EERE eXCHANGE: FAQs

Question 1: Is there a DOE Template for the concept Paper for this FOA?
Answer 1: Please see Section IV.A-C for Concept Paper requirements.

Question 2: Is there a budget cap for this FOA?
Answer 2: Individual awards may vary between $5 Million to $10 Million for Topic Area 1 and $500,000 to $1 Million for Topic Area 2. Please see Section II.A.1 of the FOA for details.

Question 3: Would DOE cover costs for obtaining full patent rghts on existing patent-pending technology to be used in a funded project?
Answer 3: DOE rights to inventions made by universities under a DOE award is governed by the Bayh-Dole Act (Bayh-Dole). Under Bayh-Dole, the University will have the right to retain title to any invention made under the award and the Government will retain a government purpose license to use the invention. The Government will not pay the cost of patent protection for the invention in exchange for the Government purpose license required by Bayh-Dole.

Question 4: Is Topic 2 open to macro algae culturing techniques?
Answer 4: Yes, topic area 2 is open to macro algae.

Question 5: For the purposes of the TABB FOA, would hydrogen be considered an algal-produced biofuel or byproduct of interest?
Answer 5:

The FOA does not provide an explicit list of acceptable/non-acceptable biofuels and bioproducts. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit proposals for biofuels and bioproducts that meet the intent and requirements of the FOA. Responsiveness to the FOA intent and requirements will be assessed using Technical Review Criteria and the Other Selection Factors in Section V.A and V.C.

Question 6: The TABB FOA language implies, but does not explicitly state, that algal lipids will be extracted to develop a biofuel (as indicated in footnote 6 on page [3]). Is this the intent, or are other biofuels (for example ethanol, bio-oil, or hydrogen) acceptable? In other words, is the term “biofuel” defined for this FOA?
Answer 6: The provision of the example in footnote 6 does not imply any FOA intent. The FOA does not explicitly define biofuels. As noted in footnote 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ) administers the Renewable Fuel Standard and thus is the most relevant and current source of biofuel definitions.

Question 7: In the footnote 6 on page [3], the example given describes a typical algal biomass as having 25% “recoverable” lipid content and 75% residual biomass destined for a higher value market than AD. In many cases, the extracted lipids can be further fractionated to also elicit a high value product. Assuming that a path for achieving BETO’s goal of 5 billion gallons biofuel annually by 2030, as stated on page 5, can be demonstrated, is there any reason to be confined by the 25% lipid/75% high-value-residual model? In other words, if say only 5% of the biomass will be extracted lipids destined for biofuel at $5 gge, and the remainder (which may still contain some lipids) can be used for the high value market, is this an acceptable path forward?
Answer 7: The 25/75 split provided as an example in footnote 6 does not imply any FOA intent towards that product mix. As stated in Requirement 5 in Section I.B.2: “Discussion of envisioned split, assuming mature technology deployment, between biofuels and bioproducts in terms of energy, mass, and value [is required]. Applicants should note that the production of biofuels is directly related to BETO’s statutory authority and strategic goals (which are defined in the BETO Multi-Year Program Plan referenced above) and thus this discussion will inform the evaluation conducted under the Other Selection Factors as described in Section V.C.1. “

Question 8: On pages [1] and [12], the TABB FOA indicates that the period of performance will be 36 to 48 months. In some cases, especially for Topic Area 2, there is potential for an accelerated schedule and the project could be at or near completion within 24 months. Will a time period less than 36 months be considered?
Answer 8: The 36 to 48 month period of performance is established to allow sufficient time to meet the FOA objectives, which may require several growing seasons.

Question 9: Will these slides be available for later view?
Answer 9: The FOA Webinar, as well as questions and answers from the webinar will be posted on EERE Exchange at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the webinar slide deck and questions and answers.

Question 10: During the FOA Webinar the presenter read a lot of stuff that wasn't on the screen. Will this be available for download?
Answer 10:

Slides with notes and a transcription are posted EERE Exchange at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the webinar slide deck and questions and answers.

Question 11: May we assume the slides can be downloaded later?
Answer 11:

Slides and a YouTube Video link is located under the FOA Number in EERE Exchange at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the webinar slide deck and questions and answers.

Question 12: How many projects will be funded for Topic Area 1?
Answer 12: Per Section II.A.1 of the FOA, one to three awards are anticipated for Topic Area 1.

Question 13: Regarding topic area 2, can the goal to achieve increased yield be achieved by any other strategy?
Answer 13: No. A requirement of Topic Area 2 is identification of whether the technology development is focused on crop protection or CO₂ utilization.

Question 14: Could clean water be considered as a "co-product"?
Answer 14: The intent of Topic Area 1 is to increase the value of the algae biomass, thus lowering the cost of the algal biofuel. If clean water produced along with algal biomass creates value (i.e. revenue) that lowers the cost of algal biofuel in accordance with the FOA objectives, it could be considered a co-product.

Question 15: You mention that submissions must be from consortia but also mention proposals from individuals? Can you please clarify how many individuals or groups need to be on a proposal?
Answer 15: Topic Area 1 is requires applications from consortia. Topica Area 2 allows for submissions form non-consortia. Please refer to Section I.B.2 for consortia requirements. As stated there, “DOE is not prescribing a specific number of team members, team structure, or mix of organization types. It is up to each applicant consortium to determine the appropriate mix of technical partners.”

Question 16: Are you going to allow CO2 from saltwater?
Answer 16: Please clarify this question. The FOA does not explicitly define CO2 sources of interest.

Question 17: Is the encourage letter appealable?
Answer 17: No. Submission of an eligible concept paper is required. As stated during the webinar, a discourage letter conveys EERE’s lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project. An applicant who receives a discouraged notification may still submit an eligible full application. FOA eligibility requirements are described in III.C. of the FOA.

Question 18: Do validated observation outweigh theories?
Answer 18:

As stated in the FOA section I.C: “applications for proposed technologies that are not based on sound scientific principles (e.g., violates the law of thermodynamics)” are considered unresponsive and will not be reviewed.

Question 19: Is it required to include a budget description or estimated total project budget in the concept paper submission?
Answer 19: Please refer to Section IV.C for concept paper form and requirements.

Question 20: Are topic 2 projects limited to work with laboratory volumes stated as <100L? Otherwise stated, are lab-outdoor feedback studies using <100L in the lab and >1000L outdoors acceptable for Topic 2 submissions?
Answer 20: It is expected that Topic Area 2 will include work at both bench and process development scale.

Question 21: Are concept papers need for both Areas 1 and 2?
Answer 21:

Yes.

Question 22: Artificial lighting based projects are considered nonreponsive. Does this include bringing natural light into a culture facility via fiber optic cables?
Answer 22: The use of artificial lighting in bench and potentially some process development scale algae cultivation is expected in both topic areas. What is considered nonresponsive in both topic areas are applications that propose R&D on artificial lighting technologies to support commercialization of artificially lit algae cultivation, as stated in section I.C: "Applications that propose to develop technology for the artificial lighting-based cultivation of algae for energy products (other than as an enabling tool for high-throughput laboratory-based screening) [are specifically not of interest]." From the question it is not clear what the use of fiber optics is intended for. Please note section III.G of the FOA, which states: “EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.”

Question 23: What do you mean you by 'strain development' other than growing a strain and measuring its quantity and quality? Do you mean optimizing the environment for the strain's growth or something else?
Answer 23:

Strain development refers to isolation, breeding, and engineering of algae strains that grow in a given cultivation setting and produce the desired products.

Question 24: Since Crop Protection is focused on algal biomass production, why is full LCA required that carries out the process through to cost of $5/gge and emissions?
Answer 24:

The FOA objectives as stated in Section I.A apply to both topic areas. As the objectives are to lower the cost of advanced algal biofuels, TEA and LCA are required to meet the FOA objectives. Per the TRL-definition provided in the FOA for TRL-3: “System/integrated process requirements for the overall system application are well known;” it is expected that technology development in Topic Area 2 can be applied at least conceptually to LCA and TEA.

Question 25: Budget for Topic Area is given as $500,000 to $1,000,000. Can the proposal be less or greater than this range?
Answer 25:

No.

Question 26: Topic Area 2 focus is either Crop Protection or CO2 Utilization, can the proposal address both?
Answer 26: Per the Topic Area 2 requirements, the applicant must identify either Crop Protection or CO2 utilization as the project area of focus.

Question 27: With regards to the FOA,DE-FOA-0001162, is there any leeway on the 20% cost share for a University respondent on Topic 2?
Answer 27: No, 20% minimum cost share is required for this FOA.

Question 28: Where can I find the FOA Document?
Answer 28: Please go to https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ and select the appropriate FOA number (DE-FOA-0001162). The FOA can be downloaded under “FOA Documents”.

Question 29: Is this the total award for the grant or a per year award, (thus a $1,000,000 grant comes to a total of $3,000,000 for a three-year award)?
Answer 29: In Section II.A.1, the amount of money that is mentioned is the Total Award Amount, not a per year amount.

Question 30: Is TABB limited to algae grown in covered containers? If not, are there any limits to the technology we can use to transform the biomass into a fuel? Must the fuel be a liquid, or can it be a gas or a solid?
Answer 30: Per section I.B.1.6: “Acceptable algae cultivation systems include open ponds, attached growth systems, and closed photobioreactors (PBRs), combinations of these systems, or other systems with similarly justifiable scalable potential.” The objectives for the FOA are to support BETO’s 2030 goals for algal biofuels. The 2030 goals are related to volumes of liquid transportation fuels. Please refer to section III.G about determinations of eligibility prior to the application due date.

Question 31: Are carbons in wastewater considered"biologically available carbon" stated in the FOA?
Answer 31: Yes.

Question 32: Is there a minimum potential fuel volume that would need to be produced from any particular bio-product or specific technology? For example, would a bio-product with a small market potential that would generate only a million gallons per year of biofuels be acceptable?
Answer 32: The FOA does not define a minimum fuel volume. The FOA objectives are to support BETO’s 2030 goals for 5 billion gallons per year of algal biofuel. Please note the Topic Area 1 requirement in section I.B.2, to provide “Discussion of envisioned split, assuming mature technology deployment, between biofuels and bioproducts in terms of energy, mass, and value. Applicants should note that the production of biofuels is directly related to BETO’s statutory authority and strategic goals and thus this discussion will inform the evaluation conducted under the Other Selection Factors as described in Section V.C.1.”.

Question 33: If a bio-product (e.g. animal feed) were to represent a major fraction of the total biomass produced, such as to reduce the potential fuel production well below the 2,500-5,000 gal/acre-yr current-future DOE goals, would this be unresponsive to the FOA?
Answer 33: The FOA does not establish explicit technology pathways to achieve the FOA objectives. Please note section III.G of the FOA, which states: “EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.”

Question 34: Can a project be focused on both crop protection AND CO2 utilization?
Answer 34: Per the Topic Area 2 requirements, the applicant must identify either Crop Protection or CO2 utilization as the project area of focus.

Question 35: Are we to assume that none of the current for-profit guidance in 10 CFR 600.316 will apply to any awards issues after Dec 26, 2014?
Answer 35: Information on DOE’s implementation plan of 2 CFR 200 is not available yet. Award recipients will be notified once this information is available.

Question 36: As best I can tell from the FOA, the concept papers do not require a budget. Is that correct?
Answer 36: Please see Section IV.C.1 for Concept Paper Content requirements.

Question 37: Can you provide guidelines and/or further information for what is expected in the TEA and LCA for both Topic Areas?
Answer 37: The FOA states: “Consortia projects in Topic Area 1 will develop and characterize finished bioproducts and biofuels spanning the entire algae processing system (cultivation, harvesting, processing, refining/bioproduct production). The projects in Topic Area 2 will increase algal biomass productivity and/or yield via crop protection or CO2 utilization strategies.” Thus, the differences between TEA and LCA proposed for Topic Area 1 vs. Topic Area 2 should reflect that Topic Area 2 is more limited in scope. Please note that the FOA objectives apply to both topic areas and thus TEA and LCA of complete algal biofuel pathways is required for both topic areas. As stated in the TRL definitions contained in Appendix E, it is a requirement of Topic Area 2 that “System/integrated process requirements for the overall system application are well known.” Thus, while there are aspects of the algal biofuel chain outside the scope of Topic Area 2 that are necessary for TEA and LCA; models, data, and/or analysis for those aspects should be understood and available to Topic Area 2 projects. Also, please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to propose TEA and LCA for Topic Area 2 that are responsive to the FOA objectives.

Question 38: In FAQ 8, you state "The 36 to 48 month period of performance is established to allow sufficient time to meet the FOA objectives, which may require several growing seasons" in response to a question about a 24 month performance period. If several growing seasons are not necessary and the objectives could be met in 24 months, would an application/concept paper with a proposed 24 month performance period still be considered non-responsive?
Answer 38: An application with a proposed 24 month performance period would not necessarily be non-responsive. The FOA sections I.B and I.C list topic area requirements and applications specifically not of interest. The FOA section III describes application eligibility requirements. If it is reasonable for an award to be shorter or of a lesser amount than the ranges established in the FOA, that is not an issue so long as the objectives and requirements of the FOA are met and an eligible application is submitted.

