EERE eXCHANGE: FAQs

Question 2: Where Can I find a a Guide to Submitting Concept Paper and Full Applications?
Answer 2:

Click Here for the Guide to Submitting Concept Papers and Full Applications.

Question 3: How do I know if I was successful in uploading my concept paper or full application?
Answer 3: All applicants will receive an automated response when their concept paper or full application is successfully uploaded. This automated response serves as a confirmation of receipt by EERE. Please retain this automated response for your records.

Question 4: How do I submit a concept paper or full application?
Answer 4: All applicants are required to submit their concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE system. On EERE's website, click "Apply" next to the funding opportunity to which you wish to apply. Click "login," and follow the instructions for the submission of concept papers and full applications.

Question 5: How long does it take to upload a concept paper or full application?
Answer 5: The time required to upload a concept paper or full application will vary, depending on the applicant’s internet connection, internet and data server traffic, and other factors. EERE strongly recommends that applicants upload their concept paper or full application at least 5 hours before the final deadline. EERE encourages applicants to submit their concept papers and full applications as soon as possible. Applicants should not wait until the last day or the last hour before the deadline to submit their concept paper or full application. Internet and data server traffic can be heavy on the ultimate due dates, and especially in the last several hours. Applicants should allow sufficient time to resolve any technical difficulties or seek assistance from EERE with uploading their application (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

Question 6: I did not submit a concept paper prior to the deadline. Can I still submit a Full Application?
Answer 6: Parties who failed to submit a timely and responsive Concept Paper during the Concept Paper phase of the funding opportunity are not allowed to submit Full Applications. EERE will not accept or consider such Full Applications.

Question 7: If a team includes a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), are the costs incurred by the FFRDC included in the team’s share of total project costs?
Answer 7: No. The value of a FFRDC’s contributions typically are considered to be part of the government’s share of the total project costs, rather than part of the recipient’s cost share.

Question 8: If I am to upload an SF-424A for each budget year and one for the total, with the same level of detail for all subawardees with an award value of greater than $100,000, how can I upload this information when I am only able to upload one file to the portal?
Answer 8: Create a separate tab for each year and total within the SF-424A Excel file, and upload this one file to the eXCHANGE system.

Question 9: If I have questions relating to the submission of concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE system, who do I contact?
Answer 9: For questions relating to the submission of concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE portal, please contact us at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Question 10: Is there a way I can respond to comments received on our Concept Paper?
Answer 10: At present, EERE does not accept or consider responses to reviewer comments on Concept Papers. Please note that EERE considers reviewer comments within the context of the merit review process, but reviewer comments are not determinative of EERE's selection of Concept Papers or Full Applications.

Question 11: Is there someone at EERE I can talk to about my concept paper or full application?
Answer 11: No. Once EERE publishes its funding opportunity, EERE staff may not answer questions relating to the funding opportunity. All questions must be directed to the applicable FOA email address.

Question 12: May an applicant submit two proposals that are interrelated?
Answer 12: Yes. However, applicants should understand that the proposals will be evaluated independently of one another.

Question 13: Our Concept Paper was discouraged, can we still submit a Full Application?
Answer 13: Applicants that are discouraged during the Concept Paper phase may submit a Full Application, which will be evaluated through a merit review process. The purpose of the Concept Paper phase is to save applicants the time and expense of preparing a Full Application for technologies that are unlikely to be selected for award. Should you decide to submit a Full Application, please be aware that your Full Application is unlikely to be selected for award.

Question 14: What wage rates should be used in the proposal?
Answer 14: Generally, salaries should be in line with industry standards. However, "wage rates" for laborers and mechanics performing construction, alteration and repair work must comply with the requirements set forth in Davis-Bacon Act. Please contact us at the applicable FOA email address if you have any questions relating to the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act.

Question 15: Please advise on how we submit our application through the EERE Exchange as this is not a familiar process.
Answer 15:

All application submissions are to be made via the EERE eXCHANGE at http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange. To gain access to the EERE eXCHANGE, the applicant must first register and create an account on the main EERE eXCHANGE site. This account will then allow the user to register for any open EERE FOAs that are currently in eXCHANGE. It is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, utilize one account as the appropriate contact information for each submission.

The applicant will receive an automated response when the preliminary or full application is received; this will serve as a confirmation of EERE receipt – please do not reply to the automated response. The applicant will have the opportunity to re-submit a revised preliminary or full application for any reason as long as the relevant submission is submitted by the specified deadline. A “User Guide” for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging into the system.

Questions related to use of the EERE eXCHANGE website should be submitted to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Questions related to the Funding Opportunity Announcement should be submitted to the applicable FOA email address and should be submitted not later than 3 calendar days prior to the preliminary application or full application due date. Questions submitted after that date may not allow the Government sufficient time to respond. Answers to questions will be posted on the Exchange website under this FOA. Applicants are encouraged to review the posted questions and answers daily.

Question 18: Will we be accepting email submissions of LOIs if the Exchange website is having technical problems? Will we require some evidence that they have contacted Exchange support?
Answer 18: All Letters of Intent must be submitted using the eXCHANGE system. In the event that an applicant encounters an error submitting a Letter of Intent to the eXCHANGE system, such as the one described, and they are unable to successfully complete their submission prior to the closing, the applicant should immediately submit their application via e-mail to the FOA mailbox. Along with the required submission documents, the applicant should provide a detailed description of the error encountered, including screen shots showing the error, as appropriate. DOE will evaluate acceptance of the application on a case-by-case basis.

Question 19: Is an electronic signature acceptable for documents?
Answer 19: The documents, that require a signature, must be signed by an Authorized Representative of the organization.

Question 20: Since some of our partners do not lobby, should the SF LLL be submitted or not?
Answer 20: If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the grant/cooperative agreement, the organization must complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying.”

Question 23: I am working on the SF-424 application and cannot seem to find the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this announcement. Can you please let me know what the number is?
Answer 23:

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number for this announcement is: 81.087

Question 24: Should the required summary slide be captured and uploaded in portrait format or in landscape?
Answer 24:

The summary slide should be captured and uploaded in landscape format.

Question 25: Last year, when we submitted a concept paper to DOE, during the upload, we were suddenly asked to provide detail funding information. We had anticipated that for an invited proposal, but not for the concept paper stage. We complied as best we could. Should that happen again, what procedure should we follow since we are not prepared to submit funding information at this time?
Answer 25:

To DOE, any numbers provided at the concept paper stage are estimates and may not be as accurate as those provided in the full application. Therefore, applicants should provide the amount of information available at the time of submission.

Question 26: Could you please tell me if the title in the concept paper can be slightly different (may be removing 1 or 2 words) than the title in the LOI? Please note that the PI and topic area remains the same.
Answer 26:

Yes, changes to the title are allowed.

Question 27: Is the reference section included in the 3-page limit?
Answer 27:

References are not required for at the concept paper stage. If references are included in the concept paper submission, then they would be included in the three page limit.

Question 28: Will the concept paper reviews (and documents) be internal to DOE only, or will they be made public?
Answer 28:

The concept paper review is internal to DOE but is subject to the same Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests as all other DOE activities. In the event of a FOIA request the applicant will be contacted and allowed to redact sensitive information.

Question 31: We missed the deadline to submit our concept paper, due to our local internet problem. We are wondering whether there is a way to make up.
Answer 31:

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept late concept paper submissions.

Question 43: Are reviewers going to be primarily academic, industrial, or a combination?
Answer 43: EERE selects experts relevant to the respective AOIs. Experts may consist of academic, private sector, FFRDC, or federal personnel.

Frequently Asked Questions