FOA Number: DE-FOA-0002626 Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) (SBIR/STTR) | DE FOA 0002626

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002626

FOA Number DE-FOA-0002626, titled Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) (SBIR/STTR), is an ARPA-E funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy focused on pushing building construction toward a new standard: structures that do not just reduce carbon, but actually store more carbon than they emit across their life cycle. The core idea is to develop and demonstrate building materials and whole-building design approaches that are net carbon negative on a life cycle basis, meaning the finished building elements lock away more carbon in their chemical structure than is released during manufacturing, construction, and use. The program is framed around embodied greenhouse gas emissions, which are the emissions tied to making and installing building materials (as opposed to operational emissions from heating, cooling, and electricity use), and it aims to make carbon negativity a practical, market-ready design parameter for the construction industry.

HESTIA is explicitly interested in approaches that use atmospheric-origin carbon inputs, including CO2 or methane (CH4), sourced through a variety of feedstocks and pathways. Examples called out include forestry and purpose-grown products, agricultural residues, marine-derived feedstocks, and direct carbon utilization routes. The point is not simply to use bio-based inputs, but to demonstrate credible net carbon storage performance while still meeting real-world construction needs. In practical terms, the solicitation is looking for technologies that can be turned into building components such as structural elements and/or enclosure elements, and that can compete with incumbent, best-in-class options on performance and market fit.

ARPA-E lays out a clear set of evaluation metrics for HESTIA projects. First, the technology needs to show net carbon storage: more carbon stored in the final product than the emissions generated throughout manufacture, construction, and use. Second, it must pass relevant performance testing needed for building adoption, such as strength and flammability testing, aligned with applicable building codes and incumbent specifications. Third, it must have a market advantage over the conventional building element it is trying to replace, which could include better performance in at least one meaningful category, lower cost, or easier installation. Fourth, the program emphasizes durable carbon storage over the service life of the material and minimizing end-of-life emissions where possible, including designing materials and systems for reuse, repurposing, and/or recycling so the stored carbon is not simply released later.

From a program design standpoint, ARPA-E positions HESTIA as applied research and development with transformational intent. The agency is not primarily funding incremental improvements along established technology roadmaps; it is trying to create the kind of technical leap that can open up a new cost and performance trajectory and ultimately lead to disruptive market adoption. In this case, the disruption ARPA-E is aiming for is a construction ecosystem where carbon-negative materials and designs can be manufactured at competitive cost and deployed at scale, shifting buildings from being a large source of embodied emissions to becoming a durable carbon sink.

A notable feature of the solicitation is its emphasis on consistent, transparent life cycle assessment (LCA). The FOA references LCA requirements and indicates that ARPA-E planned a separate solicitation to develop and perform LCAs in coordination with and in support of applicants under this FOA. This is meant to standardize how carbon negativity claims are quantified and compared, and to keep project evaluations grounded in credible, apples-to-apples life cycle accounting rather than narrow or inconsistent boundary choices.

Administratively, the opportunity is issued by DOE ARPA-E and is tied to ARPA-E authorities and federal assistance rules (the FOA notes it is subject to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 as supplemented by 2 C.F.R. Part 910). The eligible applicant pool is small businesses under the SBIR/STTR framework. The funding instrument types include cooperative agreements, grants, and other assistance mechanisms. The posted opportunity information lists an award ceiling of $3,721,115 and an expectation of about 15 awards, signaling mid-sized R&D projects rather than tiny seed grants or massive demonstration megaprojects. The FOA creation date is listed as November 8, 2021, with submissions due by 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on December 20, 2021, and applicants were encouraged to submit at least 48 hours before the deadline.

For submission logistics, ARPA-E requires applicants to register and submit through the ARPA-E eXCHANGE portal, and it states that concept papers submitted through other means would not be reviewed or considered. The FOA directs technical and process questions to ARPA-E resources such as the agency FAQ page and an email contact (ARPA-E-CO@hq.doe.gov), while technical issues with the eXCHANGE system are routed to ExchangeHelp@hq.doe.gov, with the FOA name and number included in the subject line. Overall, HESTIA is aimed at turning carbon removal from a separate industrial activity into something embedded in everyday infrastructure by making building materials and designs that store carbon, meet code-driven performance requirements, and have a realistic path to cost-competitive adoption in the construction market.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the opportunity zone benefits, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FOA Number: DE-FOA-0002626 Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) (SBIR/STTR)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 08, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 20, 2021 Submissions to this FOA are due no later than 930 a.m. Eastern Time on December 20, 2021. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit at least 48 hours in advance of the due date.. (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 $3,721,115.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

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