Question 39: Items #32 and #33 on the current FAQs list for the TABB FOA beg the following linked questions: 1) To what extent, if any, do BIOPRODUCTS proposed under this FOA in conjunction with biofuels, require establishing “significantly positive energy return on investment and/or reduced GHG footprint” ? It is understood that sufficiently positive energy balance and reduced GHG footprint will be required for biofuels as noted under Section I.B.2, but what is NOT CLEAR is the extent to which this must also apply to bioproducts in order be deemed “responsive” … or alternatively, “non-responsive”. Energy balance and GHG footprint for the bio-products is not as straightforward a question as for fuels. For instance, if a particular bioproduct pathway requires a drying or some other energy-intensive step, the resulting energy balance and GHG footprint for that algal biomass-based product may suffer because of that, even though the product may offer some economic advantage of higher-value with reasonably large market potential. 2) Can such energy and GHG penalties, if they exist, be appropriately attributed to the bio-products in the LCA without being considered non-responsive to the FOA … or is it required that any existing energy/GHG penalties associated with those bioproducts must somehow be compared with the alternative ways in which SIMILAR (functionally equivalent?) PRODUCTS are made in order to show that the bioproducts have a RELATIVELY better energy balance and GHG footprint?
Answer 39: The FOA Section I.A states: “…targets should describe: Significantly positive energy return on investment, in terms of energy content of final products / energy inputs; and Lifecycle GHG emissions attributable to biofuel production at modeled commercial scale that could meet or exceed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) requirements for advanced biofuels.” In this statement, “final products” means the complete mix of biofuels and bioproducts being proposed. Thus, the FOA asks for the energy content / energy inputs of the bioproducts to be included in energy return on investment targets. The FOA does not ask applicants to set targets for lifecycle GHG emissions of bioproducts. With regards to the question on the responsiveness of a given LCA approach, please refer to section III.G regarding timing and nature of eligibility determinations.

Question 40: The EERE submission pages for the Concept Paper has a required field for an Abstract. Is an abstract of 4000 characters or less indeed required, as we did not see this mentioned in the FOA? If required, should we use the Full Proposal’s guideline on the Abstract on page 39?
Answer 40: Please see Section IV.C. of the FOA for the content and form requirements for the Concept Paper. An abstract is not a requirement of the Concept Paper.

Question 41: Can the project team change after the concept paper is submitted?
Answer 41: Yes, the project team may change

Question 42: Is a company allowed to be a member in two separate consortia which submit two separate Concept Papers?
Answer 42: Yes

Question 43: Can new members be added to the consortium after the concept paper has already been submitted
Answer 43: Yes

Question 44: Does each member of the consortium have to register with a different account to submit the concept paper or is one registration to be used by all members of the consortium?
Answer 44: No, the prime applicant will submit the single application

Question 45: Regarding the SF 424 referenced on p. 33 of the FOA, is this to be filled out only by the prime recipient? Or is each of the subcontracts to fill out one as well?
Answer 45: Only the Prime Recipient is required to fill out the SF424, Application for Federal Assistance.

Question 46: 1. Regarding the preparation of budgets, the solicitation (on p.33) indicates the use of the SF 424 and refers to “the instructions on the form” as well as “certifications and assurances in Field 21.” I downloaded the SF 424 from http://energy.gov/management/office-management/operational-management/financial-assistance/financial-assistance-forms and it seems to neither include instructions or a reference to certifications and assurances. Can you 1) verify that the SF-424 is the correct form, 2) point to directions for how to fill it out, and 3) explain where the table shows reference to certifications and assurances? 2. The EERE 159 notes that “The award recipient and each sub-recipient with estimated costs of $100,000 or more must complete this form and ensure it matches the application.” However, the solicitation, on p. 35, notes “Applicants must provide a separate budget justification, EERE 159 (i.e., budget justification for each budget year and a cumulative budget) for each subawardee that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less).” Could you please verify that the solicitation takes precedence over the directions in the table.
Answer 46:

1. You can find the SF424 document by clicking on this link, and clicking on "Application for Financial Assistance" : http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html When you open the form, scroll to the last two pages to find the instructions. Field 21 on the form refers to Certifications and Assurances. These can be found at the following link: http://energy.gov/management/office-management/operational-management/financial-assistance/financial-assistance-forms.

2. The FOA is correct, applicants must provide a separate budget justification, EERE 159 (i.e., budget justification for each budget year and a cumulative budget) for each subaward that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less).

Question 47: I am spearheading a full application for the TABBFOA - 1162, and had a few questions regarding the application. If I could speak with someone regarding this it would be much appreciated.
Answer 47:

Unfortunately, DE-FOA-0001162 a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. All questions regarding this FOA must be submitted via e-mail to TABBFOA@ee.doe.gov not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. All questions and answers related to this FOA will be posted on EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the questions and answers specific to this FOA.

Question 48: There is no link from the FOA to the appropriate EERE159 form. Is it possible to add one? Also, the EERE159 form we located has only three budget periods. Will you be providing an EERE159 with four budget periods for applicants to use for a four year project?
Answer 48:

As stated in the FOA, this form is available on EERE Exchange at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov/

You can also find the EERE 159 by following this link: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html and clicking on "Budget Justification."

If you need to add additional budget periods, you can add a column to each of the sheets in the Excel Workbook.

Question 49: We are proposing to grow algae on wastewater in response to topic area 2. We are trying to figure out what baseline technology we should use when filing out TechFinData. Can we use open pond and fresh water as baseline"? Do we have to use wastewater based cultivation as benchmark?
Answer 49: The baseline should be relevant to the target case you set. The information provided in the datasheet template is part of the merit review.

Question 50: I do not see all the forms that are required under the FOA documents as the solicitation says. This is all I am seeing FOA Documents • FULL TEXT: DE-FOA-0001162: TARGETED ALGAL BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS (TABB) • FULL TEXT: Technical and Financial Data Worksheet • DE-FOA-0001162 - Tabb FOA Webinar • DE-FOA-0001162 - TABB FOA Webinar with Transcription
Answer 50:

As stated in the FOA, the forms are available on EERE Exchange at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov/

You can also find the required forms by following this link: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html

Question 51: Now that the Concepts have been submitted and reviewed for TARGETED ALGAL BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS (TABB; DE-FOA-0001162), how many Concepts were submitted, and how many were encouraged to submit full proposals? I am just curious regarding the statistic after the TABB announcement at the ABO summit, and do not think this information is proprietary.
Answer 51: As the FOA is open, DOE cannot discuss the number of concept papers submitted or the number of concept papers that were encouraged to submit full applications.

Question 52: The EERE-159 Subawardee Budget Justification form only has columns for three budget periods (years). However, the FOA provides funding for up to four years. How do you want us to proceed if our proposal is requesting funding for four years?
Answer 52: If you need additional budget periods, you can add a column to each of the sheets in the Excel Workbook.

Question 53: The Status field for the concept paper is now showing "Review Complete". When I click on View, the field says, "The Concept Paper response is not yet available. Please check back at a later date." When are you planning to post the responses?
Answer 53: All applicants should now be able to see whether their Concept Paper has been encouraged or discouraged. If you are still having issues, please send an email to TABBFOA@ee.doe.gov.

