Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003460
The Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0003460) is a U.S. Department of Energy opportunity administered by the Golden Field Office that uses cooperative agreements to help move promising solar photovoltaic (PV) innovations out of the lab and into real commercial manufacturing. The central problem it targets is the "valley of death" between research and the market: many good PV technologies and manufacturing improvements struggle to attract enough private capital early on to prove they can work at pilot scale, integrate into production lines, and meet cost and reliability targets. By funding pilot-scale testing, demonstration, and manufacturing-relevant validation, SMASH is meant to reduce technical and commercial risk so companies can secure follow-on investment and scale in the United States.
A major theme of the program is strengthening domestic PV manufacturing across the supply chain and reducing U.S. dependence on imported materials, components, and production tools. The intent is not only to support U.S. domestic deployment of solar, but also to build exportable capabilities in solar hardware and manufacturing technology. DOE is explicitly linking these investments to broader outcomes such as job creation, clean energy economic growth, and improved national energy security, reflecting the idea that resilient domestic supply chains matter for both cost stability and long-term deployment.
The funding is organized into three topic areas. Topic Area 1 focuses on crystalline silicon solar modules, specifically early-stage, pilot-scale testing and demonstration of innovative products or processes that can meaningfully increase domestic manufacturing in any segment of the crystalline silicon module supply chain. Importantly, DOE is defining "segments" broadly: it is not limited to the finished module itself, but also covers the manufacturing equipment used in that segment, input materials, process control and characterization tools, and consumables. The emphasis here is that many of these enabling inputs and tools are currently predominantly produced outside the United States, so projects that bring capability onshore, improve manufacturability, or reduce cost and dependency are aligned with the goal.
Topic Area 2 targets the cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV sector, which DOE describes as a valuable and leading domestically rooted renewable technology in the U.S. economy. This topic area is open to essentially the full CdTe module supply chain, including improvements to materials and processes, manufacturing advances, component innovations, metrology and measurement methods, demonstration activities, and end-of-life considerations such as recycling and reclamation. The inclusion of recycling and reclamation signals that DOE is interested not just in making modules, but also in improving circularity, material recovery, and long-term sustainability and supply security for critical inputs.
Topic Area 3 shifts from modules to non-module PV hardware and manufacturing processes, supporting research, development, and demonstration (RampD) intended to de-risk new components and validate a credible path to commercial success. The scope includes structural and electrical components and related tools that can be made domestically and that improve PV system performance, functionality, reliability, or installation simplicity. In practical terms, this topic area is designed to help innovations that make PV systems easier and cheaper to deploy and maintain, while also creating domestic manufacturing opportunities for the balance-of-system hardware that often represents a meaningful portion of installed cost and field labor.
From an applicant and award standpoint, the opportunity is open to small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. DOE expects to make about 10 awards, with an award ceiling of $4,000,000 per award. The activity category is Energy under CFDA 81.087, and the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically means substantial DOE involvement during project execution compared with a more hands-off grant. The original application closing date is May 30, 2025, and the opportunity was created on January 8, 2025.
Overall, SMASH Incubator is best understood as commercialization and manufacturing-readiness funding for PV: it is looking for projects that can demonstrate pilot-scale feasibility, reduce manufacturing and integration risk, and strengthen domestic capacity in modules, materials, equipment, metrology, and non-module hardware. The strongest-fit projects will generally be those that can show a clear technical innovation, a realistic scale-up and commercialization plan, and a concrete way the work reduces import dependence while improving cost, quality, throughput, reliability, or installability of PV technologies made in the United States.Apply for DE FOA 0003460
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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SMASH Incubator (FY 2025) - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator?
The Fiscal Year 2025 Solar Module and Solar Hardware (SMASH) Incubator is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity designed to help promising solar photovoltaic (PV) innovations move from laboratory development into real commercial manufacturing. It focuses on pilot-scale testing, demonstration, and manufacturing-relevant validation to reduce the technical and commercial risks that often prevent early technologies from attracting private investment and reaching the market.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is DE FOA 0003460.
Which DOE office is administering this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the U.S. Department of Energy Golden Field Office.
What type of funding instrument will DOE use?
DOE plans to use cooperative agreements. This generally means DOE expects to have substantial involvement during project execution compared with a more hands-off grant.
What problem is SMASH trying to solve?
SMASH targets the "valley of death" between research and the market, where many PV technologies and manufacturing improvements struggle to secure enough early private capital to prove they can work at pilot scale, integrate into production lines, and meet cost and reliability targets.
What is the main goal of SMASH funding?
The main goal is to de-risk solar PV innovations by funding pilot-scale testing, demonstration, and manufacturing-focused validation so that companies can credibly attract follow-on investment and scale manufacturing in the United States.
What outcomes is DOE trying to achieve beyond technology development?
