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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to AFFECT2020@ee.doe.gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FAC name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FAC will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 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."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0002329 - ASSISTING FEDERAL FACILITIES WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES (AFFECT) 2020"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","Will this program only support funding through UESC/ESPC  – I may be mistaken, but I was reading this email to indicate performance contracts were one approach of many to support funding since these projects are normally financed over time.\nAny clarification is appreciated as VA works to improve infrastructure","Per Section I.D., Applications Specifically Not of Interest include those that do not propose a project to be implemented by leveraging funding in an energy performance contract (i.e., ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC)."]
[2,"2020-06-30","Cost Sharing","Reference:  Page 12, Section III.B (Eligibility Information/Cost Leverage)\nQuestion:  For the term “TI” in the formula, may the applicant include the full investment in all aspects of the ESPC project, or only the portion of the investment related to the technologies that align with the DOE co-funding?  For example, assume the applicant is planning an $8 million ESPC project, of which $2 million will be invested in improved lighting and $6 million in improved HVAC.  The applicant is seeking $600,000 in DOE support to demonstrate an innovative lighting solution as an enhancement to this ESPC project.  Does that scenario yield a “CL” of 13.33 or 3.33?","Per Section III.B., Cost Leverage defines \"TI\" as \"Total Investment\" to include the entire sum of an AFFECT grant and the Applicant amount of cost leverage.\n\nThe question is unclear whether the $600,000 requested from AFFECT is part of, or in addition to the $2 million for improved lighting.  The Applicant amount of cost leverage used to sum TI would include the entire ESPC or energy performance contract amount for all lighting and HVAC, and therefore would be either $8,000,0000 (if the $600,000 requested from AFFECT is included in the $2 million for lighting) or $8,600,000 (if the $600,000 requested from AFFECT is in addition to the $2 million for lighting)."]
[3,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","I have a question regarding the location eligibility requirements for the AFFECT grant. We are working with several US Military installations that are located outside of the Continental US. I see that in the FAC (see below from Page 12) only domestic facilities are eligible for this program.\nIs there a waiver application process for this requirement that can be submitted for the US Military. Also, what is the reasoning to exclude overseas US Military installations and will this requirement remain in place for future AFFECT programs?","Per Section III.A. Eligible Applicants, U.S. Federal Agencies and Sub-Agencies domestic facilities that are within the United States and/or U.S. Territory, and owned by the U.S. Federal government are the only eligible Applicants for the FY20 AFFECT FAC.  There is no waiver process for overseas facilities.  This requirement is applicable to the FY20 AFFECT FAC only and the eligibility requirements of the AFFECT program are subject to change for future year FACs."]
[4,"2020-06-30","Other","We believe we can greatly improve the economics behind projects initiated through the 2020 FAC and help to account the impact of the funds that are invested. \nWill there be a specific methodology or criteria utilized to select financing for these projects or will that be left in the hands of ESCOs holding ESPCs? If the former, I am glad to make you aware of my company and how we bring value, security, and tangibility to initiatives of sustainability. ","Per Section V.A., Technical Review Criteria are listed for which Applications will be evaluated against.\n\nThe AFFECT 2020 FAC will not evaluate or select project financing as part of the Evaluation and Selection Process, however projects must leverage AFFECT grant funds by at least 10:1 by using performance contracting (ESPC, ENABLE, UESC) as described in the listed goals of the AFFECT 2020 FAC as per Section I.B.\n\nAs suggested in the questions, financing for energy performance contracts leveraging AFFECT grants is the responsibility of the Energy Service Company (ESCO) or utility selected by the federal agency, and should be conducted in accordance with the financing requirements under ESPC, ENABLE, and UESC, including requiring ESCOs to seek competitive financing bids from potential financiers."]
[5,"2020-07-01","Cost Sharing","We have a couple of opportunities that we believe would be good candidates for the AFFECT grant that are ECMs that fell out of an awarded ESPC or UESC because they did not fit within the cash flow.  However, with the opportunity for AFFECT funds, they could be viable as a TO modification.  In a scenario like this, would we be able to account for the entire ESPC or UESC value in terms of the cost leverage ratio or would the 10:1 ratio have to be achieved within the modification itself?","In the scenario described, where AFFECT grant funds could improve the project economics to include additional Resilient/Efficient/Secure ECMs as per Section I.B. Areas of Interest, the Cost Leverage Ratio requirement of 10:1 would then be applied to the entire project, not just the additional Resilient/Efficient/Secure ECM."]
[6,"2020-07-01","Technical Topics","At this moment in time we are starting a large ESPC and feel as if this AFFECT program would greatly aid in our work. \n\nIn review of the application documents I see the UESC sources sought document and am curious if we need to use the UESC path? Because the right up references ESPC?","Per Section I.D., Applications Specifically Not of Interest include those that do not propose a project to be implemented by leveraging funding in an energy performance contract (i.e., ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC).\n\nEligible Applicants are therefore required to implement an ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC to leverage AFFECT grant funds, and are free to select which energy performance contract instrument to utilize.\n\nEligible Applicants pursuing an ESPC or ENABLE energy performance contract instrument must include a new or modified NOO with their application. Eligible Applicants pursuing an UESC energy performance contract instrument must include a new or modified LOI or a new or modified Sources Sought RFP with their application."]
[7,"2020-07-02","Technical Topics","Reference:  Page 8, section 1.B.2.b and Page 19, section IV.C.ii.  Question:  Is the Scalability Plan identified on page 8 supposed to appear in the Technical Volume?  It is clear from the text that the Replicability Plan is supposed to do so, but the text is ambiguous about the Scalability Plan.","Per Section I.B., Areas of Interest an application should include a Replicability Plan and/or a Scalability Plan. These should be included in the Technical Description portion of the Technical Volume as defined in Section IV.C.ii. Technical Volume."]
[8,"2020-07-02","Due Dates","Reference:  Page 1.  Would DOE consider extending the due date by 2 weeks?  Our Agency is using the month of July to complete all procurement actions that are required to be executed in FY20.  As a result, budgetary, procurement and related staff are largely unavailable during the stipulated FAC preparation period.","It is not anticipated that the Submission Deadline on the FAC Cover Page will be extended, and all applicants should plan accordingly to submit by this deadline unless otherwise notified."]
[9,"2020-07-02","Application Content/Format","Reference:  Page 23, section IV.C.viii.  Question:  Does DOE have a template for the Addendum for Cost Leverage Supporting Documentation?","There is no template for the Addendum for Cost Leverage Supporting Documentation. Section IV.C.viii of the FAC describes the minimum required information to be included."]
[10,"2020-07-03","Eligibility","The FOA says the project is for federal agencies. How do I contact the right federal agency about helping our nation in these areas of interest? ","Per Section III, Eligibility Information defines Federal agencies as the only eligible Applicants to the Federal Agency Call."]
[11,"2020-07-06","Technical Topics","If ESPC projects have already been awarded, can we participate in competition?","Per Section I.C. Project Performance Targets describes submission of modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs where an ESCO/Utility has already been selected resulting in a Single-Phase, Single-Final Deliverable.\n\nPer Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds.\n\nAdditionally, projects that have already been awarded will required a modification to the Task Order (TO), and therefore are suggested to be reviewed by the Applicant's Contracting Officer (CO) to be within scope, and otherwise allowable under the proposed modification."]
[12,"2020-07-06","Technical Topics","If a project has already selected an ESCO, are we able to submit since a new NOO would not be issued?  Perhaps a new NOITA could be issued in these situations?  Or is the intent for this grant to go to projects that have not started yet?","Per Section I.C. Project Performance Targets describes submission of modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs where an ESCO/Utility has already been selected resulting in a Single-Phase, Single-Final Deliverable.\n\nPer Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds."]
[13,"2020-07-07","Eligibility","I want to know if DoD sites, Army, Navy, AF, Marines or National Guard sites are eligible.  And, can this money be used with other federal money at those sites?","Per Section III, Eligibility Information defines Federal agencies as the only eligible Applicants to the Federal Agency Call, including the Department of Defense. Further, U.S. Federal Agencies and Sub-Agencies domestic facilities that are within the United States and/or U.S. Territory, and owned by the U.S. Federal government are the only eligible Applicants for the FY20 AFFECT FAC, meaning that National Guard facilities in sites owned by State governments are not eligible applicants to the FAC.\n\nPer Section III.B. Cost Leverage is pursuant to the considerations identified in 42 USC § 8256 (b) (3) (c)-(d), the cost leveraging may come from either Federal or non-Federal sources. Also, an Applicant’s cost leverage must come, at least in part, from an energy performance contract: ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC. An Applicant’s cost leverage may include additional subsidies such as from a state or local government entity. The minimum required Cost Leverage Ratio is 10:1 (10 to 1)."]
[15,"2020-07-08","Technical Topics","Can a federal agency that has selected an ESCO to perform an ESPC, but not awarded a contract yet, are they eligible to receive the DOE Affect grant?\n\nCan a federal agency that is in construction of an ESPC, are they eligible to receive the DOE Affect grant?\n\nAre Alaskan Native Tribes eligible to receive the DOE Affect grant to be used on tribal lands for an ESPC?\n","Per Section I.C. Project Performance Targets describes submission of modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs where an ESCO/Utility has already been selected resulting in a Single-Phase, Single-Final Deliverable.\n\nPer Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds.\n\nPer Section III, Eligibility Information defines Federal agencies as the only eligible Applicants to the Federal Agency Call, including the Department of Defense.\n\nAdditionally, projects that have already been awarded will required a modification to the Task Order (TO), and therefore are suggested to be reviewed by the Applicant's Contracting Officer (CO) to be within scope, and otherwise allowable under the proposed modification."]
[16,"2020-07-09","Eligibility","The UESC Preliminary Assessment is under review, will there any additional steps such as a modification or addendum to the NOO because where we are in the UESC process?","Per Section I.C. Project Performance Targets describes submission of modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs where an ESCO/Utility has already been selected resulting in a Single-Phase, Single-Final Deliverable.\n\nPer Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds."]
[17,"2020-07-10","Technical Topics","The first question that we have come across is about the LOI/RFP, does this document need to be sent to the utility provider by the base, or is this document solely for the application itself?\n\nAt this time we are still in the early stages of the ESPC, so we do not have an accurate estimate of what the budget will be, or what work will actually been done since we are still in the Preliminary Assessment phase of it. With that being said, what would be the recommended way to approach the documents that are focused on budget and milestones?","Per Section IV.C.vii. New Draft or Modified NOO (for ESPC or ENABLE projects) OR New Draft or Modified LOI OR New Draft or Modified Sources Sought RFP (for UESC projects), Applicants pursuing a UESC are required to submit a LOI/RFP (new or modified) in conjunction with the other required application information and documents. Depending if new or modified, the LOI/RFP submitted may have already been, or will be planned to be submitted to a utility(ies) for consideration. Importantly, Applicants pursuing a UESC must be collaborating with a utility that is a member of the DOE FEMP Utility Partnership Program.\n\nApplicants in the early-stage project development are encouraged to include a best-estimate of potential project scope and budget. However, as indicated in Section IV.C.ii. Technical Volume, Applicants submitting a modified NOO, modified LOI or modified Sources Sought RFP that have already selected an ESCO/Utility have  issued a NOITA or NTPPA must also submit additional relevant documents, including the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO, and 2) demonstrate that the proposed ECMs would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds."]
[18,"2020-07-10","Cost Sharing","Would you please specify if AFFECT 2020 funding will be appropriated for this government fiscal year or next government fiscal year?","AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funding was appropriated in Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20)."]
[19,"2020-07-15","Cost Sharing","Verify where the costs of equipment such as PV panels, BESS systems, generators, etc. would be inputted in the Budget Justification workbook?","Per Section IV.C.v. Budget Justification Workbook Applicants are required to complete the \"Instructions and Summary\" tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including any equipment, personnel, or associated project development costs to be performed by the recipient or its subrecipients and contractors, as estimated for the entire leveraged energy performance project contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). The subsequent detail tabs (a. through j.) are not required for the application.\n\nEquipment may be defined as having a useful life greater than 1 year AND an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more. Supplies are generally defined as an item with a useful life less than 1 year OR an acquisition cost less than $5,000."]
[20,"2020-07-16","Cost Sharing","Please confirm whether the budget items a. thru e. in the Instructions and Summary tab are direct costs incurred by the government agency (such as personnel labor costs to support the ESPC/ENABLE or UESC) and item f. Vendor is where the total turn-key ESCO contracted cost of the ESPC/ENABLE or UESC project should go?","Per Section IV.C.v. Budget Justification Workbook Applicants are required to complete the \"Instructions and Summary\" tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including any equipment, personnel, or associated project development costs to be performed by the recipient or its subrecipients and contractors, as estimated for the entire leveraged energy performance project contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). While the subsequent detail/justification spreadsheet tabs (a. through j.) are not required to be filled out for the application, those tabs contain instructions on what costs should go into each category on the Summary tab. You are correct that the costs associated with Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Equipment, Supplies and Other Direct Costs should reflect the direct costs incurred by the Recipient (government agency) for internal costs and the Contractual tab (Subrecipient and Vendor) category should be for any subcontracted work being done by another entity."]
[21,"2020-07-17","Technical Topics","21a) There appear to be duplicative requirements within and across some of the required documents. In view of the tight and strict page limitations across the various elements of the Application Package, would it be acceptable to DOE if, where the same/similar information is requested in multiple places, we provide all of the information requested in one place, and then provide a cross-reference to that location in other places where the same/similar information is requested?\n\n21b) Do these FY20 funds need to be expended by the Federal agency recipient by any specific deadline due to the nature of the funds alone (e.g., 1-year funds, 2-year funds, or other characteristics of the funds)?\n\n21c) When does the 12-15 month period begin for the purpose of measuring our agency's compliance with this requirement?\n\n21d) Our agency expects to complete our \"new\" NOO and NOITA deliverables before 15 months have elapsed.  However, we would like to use a portion of the funding for activities beyond the issuance of the NOITA, including enhanced post-construction data collection and Replication/Scaling activities that might extend to month 24 or later.  Is it acceptable to DOE that we use some AFFECT funds beyond the 12-15 month window indicated in Section II.A.ii?","21a) Applicants are free to organize applications as they see fit, however they must ensure that all application information meets the requirements as described in Section IV.C. Content and Form of the Application and is uploaded to EERE Exchange (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/) prior to the submission deadline.\n\n21b & 21d) AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funding is no-year funding, which will be approved for release as described in Section I.C. Project Performance Targets with 50% approved for release upon meeting the Phase 1 Deliverable, and the remaining 50% approved for release upon meeting the Phase 2 Deliverable. There is no limitation for when an Applicant would be required to expend the AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funds after they've been approved for release.\n\n21c) Per Section II.A.ii. Period of Performance the estimated length of grant award projects selected for the AFFECT 2020 FAC is 12-15 months, and will begin when award negotiations are finalized, and recipient grant awards are signed and executed (i.e. grants awarded)."]
[22,"2020-07-17","Technical Topics","22a) What is the intended award year for AFFECT 2020 funds? FY21?\n\n22b) If awarded funds – could they be applied to an existing UESC in payoff period? As initial buy down funds? Other?\n\n22c) If utilizing UESC – in which scenario would the LOI be needed?\n\n22d) In looking through the documentation there is mention of security and cyber security; could AFFECT funds be applied to utility metering software (alone or bundled with other ECMs)? Would any specific justification need to be written to show how to apply; and if so, could it be that ours is insufficient and potentially unusable soon?\n\n22e) Can there be multiple submittals from the same Agency/Center or only one?","22a) AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funding is estimated to be awarded in Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21).\n\n22 b & 22c) AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funding can be utilized under the scenarios described in Section I.C. Project Performance Targets to including for new draft NOOs, new draft LOIs or new draft Sources Sought RFPs or modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs (where an ESCO/Utility has or has not yet been selected). Per Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds. Additionally, projects that have already been awarded will required a modification to the Task Order (TO), and therefore are suggested to be reviewed by the Applicant's Contracting Officer (CO) to be within scope, and otherwise allowable under the proposed modification.\n\n22d) Per Section I.B. Areas of Interest are identified as relating to three DOE EERE priority areas of interest:  Resilient, Efficient, and Secure. Additionally, the FAC posted at EERE eXCHANGE is comprehensive and designed to allow prospective applicants to assess their proposed projects versus the requirements and criteria of the FAC. The Department of Energy cannot predetermine the suitability or viability of a proposal in advance of the merit review process. It is up to prospective applicants to review the requirements of the FAC and assess the merits of their proposed project to determine whether to submit an application.\n\n22e) Per Section II.A.iii. New Applications Only it is permitted that an Applicant may submit more than one application to the AFFECT 2020 FAC, provided that each application submitted describes a unique, distinct project."]
