CEQ Permitting Innovators Program: Call for Technology Solutions

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is inviting innovators to share technology solutions that can transform how the federal government conducts environmental reviews and permitting. This call is part of a broader effort to make these processes faster, more transparent, and more collaborative for agencies and the public.

About the Council on Environmental Quality

CEQ, housed within the Executive Office of the President and created by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970, works with federal agencies to guide the implementation of NEPA. Its mission includes ensuring that environmental reviews and permitting are conducted efficiently and effectively across the federal government.

The need for modern permitting technology

Modern technology has the potential to significantly improve environmental review and permitting by linking data, systems, and workflows across agencies. Better tools can streamline information sharing, reduce duplication, and strengthen engagement with communities and stakeholders. CEQ and partner agencies have already identified key technology gaps in the Permitting Technology Action Plan, but reaching the ambitious goals set by the presidential memorandum will require deeper collaboration with the private sector and innovators.

The Permitting Innovators program

Through the Permitting Innovators program, CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center is seeking practical, scalable tech solutions that can help accelerate and modernize federal environmental review and permitting. Eligible submissions will be evaluated for their potential to improve speed, transparency, data integration, and collaboration across agencies and with the public.

A select group of applicants will be invited to showcase their solutions at the inaugural Permitting Innovators Expo in July. During this event, participants will demonstrate their tools to federal agency staff and members of the broader environmental review and permitting community. Leading solutions will also be highlighted in the Permitting Innovators Solutions Catalog, providing additional visibility and opportunities for adoption.

Role of NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation

NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) supports the use of crowdsourcing across the federal government. Through the NASA Tournament Lab, CoECI provides a contracting pathway to run external crowdsourced challenges on behalf of NASA and other agencies. This expertise in open innovation and challenge-based problem solving is helping CEQ engage a wide range of technology providers and innovators for the Permitting Innovators program.

Key dates

Open date: April 28, 2026

Submission deadline: June 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. ET

How to learn more and participate

Interested organizations and innovators can find full program details, eligibility information, and submission instructions at: Permittinginnovators.com

Additional background on CEQ’s collaboration with NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation and the broader prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing efforts can be found on NASA’s website: