CEQ Opens Permitting Innovators Call for Solutions

The Council on Environmental Quality has officially launched the “Permitting Innovators Call for Solutions,” a new initiative aimed at improving and modernizing the federal permitting process in the United States. The announcement was made by The White House on April 28, 2026, in partnership with NASA Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. The program is inviting technology companies, startups, researchers, and nonprofit organizations to submit ideas and digital solutions that can help federal agencies handle environmental reviews and permitting in a faster and more efficient way.

According to officials, the federal permitting system plays an important role in many major projects across the country, including highways, bridges, energy infrastructure, data centers, manufacturing facilities, and national security installations. However, many government systems currently used for environmental reviews are considered outdated, slow, fragmented, and heavily dependent on manual work. The administration believes that using modern technology can help reduce delays, improve coordination between agencies, and speed up the approval process for critical infrastructure and economic development projects.

CEQ Chairman Katherine Scarlett said the Trump Administration wants to create a government system that works more effectively and takes advantage of modern technology already available in the private sector. She stated that innovators across America already have tools and ideas that can improve how federal agencies manage environmental reviews and permitting. According to Scarlett, the new program is designed to provide those innovators with a direct opportunity to present their solutions to government decision-makers.

The initiative will focus on several key areas of innovation. These include business process modernization, workflow automation, digital-first documentation systems, and technology tools that can improve timeline predictability during the permitting process. Officials say such technologies could help agencies spend less time on paperwork and administrative tasks while focusing more attention on environmental analysis and project oversight.

The “Permitting Innovators Call for Solutions” is open for submissions until June 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A panel of experts will review and evaluate all submissions based on the program’s official criteria. Up to 50 of the highest-scoring solutions will be selected and invited to participate in the Permitting Innovators Expo, scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C., in July 2026. During the event, selected participants will present live demonstrations of their technology solutions to federal agency leaders and policymakers.

Officials also confirmed that qualified submissions will be included in the “Permitting Innovators Solutions Catalog.” This catalog will serve as a resource for federal agencies looking for modern tools and systems as part of the government’s broader Permitting Technology Action Plan. The goal is to help agencies identify tested and practical technology solutions that can be adopted more quickly.

In addition to the main program, CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center and Luminary Labs will host an informational webinar on May 14, 2026. The webinar will provide details about the application process, submission guidelines, evaluation criteria, and the upcoming Expo event. Interested participants can register and learn more through the official website, permittinginnovators.com.

The new initiative reflects the administration’s broader effort to reform the federal permitting system and reduce project delays that officials say can slow economic growth and infrastructure development. By bringing together government agencies and private-sector innovators, the program aims to modernize outdated systems and improve efficiency across federal environmental review processes.