[23,"2020-07-20","Other","Do I really need to set up an account in FedConnect?  What is the purpose of needing to be in that system?","Per Section VI.B.i. Registration Requirements the AFFECT 2020 FAC requires Applicants to complete several one-time actions in conjunction with submitting their application to EERE Exchange, including registering in FedConnect. For Applicants selected under this FAC, FedConnect is where all award documents and award modifications will be posted.  While this registration is not required in order to submit your application, it will need to be completed as soon as possible if selected for award negotiations."]
[24,"2020-07-21","Technical Topics","24a) Would two separate requests from the same physical location be accepted?\n\n24b) Would the total request be added together for possible funding approval?\n\n24c) Would one or both of them negatively impact the other from a size or cost perspective?\n","24a) Per Section II.A.iii. New Applications Only it is permitted that an Applicant may submit more than one application to the AFFECT 2020 FAC, provided that each application submitted describes a unique, distinct project.\n\n24b & 24c) All applications submitted will undergo review as described in Section V.D. Evaluation and Selection Process as unique, and distinct projects. Additionally, the FAC posted at EERE eXCHANGE is comprehensive and designed to allow prospective applicants to assess their proposed projects versus the requirements and criteria of the FAC. The Department of Energy cannot predetermine the suitability or viability of a proposal in advance of the merit review process. It is up to prospective applicants to review the requirements of the FAC and assess the merits of their proposed project to determine whether to submit an application."]
[25,"2020-07-21","Application Content/Format","The SOPO document instructions ask that all tasks/subtasks be reported in a time period of months. How should these be reported if they are expected to take less than 1 month?","For the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO), please report tasks and subtasks that require less than one month's time in quarters of a month, e.g. Task A will require .25 months, Task C will require .5 Months, Subtask E.1 will require .75 months, etc."]
[26,"2020-07-22","Cost Sharing","The blue cells in the “Instructions and Summary tab” have formulas linked to tabs a – j. Can you clarify what portions of the spreadsheet we are supposed to fill in?","Per Section IV.C.v. Budget Justification Workbook Applicants are required to complete the \"Instructions and Summary\" tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including any equipment, personnel, or associated project development costs to be performed by the recipient or its subrecipients and contractors, as estimated for the entire leveraged energy performance project contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). While the subsequent detail/justification spreadsheet tabs (a. through j.) are not required to be filled out for the application, those tabs contain instructions on what costs should go into each category on the Summary tab. Additionally, any costs associated with Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Equipment, Supplies and Other Direct Costs should reflect the direct costs incurred by the Recipient (government agency) for internal costs and the Contractual tab (Subrecipient and Vendor) category should be for any subcontracted work being done by another entity. The formulas on the “Instruction and Summary” tab may be written over with estimated dollar values for each cost category."]
[27,"2020-07-22","Other","What is the purpose of a Federal Agency Representative registering in FEDConnect? Is this required to apply or receive funds? Is getting registered in FEDConnect required before the July 31 deadline?","Per Section VI.B.i. Registration Requirements the AFFECT 2020 FAC requires Applicants to complete several one-time actions in conjunction with submitting their application to EERE Exchange, including registering in FedConnect. For Applicants selected under this FAC, FedConnect is where all award documents and award modifications will be posted.  While this registration is not required in order to submit your application, it will need to be completed as soon as possible if selected for award negotiations."]
[28,"2020-07-22","Technical Topics","28a) What are the consequences if the project ultimately requires a lower ESCO capital investment, thus reducing the project's leverage ratio?\n\n28b) Would we become ineligible for award if we issued our NOO after submitting our Application but before notice of award or the completion of the award agreement?  Would we become ineligible for the first 50% of funding if we completed the Phase 1 Deliverable prior to notice of award or completion of the award agreement?  Would we become ineligible for the second 50% of funding if we completed the Phase 2 Deliverable prior to notice of award or completion of the award agreement?","28a) Per Section III.B. Cost Leverage an Applicant's minimum, required Cost Leverage Ratio is 10:1 (10 to 1), may include additional subsides from state or local government entities, etc., but must, at least in part, come from a energy performance contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). In submitting the information requested in Section IV.C.viii. Addendum for Cost Leverage Supporting Documentation, DOE FEMP expects an Applicant's best estimate of Cost Leverage supported by as much accurate, and detailed information available. While the Cost Leverage Ratio may fluctuate from the submission of an application, to Grant Award Selection, etc., as indicated in Criterion 4:  Cost Leverage in Section V.A. Technical Review Criteria, Applicant's are encouraged to maximize Cost Leveraging above the minimum requirement of 10:1.\n\n28b) AFFECT 2020 FAC grant funding can be utilized under the scenarios described in Section I.C. Project Performance Targets to including for new draft NOOs, new draft LOIs or new draft Sources Sought RFPs or modified NOOs, modified LOIs or modified Sources Sought RFPs (where an ESCO/Utility has or has not yet been selected). DOE FEMP understands that timing of proposed projects is important, and is why several scenarios are included. Additionally, Per Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an Applicant's proposed project advances to an ESCO/Utility selection as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds. Additionally, projects that have already been awarded will required a modification to the Task Order (TO), and therefore are suggested to be reviewed by the Applicant's Contracting Officer (CO) to be within scope, and otherwise allowable under the proposed modification."]
