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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed under the DE-FOA-0003072 - WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-uses, submit questions to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within three business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than three business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]
[3,"Applicants who are unable to open pdf documents are advised that it could be due to an error with the user's web browser or the user's Adobe software.  We recommend closing your web browser and then opening a different web browser to navigate to the Exchange website to open/download the document.\" If that doesn't work, please contact the Exchange Help Desk at the web address provided on the FOA in Exchange. "]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0003072 WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-uses"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[null,null,null,"General Information","1. Please check the Instructions & Tips tab for instructions and tips related to this FOA.\n2. DE-FOA-0003072 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. All questions regarding this FOA must be submitted via email to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov no later than three 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.\n3. The FOA and application documents are available through the DOE EERE Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE website at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx. Click on the FOA number to access the documents.\n4. EERE will not make eligibility determinations prior to submission of applications (see Section III.G. of the FOA). "]
[null,null,null,"General Information: Teaming List","The URL link to the Teaming List has been added to the general description of the FOA. Please visit https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ and select this specific FOA number to locate the URL."]
[1,"2024-04-25","Other","I’d like to be notified of when the public workshop for this FOA occurs (DE-FOA-0003072). ","There will not be a public workshop for this FOA. There will be a webinar, and the details will be posted to EERE Exchange when it is schedule."]
[2,"2024-04-26","Technical Topics","[Name redacted] are seeking funding for 2 pilot sites to produce fuel from calorific waste: one to produce fuel from organic biomass and one from inorganic calorific material (plastics, etc). ... [rephrased]. \n1. Is pyrolysis an allowable technology?\n2. Is syngas an allowable transportation fuel product?\n3. Can ARPA-E help by either showing us an appropriate grant to apply for or just calling to discuss?","1. Section I.A.ii lists some permissible fuels including biocrude. Since biocrude is a product of pyrolysis and other liquefaction technologies, it is an acceptable technological approach. Pyrolysis and other derived biocrude can also be used as an intermediate for other allowable transportation fuels such as renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel.\n2. Section I.A.ii lists some permissible fuels. Syngas itself is not a permissible product, however, if it is planned to be upgraded to a renewable fuel such as renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel via a pathway (such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis or gas fermentation), it is permissible. It is also allowable to purify the hydrogen in syngas to produce a hydrogen fuel.\n3. DE-FOA-0003072 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited."]
[3,"2024-04-26","Technical Topics","I own a non-profit recyclable collection company, and my mission is to change the culture in regard to recycling in South Texas...  ","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[4,"2024-04-29","Eligibility","1. For topic 1, do we need to focus our projects on any type of transportation fuel as a product? Can we consider other outcomes from waste treatment like chemical products?\n2. Can a wastewater treatment plant or similar type of utilities be prime recipient?","1. For both topic area 1 and topic area 2, any type of transportation fuel is permissible. Some examples of permissible fuels are listed in section I.A.ii. Chemical products are not permissible as the primary product. However, they are permissible if they are a byproduct of a fuel production pathway. For example: glycerol is often a byproduct of biodiesel production.\n2. See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient."]
[5,"2024-04-30","Eligibility","1. Are Metropolitan Planning Organizations eligible to apply? \n2. If there are any discretionary grants MPOs are eligible for through DOE, please keep me posted. ","1. See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient.\n2. Your questions falls outside of the scope of this FOA."]
[6,"2024-04-30","Technical Topics","Would waste to gas to electricity be eligible?","The FOA requires integration with transportation infrastructure or end-uses cases. Waste to electricity (for example, sold to the grid) is not permitted unless it is integrated to an electric vehicle/fleet charging system."]
[7,"2024-05-02","Technical Topics","The FOA describes end use by transportation fleets, and it seems focused on mass transportation, e.g., buses. My question is regarding the eligibility of transportation fleets used in other ways. For example, the state department of transportation operates a large fleet of vehicles, light duty and heavy duty, used in the day-to-day maintenance and project management of state highways. Does this kind of end use meet the needs of the FOA?","There is no restriction on the types of transportation fleets that can benefit from the FOA as an ‘end-use case’. Other uses of transport are permissible including but not limited to trash collection vehicles, fleets for local operations and maintenance, ground vehicles at an airport, etc."]
[8,"2024-05-03","Other","I'm the President of [company name redacted]. An Early stage minority biofuel start up company. The Summary Proposal detail using Agricultural Wastes primary (grape pomace) to produce N-Butanol. I am a for-profit entity, so I wouldn't serve as a prime recipient. Any information your office can render me on becoming a subprime actor will be appreciated. ","You may register with the Teaming Partner List TPL-0000028 in EERE-Exchange which is a resource for applicants to facilitate the formation of new project teams for this FOA, including applicants seeking subrecipients."]
[9,"2024-05-03","Technical Topics","We are researching grant opportunities for the City of [redacted].  Specifically, we are interested in constructing a wash plant so we can reuse road sand and gravel, while diverting this waste from the landfill.  The Streets Division applies copious amounts of road sand during the winter for public safety; we do not rely on salt because of its deleterious effect on water quality.  This road sand is often contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and it not able to be reused after it is swept up, so it is trucked to the local landfill.  Adding a wash plant will not only allow us to reuse the materials but will also divert hydrocarbons from the landfill.  Further, it will save the City a significant amount of money in the long term, by reducing costs for purchasing new material and virtually eliminating landfill fees.  We anticipate the reuse will allow us to offset carbon emissions by having local material on hand, instead of having that material transported. Would this project be eligible for this grant opportunity?","The waste discussed is petroleum and not organic waste. Therefore, it is not eligible for this grant opportunity since this FOA \"will aid communities with resource and energy recovery strategies associated with their organic waste streams\", per Section I.A.i. of the FOA."]
[10,"2024-05-07","Technical Topics","I understand this FOA targets organic waste.  I am working with a technology that extracts lithium from oil and gas wastewater stored in wells underground.  This lithium can then be used to power electric vehicles, therefore supporting this FOA's goal of addressing sustainable transportation needs. I see \"biomass\" defined in the FOA as \"any waste material that can be converted to energy,\" and \"wet waste\" as \"wastewaters from industrial and commercial operations,\" so my reading leads me to imply that oil and gas waste should fit into this opportunity.  I would appreciate your clarification on this.","Produced water/wastewaters associated with oil and gas or petroleum operations are not responsive to this FOA."]
[11,"2024-05-07","Technical Topics","Does the recycled waste solution need to be used for transportation purposes? What if that sludge is removed and then transformed into carbon sequestration materials or perhaps biochar?","Per page 6 of the FOA, \"...this FOA is intended to provide funding to help communities and transit authorities realize these or similar synergies between waste infrastructure and sustainable transportation needs.\" Carbon sequestration or biochar are not allowable end uses."]
[12,"2024-05-08","Other","In this FOA, in topic area 2, is a prior feasibility analyses mandatory? In our case, we are in discussion already with the technology in question and know how we will be implementing it and now want to apply for this grant. Would this be a valid initial feasibility?","Applicants to Topic Area 2 are responsible for ensuring that their prior work and analysis is sufficient to be prepared to complete an FEL-3 Design Package by the conclusion of Phase 1 (approximately 24 months). It is the responsibility of the applicant to include the relevant information in their Technical Volume to demonstrate this readiness. Applicants should review the expectations of that FEL-3 Design package in the topic area description (Section I.B.ii. of the FOA) to ensure they are prepared for this phase of project development."]
[13,"2024-05-10","Other","Can some help me to find a grant that can be used in the development and startup of an alternative toothpaste, that will eliminate waste related to toothpaste and toothpaste packaging by over 90%.","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[14,"2024-05-10","Other","I do not see my question on the webpage as indicated.  Can you please advise when the answer has been uploaded?","The response was uploaded May 6th as Question #9 above."]
[15,"2024-05-10","Technical Topics","I reviewed Appendix E for eligible waste streams and didn’t see a direct reference to or exclusion of livestock waste streams such as manure or poultry litter. In theory, would a regional economic development authority be eligible to apply for Scope 1 funding to study opportunities for a multi-stream digester to process livestock waste from local farms as well as distillers grains from a local distillery? A potential application could site economic and environmental benefits of helping multiple farmers add value to their waste as well as demonstrate multiple environmental benefits. I did not see a direct reference to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a final use of the biogas. Would projects that prioritize and study the potential utilization of the biomass gases for final use as SAF be eligible?","Question 1: Would projects that prioritize and study the potential utilization of the biogas generated from a mixed waste digester be permissible? Answer 1: Yes, as stated in Appendix E, mixtures of waste as well as biogas derived from mixtures of waste are allowable feedstocks.\nQuestion 2: Is sustainable aviation fuel a permissible fuel?  Answer 2: As stated in the FOA, ‘this FOA is intended to provide funding to help communities and transit authorities realize these or similar synergies between waste infrastructure and sustainable transportation needs.’ It would, therefore, be the responsibility of the applicant to show how sustainable aviation fuel can meet the local energy needs."]
[16,"2024-05-12","Other","I want to build a house in USA because I spend most of my time here for work. I bought the land last November and contacted the local authorities...","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[17,"2024-05-13","Other","1. I noticed that for Topic Area 2, up to 50% of the budget is allowed for experimental work. Regarding Topic Area 1, which is primarily for feasibility analyses, I am wondering if experimental work is also allowed. If so, could you please specify the percentage of the budget that can be allocated to experimental work in Topic Area 1. By \"experimental work,\" I'm referring specifically to wet lab activities. I do understand that feasibility analyses would require life cycle assessment (LCA) or techno-economic analysis (TEA) types of work.\n2. If we produce a compound or a mixture of compounds that can serve as a blendstock, intended to be mixed at a specific percentage with current petroleum-based fuels. Would that align with the scope of this call? \n3. This email is not intended for public posting. [redacted] ","1. There is no cap on experimental work in Topic Area 1 provided that the work supports the completion of the feasibility analysis.\n2. Production of fuels that can be blended with fossil fuels are permissible as end fuels.\n3. Because DE-FOA-0003072 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited, we cannot assist with your request."]
[18,"2024-05-13","Foreign Entities/Work","We in [foreign entity] are anxious to apply for a grant to establish a biogas plant in our area to produce biomethane & treated fertilizers through the anaerobic digestion technology, FYI we own more than 100 [redacted] to establish the plant on it and we have a license to collect 1000 tonnes/ day of Cows manure and according to the supplier of the technology we found out that we can produce 42000 m3 of compressed natural gas (CNG) per day and estimated more than 200 tonnes of treated fertilizers anaerobically, according to the [foreign entity]...","See Section III.A. Eligible Applicants, and Section IV.J.iii. Performance of Work in the United States."]
[19,"2024-05-13","Application Content/Format","Reaching out with a question following up on your Webinar for grant DE-FOA-0003072. The FOA encourages the formation of project teams and provides a method for submitting/adding potential project partners to the populated list for selection. Is it a requirement that we add partners to this list for the ability to select them as a partner and include it in the application?   Or is there a way we can specify and include partners without adding them to this list?","The Teaming List is meant to be an aid to assist applicants. There is no expectation or requirement to add partners to the Teaming List. Your application will include any project partners in certain documents such as the Technical Volume and Budget Justification."]
[20,"2024-05-14","Eligibility","General information: we have received several emails from applicants who are interested in applying to this FOA, and whose organization type would not be eligible to apply as a prime recipient.","As stated in the FOA, DOE is unable to respond to specific eligibility questions as part of the Q&A process. Applicants should review Section III.A.i on eligibility prior to preparing a concept paper/full application to ensure they are an eligible prime recipient. Section III.A.i lists the organization types that are eligible as prime applicants and the organization types that are eligible to be subrecipients/partners on an application."]
[21,"2024-05-15","Webinar","Was your May 10, 2024 webinar recorded and, if so, how can I access this recording?","The webinar information was uploaded today to EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.  Please select this specific FOA number in order to view the webinar and its related documents."]
[22,"2024-05-16","Eligibility","[specific project details redacted] If a project meets all of the WASTE criteria but has advanced beyond most of the Topic Area 2 activities, is the project still eligible? And I’d be happy to schedule a call with someone at your office to discuss","Regarding your first question, if a project has already completed some aspects of the deliverables for either Topic Area 1 or Topic Area 2 they are still eligible to apply. Regarding an offer to schedule a call, DE-FOA-0003072 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited."]
[23,"2024-05-16","Webinar","Is there a webinar or information session for WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-uses (opportunity DE-FOA-0003072)? I would love to attend.","The informational webinar was held May 10. Please refer to question #21 for instructions to access the materials. The video link will be posted to eXCHANGE soon."]
[24,"2024-05-16","Other","Our startup team in [redacted] is developing a [redacted] that converts wastewater to biofuels, primarily focused on sustainable aviation fuel; curious for any guidance on wastewater to energy funding opportunities that are currently available? ","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to FY24WASTEFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[25,"2024-05-20","Technical Topics","We understand that the topic centers around waste conversion to fuel, and we would like to know if a solution converting waste to electricity would be acceptable, as that’s basically a transportation fuel. We’d like to clarify that before moving forward.","Applicants must be able to show some transportation fuel offset associated with their waste-to-energy process. In the example of entities producing electricity, they must illustrate how this would offset fleet emissions (e.g. electric vehicles) within the community’s jurisdiction."]
[26,"2024-05-22","Concept Paper","I wanted to reach out as I feel Biomass Energy Solutions would be a great fit for this funding opportunity as we have multiple feedstock options. Our mission is to…[redacted]. I am struggling to locate the opportunity on the DOE website. Can we please have the preferred template for the concept paper? ","The Funding Opportunity Announcement is on EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.  Please select this specific FOA number. There isn't a template document available for the concept paper. Concept paper information and instructions are cited throughout the FOA including Sections III.F., IV.A., and IV.C., as well as the first two pages of the FOA."]
