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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to AMODecarbFOA@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 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-FOA0002804  - Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2022-09-11","In section III/F the FOA states that: “An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.” However, each of the 6 topic areas have multiple AOI’s that do not necessarily overlap in technology. For example, in Topic Area 1 “Decarbonizing Chemicals,” the three AOIs all likely involve very different technical approaches:\n1)            Advanced Separations, \n2)            Advanced Reactions and Reactor Systems, and \n3)            Alternative Production and Process Heating Technologies\nIs there the possibility that the Eligibility requirements could be relaxed to allow one Concept Paper/Proposal per AOI instead of per topic?","Per Section III, F. of the FOA: Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Full Applications Eligible for Review:\nAn entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area."]
[2,"2022-09-12","Can a foreign entity apply for funding and designate a domestic entity as the prime recipient upon receipt of an award or must the application itself be made by the domestic entity?","Per Section III. A. ii. of the FOA- Foreign Entities:\nIf a foreign entity applies for funding as a prime recipient, it must designate in the Full Application a subsidiary or affiliate incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a state or territory of the United States to be the prime recipient. The Full Application must state the nature of the corporate relationship between the foreign entity and domestic subsidiary or affiliate.\nForeign entities may request a waiver of the requirement to designate a subsidiary in the United States as the prime recipient in the Full Application (i.e., a foreign entity may request that it be the prime recipient). To do so, the applicant must submit an explicit written waiver request in the Full Application. Appendix C lists the necessary information that must be included in a request to waive this requirement. The applicant does not have the right to appeal EERE’s decision concerning a waiver request."]
[3,"2022-09-12","What is defined as an “entity” for III.F limiting the # applications per topic?  Is it one per Unique Identifier Number or can various business units for a large business apply for the same topic area?","It will depend on how the company is legally structured.  An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each subtopic area of this FOA. If a large organization submits multiple submissions, each submission must be submitted by a separate legal entity.  If two submissions appear to be from the same entity and it is not clear that the two applicants are separate legal entities, DOE may ask for further clarification. In addition, having a separate DUNS number does not in itself establish that the entities are separate legal entities."]
[4,"2022-09-13","Must Tier 2 projects integrate on-site at industrial facilities for the demonstration portion? Or can the technology be demonstrated by shipping the reactants and/or products among participating sites (e.g. shipping waste CO2 from an industrial facility to the recipient's site for upgrading)?","As stated in section I.B of the FOA; Tier 2: Applications with technology demonstration integrated into industrial operations must include a phase 3: installation and demonstration. It is up to the applicant to ensure this requirement is satisfied."]
[5,"2022-09-14","Topic 2. On page 20, it says “Not of interest in Topic 2……. Production of fuels/chemicals from byproducts or wastes.”  How about production/testing of alternative coke from byproducts/wastes? Would that disqualify the application? ","Applicants need to support how their project is responsive to the Topic Areas described in the FOA. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA."]
[6,"2022-09-15","Topic Area 2 (Decarbonizing Iron and Steel) in the new Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA. \nIn the FOA it says \"Innovative technologies may include, but are not limited to, the following: new ironmaking or steelmaking technologies (up to 400 kg/day scale)...\" \nWould it be acceptable to demonstrate iron or steel making at a larger scale than 400kg/day or should we target a 400kg/day scale as a Phase 3 milestone? ","The implied limit of 400 kg/day is a scale that would be appropriate for the TRLs required and anticipated project funding levels. Applications exceeding this scale would need to provide substantial justification that the project would meet the objectives of the FOA."]
[7,"2022-09-13","1) Section III. F. states “An entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA.” Does this mean an entity can submit six concept papers max? Or can an entity submit one Concept Paper for each Area of Interest under each Topic Area?  For example, for Topic Area 1: Decarbonizing Chemicals an entity could submit 3 Concept Papers, one for Advanced Separations, one for Advanced Reactions and Reactor Systems, and another Alternative Production and Process Heating Technologies for a total of three for Topic Area 1.\n\n2) Do we need named Industry partner for the Concept Paper submission? Or can we formalize partnerships prior to the Full Application submittal in December and submit LoCs then?\n\n3) How is the carbon intensity reduction metric to be calculated for proposals that involve process electrification?  i.e. based on the potential to use carbon-free (green) electricity or using a pre-defined value of CO2 intensity for grid electricity? The FOA does not seem to make that clear.","1) From Q&A #1 - Per Section III, F. of the FOA: Limitation on Number of Concept Papers and Full Applications Eligible for Review:\nAn entity may only submit one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. If an entity submits more than one Concept Paper and one Full Application to the same topic area, EERE will request a determination from the applicant’s authorizing representative as to which application should be reviewed. Any other submissions received listing the same entity as the applicant for the same topic area will not be eligible for further consideration. This limitation does not prohibit an applicant from collaborating on other applications (e.g., as a potential subrecipient or partner) so long as the entity is only listed as the applicant on one Concept Paper and one Full Application for each topic area of this FOA. 2) Although inclusion of industry partners are encouraged for the concept paper phase, letters of commitments are only required for the full application phase which should be specific to the project being proposed.  3) The FOA notes the Administration’s goal of achieve carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035; using this goal as the basis for grid carbon intensity would be one of multiple approaches permitted, others could rely on data from the Energy Information Administration, Environmental Protection Agency or other credible sources. Applicants should clearly state the approach or approaches employed in their analysis. "]
[8,"2022-09-19","The Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA (number DE-FOA-0002804) states that for Topic Area 1, Area of Interest 3, Tier 2 applications “must show potential for > 50% reduction in carbon emissions of the unit operation and energy intensity reduction of > 30%.” \n\nArea of Interest 3 includes process heating technologies (e.g., electrification of process heating) which traditionally have the potential to affect the carbon footprint rather than the energy required to produce a product. Our team is wondering if the FOA intended to require both the carbon emission reduction goal and the energy intensity reduction goal, or if it was intended to be written for technologies meeting either of these goals.\n\nAny clarification of this requirement in the FOA would be greatly appreciated. ","The FOA language is correct, the FOA intended to require both the carbon emission reduction goals and the energy intensity reduction goals for Topic Area 1"]
[9,"2022-09-19","1) Is the testbed scale (1–15 tonne CO2 per day) qualified for the Tier 2 project?  If so, is Phase 3 (demonstration) required?\n2) What is the potential funding ceiling for testbed scale project?\n3)Is the CO2 capture cost target defined at certain CO2 intensity change (e.g., 90% CO2 emission reduction)?","1) Applicants need to support how their project is responsive to the Topic Areas described in the FOA. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA. Page 13 of the FOA discusses requirements for Tier 2 project scope – including that “Tier 2 applications with technology demonstration integrated into industrial operations must include Phase 3”.  2) Please refer to the funding chart of Section I. B. \"Topic Areas\" on pg. 13 of the FOA.  3) Applicants need to support how their project is responsive to the Topic Areas described in the FOA. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA. Page 29 of the FOA notes the performance baseline used to measure CO2 capture cost metrics will be applicant defined. "]
[10,"2022-09-21","“Area of Interest 3 – Alternative Production and Process Heating Technologies”\n\nShould this be read as “Alternative Production Technologies and Alternative Process Heating Technologies” or “Alternative Production Heating Technologies and Alternative Process Heating Technologies”? For example, does an alternative production technology that is unrelated to heating qualify?","The FOA language is correct. Applicants need to support how their project is responsive to the Topic Areas described in the FOA. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA."]
[11,"2022-09-23","Does this requirement pertain to the total (scope 1 + scope 2 + scope 3) emissions? Or only to the process that the technology is improving. E.g. if we install an electric boiler to replace a gas fired boiler we could conceivably reduce our scope 1 and scope 2 emissions entirely – but the scope 3 emissions of the product (which represent the majority of emissions) will be unaffected, and therefore the emissions intensity would not have been reduced by 50%.","The intent of the carbon intensity metric focuses on emissions traditionally considered within scope 1 (direct emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization such as emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers or furnaces) and scope 2 (indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling)."]
[12,"2022-09-24","“Low carbon” fuel also include H2, correct?  ","Low carbon fuel includes hydrogen."]
[13,"2022-10-03","For DE-FOA-0002804, we would like to clarify if ethanol plants fall under the “chemicals” topic area?","Based on the primary use of ethanol as a fuel and the identified NAICS codes in the FOA, ethanol is not of interest in Topic 1."]
[14,"2022-10-04","Is there a list of partners available to collaborate on any of the topics?","A list of partners is not available for any topics of interest. "]
[15,"2022-10-05","1) Regarding the table at the top of page 29, which lists \"examples of applicant-defined metrics\": Are the values listed in this table suggestions or requirements?  Specifically, for CO2 capture at testbed scale, is there a requirement or preference that CO2 captured should be less than 15 MT/day? Is there any reason to expect that a slightly higher target would not be preferred?  2) Will concept papers that do not name a cement or concrete industry partner be considered? Is it acceptable to finalize partner selection for the full application stage?","1) Page 29 of the FOA notes the performance value for the CO2 capture testbed scale metric will be applicant defined; with minimum and stretch goal values indicative of the scale that would be appropriate for the TRLs involved.  2) Although inclusion of industry partners are encouraged for the concept paper phase, letters of commitments are only required for the full application phase which should be specific to the project being proposed."]
[16,"2022-10-05"," If we are unable to name the industry partner(s) in the concept paper, would we be allowed to add the industrial partner (i.e., new team members) at the full proposal stage (if our concept paper is encouraged)? ","Yes - additional partners can be incorporated in full applications."]
[17,"2022-09-30","Are these the specific metrics shown (in table on page 36) of the FOA that must be met to qualify or are they just there to serve as examples of the types of metrics you would like to see? ","Page 36 of the FOA indicates applications must address the two Objectives/Goals relating to conversion efficiency and cost for Area of Interest 2 in Topic 6; metrics should be specific to the proposed technology and the applicant must define appropriate benchmarks or baselines, minimum targets, and stretch targets. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA."]
[18,"2022-10-05","DOE-DE-FOA0002804 specifies that the applicant must have an Industry Partner, and the EERE web form for the Concept Paper requests a Percentage of Project for each organization we will be teamed with. Does this mean that our Industry Partner is expected to be one of the organizations we're teamed with, and that therefore they will be written into the budget to receive DOE funding? ","Although inclusion of industry partners are encouraged for the concept paper phase, letters of commitments are only required for the full application phase which should be specific to the project being proposed. Any numbers provided at the concept paper stage are estimates and may not be as accurate as those provided in the full application. Therefore, applicants should provide the amount of information available at the time of submission. There is no requirement that partners receive funding from DOE."]
[19,"2022-10-06","1) Are the example minimum/stretch targets still examples or are they fixed targets. If they are fixed, is the electricity production cost target the target cost for economies of scale for the proposed system or the cost of the proposed prototype system built during the period of performance? 2) Is there a minimum expected size for a Tier 2 project field demonstration? If a TRL 6 field system is being proposed, is a field demonstration of a few kW of power generation sufficient or should systems be targeting 10s or 100s of kWs?","1) Page 36 of the FOA indicates applications must address the two Objectives/Goals relating to conversion efficiency and cost for Area of Interest 2 in Topic 6; metrics should be specific to the proposed technology and the applicant must define appropriate benchmarks or baselines, minimum targets, and stretch targets. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA.  2) A field demonstration should be at a scale relevant to the intended industrial application."]
[20,"2022-10-06","We noticed the EERE submission portal only allows a 4,000 character text box (which doesn't allow figures) for the concept paper, but the FOA states we can provide a 1pg Cover Page, 4pg Technology Description, and a 1pg Addendum.  Is there another place to upload the FOA requirements?","Please visit the Manual section of the Exchange website, and review the manual titled: “EERE_eXCHANGE_Applicant_Guide_July_2022”. Under the section of Concept Papers, it shows a screenshot of the upload screen, multiple tabs should exist, one is upload and submit. The 1pg Cover Page, 4pg Technology Description, and a 1pg Addendum can be uploaded and submitted there. "]
[21,"2022-10-11","Does the “product” mean water removed or wood in the carbon intensity?\n \n“% carbon intensity change as measured by ton CO2e/kg product “","The term “Product” in the FOA metrics refers to the item with commercial value at the end of a manufacturing process and is industry sector and process-specific.  Within the forest products sector, wood could be a “Product.”"]
[22,"2022-10-06","Would you be able to extend the deadline for the concept paper?","The Concept Paper submission is mandatory and due date will not be extended; however, the encourage/discourage decision is not binding and anyone that submitted an eligible Concept Paper can still submit a Full Application."]
[23,"2022-10-07","Can all graphics be placed in the addendum, such that the one just has to reference the addendum page where referencing figures in the main body? Also, is it correct that footnotes/citations may – not ---- be located in the addendum page?","It is at the applicant’s discretion on whether to include and where to locate both graphics and footnotes/citations in their concept paper submission. There is no prohibition on locating footnotes/citations in the addendum."]
[24,"2022-10-22","We have a very good process to reduce energy usage in multiple industrial sectors. In some sectors, more than 50%. Wondering if we can still submit our concept paper for this FOA?","As noted on the Cover Page of the FOA, applicants must submit a concept paper by the listed date (10/12/2022 5:00 PM ET) to be eligible to submit a Full Application and be considered for funding."]
[25,"2022-10-24","Our team is curious to see if DE-FOA-0002804 has a hard requirement for a “Concept Paper”? If the concept paper was optional to send in vs the Full Application Submission in Feb. we would like to submit a project for your consideration.","As noted on the Cover Page of the FOA, applicants must submit a concept paper by the listed date (10/12/2022 5:00 PM ET) to be eligible to submit a Full Application and be considered for funding."]
[26,"2022-10-24","I would like to ask the following questions, for clarification on the AMO Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA: 1) For Tier 2 projects, do applicants need a Phase 1 + Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 scope, or can the proposed work be entirely Phase 2? 2) Does TRL need to be specified at the Phase level, equipment level, or component level?","1) As indicated on page 13 of the FOA, Tier 2 projects should include Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 activities, and must include scope to include TRL 6 and/or TRL 7 efforts. 2) Applications must clearly identify the starting and ending TRL for the project and justify the TRLs assigned. DOE will not provide guidance on which specific technologies or approaches are necessary to meet the objectives and criteria defined in the FOA."]
[27,"2022-10-25","I have a project that is ready for pilot plant testing that decarbonizes waste oil lubricants.  Can I still apply as I believe the first submission was due October 12th?  ","As noted on the Cover Page of the FOA, applicants must submit a concept paper by the listed date (10/12/2022 5:00 PM ET) to be eligible to submit a Full Application and be considered for funding"]
[28,"2022-10-27","Can you tell me when we should expect to get a response regarding our Concept Paper submission for the  INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY AND DECARBONIZATION FOA (DE-FOA-0002804)?","As indicated on page 53 of the FOA, applicants will have approximately 30 days from receipt of the Concept Paper Encourage/Discourage notification on EERE eXCHANGE to prepare and submit a Full Application.  Full applications are due on December 20; inferring notifications are anticipated to be provided mid-November.  "]
[29,"2022-10-27","I see in the FOA that a waiver for a non-US citizen needs to be applied to be a part of the proposal. Could you please let me know the procedure to apply for a waiver?","No waiver is required for foreign national participation in the full application. Relevant discussion is associated with the applying entity; see page 43 of the FOA and Appendix C for further information. Post-selection, DOE may request information on foreign national participation as described on pages 83-84 of the FOA. "]
[30,"2022-11-10","When can I expect the encourage/discourage decision on the Concept paper submitted in the category of DE-FOA-0002804?","Due to the large response to the FOA the Concept Paper encourage/discourage notifications have been delayed and are expected to be sent no later than November 23, 2022.  The due date for Full Applications is expected to be extended to January 4, 2023, which will be formally revised through a modification of the FOA. "]
[31,"2022-11-14","1) If the concept paper was written to fit the criteria for a Tier 2 project, is it permissible to reduce the scope in the full proposal to fit the criteria for Tier 1 project? 2) Does the Tier selected for the concept paper factor into encourage/discourage decisions? ","1) The full proposal should align to the tier level and funding requirements as described in the FOA. Any amounts provided at the concept paper stage are estimates and may not be as accurate as those provided in the full application. 2) Page 75 of the FOA describes the Concept Paper review criteria; all concept papers are evaluated based on these criteria."]
[32,"2022-11-15","Can you tell me how depreciation of plant equipment is applied? Is it calculated over a set time period and at a set percentage rate? Is there another means by which t is applied?","Please refer to 2CFR §200.436 relative to depreciation."]
[33,"2022-12-09","Our Concept Paper was encouraged.  Now we'd like to change to a different prime/lead organization and different Principal Investigator (PI) in the Full Application. The new prime/lead organization was one of the partners named in the Concept Paper.  The new PI was a co-PI in the Concept Paper.  The Concept Paper’s prime/lead organization and PI would still be a partner for the Full Application.  Would these changes be allowable for the Full Application?","The Prime Applicant organization associated with a Concept Paper control number is fixed and cannot change after the Concept Paper is submitted. The proposed Principal Investigator can still be changed at this stage."]
[34,"2022-12-12","Regarding letters of commitment, is a letter required from a subrecipient that is NOT a cost share provider? ","Prime recipients must provide commitment letters from any entity, other than itself, which is providing cost share (cash or in-kind) to the project.  If an entity is not providing cost share, a letter of commitment is not required."]
[35,"2022-12-16","Can you please advise on the proper responses for the following fields on the SF-LLL form?\n\nAre these the correct responses to the form?\nSection #6 - Department of Energy (DOE)\nSection #7 - Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA\nSection #8 - is there a CFDA number for this FOA?","#6 Department of Energy\nOffice of Energy Efficiency and Renewable\nEnergy (EERE)\n\n#7 DE-FOA-0002804 - Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization FOA\n\n#8 81.086"]
[36,"2022-12-19","Should the milestones of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan be included in the SOPO milestones?  In the Technical Volume Milestone Summary?  Or is the DEI plan a separate milestone stream form the SOPO/TV?","Although the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan is a separate component of the Full Application, applicants are encouraged to incorporate SMART DEI milestones into the SOPO."]
[37,"2022-12-19","Must each phase (as defined on page 13 of the FOA) be in a distinct budget period?","There is no requirement that budget periods must coincide with phases.  Aligning phases to budget periods is encouraged when feasible, particularly if the cost-sharing requirement differed for the phases involved."]

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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"]