[29,"2020-07-23","Technical Topics","Is a Federal agency eligible to submit an application under the AFFECT FOA where the work will be performed on Federal property housing a National Laboratory?","For a project limited to a Lab complex on Federally-owned land in the U.S. to be eligible under an application submitted by a Federal agency, other requirements of ESPC must be met – particularly the requirement that the Federal agency pays the utility bills; receives the benefits of the reduced utility bills; contracts with and pays the ESCO; and contains a Measurement and Verification (M&V) Plan that tracks actual project savings; such that the Federal agency’s guaranteed utility bill savings exceed the ESCO payments for each year of the contract.  This arrangement should be demonstrated in the application, e.g., in instances where actual utility bill payments are sent by the Lab to the utility, demonstrating via a Lab budget line item that the Federal agency is ultimately the source of utility bill payments, and therefore the beneficiary of utility bill savings."]
[30,"2020-07-28","Technical Topics","The Affect 2020 documentation says that a new draft or modified NOO is required for submittal of a scope of work that is to be performed as part of an existing ESPC. What format or documentation is required for this new draft or modified NOO? Is a copy of the existing executed task order, or NOITA, or 100% IGA report acceptable?","Per Section IV.C.II. Technical Volume in the Technical Description, if an ESCO/Utility has been selected as a result of the NOO/LOI/RFP, the applicant must submit relevant documents, such as the Preliminary Assessment (PA) results or early-phase Investment Grade Audit (IGA) results, demonstrating that the ECM(s) being proposed to leverage the AFFECT 2020 grant funding are:  1) within the scope of the original NOO/LOI/RFP, and 2) would not have been included in the project in the absence of the AFFECT 2020 grant funds. Additionally, projects that have already been awarded will required a modification to the Task Order (TO), and therefore are suggested to be reviewed by the Applicant's Contracting Officer (CO) to be within scope, and otherwise allowable under the proposed modification.\n\nAdditional Information (7/29/20):\nApplicants requiring additional assistance or information on NOO development can utilize the hyperlinks provided in Section IV.C.vii. New Draft or Modified NOO (for ESPC or ENABLE projects) OR New Draft or Modified LOI OR New Draft or Modified Sources Sought RFP (for UESC projects) that provide templates for ESPC IDIQ NOO, ESPC ENABLE NOO, and UESC LOI OR Sources Sought RFPs."]
[31,"2020-07-28","Technical Topics","Can [a DOE National Laboratory] help [Federal agency] site staff develop an NOO that will be included as part of an AFFECT grant application?","Eligible AFFECT 2020 FAC Applicants as described in Section III, Eligibility Information, are permitted to coordinate the development of application content, information, and documentation as required for submission with DOE National Laboratory, ESCO or Utility, or Contractor Partners as per their preference.\n\nAdditional Information (7/29/20): .\nThe application must be submitted by the Eligible Applicant Federal agency."]