[27,"2024-05-23","Technical Topics","The grant specifies organic waste matter. However, if a municipal waste technology can process both organic waste matter, and municipal solid waste (MSW), would it still be eligible for a grant?","Technologies that process organic waste blends are permissible for this funding opportunity announcement. See Appendix E for information on eligible waste feedstocks and blends thereof."]
[28,"2024-05-24","Application Content/Format","As I read through the FOA, I see that the first deadline (June 19, 2024) is for two documents: a Letter of Intent and a Concept Paper. I understand the requirements for the Concept Paper, but I do not see any details in the FOA for the Letter of Intent. Later in the FOA, under the Full Application specification, I see mention of “Letters of Commitment,” but I imagine those are different from Letter(s) of Intent. Could you please tell me the required elements of the Letter of Intent? ","An amendment has been published to remove this requirement from the FOA. Yes, Letters of Commitment are different."]
[29,"2024-05-27","Other","The WASTE grant is not listed in the program inventory or on sam.gov. Or, rather, the assistance listing number that is listed on grants.gov is currently in use by another program. Since we can’t find the information connected to the assistance listing for the grant, we are not sure of some of the compliance requirements we should expect as we decide whether to apply for the grant. When will the assistance listing be updated to the WASTE grant information? In the meantime, will the WASTE grant follow the old or updated Uniform Guidance?","The assistance listing number for this FOA is CFDA 81.087. SAM.gov has a link to grant opportunities. Click the link at \"If you are looking for grant opportunities, visit our partner site at grants.gov\" then type DE-FOA-0003072 in the Opportunity Number search field. At the bottom of the grants.gov page is a link to EERE Exchange where you can access the FOA (in the upper right of Exchange, type 3072 in that search field). Regarding Uniform Guidance, if selected for an award you will have an opportunity to discuss this during the new award kick-off call."]
[30,"2024-05-28","Cost Sharing","Are state agencies required to provide the 20% and 50% cost share as described in the FOA? The FOA mentions that cost sharing is not required for non profits.  What is the definition of a non profit?  Are state agencies considered non profit?","It is the applicant's responsibility to determine whether they are a nonprofit entity; for example, by its designation for IRS filing purposes. The cost sharing waiver applies only to research and development projects which have a 20% cost share requirement. It would not apply to demonstration projects with a 50% cost share requirement, regardless of the entity type."]
[31,"2024-05-28","Eligibility","Will you please confirm whether a county-level solid waste management authority will be considered an eligible applicant? In this case, several counties and incorporated cities and towns share responsibilities of solid waste management in their communities through their solid waste authority which is overseen by a board made up of representatives from the member jurisdictions.","As stated in the FOA, DOE is unable to respond to specific eligibility questions as part of the Q&A process. Applicants should review Section III.A.i on eligibility prior to preparing a concept paper/full application to ensure they are an eligible prime recipient. Section III.A.i lists the organization types that are eligible as prime applicants and the organization types that are eligible to be subrecipients/partners on an application"]
[32,"2024-05-28","Application Content/Format","1. Could you please clarify if the Principal Investigator (PI) can be an employee of a different organization than the one applying (and receiving the funds)? Of course, that person and the organization where he/she works will submit a letter of commitment. Or does the PI have to be from the organization applying for the funds?\n2. Could you please publish a link to the specific SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form expected to be submitted for this application? the EERE eXCHANGE website at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov/. And then in the table says SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance. But it is not clear which one is the one we should be using.","1. 2 CFR 200 sections 308, 430, 331, and 317-326 which describe the responsibilities of a Principal Investigator. Additional guidance pending. In the interim, for submission of a concept paper please note that the composition of the project team, including the Principal Investigator, can change prior to full application submission. Additional comment (6/11/24): For the purposes of this FOA, DOE prefers that the Principal Investigator be an employee of the prime applicant.\n2. Please use the SF-424 in EERE eXCHANGE which is the same current version as grants.gov."]
[33,"2024-05-30","Technical Topics","Regarding the request for: “The proposed technology’s target level of performance (applicants should provide technical data or other support to show how the proposed target could be met.)“. Could you please elaborate on the specificity requested for this request? Are there any specific requirements to provide in the concept paper?","Given that the concept paper submissions are much shorter than a full application, only a limited amount of data and information can be conveyed. We recommend our applicants provide information on the critical steps of the process. More technical data and support can be provided in the full application."]
[34,"2024-05-31","Eligibility","There appear to be conflicting statements in DE-FOA-0003072 regarding states being eligible applicants. Please clarify. In Section I.D, page 16, applications submitted by states would not be considered responsive [bullet 3]. In FOA Section III.A., the table on page 22 includes, as eligible applicants...States.","An amendment has just been posted to eXCHANGE to clarify that section. It reads: \"Amendment 000002 - Update Section I.D. Applications Specifically Not of Interest to \"Applications that are not led by a State, municipal entity, transit authority, or non-profit (See Section III.A)\" are specifically not of interest."]
[35,"2024-06-04","Eligibility","Our rural district is a collection of many small town with small populations. The prime applicant may want to include a number of other towns in the strategy. Does each town have to apply separately, or can they be included in a consortium of towns led by one prime municipal applicant?","Section I.A.ii. of the FOA states \"In both topic areas, diverse and multi-entity teams/partnerships are sought, including local governments/agencies, waste or conservation districts, transit authorities/agencies, non-profits, for-profit entities, and institutions of higher education. Prospective applicants should review the eligibility requirements...\" Consortiums made up of a collection of small towns would meet this criteria, provided it also meets the eligibility requirements."]
[36,"2024-06-04","Eligibility","You responded that County waste districts are unclear as prime applicants. If a regional waste cooperative is a non-profit representing a number of municipalities, they may presumably be the prime applicant?","The eligibility requirements specify that nonprofits are eligible to apply as a prime applicant per Section III.A.i. of the FOA with the exception of \"Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995.\""]
[37,"2024-06-04","Other","The grant listed a range for Topic 1 requested amount beginning at 500,000.00. Can a prime applicant request a lower amount?","Yes, a prime applicant may request a lower amount."]
[38,"2024-06-04","Registration Requirements","To the applicant who contacted the Exchange Help Desk about \"...You should receive a Control Number when you click the “Apply” button to begin the process of submitting your Concept Paper and applying for the FOA.?\"\nYou also asked: I believe I need this number to be on the concept paper somehow.","Item P under Applicant and Submission Information in the FOA states that \"the control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name (i.e., Control Number_Applicant Name_Full Application)\""]
[null,"2024-06-05","Other","Amendment 00002 has been published to clarify Section I.D.","Amendment 000002 - Update Section I.D. Applications Specifically Not of Interest to \"Applications that are not led by a State, municipal entity, transit authority, or non-profit (See Section III.A)\" are specifically not of interest."]
