The objective of this project was to assess the risks and close the technology gaps of subsea DC connectors, a critical component to ensure the safe and reliable operation of subsea high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and distribution (T&D) systems, which is the emerging technology for environmentally safe and reliable powering of long step-out, ultra-deepwater (UDW) subsea oil and gas processing. The program demonstrated the HVDC electrical functionality of the connector, and together with the field-proven mechanical design this will retire the key technical risks in order to reach Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3. The project was conducted in preparation for the prototype development. In Phase 2, the novel subsea HVDC connector design concepts will be proposed and validated by constructing and testing electrical mock-up prototypes under ambient and simulated subsea conditions in the lab.