[32,"2020-07-28","Cost Sharing","The Budget Justification sheet appears to require personnel, fringe, travel and other costs for Federal employees. For this third party action all those costs are 0 for Feds. All of the types of costs listed are covered under the contracts. What is required for this section, is 0 acceptable?","Per Section IV.C.v. Budget Justification Workbook Applicants are required to complete the \"Instructions and Summary\" tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including any equipment, personnel, or associated project development costs to be performed by the recipient or its subrecipients and contractors, as estimated for the entire leveraged energy performance project contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). While the subsequent detail/justification spreadsheet tabs (a. through j.) are not required to be filled out for the application, those tabs contain instructions on what costs should go into each category on the Summary tab. Additionally, any costs associated with Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Equipment, Supplies and Other Direct Costs should reflect the direct costs incurred by the Recipient (government agency) for internal costs and the Contractual tab (Subrecipient and Vendor) category should be for any subcontracted work being done by another entity. Also, the formulas on the “Instruction and Summary” tab may be written over with estimated dollar values for each cost category, and a $0 entry is expected for any cost category that does not include any direct Federal or leveraged costs."]
[33,"2020-07-28","Cost Sharing","In the case of an installation with an existing ESPC wherein the NOO has already been issued, the ESCO has already been competitively selected, and a PA has already been submitted, is it correct to interpret the guidance for the Budget sheet as only requiring tab f. (Contractual)?","Per Section IV.C.v. Budget Justification Workbook Applicants are required to complete the \"Instructions and Summary\" tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including any equipment, personnel, or associated project development costs to be performed by the recipient or its subrecipients and contractors, as estimated for the entire leveraged energy performance project contract (ESPC, ENABLE, or UESC). While the subsequent detail/justification spreadsheet tabs (a. through j.) are not required to be filled out for the application, those tabs contain instructions on what costs should go into each category on the Summary tab. Additionally, any costs associated with Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Equipment, Supplies and Other Direct Costs should reflect the direct costs incurred by the Recipient (government agency) for internal costs and the Contractual tab (Subrecipient and Vendor) category should be for any subcontracted work being done by another entity. Also, the formulas on the “Instruction and Summary” tab may be written over with estimated dollar values for each cost category, and a $0 entry is expected for any cost category that does not include any direct Federal or leveraged costs."]
[34,"2020-07-29","Application Content/Format","Please advise whether Federal Military Installations have DUNS as our POCs at the [Military] installations are not familiar with these?","Federal Military Installations, such as those affiliated with the Department of Defense, must meet the requirements as described in Section IV.E. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM) and Sections VI.B.i.2. DUNS Number and VI.B.i.3. System for Award Management, completing any necessary registrations, in order for DOE to make an award to a selected applicant."]
[35,"2020-07-29","Application Content/Format","Regarding the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance:\n\n35a) In Box 8a, Legal Name...what should I use?\n\n35b) For Boxes 8b and 8c, do an EIN/TN and DUNS Number...what are they, or where do I find them?\n\n35c) For Box 8d, is there a particular building...I should use,...or is a generic...address acceptable?\n\n35d) For Box No. 10, should we use what’s used for Box 8a?","Applicants are instructed to complete the yellowed- and red-outlined boxes in submission of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form only, and can disregard other, grayed-out boxes.\n\n35a) Applicants may utilize the name of the Federal agency applying for box 8a. Legal Name.\n\n35b) Applicants are required to provide DUNS information as described in Section IV.E. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Number System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM) and Sections VI.B.i.2. DUNS Number and VI.B.i.3. System for Award Management, completing any necessary registrations, in order for DOE to make an award to a selected applicant.\n\n35c) Applicants are free utilize a relevant address for the Federal agency applying, including the proposed project site, site developing the application, or Agency Headquarters.\n\n35d) U.S. Department of Energy.\n\nIf selected for award, DOE may seek additional clarification or revisions to this form, as necessary."]
[36,"2020-07-30","Other","36a) I am assuming I can’t receive any required application documents as an email attachment ?\n\n36b) Can a DOE National Laboratory, ESCO or Utility, or Contractor Partner submit an application on behalf of the Eligible Applicant Federal agency if encountering technical difficulties?","36a) The referenced required FAC documents are only available through the EERE eXCHANGE website, and will not be provided by DOE personnel via any other means. If you are having trouble accessing the FAC, please contact the EERE eXCHANGE help desk to resolve the issue(s) by e-mail to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.\n\n36b) If encountering technical difficulties, an Eligible Applicant Federal agency can coordinate application submission to the EERE eXCHANGE website with a DOE National Laboratory, ESCO or Utility, or Contractor Partner as necessary. Please note, the DOE National Laboratory, ESCO or Utility, or Contractor Partner can not be the actual applicant, but can provide assistance in submitting an Eligible Applicant Federal agency's application."]

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["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Concept Paper"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]