Office of Technology Transitions

The Department of Energy Office of Science is the civilian agency responsible for funding scientific research and development across the federal science enterprise, including basic energy sciences, particle physics, fusion energy, and climate and energy-systems research. The Office of Science operates as a sub-agency within the Department of Energy and allocates federal resources through both contracts and grants to advance scientific discovery and innovation supporting national energy and climate objectives.

Contract activity at the Office of Science remains minimal in volume and dollar value. The agency has issued 25 total federal contract awards since 2019, with recent cadence of 6 awards in 2020, 2 in 2021, 4 in 2022, 4 in 2023, and 4 in 2024. Combined award potential value stands at $2.6 million, with $2 million obligated as of the most recent award dated June 30, 2024. The contractor base is highly fragmented: among the top five awardees by count covering 75 percent of recent awards, Bloomberg Finance LP holds 3 awards ($190 thousand combined potential value), Sightline Analytics, Inc. holds 2 awards ($290 thousand), and Consumer Technology Association holds 2 awards ($62 thousand). By potential value, the top five cover only 27 percent of combined value, reflecting a dispersed landscape where Wood Mackenzie Inc., Bloomberg Finance LP, and Sightline Analytics represent the largest single awards. All 25 contract awards carry no set-aside designation. The Office of Science transacts heavily through open unrestricted competition rather than small-business or minority-owned vehicle procurement.

Grant activity shows more recent momentum. The Office of Science has issued 13 total grant awards beginning October 1, 2021, with 8 awards in 2021 and 5 in 2024, obligating $10.8 million in federal dollars ($15.7 million including non-federal cost-share). Grant recipients are highly fragmented: the top five recipients by award count cover 100 percent of recent awards, with each recipient holding a single award. No recipient dominates by federal dollars; the top four recipients (Climatehaven Inc., Cherokee Farm Development Corp, Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust, and New Mexico State University) together account for only 33 percent of total federal dollars obligated, with individual awards ranging from $700 thousand to $1 million. All 13 grant awards are structured as Cooperative Agreements.

No recent contract opportunities or grant opportunities are present in the source data. The most recent closed award activity on the contract side dates to mid-2024; grant-making activity appears more current, with the most recent award dated December 20, 2024. The Office of Science's transactional footprint is modest relative to larger federal science agencies, with both contracts and grants concentrated in single awards to distinct recipients in narrow dollar bands.