WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) today announced up to $50 million in open-ended funding for the commercial scale-up of disruptive energy technologies. The SCALEUP Ready program will support advancing technologies from ARPA-E’s portfolio toward market adoption.

SCALEUP Ready is the latest iteration of ARPA-E’s early commercialization program, Seeding Critical Advances for Leading Energy technologies with Untapped Potential (SCALEUP), first launched in 2019 and followed by programs in 2021 and 2023. SCALEUP Ready marks the first time the funding opportunity is open on an ongoing basis so that teams can apply when they are ready.

“Accelerating the deployment of transformative energy technologies is key to ARPA-E’s mission of improving U.S. economic prosperity and energy security,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “SCALEUP Ready extends ARPA-E's support beyond research and development to provide an ongoing path to commercialization for promising technologies that could one day radically transform our energy reality.”

SCALEUP Ready builds on its predecessors’ success by offering even greater flexibility for innovators. As a rolling funding opportunity, SCALEUP Ready allows applicants to assemble competitive teams on their own schedule rather than adhering to a fixed application timeline. Teams may also request pre-submission discussions with an ARPA-E Technology-to-Market Advisor and use a self-assessment tool to gauge their SCALEUP readiness for application.

Previous SCALEUP awardees have opened factories, raised hundreds of millions in follow-on funding, and secured deals with industry-leading companies. For example, SCALEUP 2019 awardee Natron Energy used the support to help open a sodium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan. SCALEUP 2021 awardee Quidnet Energy is scaling its geomechanical energy storage system to provide storage for CPS Energy in Texas, the largest U.S. municipal utility.

Visit the ARPA-E eXCHANGE website for more information about SCALEUP Ready, including key guidelines, and read the SCALEUP Ready program description. 

ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies across a wide range of technical areas that are too early for private-sector investment. Learn more about these efforts and ARPA-E's commitment to ensuring the United States continues to lead the world in developing and deploying advanced energy technologies. 

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