DOE links SMASH investments to broader outcomes including strengthening domestic PV manufacturing, reducing dependence on imported materials and tools, supporting job creation, enabling clean energy economic growth, and improving national energy security through more resilient supply chains.
How is the funding organized?
Funding is organized into three topic areas: (1) crystalline silicon solar modules and related supply chain segments, (2) cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV module supply chain and related advancements including end-of-life, and (3) non-module PV hardware and manufacturing processes that improve systems and can be made domestically.
What is Topic Area 1 focused on?
Topic Area 1 focuses on crystalline silicon solar modules, specifically early-stage, pilot-scale testing and demonstration of innovative products or processes that can meaningfully increase domestic manufacturing in any segment of the crystalline silicon module supply chain.
What does DOE mean by "segments" in Topic Area 1?
DOE uses a broad definition of "segments." It is not limited to the finished module and can include manufacturing equipment used in the segment, input materials, process control and characterization tools, and consumables.
Why does Topic Area 1 include equipment, tools, and consumables?
The program emphasizes that many enabling inputs and tools for crystalline silicon module manufacturing are predominantly produced outside the United States. Projects that bring these capabilities onshore, improve manufacturability, reduce cost, or reduce import dependence align with the program intent.
What is Topic Area 2 focused on?
Topic Area 2 targets the cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV sector, which DOE describes as a valuable and leading domestically rooted renewable technology in the U.S. economy. The topic area is open to essentially the full CdTe module supply chain.
What kinds of projects fit within Topic Area 2?
Topic Area 2 can include improvements to materials and processes, manufacturing advances, component innovations, metrology and measurement methods, demonstration activities, and end-of-life considerations such as recycling and reclamation.
Why are recycling and reclamation included in Topic Area 2?
The inclusion of recycling and reclamation indicates DOE interest in circularity, material recovery, long-term sustainability, and supply security for critical inputs, not just module production.
What is Topic Area 3 focused on?
Topic Area 3 focuses on non-module PV hardware and manufacturing processes. It supports research, development, and demonstration (RampD) intended to de-risk new components and validate a credible path to commercial success.
What types of innovations are included in Topic Area 3?
The scope includes structural and electrical components and related tools that can be made domestically and that improve PV system performance, functionality, reliability, or installation simplicity.
What practical impact is Topic Area 3 aiming for?
Topic Area 3 is intended to help innovations that make PV systems easier and cheaper to deploy and maintain, while creating domestic manufacturing opportunities for balance-of-system hardware that can represent a meaningful portion of installed cost and field labor.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity is open to small businesses and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
DOE expects to make about 10 awards.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $4,000,000 per award.
What is the application deadline?
The original application closing date is May 30, 2025.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on January 8, 2025.
What is the activity category and CFDA number?
The activity category is Energy under CFDA 81.087.
What stage of technology is this program designed to support?
Based on the description, SMASH is aimed at early-stage, pilot-scale testing and demonstration, plus manufacturing-relevant validation that helps prove feasibility and integration into production lines.
What does "pilot-scale" mean in the context of SMASH?
In this opportunity, "pilot-scale" refers to work beyond lab research that is focused on testing, demonstration, and validation in ways that are relevant to manufacturing and production-line integration, including meeting cost, throughput, quality, and reliability expectations.
What makes a project a strong fit for SMASH?
The strongest-fit projects are those that (1) show a clear technical innovation, (2) present a realistic scale-up and commercialization plan, and (3) clearly explain how the work reduces import dependence while improving cost, quality, throughput, reliability, or installability of PV technologies manufactured in the United States.
Is SMASH focused only on solar modules?
No. While Topic Areas 1 and 2 include module-related supply chains (crystalline silicon and CdTe), Topic Area 3 explicitly focuses on non-module PV hardware and manufacturing processes.
Is SMASH limited to the final solar module product?
No. Especially in Topic Area 1, DOE is explicit that projects can address enabling parts of the supply chain such as manufacturing equipment, input materials, process control and characterization tools, and consumables.
What does DOE mean by "domestic PV manufacturing across the supply chain"?
It refers to strengthening U.S.-based capabilities not just in assembling modules, but also in upstream and supporting elements like materials, components, manufacturing tools, measurement methods, and other production inputs needed to make PV technologies competitively and reliably in the United States.
Does SMASH emphasize reducing reliance on imports?
Yes. A major theme is reducing U.S. dependence on imported materials, components, and production tools by building resilient domestic supply chains and manufacturing capability.
How does SMASH connect to commercialization?
SMASH is described as commercialization and manufacturing-readiness funding. By reducing technical and commercial risk through pilot-scale validation and manufacturing-relevant demonstrations, it aims to enable companies to secure follow-on investment and scale their technologies into U.S. manufacturing.
Does the program mention exports or broader market impact?
Yes. The program intent includes building exportable capabilities in solar hardware and manufacturing technology, not only supporting domestic solar deployment.
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