Question 54: I want to ensure we meet the NDA requirement for Topic 1. We have a standard NDA template that we use that has pre-approved boiler plate language. Is it okay for us to use our standard template? We can work with our legal department to add sections based upon the FOA template if there are any areas you deem our template to be lacking.
Answer 54: Please refer to Section IV.D.14 and Appendix F for requirements and instructions.

Question 55: The subject FOA states in the requirements that the Technical Volume is to be submitted as one PDF file. It also states that the Workplan, part of the Technical Volume, must be submitted in Microsoft Word (see PP 27-28 of the FOA). The Exchange system will only allow one file per document upload field on the “Upload and Submit” tab of the Full Application record. Please advise how to submit the Workplan.
Answer 55: The Technical Volume consists of five sections: 1) Cover Page, 2) Project Overview, 3) Technical Description, Innovation, & Impact, 4) Workplan, and 5) Technical Qualifications & Resources, as described in Section IV.D.1 of the FOA. Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the Technical Volume should be submitted as a single document in Adobe PDF format. Section 4, the Workplan, should be submitted as a separate document in Microsoft Word format.

The FOA specifies that the Technical Volume (PDF sections 1, 2, 3, 5) should be submitted with the following naming convention: “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolume”. The separate Workplan document may be submitted with a similar, appropriate naming convention (e.g., “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolumeWorkplan”).

Question 56: Is it permissible to change the title of an encouraged concept paper upon submission of the full proposal?
Answer 56: The FOA does not restrict this change. Please note that the control number should remain the same for the full application as the control number that was provided in the Concept Paper phase.

Question 57: When are full applications due for the TABB FOA?
Answer 57: The due date for submission of full applications to this FOA has been extended to 12/19/2014 at 5:00 ET.

Question 58: If only the prime fills out the SF 424, is it only the prime that fills out the certifications and assurances.
Answer 58: The certifications and assurances actually do not need to be filled out and submitted separately from the SF 424. Please refer to Field 21 on the SF 424.

Question 59: Follow-on to question 46: I am to understand then that we fill out the SF 424 excel spreadsheet available from http://energy.gov/management/office-management/operational-management/financial-assistance/financial-assistance-forms (and referenced in the solicitation on p.33), as well as the SF 424 Word document available from "Application for Financial Assistance" : http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html
Answer 59:

The SF 424 is not an Excel Spreadsheet, it is a Word document. Please fill out the SF 424 Word document available from "Application for Financial Assistance" : http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html

This will satisfy the SF 424 requirement.

Question 60: The FOA indicates a Topic Area 2 award limit of $1M, which I initially interpreted as total project cost including cost share. However, the cost share calculation examples on p. 70 imply that the $1M limit is for federal (DOE) funds, such that the total project cost may be $1.25M including cost share. Is the latter correct?
Answer 60:

The $1M ceiling for Topic Area 2 refers to federal funds only. Additionally, as stated in Section III.B. of the FOA:

The cost share must be at least 20% of the total allowable costs for research and development projects (i.e., the sum of the Government share, including FFRDC costs if applicable, and the recipient share of allowable costs equals the total allowable cost of the project) and must come from non-Federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law. (See 10 CFR 600.30 for the applicable cost sharing requirements.)

Question 61: My company considers to pay its employees, partially, by equity in the company. Is it allowable as my company's portion in cost share? If so, what are guiadelines to calculate same?
Answer 61:

All proposed cost share must be:

1. Specified in the project budget

2. Verifiable from the Prime Recipient’s records

3. Necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of the project.

Therefore, all cost share must be realized.

Question 62: Am unable to find where Indirect Costs are allowed or limited. The only time they are addressed is to state they are an allowable in-kind. It leads me to assume there are no indirects allowed but I’ve learned never to assume.
Answer 62:

An applicant may propose indirect costs if they are allowable pursuant to:

*2CFR200 for Educational Institutions

*2CFR225 for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments

*2CFR230 for Nonprofit Organizations

*FAR Part 31 for For-Profit Organizations

Question 63: Provided we stay within the federal funds limit and meet the required cost share, may we revise the budget numbers originally submitted with our Concept Paper, when we submit our full proposal?
Answer 63: There is no restriction stated in the FOA to prevent an applicant from revising budget numbers from what was originally submitted in the Concept Paper.

Question 64: I was just want to discuss the TRL levels I had put down on my concept paper, and find out which ones are recommended for topic area 2 of the DOE proposal?
Answer 64:

The TABB FOA includes Technology Readiness Level (TRL) definitions in Appendix E of the FOA. Topic Area 2 TRL requirements are discussed in section I.B.3 .

Question 65: We have faculty submitting to this FOA (Targeted Algal Biofuels and Bioproducts) and we are wondering if there is a specific format for biosketches and current and pending support forms. Can you let me know where I can find this information?
Answer 65:

Per section IV.D.1, provide biographical information on the key participants via an appendix of 1 page resumes. This does not count against the technical volume page limit.

Question 66: Full applications for both projects require PowerPoint slide presentation. What is the page limit for same?
Answer 66: Per section IV.D.5 of the FOA, the summary power point is one (1) slide.

Question 67: Is this grant still open? I am confused about the $0 available for funding. Please let me know if you are still looking to fund projects so I can apply before your December 15th deadline.
Answer 67: In order to be eligible to submit a full application to the TABB FOA, applicants must have submitted a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on 10/30/2014.

Question 68: Could you please let me know if there are limitations on the months of effort budgeted for CO-PIs? We are thinking in putting 12 months.
Answer 68: The FOA does not restrict the amount of time on effort budgeted for Co-PIs.

Question 69: Where can I find an electronic copy of the Consortia Non-Disclosure Agreement?
Answer 69:

There is not a required template for this document; however, and example template is provided in Appendix F of the FOA.

Question 70: If part of the scope of the proposal involves third parties that will provide in-kind services that total below subawardee qualifications ($250,000 or 25% of total grant request costs, whichever is less), does that contractor need to only provide supporting documentation for the estimated costs of the in-kind work or does that automatically qualify them as a subawardee? Does your answer change if the contractor also will invoice for services beyond the in-kind scope but still under subawardee qualifications? Both questions assume the third party can provide support for the quantification of the in-kind costs.
Answer 70: The threshold cited here for subawardees ($250,000 or 25% of total grant costs) is not a threshold for determining if a contractor is a subawardee. Instead, it is a threshold for determining whether or not a separate Budget Justification (EERE 159) is required for a subawardee. If the costs are under this threshold, a separate budget justification is not required. Please refer to the EERE 159 for documentation required for subawardees and vendors under this threshold.

Question 71: Just to be 100% clear, the Federal award range for Topic 1 is $5M to $10M, with minimum cost share requirements of $1.25M to $2.5M, for total project costs of $6.25M to $12.5M?
Answer 71: Yes, these calculations are correct.

