/STTR, agency, and federal programmes that match your startup. Getting matched is 100% free - no fee, no commission, no credit card.
Choose your stage and sector below to see which US grants you may be eligible for
Want a definitive eligibility report? It's free.
This is a first-pass match based on stage, sector, and geography. Complete the application form and we'll automatically match you with the most relevant grants - including the one you're researching - cross-referencing your technology, IP, team, and traction against every active US programme. This matching service is completely free: no fee, no commission, no credit card required.
The strongest raises stack multiple non-dilutive programmes. Here are the other US grants you can apply for, all matched in one free eligibility check.
Awards typically run $500K to $10M over two to three years, with flagship projects at the top of that range and smaller, early-career programmes such as IGNIITE around $500K. It's non-dilutive, you keep your equity and IP.
Yes. ARPA-E funds transformational energy technology specifically, generation, storage, grid, efficiency, industrial decarbonisation, advanced nuclear, and related areas. If your tech isn't energy-focused, SBIR/STTR or another agency is likely a better fit.
No quantified metric. ARPA-E expects a specific, measurable target that current approaches cannot reach. "Novel" isn't enough, you need a hard number, and a credible path to it. Contacting the program director before submitting is the other big differentiator.
Yes. ARPA-E funding is a powerful validation signal for climate and energy investors. Grants de-risk the science; equity funds scale-up. After an award, find US cleantech investors on AngelsPartners.
The Full Capital Stack
Grants Are Only Part of the Stack
SBIR awards and federal grants cover early-stage R&D, but most US startups need equity capital to scale. The strongest raises combine non-dilutive grants with angel or VC investment.
AngelsPartners is the only platform where a founder can access all three capital pathways in one place: grants (this page), debt financing, and 120,000+ equity investors.
Equity funding
US Angels & VCs
Search a database of angels, micro-VCs, and funds investing in US startups. Filter by sector, geography, ticket size, and stage. Direct contact details included - no gatekeepers, no pay-to-pitch.
Venture debt, revenue-based financing, and startup loan programmes - without diluting your cap table. Our AI matches you to a curated lender network based on your revenue, traction, and geography.