[39,"2024-06-06","Application Content/Format","Does the prime recipient need to take the majority of the budget? If so, what percentage of the budget should be allocated to the prime recipient?","The FOA does not specify that a certain percentage of the budget should be allocated to the prime applicant. It is the applicant's responsibility to determine how to structure its budget including subrecipient budgets and FFRDC Field Work Proposals, if applicable."]
[40,"2024-06-06","Other","1. My organization, BEAM Circular, is a non-profit organization. We will have our state nonprofit status as of July 1, 2024 and are working to get our federal 501(c)(3) status. Are we eligible to be the prime recipient of this funding?\n2. What level of \"feasibility\" must be demonstrated for a Topic 2 application?\n3. Do we need to specify Topic 1 or 2 in our Concept Paper submission?","1. Nonprofits, except those described in Section III.A.i. of the FOA, are eligible to be prime recipients. The first page of the FOA states that Applicants are required to \"...register in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application…\". Therefore, the applicant must be registered in SAM.gov as the type of entity under which they are applying by the full application deadline. EERE will not make eligibility determinations prior to submission of applications (see Section III.G. of the FOA).\n2. Please refer to the answer in Question #12, row 17.\n3. Per Section IV.c. of the FOA \"The cover page should include the project title, the specific announcement Topic Area being addressed (if applicable)...\""]
[null,"2024-06-06","Other","Amendment 00003 has been published to extend the Concept Paper Due Date","Amendment 000003 - Extend the Concept Paper Submission Deadline from June 19, 2024 at 5:00PM ET to June 20, 2024 at 5:00PM ET in observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Federal Holiday."]
[41,"2024-06-07","Eligibility","Per the NOFO, “Intra-state Government Entities” are eligible to apply as the primary recipient. I wanted to ensure that a Council of Governments would count? We are a county equivalent. Would a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) count?","For the intent of this FOA, organizations or entities that represent multiple local governments, Tribes or Tribal nations, or instrumentalities are included within this eligibility. Examples could include councils of governments, metropolitian planning organizations, conservation districts, sanitation or wastewater districts, and others."]
[42,"2024-06-07","Other","I am hoping to speak with someone regarding the DOE WASTE program about a potential concept paper submission. I was hoping to speak on behalf of our project partner(s) to ensure the project in mind is eligible for Topic Area 1:  Feasibility Study Development ","Please see Item #2 under General Information in row 4 of this document."]
[43,"2024-06-07","Technical Topics","1. We are considering applying for a biosolids pyrolysis solution that upcycles biosolids into a fertilizer product (i.e., biochar).  All bioenergy generated is utilized in the production process to offset natural gas use.  The purpose of the project is to eliminate the need to transport biosolids, which are 75% to 80% water, from the municipal wastewater treatment plant.  Taking into account that the thermal treatment process reduces the mass 90% relative to wet biosolids, would such a project qualify to “help communities and transit authorities realize these or similar synergies between waste infrastructure and sustainable transportation needs” considering the fact that the most sustainable transportation solution is avoided transportation?  \n2. The project we are considering applying for has achieved most of the FEL-3 Design package, but not all.  Can a project apply for Topic Area 1 Feasibility Study and Topic Area 2 Phase 1 simultaneously with the award for Topic Area 2 Phase 1 being subject to a Go/No Go decision?","1. For the purposes of this FOA, the work should focus on solutions that result in the production of a transportation fuel. Permissible fuels from this FOA could include renewable natural gas, partially upgraded biogas, hydrogen, biocrude, renewable diesel, renewable dimethyl-ether, propane, or other renewable fuels.\n2. The intent of this FOA is for applicants to apply for topic area(s) that are ready to begin that phase’s work upon selection for an award. Please also refer to question 12, row 17."]
[44,"2024-06-09","Eligibility","...From my understanding, as a for profit startup, we can only be a subrecipient. If we were to work with a public university on the grant, could they be eligible for the main recipient?","See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient. Institutions of higher education are not eligible to apply as prime applicants."]
[45,"2024-06-10","Technical Topics","1. I'm reaching out to set up a Zoom meeting to discuss the eligibility requirements for the Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-Uses funding opportunity. \n2. I'm trying to understand if a BDO Zone rating would qualify as an eligible project for this program. I believe a BDO Zone rating would qualify under Topic Area 1: Feasibility Study Development Analyses.","1. Please see Item #2 under General Information in row 4 of this document.\n2. Obtaining a BDO Zone Rating would not qualify as an allowable activity under this FOA. The purpose of the FOA is to provide research and development funding for assisting communities with resource and energy recovery strategies associated with their organic waste streams. Funding must be applied to outcomes specifically associated with waste streams."]
[46,"2024-06-11","Technical Topics","Please confirm that:\n1. Organic waste separated from construction and demolition debris is also an eligible waste stream for the purposes of this FOA (in some jurisdictions this is a commercial or industrial waste; in others it is considered a subset of municipal solid waste)\n2. Biomass generated from landscaping, tree trimming, and invasive species eradication projects are also eligible waste streams for the purposes of this FOA","1. Organic waste that has been separated from C&D waste would qualify as an acceptable feedstock for this FOA if it follows the restrictions listed in EPAct 2005, §932, available in Appendix E of the FOA:  “construction wood wastes (other than pressure-treated, chemically-treated, or painted wood wastes.”\n2. For the purposes of this FOA, biomass generated from landscaping or tree trimming would qualify as sorted MSW. Biomass from invasive species eradication projects is not eligible for this FOA."]
[47,"2024-06-13","Registration Requirements","We are a for-profit organization that has a UEI, however our non-profit partner is currently in the process of obtaining their SAM.gov registration. Can a for-profit submit the concept paper as the lead organization and then have a non-profit (or other eligible applicants per Section III.A.i. of the FOA) submit the full application as the prime upon receipt of their UEI?","For-profit entities are ineligible to apply as a prime applicant and are, therefore, ineligible to submit concept papers for this FOA. See items (1) and (2) in Section IV.G. of the FOA for SAM.gov registration requirements. The intent of this FOA is that the SAM.gov registration will be completed prior to the full application submission. See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient."]
[48,"2024-06-14","Registration Requirements","Our prime recipient is the local Metro Transit Authority, who is in the process of registering in the SAM system. It is possible they won’t receive the UEI number from SAM.gov before the June 20 deadline. Can we as a subrecipient who has a UEI submit the concept paper on behalf of the MTA, and the MTA submit the full application with their UEI once registered?","Subrecients may not submit concept papers on behalf of a prime applicant. The prime applicant may submit a concept paper prior to completion of the SAM.gov registration. This FOA does not require a UEI number to be included with the concept paper, and it may require a UEI registration at the time of full application submission. See response #47 above, including that \"DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.\""]
[49,"2024-06-14","Application Content/Format","The fourth tab on the application page, “Funds and Costs,” states, “Applicants are required to contribute a percentage of their total project cost as cost share. We have not prepared the budget since this is a concept paper. This will be prepared once we receive the “encourage” notice from DOE. At a minimum, we expect to participate with the 20% requirement. Should we enter an approximate amount that is subject to change once we prepare the proposal and submit an official application?","Yes"]
[50,"2024-06-14","Other","I created two control numbers by mistake, and I now have two open applications; how can I delete the second one?","We forwarded your email to the EERE Exchange Help Desk, and they will get back with you."]
[51,"2024-06-14","Cost Sharing","If an application is submitted by a Prime Applicant that is a non-profit, are all project collaborators who may be receiving grant funds exempt from the cost-share requirement as well? ","See Section III.B.i. of the FOA that \"the prime recipient is legally responsible for paying the entire cost share.\" If the prime recipient meets the criteria to receive a cost share waiver per Section II.B., then no cost share would be required if selected for an award."]
[52,"2024-06-17","Application Content/Format","I understood first we will send the concept paper, and then you will encourage or discourage a full proposal by the Full Application Submission Deadline: 8/14/2024 5pm ET. Will final submission be on grants.gov or eere-exchange.energy.gov site please? I understood process was prime lead:  - Registers account with Login.gov   - Registers account in the EERE Funding eXCHANGE.  Then submit concept paper along with basic organization info on eere-exchange.energy.gov. Can you please provide simple step by step instructions to submit the concept paper? Is there an option for me to draft the submission to make easier on our prime lead?","Instructions and deadlines to apply to this FOA are included in EERE-xCHANGE and in the FOA document. On page one of the FOA, it states \"To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov, EERE’s online application portal.\" The preparation/drafting of application materials is the prime applicant's decision. The registered applicant is responsible for submitting application materials to EERE-eXCHANGE. Sections V.C. and V.D. of the FOA include instructions for content and submission of the concept paper and full application."]
[53,"2024-06-17","Application Content/Format","I am the president of [redacted] a food waste diverting company.  We are talking to a few cities to work with us on a commercial facility to convert food waste into hydrogen.\n- Can we submit the concept paper while we sort out which is the best city to fit the project?\n- Do we need a city at all since we collect food waste already?","As stated in the FOA, DOE is unable to respond to specific eligibility questions as part of the Q&A process. Applicants should review Section III.A.i on eligibility prior to preparing a concept paper/full application to ensure they are an eligible prime recipient. Applicants may change aspects of their concept paper, such as project partners, prior to submitting a full application.\nPer Section I.A.ii. of the FOA, the intended outcome is \"to provide funding to help communities and transit authorities realize these or similar synergies between waste infrastructure and sustainable transportation needs.\" And \"In both topic areas, diverse and multi-entity teams/partnerships are sought...\" The applicant should determine if the outcome and other criteria listed in the FOA can be achieved without including a city as a project partner."]
[54,"2024-06-17","Concept Paper","Who exactly do we send our concept paper to? Do we we need to put in projected amounts for funding? Can the 20% match be in kind?","See question 52 (row 59 above) for concept paper submission information including Section V.C. for concept paper content requirements. See question 51, also, for cost sharing information. If the applicant is not eligible for a cost share waiver, cost share can be provided as In Kind or Cash contributions (as part of a full application, instructions are in row 3 of the budget justification)."]
[55,"2024-06-18","Registration Requirements","We have a SAM Profile and a Grants.gov profile.  However to add the UEI of [redacted], the Grants.gov website is not recognizing this UEI and directed us to work with SAM.gov.  We have been in phone contact with SAM.gov ...  SAM.gov has not completed processing the change which they state will take 1-3 business days from yesterday.  In the meantime, with no added and recognized UEI on the Grants.gov profile for [redacted] we are unable to submit the concept paper on the portal.  ","Please refer to the FOA for concept paper (and full application) submission instructions. Application documents are only accepted through EERE-eXCHANGE by prime applicants who have completed the registration process. Application documents submitted to the FOA email or to grants.gov will not be accepted. A UEI is not required to submit a concept paper. See question 48 in row 55 for more information."]
[56,"2024-06-17","Eligibility","This is a question related to who can submit a concept paper and still be considered responsive. We (national lab) and [for profit] are considering submitting a concept paper to this FOA. We have a municipality willing to partner with us, however it is unlikely that we can get them ready to submit the concept paper by the June 20th deadline. Can (for profit) submit this concept paper for them?","See question #47 above."]
[57,"2024-06-21","Cost Sharing","[redacted] is a non-profit (pending 501c3), registered in the State of [redacted], that serves Tribal Nations. Today, we submitted a concept paper under DE-FOA-0003072 and through the process we had to enter 20% as a cost match. However in the FOA there is the following language \"Cost sharing is not required for institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations\". ...  How do we apply for the cost sharing waiver? Will the final application submission portal allow for the waiver to be factored into the submission?","The portal was updated yesterday afternoon to allow for 0% cost share applications. We recognize that some concept papers may have been required to enter 20% as cost share, and those organizations that qualify for the exemption will be able to submit their full application with 0% cost share."]
[58,"2024-06-21","Due Dates","I have a question about the FOA in the subject: can a concept paper be submitted next week? The deadline was yesterday June, 20 but unfortunately with the Juneteenth holiday on the way many people left their office earlier this week.","The first page of the FOA states: \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[59,"2024-06-21","Due Dates","On June 20th the Town of [redacted] was to submit the attached concept paper for the 2024 Waste FOA-0003023. Due to the severe weather conditions in the Northeast, it was not possible for the Town of [redacted] to access the EERE to make the submission. They reached out to our firm to make the submission as the sub-applicant. Attached is the Concept Paper submission for the Town of [redacted] as allowed under the 24 hour grace period.","Weather conditions and other factors such as internet outages are beyond the control of DOE and will not be taken under consideration as reasons for accepting late submissions. Please let us know if you began the submission process prior to the concept paper deadline and include your control number. Since there is no 24-hour grace period for this FOA, where did you see that information published? "]
[60,"2024-06-21","Other","My team submitted the concept paper. What is the timeline for EERE to encourage a subset of applicants to submit Full Applications?","A timeline is not provided for Concept Paper encourage/discourage notifications. Per Section VI.A.ii. of the FOA, \"Applicants may submit a Full Application even if they receive a notification discouraging them from doing so.\""]
[61,"2024-06-28","Application Content/Format","Question about the budget workbook. According to section VIII. We have to submit the Budget Justification Workbook. The EERE site has two workbooks. Apparently, I can not tell the difference. Could you please explain which one we should fill out? Or if they are different, what cases apply to 3_BPs and %_BPs? ","Projects are structured by Budget Periods that align with the Statement of Project Objectives. One budget justification template is for awards with up to three budget periods and the second is for projects up to five budget periods. Projects with 1-3 budget periods should use the first template and projects with 4-5 budget periods should use the 5 budget period template. Applicants determine the number of budget periods needed as well as the number of months needed to complete each budget period.  Table 6 in the FOA  is an example of a project with multiple budget periods. "]
[62,"2024-06-28","Cost Sharing","We would like to confirm that as a non-profit (pending 501c3), C corporation, registered within its State of Incorporation (in our case [state redacted]) is considered to be \"qualified for the exemption\" to ensure our application under the above referenced FOA is correctly filed.","See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient. We are continuing to look into your cost share question."]
[63,"2024-07-01","Labs/FFRDCs","1. Do participating FFRDCs need to submit an SF-LLL?\n2. Do FFRDCs need to submit letters of commitment? My understanding is that LOCs are for cost share providers ONLY, whether they are a third-party providers of cost share or a subrecipient providing cost share.  FFRDCs would not be required to submit an LOC as in most cases they are not allowed to provide cost share.","1. Regarding the SF-LLL, FFRDCs are prohibited from lobbying so this form would not be applicable.\n2. You are correct. LOCs are for cost share providers and FFRDCs are prohibited from providing cost share."]
[64,"2024-07-09","Concept Paper","We were unable to submit the attached concept paper by the June 20th deadline. Is there an opportunity to submit a full proposal without submitting a concept paper? ","There is not an opportunity to submit a full proposal without submitting a concept paper. The first page of the FOA states: \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[65,"2024-07-10","Application Content/Format","1. Is there a form to fill out the requirement “Current and Pending Support? Could you please add to the list of forms or send a link?\n2. The request is that since we are five weeks away from the proposal submission deadline, and Page #32 of the FOA states, “Applicants will have approximately 8 weeks from receipt of the Concept Paper Encourage/Discourage notification on EERE eXCHANGE to prepare and submit a Full Application,” would it be possible to extend the deadline by two weeks?","1. Per Section IV.D.xvi. of the FOA referencing the nsf.gov common form, that form is found at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/researchprotection/commonform_cps.pdf.\n2. Amendment 4 posted to Exchange extended the full application deadline."]
[66,"2024-07-11","Other","Q1. On page 19 of the FOA, it states that the appropriate project period for Topic Area 1 is 12 months, but on page 7, the FOA states the project period is 12 to 18 months. Which is correct?\nQ2. An average Budget Period per the FOA is 12 to 18 months with a Go/No-Go decision at the end of each Budget Period. However, the maximum project period is 12 months for Topic Area 1 (the Feasibility Study).  Where do we fit in a Go/No-Go decision if the Budget Period is the same amount of time as the project period?","Q1. Page 19 is an \"anticipated\" number of months. Topic Area 1 recognizes that some projects might need more time; therefore, the range of 12-18 months was provided on page 7.\nQ2. Go/No-Go decisions only apply to awards with multiple budget periods so an award that is only one budget period would not require a Go/No-Go decision. Awards with more than one budget period should incorporate the Go/No-Go process into the timeframe at the end of each budget period."]
[67,"2024-07-13","Application Content/Format","1) We have a local city government as the lead (prime recipient) for our proposal. I’m wondering in this case whether we (the whole project team) qualify for the cost-share waiver. If so, do we need to apply for this waiver (how?) and then receive a confirmation or certification to attach to the application package? Or do we need to provide justification somewhere in the proposal or in the budget justification workbook to indicate this waiver?\n2) Our proposal targets Topic Area 1. Per your response to Question #66, would it be acceptable for us to propose a project period of 18 months instead of 12 months? Will proposing an 18-month project period (rather than a 12-month period) negatively impact your evaluation of our proposal?\n3) Following question 2: In either case (with a project period of 12 months or 18 months), how many budget periods would be more appropriate for the whole project? For example, we would probably have only one budget period if the whole project period is 12 months, while we might want to have two budget periods if the whole project period is 18 months. Would that be acceptable?","1) The prime applicant is responsible for meeting the cost share requirement, and local city governments do not meet the criteria to receive a cost share waiver since it is only applicable to nonprofits for this FOA. Subrecipient cost share is voluntary. If the prime applicant receives a cost share waiver, that waiver would apply to the entire award.\n2 and 3) The 12-month period is an \"Anticipated\" Period of Performance. It is the applicant's responsibility to determine the number of months and budget periods needed for the project. See Section V.A.ii. of the FOA for criterion that might apply to the adequacy, reasonableness, and soundness of the project schedule."]
[68,"2024-07-15","Technical Topics","We noticed in the Table on Page 7 in the FOA that \"transportation fuel testing\" is included under the scope for Topic Area 2. Our proposal targets Topic Area 1. Do you think it is necessary to include a \"transportation fuel testing\" research task in our proposal? While we believe adding it could strengthen our case, we are concerned that it might broaden the project too much, especially given the one-year project period, and dilute the budget further.","DOE will not provide specific recommendations on what will or will not strengthen applicants’ proposals. The activities in the table on page 7 of the FOA are meant to reflect the difference in readiness to deploy technologies between applicants for Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 2."]
[69,"2024-07-16","Application Content/Format","On line 65 of the Question and Answer log, the question was asked about a template for the Current and Pending Support documentation.  The referenced NSF website at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/researchprotection/commonform_cps.pdf does not provide an actual template; rather, it provides guidelines.  NSF used to use NSF Form 1239 (see attached).  Will this form suffice for the Current and Pending documentation?","The form you attached to your email does not include all of the questions in the FOA (i.e., foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs, the award or other identifying number, and the award period [and any other requirements not included in the form]). Applicants may use any format they choose, provided all items required in the FOA are included. Or they may use the Common Format cited in the FOA. The NSF fillable template has been archived by NSF and is no longer available."]
[70,"2024-07-17","Due Dates","I am reaching out to ask if you anticipate DE-FOA-0003072 being open again or if this is a one-time only opportunity.","The deadline to submit Concept Papers has passed, and the FOA will not be reopened. Entities that did not submit a Concept Paper are not eligible to apply. Please check grants.gov periodically for future Notices of Intent and funding opportunities."]
[71,"2024-07-17","Due Dates","My name is Bobby [redacted], and I am with the [redacted]...I writing to ask if [redacted] would be eligible for the grant opportunity: DE-FOA-0003072.","See question #70 above."]
[72,"2024-07-19","Other","We are a sub-recipient on this grant. Our intent is to do the study in a J40 location in the [redacted]. The wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is in a small rural area with two sections of the town as J40.  The WWTP itself does not sit in one of these J40 sections. However, it does service the two locations that are J40. Is the targeted wastewater treatment plant location acceptable as it serves the required communities?","This FOA seeks to encourage the participation of underserved communities and underrepresented groups, but there are no requirements for work to only be performed in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Justice 40 initiative. It is up to the applicant to justify “how the proposed project could make positive advancements towards economic, environmental, and social sustainability goals in their community.”"]
[73,"2024-07-19","Other","We have a question regarding the WASTE FOA. If our timeline is far more compressed than 12-24 months, will this affect our eligibility? We are already advanced in our project plans as we plan to break ground before December 31, 2024, in order to leverage the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits.  ","Section II.A.ii of the FOA states that “EERE anticipates making awards that will run from 12 months up to 24 months comprised of one or more budget periods.” Applicants also should note the schedule on page 1 of the FOA which states that project negotiations, which must be complete before a project can begin work, will likely run from October 2024 through January 2025."]
[74,"2024-07-23","Application Content/Format","1. Topic 1 vs Topic 2 (Phase 1 & 2) Awards Clarification: The Technical Volume includes requests for detailed information for Topic Area 2 (Phase 1) Design Work and Experimental Validation, including a comprehensive Workplan for the life of the project (page 37 of Amendment) and Project Schedule for the life of the project (page 38 of Amendment). Please clarify if what is being requested for this application for Topic 1 Feasibility Study is specific only to the study, not the future topic areas.\n\n2. a. The SOPO instructions request an AWARD NUMBER and MOD NUMBER on the title page. Should these be left blank for Topic 1 Feasibility Study as no award has been made as of yet?\nb. The SOPO requires detailed information about activities \"over the life of the project,\" including design, construction, and operations. Given that this topic application is for a feasibility study, what level of detail is expected for these post-study activities?\nPlease clarify how to approach these requirements in the context of a Topic 1 Feasibility study proposal.\n\n3: The Budget Justification worksheets are requesting details for the entire project lifecycle, as well as design and build items that would be vetted during the feasibility study. For this Topic 1 Feasibility Study application, are we correct in limiting the budget information to costs specifically related to the feasibility study as all other costs will be determined in Topic 2 (Phase 1)?","1. Topic Area 1 should only include specifics for that topic area, not future topic areas.\n\n2.a. Please list your Control Number in place of the award and mod number.\n2.b. DOE cannot provide guidance for the content of an application. The Workplan that you are referring to instructs applicants to provide a \"...concise description of the specific activities to be conducted over the life of the project.\"\n\n3. The budget justification should include only those costs associated with the applicant's topic area."]
[75,"2024-07-24","Application Content/Format","Will Subrecipient’s also need to present two budgets? Below it indicates that prime applicants will have two submission points, but not subrecipients. ","Two subrecipient budgets will not be required as part of the full application. The Prime's budget should reflect the required cost share for the project. If selected for an award, during negotiations, revised budgets may be requested for the prime and/or subrecipients if the Project Team elects to update the distribution of cost share contributions."]
[76,"2024-07-26","Other","May we please review a copy of the template Award Agreement referenced under “xiii. Reporting” on page 75 of the FOA?","The Award Agreement is part of the award package documents that are sent to recipients selected for an award. It is not a template and is not available to applicants."]
[77,"2024-07-30","Other","My community missed this opportunity by not submitting a concept paper.  Will this opportunity be funded/issued again in FY2025?","If a similar FOA is issued in FY2025, it will likely be announced in advance of FOA issuance through a Notice of Intent. Please check grants.gov periodically for future Notices of Intent and funding opportunities."]
[78,"2024-08-02","Cost Sharing","1. Is [redacted], as the sub-contractor of this project, eligible to provide the in-kind match contribution? According to our review of Section B iii) Cost Share Allocation, an entity that is a sub-contractor cannot provide an in-kind contribution.\n2. Does this stream require the applicant to run a public RFP to choose their sub-contractors?","1. Sub-contractors may not provide cost share. Section III.B.iii. of the FOA states: \"Cost share may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work). Vendors/contractors may not provide cost share.\"\n2. Request for Proposals are not required at the application stage. Refer to Section I.B.ii. Topic Area 2 Requirements and the Buy American requirements in the FOA for RFP information which may be applicable if selected for an award."]
[79,"2024-08-05","Labs/FFRDCs","On page 43 of the call it states that subrecipients must provide a separate budget justification if their estimated work is more than $250K or 25% of the total work effort.  As an FFRDC subrecipient, we are required to provide a work proposal (WP).  If the estimated work for an FFRDC is over $250K or 25% of total work effort, does the FFRDC need to also provide a Budget Justification workbook or just provide the WP?","It depends on the source of the FFRDC's funding. FFRDCs that receive their project funds directly from DOE are required to submit a work proposal. In instances where FFRDC(s) are categorized as subrecipients (not funded directly by DOE) FFRDCs are required to submit a work proposal regardless of the estimated work amount and are also required to provide a budget justification if the estimated work is over $250K or 25% of total work effort."]
[80,"2024-08-06","Due Dates","Our control number is 3072-1XXX. On the EERE exchange, it is stated that our submission deadline for the application is 9/9/2024. I just wanted to confirm that date. The NOFO has a deadline of 8/14/2024. ","Amendment 4 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement was published on July 18, 2024, and it extended the full application deadline to September 9, 2024. The revised FOA (NOFO) in Exchange includes the new full application deadline of September 9, 2024."]
[81,"2024-08-07","Cost Sharing","I am following up on my previous email. Can I please be put in contact with someone who can help answer my questions? ","Per Section VII. of the FOA, all questions and answers related to this FOA will be posted on EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Please refer to question #78 in the Q&A Log in EERE Exchange which was posted on August 2, 2024. "]
[82,"2024-08-07","Cost Sharing","Mod. 0004 on July 16 states that the cost share waiver for nonprofits and universities has been removed. This substantially changes our organization’s ability to participate in this FOA as the cost share requirements for the project are prohibitive for most nonprofits. Can you clarify why the cost share waiver was removed after concept papers were submitted and reviewed? Also, is there any way that waiver may be reinstated considering we received direct communication from you all prior to Mod. 0004 that there would be no cot share requirement? Please refer to the email thread below.","EERE recognizes the concern associated with the cost-share requirements of the FOA.\n\nAs stated in the email on July 24, 2024 sent to applicant business points-of-contact, it has come to EERE’s attention that certain cost share waiver language in Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0003072 WASTE will expire in advance of the selection and any successful negotiations for awards from this FOA.  More specifically, the cost share waiver for nonprofit organizations established by Section 10725 of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act, P.L. 117-167 (the CHIPS Act), is available only for the two-year period beginning August 9, 2022. See Section III.B. of the FOA.  As such, that cost share waiver will expire on or about August 9, 2024, and will not be available at the time full applications are due or when selections or awards are made.\n\nEERE is attempting to obtain authority to implement a separate determination to apply the same 0% cost share for applications submitted by nonprofit organizations previously available through the CHIPS Act. Because the outcome of that effort is uncertain, however, EERE respectfully requests that all eligible nonprofit organization applicants submit two (2) budget justifications with their full application submissions.  The first budget justification may include 0% cost share for the proposed project.  The second budget justification should include a statutory minimum 20% cost share for the proposed project. EERE-Exchange has been amended to allow for the submission of two (2) Prime Applicant budget justifications as a result of this request. "]
[83,"2024-08-08","Cost Sharing","Can you please clarify whether a federal program can be used to just guarantee the loan for the Phase 2 project as long as the loan itself is coming from a 3rd party lender and not the federal program itself? For example, the FOA states, “Federal financing, such as DOE Loan Guarantee, cannot be leveraged by applicants to provide the required cost share or otherwise support the same scope that is proposed under a project.” The DOE Loan Guarantee program provides loans and we clearly understand that a loan represents financing. If 100% of the loan is from a private bank, can we use a federal program to just provide a guarantee?","Could you please clarify your question as it applies to this Funding Opportunity Announcement?"]
[84,"2024-08-15","Application Content/Format","1. Cost Share: As the sub-recipient for the project, are we required to provide a 20% cost share? Follow up to question 78 on the Q&A Log - Section III.B.iii. of the FOA states: \"Cost share may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work). Vendors/contractors may not provide cost share.\n2. As a follow up question, is the 20% cost share per each entity that must contribute i.e. the Prime + any sub-recipients, or is the cost share 20% for the total project where all required parties contribute to that dollar value?\n3. Potentially Duplicative Funding: I did not find a form in EERE listed and section D. Content and Form of the Full Application .xix states “Save the Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_PDFN.pdf”. Is there a suggested DOE template or is a PDF document addressing all the points listed in the FOA for this section appropriate?\n4. Letter of Commitment: I did not find a form in EERE listed and section D. Content and Form of the Full Application v.   states “Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs”. Is there a suggested DOE template or is a PDF document addressing all the points listed in the FOA for this section appropriate?","1. Subrecipients are not required to provide cost share.\n2. The 20% cost share is for the total project. See Sections III.B.i. and III.B.ii. of the FOA.\n3. There is not a template for this document. A PDF addressing all the points listed is appropriate.\n4. There is not a suggested template for Letters of Commitment. Per Section IV.D.v. of the FOA, applicants should PDF into a single file all letters provided by subrecipients and/or third party cost share providers."]
[85,"2024-08-16","Cost Sharing","I am emailing to request clarification on demonstrating the 20% cost-share in the event a cost shares for non-profit applicants are not waived. Could you provide guidance on how to calculate in-kind contributions for facilities and equipment as part of the cost share? ","There are a number of factors to be considered for cost share contributions. See Section III.B. of the FOA and 2 CFR 200.306, Cost sharing or matching. "]
[86,"2024-08-19","Cost Sharing","For the Phase 2 project, can we use a federal program to get a guarantee on a loan from a private bank lender? The FOA states, “Federal financing … cannot be leveraged by applicants to provide the required cost share or otherwise support the same scope that is proposed under a [Phase 2] project.” We understand that “federal financing” means we cannot get a direct loan from a federal institution because federal funds cannot be used to provide cost share. We are instead seeking to provide the Phase 2 cost share via a loan that is 100% from a private bank that includes a guarantee from a non-DOE institution. As long as the cost share is 100% from a private bank loan, can we use a non-DOE institution to provide just the guarantee?","EERE does not have explicit guidance for this nuanced question. The intended use of the Federal funds is to perform scope of work consistent with the Topic Areas identified in this FOA. If selected for an award, DOE reserves the right to review proposed cost share to ensure that it complies with the regulations and will make a determination at that time about its allowability."]
[87,"2024-08-20","Application Content/Format","1. SF-424: Question 10 a. What is the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number? b. Where do we find the CFDA Title?\n2. SF-424: we are not seeing a field to include the FOA title or number. Is it recommended to add the FOA title to question 11: Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project?\n3. SF-424: Consolidated Application/Plan/Funding Request Explanation: a. Are we correct in thinking this is a summary/description of what is already included in the Concept Paper/Summary Slide/Technical Volume?","1.a. CFDA is on the cover page: 81.087 and b. the title is Renewable Energy Research and Development.\n2. The SF424 Application for Federal Assistance had been updated since the publication of this Funding Opportunity Announcement. The FOA title/number is no longer necessary because your application is tied to this specific FOA when you registered to apply.\n3. Applicants may elect to submit the prior template (uploaded to EERE Exchange) or the new template. The prior template has been uploaded to EERE-Exchange and doesn’t require this question. Grants.gov has not provided updated instructions for what should be included in this field so, if you use the new template, we cannot provide guidance for that question other than to let you know it’s where you add the explanation if you checked Yes to question 1.c. on the form."]
[88,"2024-08-22","Due Dates","Trying to apply for DE-FOA-0003072 (Waste: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-Uses) and the apply button is grayed out. Please advise. I am an applicant for a municipal government.","The deadline to apply was June 20 when Concept Papers were due. Applicants who did not submit a Concept Paper are ineligible to submit a full application."]
[89,"2024-08-28","Application Content/Format","Our concept paper is identified by control number 3072-[redacted]. Could we modify the transportation fuel product from \"[redacted]\" to \"[redacted]\" in the proposal?","There are no restrictions on what changes you can make from the concept paper to the full application provided your end product still meets the requirements of the FOA. Please also update the title in your FOA registration in eXCHANGE."]
[90,"2024-08-30","Application Content/Format","Is the Prime required to complete information for Transparency of Foreign Connections when there are no connections/ties to foreign entities?","Yes, Transparency of Foreign Connections is a required document."]
[91,"2024-09-03","Application Content/Format","1. Cost Sharing Waiver for Non-Profits: per your earlier answer to question 82, prime will submit two (2) budget justifications with the application. Per your earlier answer to question 75 sub-recipients are not required to submit two budgets. As the sub-recipient for this FOA, we have agreed to provide a portion of the cost-share requirement in partnership with our Prime if the waiver is not granted. In this case, is a Letter of Commitment required as part of the application outlining this agreement? \n2. SF-424: Our prime is using the Prior Template as per your answer to question 87. Question 18.b on this form has a field for an applicant dollar value. Does the Prime need to list the potential 20% cost share calculation in this field? If yes, then the Prime gets to submit (2) SF-424’s, one with the cost share and one without. Is that correct?","1. Yes, a Letter of Commitment is required.\n2. Yes, please list cost share and only one SF-424 submission is required. If selected for an award and if the cost share waiver is approved, that information can be updated later."]
[92,"2024-09-05","Other","We have 2 issues with the Budget Justification Worksheet:\n1) It has come to our attention that there is a significant error in the Budget Justification Worksheet.  Under the \"Travel\" tab, the Lodging Per Traveler column (Column G) and the daily per diem per traveler column (Column J) do not have formulas embedded into them to provide the multiplier effect for the number of days of travel.  Though we have forced our worksheet to adjust for this, we wanted to bring this to your attention so that other applicants are aware.  It should also be noted that per GSA travel guidelines, applicants are only allowed to charge 0.75 of the per diem rate for the first and last day of travel.\n2) If additional international travel is requested, the budget worksheet does not allow us to insert and fill in the cells properly an additional line because the worksheet is protected.  If additional rows are needed, how do we correct this?","1. The worksheet does not have an error, and the lack of formulas is intentional. Per the instructions in row 3, \"Columns G, H, I, J, and K are total per trip per the total number of travelers.\" Therefore, column K adds the total per trip amounts from columns G, H, I and J. Regarding per diem guidelines, Applicants should refer to the regulations and guidelines that apply to their entity as specified in Item 4 of the instructions.\n2. To add rows, click Review and Unprotect Sheet. Alternatively, you may total all international travel in a single row and provide the breakdown in the Additional Explanation section at the bottom of the page."]
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["Application Content/Format"]
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