Question 72: For topic area 2 what cultivation scale (20lt, 100lt, 1000lt?) is needed? Does it need to be outdoors, or can it be in a simulated environment (fluctuating temperature/light) inside lab?
Answer 72:

In section I.A, it is stated that the FOA “seeks bench and process development scale applied R&D...”. The FOA provides definitions of bench and process development scale in footnote 5. Additionally, the FOA requirements in section I.B.1.2 establish that “…field cultivation is required to meet the FOA objectives.”

Question 73: 1. If a subawardee is contributing less than 5% of the total amount (or less than $250,000), do we need to include a separate budget page for them if they are listed as key personnel? As PI we will manage their funds as a subaward and so could simply list that information in the budget justification. 2.Also, is it possible to have unequal annual budgets? For example, if the total amount awarded is $300,000, could we budget $200k year 1, and then $50k years 2 and 3?
Answer 73:

1. As stated in the FOA, "Applicants must provide a separate budget justification, EERE 159 (i.e., budget justification for each budget year and a cumulative budget) for each subawardee that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less)." Therefore, unless the subawardee budget meets this threshold, applicants need not submit a separate budget justification for the subawardee.

2. Yes, it is possible to have unequal annual budgets. The FOA does not restrict this.

Question 74: The FOA requires "A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) signed by all partners". Does this document need to be signed in pen and ink by all parties or is a scanned signature sufficient?
Answer 74: A scanned signatue is sufficient.

Question 75: We had submitted a concept paper for the TABB FOA and were encouraged to submit full application. At his stage is it possible to change the lead institution for the full proposal?
Answer 75: No, the same Prime Recipient (Applicant) who submitted the Concept Paper must submit the Full Application.

Question 76: Is it permissible to include a table of contents in the cover page of the technical volume?
Answer 76: The Table of Contents should not be included on the Cover Page. As stated in the FOA, the Cover Page should include the project title, the specific FOA Topic Area being addressed (if applicable), both the technical and business points of contact, names of all team member organizations, and any statements regarding confidentiality.

Question 77: At the top of the FULL TEXT: Technical and Financial Data Worksheet – it states the spread sheet is for Topic Area 1. Is there an equivalent form for Topic Area 2? If so, would you please send me a link or direct me to the correct page of the FOA.
Answer 77: The spreadsheet has been corrected and is now available on Exchange.

Question 78: Will the DOE have any rights to IP created during the course of the project funded under the TABB?
Answer 78: Please see Section VIII, subsections L,M,N,O of the FOA.

Question 79: Can you please clarify a question that I have regarding this FOA. On p. 37, a Technical and Financial Datasheet is listed as a requirement for the full application. However, it appears that the form, which I downloaded from the FOA website, is only applicable to Topic Area 1. Can you please confirm that this is not a requirement for Topic Area 2 submissions?
Answer 79: Please refer to Q&A 77 on EERE Exchange.

Question 80: I’m working with a group of PIs on a proposal for the TABB opportunity. A question has arisen about what is in the 25 page limit for the DOE TABB proposal. Does the 25 page limit include the references and CVs or just the proposal material? It appears to me that the 25 page limit does NOT include those items. But does include the CP, Overview/Summary, Project Description and the Workplan. I’m seeing the one-page resumes do not count but I’m not seeing anything about references.
Answer 80:

As stated on Page 33 under "Technical Qualifications and Resources,"

Attach one-page resumes for key participating team members as an appendix. Resumes do not count towards the page limit. Multi-page resumes are not allowed.

As stated on Page 22 under Section IV.A.,

References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.

Question 81: Is a Concept Paper required for DE-FOA-0001162? If we missed the concept deadline are we past the point to be able to submit for this grant?
Answer 81: As stated in the FOA, Applicants must have submitted a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on 10/30/2014 to have been eligible to submit a Full Application.

Question 82: We will be submitting an application for DE-FOA-0001162. I am trying to download all the necessary forms where can I download the SF 424 form? Can I get them from grants.gov?
Answer 82: Please refer to Question 46 on EERE Exchange.

Question 83: Technical volume: what are limits on font size and margins?
Answer 83:

As stated in Section IV.A. of the FOA:

All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.

Question 84: Power Point slide: what are preferred slide size and font size? Is a light or dark background preferred? Should it be saved as Power Point or PDF file?
Answer 84:

As stated in Section IV.A.:

All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.

Additionally, as stated in Section IV.D.5:

The slide must be submitted in Microsoft PowerPoint format.

With regard to the background, the FOA does not specify a light or dark background; therefore, the applicant can choose.

Question 85: What specific information does EERE anticipate to see in the supporting letters?
Answer 85:

As stated in Section V.A.2.,

Criterion 3: Team and Resources (20%)

· The capability of the Principal Investigator(s) and the proposed team to address all aspects of the proposed work with a good chance of success. Qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of the individuals on the team;

· The sufficiency of the facilities to support the work;

· Degree to which the proposed consortia/team demonstrates the ability to facilitate and expedite further development and commercial deployment of the proposed technologies;

· Level of participation by project participants as evidenced by letter(s) of commitment and how well they are integrated into the Workplan; and

· Reasonableness of budget and spend plan for proposed project and objectives.

Question 86: What is the percentage rate of indirect costs allowed?
Answer 86:

DOE does not set a limit on the rate percentage proposed for indirect costs, as they can be different for different entities.

An applicant may propose indirect costs if they are allowable pursuant to:

*2CFR200 for Educational Institutions

*2CFR225 for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments

*2CFR230 for Nonprofit Organizations

*FAR Part 31 for For-Profit Organizations

A review of the proposed indirect costs will be performed by DOE for allowability if selected for and award.

Question 87: Should the cover page of the technical volume simply identify technical and business points of contact, or should it also include their contact information?
Answer 87: As stated in the FOA, the cover page should include the project title, the specific FOA Topic Area being addressed (if applicable), both the technical and business points of contact, names of all team member organizations, and any statements regarding confidentiality.

Question 88: We are submitting a proposal from a public university and are wondering who should be the appropriate author of a letter of support for cost-sharing provided by our Dean. Is a letter from the Dean acceptable or does it need to be from a higher level like Provost or University President?
Answer 88: A letter from the Dean is acceptable.

Question 89: Can I make a late submission?
Answer 89:

As stated in the FOA, applicants must have submitted a Concep Paper by 5:00pm ET on 10/30/2014 to be eligible to submit a Full Application. If you have done this, and are asking if you can make a late submission for the Full Application, it is not anticipated that the due date for Full Applications will be extended at this time. Full Applications are due by 5:00pm ET on 12/19/2014.

Question 90: Should the budget justification file for the prime awardee be uploaded as an Excel file or a PDF file? The table on page 26 indicates it would be Excel, but the budget justification explanation section on page 34 indicates a PDF file.
Answer 90: As stated on page 34 of the FOA, the budget justification workbook must be saved in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Budget_Justification”

Question 91: We have multiple subcontractors that will meet the criteria to fill out the budget justification file. Should the sub files be uploaded as Excel or PDF? If an Excel file, is there a way to do multiple uploads or should we combine the files with multiple tabs? In the past we did make this file a PDF so that we could combine multiple subs into one upload.
Answer 91: As stated on Page 35 of the FOA, Save each subaward budget justification in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Subawardee_Budget_Justification”

Question 92: Does the 25 page limit for the DOE TABB proposal include the references and CVs or just the proposal material?
Answer 92: References are included in the Technical Volume page limit of 25 pages. As stated on page 22 of the FOA “References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.” CVs are not included in the Technical Volume page limit of 25 pages. As stated on page 33 of the FOA “Resumes do not count towards the page limit.”

Question 93: If team member companies hire consultants or subcontractors to perform part of the research, are the subcontractors considered as subrecipients?
Answer 93:

Per OMB Circular A-133, a subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that expends Federal awards received from a pass-through entity to carry out a Federal program. A vendor means a dealer, distributor, merchant, or other seller providing goods or services that are required for the conduct of a Federal program. If a consultant or subcontractor will participate in research activities, must likely they are subrecipient. If a consultant or subcontractor is providing goods and services for the Federal program, they are most likely a vendor.

Question 94: If part of the scope of the proposal involves third parties that will provide in-kind services that total below subawardee qualifications ($250,000 or 25% of total grant request costs, whichever is less), does that contractor need to only provide supporting documentation for the estimated costs of the in-kind work or does that automatically qualify them as a subawardee? Does your answer change if the contractor also will invoice for services beyond the in-kind scope but still under subawardee qualifications? Both questions assume the third party can provide support for the quantification of the in-kind costs.
Answer 94: Please see question and answer 93 regarding subrecipient and vendor determinations. Normally, third parties that provide in-kind services meet the definition of subrecipient (subawardee). Please include a letter of commitment with your application from third parties that provide in-kind services. If the third party is a subrecipient per the definition in A-133 and their budget (in-kind services + services that will be invoiced) exceeds $250,000 or 25% of total project costs, a separate budget justification is required for the third party as part of your application.

Question 95: Page 18, Section III.B.5, states that written assurance of proposed cost share contributions are required in full applications. Where should they be attached to the application?
Answer 95: The written assurance should be in the form of a cost share committment letter. The FOA has been revised to now include Cost Share Commitment Letters in Section IV.D. You can upload these letters in EERE Exchange under {{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_CommitmentLetters.

Question 96: When we are studying the FOA description (Page 36-37), we found the file name requirement for the "US manufacturing commitment" is missing. Do you want to specify the name for the Manufacturing commitment file? Like "Contorl Number_Lead Organization_XXX"
Answer 96: The FOA has been updated to include the US Manufacturing File in Section IV.D. You can submit this file in EERE Exchange as {{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_USMP.

Question 97: In the budget justification form for the lead institution, do they need to include the annual cost sharing allocations for the subawards (as a total per year per institution) that are contributing to the total cost share, or only those related to the amount allocated directly to the lead institution? Each subaward budget will have a detailed breakdown of the cost sharing distribution each year but it wasn't clear if at least the totals needed to be included since the total amount and cost sharing percentage vary from institution to institution.
Answer 97: Yes, the lead institution should include the cost sharing allocations for all participants on the cost sharing tab of its budget justification.

Question 98: There is no eere (159) budget justification spreadsheet attached or built into the TABBFOA_TechFinData spreadsheet. FOA 0001162 states this is a required document yet there is no link to download the spreadsheet. Where is this form "eere (159)"? Is it required? Is the eere (159) copied and pasted into the TABBFOA_TechFinData spreadsheet. Please explain. Thank you.
Answer 98: The EERE 159 Budget Justification Form has been added to Exchange. The form is available under "Required Documents."

Question 99: Our understanding is that facilities descriptions should be included in the part "E" of Technical Volume. It is a 25-page part of the project, so we will have very limited space to describe 3 different facilities. Where can we supplement the descriptions?
Answer 99: A description of the facilities must be contained in the 25 page limit of the Technical Volume.

Question 100: Is past and current support description required? If so, what part of the Full Application should contain it?
Answer 100: A past and current support description is not required.

Question 101: To qualify as a lead organization, should the company assume any minimal percentage of total project costs?
Answer 101: No. DOE is not prescribing a specific number of team members, team structure, or mix of organization types. It is up to each applicant consortium to determine the appropriate mix of technical partners.

Question 102: Regarding the reference to 1000 liter system for the pilot scale....is this a hard point? Would our current 240 liter system be reviewed poorly? Note that due to the parallel nature of our structure, there is no technical difference or added risk when going larger.
Answer 102:

As written, the FOA's definition of process development scale does not set a "hard point." As stated in the FOA Section I.A footnote 5: "Process development scale refers to work conducted in field settings with fluctuating light, temperature, and other stochastic features (such as precipitation, wind, contamination), with sufficient supporting infrastructure to allow for multi-day to multi-week cultivation campaigns. Process development scale cultivation volumes are expected to be on the order of 1,000 liters up to and beyond 10,000 liters per vessel." The volume of each vessel is only one consideration in defining process development scale. DOE cannot provide guidance as to how the reviewers will evaluate a system that is of less volume though still on the order of 1,000 liters per vessel.

Question 103: For TABB Topic Area 2’s US Manufacturing Plan, is that Plan still needed if there is no resulting product to be manufactured. We are working on a crop protection technology that will not be salable, as it is IP.
Answer 103: Yes, a U.S. Manufacturing Plan is still required as part of the application. U.S. Manufacturing Plans submitted for technologies at lower technology readiness levels may have fewer specific manufacturing details and may focus more on licensing and other strategies to promote U.S. manufacturing.

Question 104: Application guidelines advise to include one-page resumes for key participating team members as an appendix. What information is required and is there a specific template for this document? Please confirm that the resumes should be included in the appendices of the Technical Volume application component.
Answer 104:

As stated on Page 33 under "Technical Qualifications and Resources,"

Attach one-page resumes for key participating team members as an appendix. Resumes do not count towards the page limit. Multi-page resumes are not allowed.

There is not a specific template for the resume.

Question 105: On page 27 of the FOA, the content requirements tell me to use SF-424 but I’ve found no links anywhere.
Answer 105: The SF-424 Form has been posted on Exchange.

Question 106: Who should receive letters of support for project teams? Name and mail address, please.
Answer 106: They can be addressed to the Contracting Officer for this FOA, Nicole Blackstone, at

15013 Denver West Parkway

Golden CO 80401

Question 107: We are wondering whether the Lead/Prime Applicant has to submit a single application including all information and budgets of all subs/consortium members on https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ or the subs have to submit their own documents. If subs have to submit anything what exactly they should submit?
Answer 107: The Lead/Prime Applicant should submit all of this information in a single application.

Question 108: The Technical Volume is supposed to be PDF format, but the Workplan is requested as docx. There is a separate upload slot for the workplan file. So is the workplan supposed to part of the integrated technical volume as well or ONLY as a separate docx file? Is the MS Word format a request or a requirement (FOA says "should" rather than "must")? Higher quality documents are often prepared with other software.
Answer 108:

The Technical Volume consists of five sections: 1) Cover Page, 2) Project Overview, 3) Technical Description, Innovation, & Impact, 4) Workplan, and 5) Technical Qualifications & Resources, as described in Section IV.D.1 of the FOA. Sections 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the Technical Volume should be submitted as a single document in Adobe PDF format. Section 4, the Workplan, should be submitted as a separate document in Microsoft Word format.

Therefore, the Workplan should be submitted separately and in Microsoft Word format. It is intended that this be the requirement.

Further, the FOA specifies that the Technical Volume (PDF sections 1, 2, 3, 5) should be submitted with the following naming convention: “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolume”. The separate Workplan document may be submitted with a similar, appropriate naming convention (e.g., “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_TechnicalVolumeWorkplan”).

Question 109: Who is the contracting officer for FOA# DE-FOA-0001162?
Answer 109: Nicole Blackstone

Question 110: I would like to know where I can find the correct SF424 and SF424A for funding opportunity DE-FOA-0001162.
Answer 110:

As stated in the FOA, this forms are available on EERE Exchange at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov/

You can also find the EERE 159 by following this link: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html and clicking on "Budget Justification."

You can also find the SF424 document by clicking on this link, and clicking on "Application for Financial Assistance" : http://www1.eere.energy.gov/financing/resources.html

Question 111: We are wondering whether the Lead/Prime Applicant has to submit a single application including all information and budgets of all subs/consortium members on https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ or the subs have to submit their own documents. If subs have to submit anything what exactly they should submit?
Answer 111:

As stated in the FOA, Prime Recipients and Subrecipients are ONLY required to complete and submit SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/sflllin.pdf) if any non-Federal funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the following in connection with your application:

· An officer or employee of any Federal agency;

· A Member of Congress;

· An officer or employee of Congress; or

· An employee of a Member of Congress.

Question 112: I am writing for guidance regarding the addition of a Budget Period on the Instructions and Summary tab of the EERE 159 Budget Justification Workbook for Solicitation DE-FOA-0001162. Although FAQ 48 addresses adding a budget period, it does not address the specific question about adding columns to the Instructions and Summary tab. The Worksheet linked under the REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS heading on the EERE Exchange site for this specific FOA is different than the one linked in the FAQs, and contains the specific instruction. "Do not add rows to the Instructions and Summary tab. If your project contains more than three budget periods, consult your EERE contact before adding additional budget period rows or columns." Could you please let me know whether there are specific instructions for adding columns for the additional Budget Period on the Instructions and Summary tab?
Answer 112:

You may add rows/columns as needed to the Instructions and Summary tab. Please note that you may need to adjust the formulas/calculations if you do add rows/columns. We recommend that you "test" your formulas prior to submission.

Question 113: Based on question 73 in the FAQ’s, what documentation is required as part of the proposal for a subcontractor working below the threshold of 25% or $250,000?
Answer 113:

The subcontractor's costs will be captured in the Prime Applicant's EERE 159 (under the contractual tab). There are additional requirements if the sub is an FFRDC, if this is the case, please refer to Section IV.D.7. Additionally, if the sub is providing cost share, the applicant will need to submit cost share commitment letter(s) as discussed in Section III.B.5.

Question 114: I noticed that a link was added to FOA #DE-FOA-0001162 for the EERE159 Budget Justification form, and that this version of the form is different than the version that was previously available (it may have been updated as of 12/12/14). If we have already completed our budgets using the previous version of the EERE159 form, do we need to copy everything into the new version of the EERE159 form?
Answer 114: No, you do not need to copy everything into the newer version. Either version is acceptable.

Question 115: Should business/consortium agreements between the Lead/Prime Applicant and subs/consortium members be submitted as a part of the Full Application or they need to be submitted later?
Answer 115:

The only application requirement is the fully executed NDA.

Question 116: What is the maximum fringe percent (for personnel salaries) allowed?
Answer 116:

DOE does not set a limit on the rate percentage proposed for fringe benefit costs, as they can be different for different entities. The percentage charged must be consistent with the applicant's normal procedures and must contain allowable elements. Costs must be allowable pursuant to the following cost principles:

*2CFR200 for Educational Institutions

*2CFR225 for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments

*2CFR230 for Nonprofit Organizations

*FAR Part 31 for For-Profit Organizations

Question 117: What is the maximum indirect costs allowed for a for-profit applicant? Can we include it as G&A or needs to be broken down into the line items?
Answer 117: Please refer to Q&A #62. Yes, it can be included as G&A.

Question 118: How many letters of support are allowed?
Answer 118:

The FOA does not specify a maximum amount. As stated in the FOA:

Attach any letters of support from partners/end users as an appendix (1 page maximum per letter). Letters of support do not count towards the page limit.

Question 119: Would the following be allowable for the cost share requirement? 1. salary and fringe benefits of an HHMI-Investigator committing effort to the DOE project 2. unrecovered indirect costs associated with the non-federal budget 3. indirect costs on the first $25K of each participating subrecipient (prime applicant’s F&A rate is modified total direct cost (MTDC) base)
Answer 119:

These costs would be allowable as cost share as long as they are charged consistently with the organization's normal policies and procedures.

Question 120: The FOA states: “EERE requires Prime Recipients to contribute the cost share amount incrementally over the life of the award. Specifically, the Prime Recipient’s cost share for each billing period must always reflect the overall cost share ratio negotiated by the parties (i.e., the total amount of cost sharing on each invoice when considered cumulatively with previous invoices must reflect, at a minimum, the cost sharing percentage negotiated).” Our cost share partner (an industrial/commercial partner) is only working on the tasks/milestones/deliverables in Year 2. All of their cost share commitment (which meets the DOE 20% requirement for the overall total project costs) would be in Year 2. Scientifically it does not make sense for them to be involved in Year 1. Will a cost share arrangement like this be allowed? Or must we find a way to spread the cost share over the three years?
Answer 120: As stated in the FOA, Prime Recipients must contribute the cost share amount incrementally over the life of the award. Therefore, the cost share will need to be spread out and include cost share in the first year.

Question 121: In unincorporated consortium, should the lead company sign one agreement with all team members or the lead can have separate agreements with each team member? What other consortium documents are to be submitted with the full application, in addition to the non-disclosure agreement
Answer 121:

As set forth in Section IV.D.14 of the FOA: One Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) signed by all parties in the proposed consortium (including any subrecipients) must be submitted with the application.” The NDA, therefore, must be one document signed by all consortium members. If this question is also referring to the document(s) creating the unincorporated consortium, no such document is required to be submitted with the Full Application. However, under Section III.1, the FOA provides the following direction in terms of the unincorporated consortium’s collaboration agreement:

Upon request, unincorporated consortia must provide the EERE Contracting Officer with a collaboration agreement, commonly referred to as the articles of collaboration, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of each consortium member. This agreement binds the individual consortium members together and should discuss, among other things, the consortium’s:

· Management structure;

· Method of making payments to consortium members;

· Means of ensuring and overseeing members’ efforts on the project;

· Provisions for members’ cost sharing contributions; and

· Provisions for ownership and rights in intellectual property developed previously or under the agreement.

Question 122: Normally, each applicants will have their 1) Biosketchs or Curriculum Vitae and 2) current & pending awards (C&P) included as appendix materials. In the DE-FOA-0001162 submission requirements, there are no Biosketch and C&P for the individual applicants. Are these required documents? Or we need use different format to describe each applicants’ research areas and current status? If yes, should we write them in the section 1.1 Background?
Answer 122:

For bio sketches, please see either Section IV.D.1 – Technical Volume under “Technical Qualifications and Resources” and / or question 65 in the FAQ. Regarding current and pending awards, this information is not required to be submitted with the full application.

Question 123: The new changes that were made to the FOA on 15/12/2014 include two more items for submission, including cost share commitment letters and us manufacturing file. Question: 1) Are there any requirements for the letters, and 2) what is different between the "17. US Manufacturing File" and "11. US Manufacturing plan"?
Answer 123:

1) As stated in Section III.B.5 of the FOA:

Applicants are required to provide written assurance of their proposed cost share contributions in their Full Applications.

Upon selection for award negotiations, Applicants are required to provide additional information and documentation regarding their cost share contributions. Please refer to Appendix B of the FOA for guidance on the requisite cost share information and documentation.

The FOA was modified to allow the "written assurance" to be submitted.

2) The duplicative US Manufacturing file was added in error and has been corrected.

Question 124: How should we handle the table of contents and page numbering of the Technical Volume given the need to submit the Workplan as a separate file?
Answer 124:

As stated in the FOA, the Technical Volume to the Full Application may not be more than 25 pages, including the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics, and must include all of the information in the table below. The applicant should consider the weighting of each of the evaluation criteria (see Section V.A.2 of the FOA) when preparing the Technical Volume.

It is recommended that applicants construct the Technical Volume as one document and then break out the Workplan separately for submission.

Question 125: A) Form SF-424 item#18 titled Estimated funding has a line item f "Program Income". This is not explained in the FOA. Please describe what it is and what is the allowable % that a business can charge if allowed. B) These forms have been difficult to work with. Any chances of extending the deadline.
Answer 125: Program Income is not applicable to this FOA. Please leave this section blank. At this time, it is not expected to extend the due date for full applications. If you have further questions regarding the required forms, please email TABBFOA@ee.doe.gov.

Question 126: May the cover page contain graphic design elements—e.g. professional design fonts, colored background or artwork—so long as the required information is plainly visible?
Answer 126:

As stated in Section IV.A, “All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies.”

Provided the Cover Page meets these requirements, the inclusion of graphic design elements will be inconsequential to the review process.

Question 127: In the FOA Q&A it is stated that "It is recommended that applicants construct the Technical Volume as one document and then break out the Workplan separately for submission.” There is only one place to upload the “Technical Volume File” and there not a place to upload any “Other Documents”. We have tried uploading them separately as a test, but this is not possible in exchange. Please advise where the separate word file should be uploaded to.
Answer 127: Please refer to Section IV.D. of the FOA. The Workplan should be submitted as a separate Word document. There is a space in EERE Exchange for the Workplan that corresponds with this section of the FOA.

Question 128: Are the Co-Principal Investigators required to provide a letter of support for the DE-FOA-0001162 application submission?
Answer 128:

This is not a requirement of the FOA; however, if you wish to submit letters of support from the Co-Principal Investigators, you may. As stated on Page 33 of the FOA:

"Attach any letters of support from partners/end users as an appendix (1 page maximum per letter). Letters of support do not count towards the page limit."

Question 129: Does the lead institution need to include SF-424 budget forms for the subawardees (either as attached to the lead budget or the subaward budget justification file), or is only the budget justification required for them?
Answer 129: Only the Prime Recipient is required to fill out the SF424, Application for Federal Assistance.

Question 130: Specifically, where the FOA states on the bottom of page 27: "The cover page should include the project title, the specific FOA Topic Area being addressed (if applicable), both the technical and business points of contact, names of all team member organizations, and any statements regarding confidentiality." Is the following statement sufficient for the confidentiality statement: ”If awarded, a NDA will be developed.”
Answer 130:

No. As stated in Section IV.D.14:

One Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) signed by all parties in the proposed consortium (including any subrecipients) must be submitted with the application. DOE recommends using the example template provided in Appendix F, without substantial changes. If the document requires amending before submission with the application, submit a red-lined version of the document with changes shown. DOE expects partners to conduct business among themselves to facilitate the free flow of information within the consortium. Save this document in a single pdf file named “Control Number_Lead Organization_Algae NDA”.

Question 131: Is there a form available for the US Manufacturing plan?
Answer 131: No, there is a not a template for the US Manufacturing Plan. Please refer to Section IV.D.11 of the FOA for additional information regarding the US Manufacturing Plan.

Question 132: We are submitting to DE-FOA-001162 that allows for either a 3 year or 4 year budget. Your website only provides a 3 year budget template. We need a 4 year template ASAP.
Answer 132: Please refer to FAQ 52 and FAQ 112 on EERE Exchange.

Question 133: Do the performance of work waivers and the foreign entity as a prime recipient waivers all get saved in a single PDF?
Answer 133:

Yes, if applicable, please submit them together with the file name: ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Waiver

Question 134: Why does the Budget Justification Workbook only have three budget periods when the FOA is a 2-4 year project? Can we edit the workbook to include more budget periods?
Answer 134: Please refer to FAQ 52 and FAQ 112 on EERE Exchange.

Question 135: If we have done no Lobbying, do we need to submit the form SF_LLL
Answer 135: Please refer to FAQ 111 on EERE Exchange.

Question 136: I have to submit the application by 12-19 and I could not find the Technical and Financial Datasheet. Please, send me one as attachment or email me the side where I can find it.
Answer 136: As stated in the FOA, the template may be found with the FOA posting on the EERE Exchange website.

Question 137: Part 2: SF-424 of the FOA, Do we put the date received as the date that they applicant is suppose to receive money from the doe if selected?
Answer 137: "Date Recieved" can be left blank.

Question 138: Regarding the SF 424, if we are a foreign company, what do we use as our EIN/TIN number?
Answer 138: If your entity does not have an EIN/TIN number, you may leave this section blank.

Question 139: When are replies to reviewer comments due?
Answer 139: The due date to submit replies to reviewer comments was extended to 2/22/2015 at 12:00pm EST.

Question 140: We are getting a lot of questions about when we’ll hear about TABB results/awards. Any time frame that you can share with us?
Answer 140: BETO anticipates notifying applicants of selection by the end of May 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions