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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to seto.workforceFOA22@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-FOA-0002769 - Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2022-07-27","Other","Hi there – just letting you know that the PDF link for the full FOA is trying to download a damaged file. Any chance you can reattach the file or send it to me by email? ","The page was tested and the PDF opens successfully. DOE recommends contacting your organization's IT support for help with Adobe compatibility. Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for additional assistance."]
[2,"2022-07-28","Eligibility","Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Advancing Equity through Workforce Partnerships funding opportunity, would school districts be considered \"local governmental entities\"?","Per 2 CFR 200 § 200.1 Definitions. Local government means any unit of government within a state, including a: (10) School district."]
[3,"2022-07-29","Eligibility","As I am looking at various categories and sub-categories for funding opportunities, I am not exactly sure which ones are the most appropriate for our products.  I am happy to have a ‘live’ conversation if that is a more efficient way to figure out the best next steps.","Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process. In addition, DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please review the FOA's available on EERE Exchange to determine the best funding opportunity for your project."]
[4,"2022-08-04","Application Content/Format","Please, let us know what information you need from us to register. Thank you for hosting the webinar today.","Please refer to Section IV. A. Application Process for detail on the FOA application process. Please refer to Section I. A. iv. Teaming Partner List for instructions on how to submit information to be included on the Teaming Partner List."]
[5,"2022-08-04","Webinar","Attended the SETO presentation today by Andrew Graves and was curious where we can view the slides? ","Webinar slides have been uploaded to Exchange under the Webinar Details section. "]
[6,"2022-08-04","Eligibility","I was just at the webinar about the Advancing Equity through Workforce Partnerships opportunity. We have interest in applying but I first wanted to know whether this will be limited to solar energy?","Please refer to Section 1. A. Background and Context, Section 1. B. Topic Area Description, and Section 1 C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest for details on topic areas of interest. "]
[7,"2022-08-04","Concept Paper","Are letters of intent/concept papers to be provided from each team, or each team member?","Each applicant/project team must submit an LOI and CP in order to submit a Full Application. "]
[8,"2022-08-04","Eligibility","Are organizations like Research Institutions/Universities are eligible to apply?","Please refer to Section III. A. Eligible Applicants for additional details. "]
[9,"2022-08-04","Application Content/Format","Can the application (and concept paper) be in Spanish?","Applications must be submitted in English per section IV.A. of the FOA."]
[10,"2022-08-04","Other","Are pre-selection interviews done in person or virtual ?","EERE will arrange to meet with the invited applicants in person at EERE’s offices or a mutually agreed upon location. EERE may also arrange site visits at certain applicants’ facilities. In the alternative, EERE may invite certain applicants to participate in a one-on-one conference with EERE via webinar, videoconference, or conference call."]
[11,"2022-08-04","Other","Is the interview (if invited) required for award?","The information provided by applicants to EERE through pre-selection clarifications is incorporated in their applications and contributes to the merit review evaluation and EERE’s selection decisions"]
[12,"2022-08-04","Other","Will funding be distributed on a reimbursement basis or can it be paid ahead?","DOE employs a risk-based approach to determine the payment method and level of supporting documentation required for approving invoice payments. This evaluation may consider: results of the evaluation of the applicant's eligibility; the quality of the application; mitigation of labor and\ncommunity disputes; financial stability; quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in this part; history of performance; reports and findings from audits; and the applicant's ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on non-federal entities. Based on the risk considerations above, for lowest risk recipients, advance payments may be considered, but will be determined during the negotiation process, if the application is selected for negotiation for an award. "]
[13,"2022-08-04","Registration Requirements","Are registration requirements for all team members or main applicant?","Most registration requirements relate only to the prime applicants. Please refer to Section VI. B. i. Registration Requirements for additional details. Additional guidance on data reporting requirements on first tier subrecipients can also be found under Section VI. B. iv. Subaward and Executive Reporting."]
[14,"2022-08-04","Other","How often is the Partner Teaming list updated?","Generally, at least once a week, if not more frequently. "]
[15,"2022-08-05","Application Content/Format","Does an applicant need to have a SAM registration prior to submitting the Letter of Intent and concept paper or do applicants only need a SAM registration prior to submitting a full application?","All applicants need to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application. Please refer to Section IV. H. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) for additional details. "]
[16,"2022-08-05","Other","Is the program anticipated to be funded beyond fiscal year 2022? Many of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Programs are funded for multiple fiscal years and I was wondering if that includes this program or if this program is only funded for the current fiscal year?","The chart in Section II.A.i of the FOA indicates EERE's intent to make awards that will have a period of performance between 24-36 months. "]
[17,"2022-08-08","Webinar","Will the recording of the informational webinar be made available?","A link to a recording of the webinar has been added to Exchange under the Webinar Details section."]
[18,"2022-08-08","Other","The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) document also specifies that:\n \n\"DOE expects to make a total of approximately $10,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds….. Funding for all budget periods, including the initial budget period, is not guaranteed\"\n\nI am wondering if this program has received an appropriation of funding and is it expected to provide awards for the current solicitation?","Yes, EERE intends to use funding appropriated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make approximately $10,000,000 of funding available for these awards.  "]
[19,"2022-08-08","Other","Is the program expected to receive appropriations of funding for future fiscal years?","No, this funding program is not intended to be supported with future year appropriations. All funding will be made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support projects with a period of performance between 24-36 months. "]
[20,"2022-08-08","Other","Is the program expected to open and provide awards for all the authorized fiscal years of 2022-2025 as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has noted? If not, do you have an idea of which/how many years this program will receive funding?","All awards will be funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Appropriations from future fiscal years are not planed for use in supporting this funding program. However, EERE intends to use BIL funding to support awards with a  period of performance of between 24-36 months. "]
[21,"2022-08-08","Technical Topics","Can a solar PV infrastructure be developed and constructed using an organization’s internal funds in parallel with the development of workforce programs under this FOA? Or does the solar PV infrastructure need to be existing prior to submitting an application to this FOA?","An organization is permitted to use separate funds to finance the construction of PV infrastructure and apply for this funding to develop a training program. "]
[22,"2022-08-08","Cost Sharing","The FOA is silent on the match fund requirement. Can you confirm that this FOA requires no match fund?","Cost sharing is not required under this FOA. However, cost share is encouraged in order to extend the impact of projects. Please refer to Section III. B. Cost Sharing for additional details. "]
[23,"2022-08-09","Application Content/Format","FOA 2769 mentions the following on page 38:\n\nThe SOPO, including the Milestone Table, must not exceed [X] pages when printed using standard 8.5 x 11 paper with 1” margins...\n\nIt seems \"[X] pages\" should have been replaced with the actual number of pages. Could you please advise what X intended to be?","The SOPO should be no more than 5 pages in length. The table on page 32 provides this information, but EERE will correct the oversight on page 38. "]
[24,"2022-08-11","Due Dates","The RFP and website have different times lines. Can we get a confirmed time line for this opportunity?","Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline. Submission dates for application materials are detailed as well as expected dates for reviewer comments, selection notifications, and award notifications."]
[25,"2022-08-11","Application Content/Format","Should Letters of Intent be submitted by Prime Applicants, listing co-applicants/members of the consortium or should every entity in the consortium submit a LOI? ","One letter of intent, per project, should be submitted by the applicant. Relevant information on the full project team should be detailed in the letter. For additional details, please see Section IV. C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent."]
[26,"2022-08-11","Application Content/Format","Should the concept paper by submitted by the consortium or should each member of consortium submit a copy of the concept paper?","One concept paper, per project, should be submitted by the applicant. Relevant information on the full project team should be detailed in the paper. For additional details, please see Section IV. D. Content and Form of the Concept Paper."]
[27,"2022-08-11","Application Content/Format","Should every member of a consortium list their SAM/DNS number or only Prime Applicant?","Each applicant is required to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number in its application. This requirement is applicable to the applicant. If the project is chosen to go forward, DOE may request that project partners, including sub-recipients, also be registered in SAM and provide active UEI numbers."]
[28,"2022-08-11","Application Content/Format","In the webinar, it was stated that everyone should submit a concept paper.  Should Concepts be submitted regardless of “encouraged”/ “discouraged” on LOI?  Should concepts be submitted if no response is received on the LOI?","An Encourage/Discourage notification will be posted by DOE on EERE Exchange after reviewing Concept Papers. This notification is not posted as part of the Letter of Intent phase. 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. Regardless of the date the applicant receives the Encourage/Discourage notification, the submission deadline for the Full Application remains the date and time stated on the FOA cover page. "]
[29,"2022-08-23","Application Content/Format","The FOA states to submit with the LOI, an abstract that is no more than 200 words but the LOI submission portal lists a character count limit of 4000 characters (averaging above the 200 word limit). Should we go by the word limit stated in the FOA or the character limit in the LOI submission portal?","The requirements specified in the FOA should be adhered to when preparing the Letter of Intent. Per the FOA, the abstract should be not more than 200 words in length. Please note that the abstract is just one section of the Letter of Intent. Please refer to Section IV. C. Content and Form of Letter of Intent for additional details regarding the requirements for the Letter of Intent."]
[30,"2022-08-24","Registration Requirements","The FOA references the role of principal investigator, and on page 39 references interchangeably project director/principal investigator. I see the resume and Current and Pending Support disclosure requirements for PIs and senior/key personnel. Are there any specific degree or qualification requirements of the Principal Investigator for the prime recipient or any other senior/key personnel? ","There are no specific educational requirements for the FOA. Applications are based on a variety of factors specific to the project being reviewed. Please refer to Section IV. E. iii. Resumes for additional information on the information requested of applicants to evaluate individuals' skills, experience, and potential for leadership. Please also refer to Section V. A. ii. Full Applications for additional details regarding the technical review criteria used to assess applications."]
[31,"2022-08-25","Eligibility","I am working with our local campus to identify is this opportunity is viable to our region. I noticed in the announcement DOE is allocating funds to Washington DC Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and New Mexico. Does that mean this is not available to Alaska?","The FOA is not limited to the states referenced. The announcement referenced is for another DOE funded project that was recently launched. Please refer to Section III. A. Eligible Applicants for additional information regarding eligibility. "]
[32,"2022-09-01","Eligibility","Would the FOA22 consider projects and communities located outside the United States, particularly in Africa?","Per Section IV.K.iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver), all work for projects selected under this FOA must be performed in the United States. "]
[33,"2022-09-01","Application Content/Format","Would SETO prefer applications that are more wide-ranging (i.e. include multiple programs with various partners to address various stages of the solar value chain) or more specific (i.e. expansion of a single existing program in a particular location)?","SETO cannot provide specific guidance or feedback on project ideas or concepts, beyond what is already communicated in the FOA document itself."]
[34,"2022-09-01","Application Content/Format","I am a partner on a team that that is working on submitting an application. Is it required to create a consortium or Letter of Commitment from each partner will suffices if awarded? ","It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine whether establishing a consortium is best for the project. If the organization is a team member working with the prime applicant, then a letter of commitment will suffice. "]
[35,"2022-09-01","Registration Requirements","I belong to a subsidiary company. My parent company is registered in SAM, can I use their registration  and UEI number or do I need to register in the name of the subsidiary company? The Application will include the subsidiary company as the team member not the Parent company.","If the prime applicant is a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company, then it should also have a UEI number and be registered in SAM."]
[36,"2022-09-06","Concept Paper","Just confirming… the concept paper is limited to 6 pages?","The Concept Paper is limited to 6 pages (1 page maximum for the Cover Page, 3 pages maximum for the Project Description, and 2 pages maximum for the Addendum). Please refer to Section IV. D. i. Concept Paper Content Requirements for additional details on content requirements."]
[37,"2022-09-07","Webinar","The webinar slides linked under webinar details from DE-FOA-0002769 isn't downloading correctly - is there a way someone could email me the slides? ","The page was tested and the PDF opens successfully. DOE recommends contacting your organization's IT support for help with Adobe compatibility. Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for additional assistance."]
[38,"2022-09-07","Eligibility","The notice says (c) 4 are not eligible, (c) 5 organizations are. What about (c) 6 organizations (typically trade associations)?","This is incorrect. The FOA specifies that Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995 are not eligible to apply for funding. No specific eligibility requirements are given for 501(c)6 organizations. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[39,"2022-09-08","Application Content/Format","Quick question, can you please verify where we send out letter of intent for the Advancing Equity through Workforce Partnerships (DE-FOA-0002769)?","All applications materials should be submitted to https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Please refer to Section IV. Application and Submission Information for details on the application process and requirements."]
[40,"2022-09-12","Application Content/Format","How do I get the Control No. to put on the LOI?  ","A Control Number is issued when an applicant begins the EERE Exchange application process. Applicants receive a control number upon clicking the “Create Concept Paper” button in EERE Exchange. Please refer to Section IV. D. Content and Form of the Concept Paper for additional  info."]
[41,"2022-09-12","Application Content/Format","I am planning to submit an LOI but wondered whether the Team members listed on the LOI can change at the concept paper stage? ","Changes to the project team can be documented in the Addendum to the Concept Paper, where the qualifications of the Project Team is described. Please refer to Section IV. D. i. Concept Paper Content Requirements for additional info."]
[42,"2022-09-13","Application Content/Format","I am log in to acct looking for form to file letter of intent. Can not get form to place letter of Intent.","All application materials are to be submitted to https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for additional assistance."]
[43,"2022-09-13","Eligibility","I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to confirm the organizations who are eligible to apply to the Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships funding opportunity. Specifically, can local government agencies apply?","Please refer to Section III. Eligibility Information. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[44,"2022-09-13","Application Reviews","I have a question. We submitted an LOI prior to the deadline of Sept 13. Are we to wait for a confirmation that the LOI was responsive and approved before we start working on the concept paper? There is a quick turn around between submitting the LOI and the concept paper. ","DOE does not provide comments or approvals for Letter of Intent that have been submitted. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by the specified due date and time to\nbe eligible to submit a Concept Paper and Full Application."]
[45,"2022-09-14","Concept Paper","I was trying to submit our concept paper but cannot  get the form to work correctly to apply. Can you direct me to some assistance?","Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for additional assistance."]
[46,"2022-09-14","Concept Paper","Can a single proposal include both a pre-apprenticeship program AND a community-led partnership program? Or would we need to submit separate proposals for each of these?","Each Concept Paper must be limited to a single concept or project. Do not consolidate unrelated concepts and technologies into a single Concept Paper. Please refer to Section IV. D. i. Concept Paper Content Requirements for additional info."]
[47,"2022-09-14","Concept Paper","Can project funds be used to cover a small PV system to allow for more hands-on student instruction?","DOE cannot provide specific guidance or feedback on project ideas or concepts, beyond what is already communicated in the FOA document itself."]
[48,"2022-09-15","Eligibility","If I have a llc and only myself as the 100% owner am I still eligible, and is this just for training?","Please refer to Section III. Eligibility Information. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[49,"2022-09-15","Concept Paper","I work for a state government agency and we are putting together a concept note on this FOA. As a government agency, if we are going to contract entities as subrecipients that will receive funds, we will need to do a competitive procurement process. As such, we would not be able to specify exactly which entity will serve as a subrecipient. How should we move forward with our application given this limitation? May we describe the type of organization that we will seek to contract with and include our plans for soliciting proposals? How have other state applicants dealt with this issue? ","The Project Team should be described succinctly utilizing available information. Please refer to IV. D. i. Concept Paper Content Requirements for additional info. Applicants should seek to address all of the items required as listed under this section, to the best of their ability."]
[50,"2022-09-15","Other","We will expend $2.5M –  $3.5M on heat pump and solar PV installations for low- and moderate-income households in 2023. A large portion of expenditure will be on equipment for installation, and a portion will be for an existing workforce development program.\n\nIn the SETO grant, can we allocate grant funds towards the purchase of solar panels, batteries or inverters that will be installed by our workforce development participants, or are capital expenditures over $5,000 not an allowable expense?","DOE cannot provide specific guidance or feedback on project ideas or concepts, beyond what is already communicated in the FOA document itself. This includes guidance on how to allocate grant funding. No limits to capital expenditures are specified in the FOA. Property disposition will be required at the end of a project if the current fair market value of property exceeds $5,000. Please see Section IV. K. Funding Restrictions for more information."]
[51,"2022-09-15","Cost Sharing","We will expend $2.5M –  $3.5M on heat pump and solar PV installations for low- and moderate-income households in 2023. A large portion of expenditure will be on equipment for installation, and a portion will be for an existing workforce development program.\n\nFor a solar workforce development SETO application, what program expenditures are claimable as match (all match dollars are local/non-federal) – is it:\na. Only funds expended specifically on solar workforce development? OR\nb. Funds expended on solar workforce development AND local funds expended on solar panels/equipment? \nWe assume funds expended on workforce development surrounding heat pump installations would not be considered match for SETO funds.","Cost sharing is not required under this FOA. However, cost share is encouraged in order to extend the impact of projects. Applicants are bound by the cost share proposed in their Full Applications if selected for award negotiations. See Section III. B. Cost Sharing for additional information."]
[52,"2022-09-15","Concept Paper","The FOA states: “The cover page should include the project title, the specific announcement Topic Area being addressed (if applicable), both the technical and business points of contact, names of all team member organizations, the project location(s), and any statements regarding confidentiality.”\n\nCan you please clarify what is mean by “the specific announcement Topic Area being addressed (if applicable)?” Is “solar PV and clean energy workforce training” acceptable?","There are no specific Topic Areas on this FOA."]
[53,"2022-09-19","Due Dates","Are we still able to submit a full application on the December 6th date if we did not submit a letter of intent on time? Is there any flexibility in this to still be considered?","Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent by the specified due date and time to\nbe eligible to submit a Concept Paper and Full Application."]
[54,"2022-09-20","Concept Paper","Hello! Is it possible to fix a typo on a concept paper submission once it is submitted?","Once the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments is submitted in EERE Exchange, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments before the applicable deadline. The deadline for submission of the Concept Paper expired at 5:00 PM ET, September 20, 2022."]
[55,"2022-09-22","Due Dates","Just wanted to verify. The attached Grant summary slide (downloaded) indicated that the Concept paper deadline is Sept 29, 2022. However, earlier documents indicated September 22, 2022. Please advise.","Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline. Submission dates for application materials are detailed as well as expected dates for reviewer comments, selection notifications, and award notifications."]
[56,"2022-09-28","Application Content/Format","We have added collaborative partners since submission of our Concept Paper on September 20, 2022. How can we include those partners?","Once the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments is submitted in EERE Exchange, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments before the applicable deadline. The deadline for submission of the Concept Paper expired at 5:00 PM ET, September 20, 2022. Any changes or additional information may be captured in the full application."]
[57,"2022-10-04","Application Reviews","We submitted a concept paper for the subject FOA. I understand that DOE evaluates the concept papers, and “…will encourage a subset of applicants to submit Full Applications,” while other applicants will be “discouraged from submitting a Full Application.” I cannot find any indication of when and how the two groups will be notified. Can you advise, please?","All applicants who successfully completed and submitted a Concept Paper by the required deadline will receive an Encourage/Discourage notification, posted to EERE Exchange. At the time of writing (10/5), the review process has not been completed and Encourage/Discourage notifications have not been posted."]
[58,"2022-10-04","Due Dates","Is it possible to get an extension to submit a concept paper for the Advancing Equity through Workforce Partnerships program? We already submitted our Letter of Intent but were unfortunately unable to submit a concept paper to meet the deadline.","Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline. Submission dates for application materials are detailed as well as expected dates for reviewer comments, selection notifications, and award notifications. The due date for concept papers submissions has passed. DOE will not accept submissions past this due date."]
[59,"2022-10-05","Due Dates","[Our entity] is currently working with a number of Tribes that are evaluating workforce development programs within their Tribal Community.  Some of the Tribes have capacity constraints and were not able to submit letters of intent or concept papers by the deadline because they were working through grant applications for ARPA funding, formulaic DoE grants, and several other federal grant or loan applications.  My question is could a Tribe submit a final application in December and have it reviewed or are the requirements for letter of intent and concept paper a bright line qualification?","Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline. Submission dates for application materials are detailed as well as expected dates for reviewer comments, selection notifications, and award notifications. The due date for concept papers submissions has passed. DOE will not accept submissions past this due date. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent in EERE Exchange by the deadline in order to submit a Concept Paper. An eligible Concept Paper must be submitted in order to submit a full application."]
[60,"2022-10-08","Due Dates","On page 31 of the announcement document, it states ' Applicants will have approximately 30 days from the receipts of the Concept paper Encourage/Discourage notification on EERE Exchange to prepare and submit the Full Application.\" Is the Full Application due 30 days after receiving the Encourage/Discourage notification or the due date on the cover page?","Regardless of the date the applicant receives the Encourage/Discourage notification, the submission deadline for the Full Application remains the date and time stated on the FOA cover page. Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline."]
[61,"2022-10-11","Application Content/Format","Could an eligible entity use the grant funds to construct a small solar/PV array for training purposes (installation, maintenance, etc.)? Or is the funding solely eligible to be used on the actual training program costs? ","DOE cannot provide specific guidance or feedback on project ideas or concepts, beyond what is already communicated in the FOA document itself. This includes guidance on how to allocate grant funding."]
[62,"2022-10-17","Application Content/Format","I would like to use unrecovered indirect costs as cost share in my budget. There is a notation in the budget document that doing so requires permission. I’d like to know the process for obtaining permission.","Per Section III. B. Cost Sharing, cost sharing is not required under this FOA. It is encouraged, however. Applicants are bound by the cost share proposed in their Full Applications if\nselected for award negotiations. If selected for award negotiations, the allowability of a cost share proposal will be reviewed, along with other budgetary items, by the Contract Officer. "]
[63,"2022-10-24","Concept Paper","Our team wanted to inquire about the timeline for a response to the Concept Paper submission for DE-FOA-0002769: Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnerships","Non-eligibility notification letters were sent on 11/2 to applicants whose proposals were assessed to be ineligible. Encourage/Discourage notifications were also posted on the Exchange website 11/2 for proposals that were assessed to be eligible. "]
[64,"2022-10-24","Application Content/Format","As we continue to build out the partnership team for the FOA and develop a more complete understanding of the funding needs for all of the partners to participate, is it permitted to change the amount of overall funding that we indicated in the concept paper?","Once the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments is submitted in EERE Exchange, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments before the applicable deadline. The deadline for submission of the Concept Paper expired at 5:00 PM ET, September 20, 2022. Any changes or additional information may be captured in the full application. Changes may be made from the Concept Paper to the Full Application."]
[65,"2022-10-24","Other","I was not able to locate the budget template on EERE. Any chance you could direct me to it, please?","The budget template can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Please navigate to the page for DE-FOA-0002769. The budget and other application documents can be found under the section titled \"APPLICATION FORMS AND TEMPLATES.\""]
[66,"2022-10-27","Due Dates","The concept paper was submitted less than a minute past the deadline. Does the late submittal make it ineligible to be considered for Full Application?","DOE assessed each concept paper submission based on the requirements specified in the FOA. Eligibility determinations were made and non-eligibility notification letters were sent on 11/2 to applicants whose proposals were assessed to be ineligible. Encourage/Discourage notifications were also posted on the Exchange website 11/2 for propoals that were assessed to be eligible. "]
[67,"2022-10-27","Due Dates","I happened to come across your website and noticed that the above grant's submission deadline of Letter of Intent and  Concept Papers is past due. Is there any possibility that we can still apply for the said grant/funding? Can we perhaps submit our full application on the key dates posted?","Please see the title page of the FOA for the current timeline. Submission dates for application materials are detailed as well as expected dates for reviewer comments, selection notifications, and award notifications. The due date for concept papers submissions has passed. DOE will not accept submissions past this due date. Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent in EERE Exchange by the deadline in order to submit a Concept Paper. An eligible Concept Paper must be submitted in order to submit a full application."]
[68,"2022-11-02","Other","A requirement of the #DE-FOA-0002769 BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW: ADVANCING EQUITY THROUGH WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS is to submit an SF-LLL for the prime and all subrecipients. We are all small organizations. We don't lobby. Is there a form to fill out saying we don't lobby? The form doesn't include any checkbox to say we don't lobby. ","All Prime recipients and subrecipients are required to complete and submit the SF-LLL, \"Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.\" Please see Section IV. E. xiii. SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required) for additional details. Please specify on the form if lobbying services are not carried out by the entity in question."]
[69,"2022-11-02","Application Reviews","When reviewing the EERE Exchange site to see the response it was noted that there are no reviewer comments available as feedback to our concept papers. Will the Reviewers’ Comments be made available for each concept paper for our teams’ consideration?","Reviewer comments were made available. Log into EERE Exchange to view the comments. "]
[71,"2022-11-03","Application Reviews","We received notice that our concept paper review discouraged a final application. Would you be able to provide feedback so we can make meaningful changes in our final application?","Reviewer comments were made available. Log into EERE Exchange to view the comments. "]
[72,"2022-11-05","Other","[Page 70 of the FOA references Human Subjects Research]. Does the [Institutional Review Board] review and clearance have to be completed before the grant application is submitted or can it completed after an award is announced, but before the project initiation?","The applicant should review the regulation references in the FOA and the definitions below to determine the applicability of such requirements to the proposed project. This FOA will support multi-stakeholder high-road workforce development partnerships that help accelerate the deployment of solar energy while advancing the Administration’s priorities around worker empowerment, quality jobs with a free and fair choice for workers to join a union, and Energy and Environmental Justice (EJ) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the clean energy workforce.\n\nHuman Subjects Research (HSR). Any activity meeting the definitions of both: 1) research, and 2) human subject, as defined in this section. \n\nHuman Subject. A living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research: (1) Obtains information or biospecimens through intervention or interaction with the individual, and uses, studies, or analyzes the information or biospecimens; or (2) Obtains, uses, studies, analyzes, or generates identifiable private information or identifiable biospecimens.\n\nResearch. A systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to contribute to generalizable knowledge. Activities which meet this definition constitute research for purposes of this policy, whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program which is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities. For purposes of this part, the following activities are deemed not to be research: (1) Scholarly or journalistic activities (e.g., oral history, journalism, biography, literary criticism, legal research, and historical scholarship), including the collection and use of information, that focus directly on the specific individuals about whom the information is collected. (2) Public health surveillance activities, including the collection and testing of information or biospecimens, conducted, supported, requested, ordered, required, or authorized by a public health authority. Such activities are limited to those necessary to allow a public health authority to identify, monitory, assess, or investigate potential public health signals, onsets of disease outbreaks, or conditions of public health importance (including trends, signals, risk factors, patterns in diseases, or increases in injuries from using consumer products). Such activities include those associated with providing timely situational awareness and priority setting during the course of an event or crisis that threatens public health (including natural or man-made disasters). (3) Collection and analysis of information, biospecimens, or records by or for a criminal justice agency for activities authorized by law or court order solely for criminal justice or criminal investigative purposes. (4) Authorized operational activities (as determined by each agency) in support of intelligence, homeland security, defense, or other national security missions."]
[73,"2022-11-10","Application Content/Format","We have sub-recipient partners who are conducting only outreach, training, and employment services for the grant and to participants. The doesn't seem like RD&D? Do we need CPS statements from them?","Current and Pending Support (CPS) disclosures and resumes are required for all applications associated with this FOA. CPS disclosures are required for any Project Investigators or senior/key personnel. This is applicable to all sub-recipient partners as well. Please see Section IV. E. xv. Current and Pending Support and Section VI. B. xviii. Current and Pending Support for additional details on the information required for this deliverable."]
[74,"2022-11-17","Application Content/Format","The language describing the current and pending support (p.41 of FOA) seems focused on research and laboratories. As our project is not a research project, and would be new work for the organization, what are the expectations for this document? ","Current and Pending Support (CPS) disclosures and resumes are required for all applications associated with this FOA. CPS disclosures are required for any Project Investigators or senior/key personnel. This is applicable to all sub-recipient partners as well. Please see Section IV. E. xv. Current and Pending Support and Section VI. B. xviii. Current and Pending Support for additional details on the information required for this deliverable."]
[75,"2022-11-17","Application Content/Format","Is the SF-LLL required for all potential subrecipients as well as the lead proposer? If there is no lobbying activity, I assume we leave Questions 10a and b blank?","All Prime recipients and subrecipients are required to complete and submit the SF-LLL, \"Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.\" Please see Section IV. E. xiii. SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required) for additional details. Please specify on the form if lobbying services are not carried out by the entity in question."]
[76,"2022-11-22","Application Content/Format","One page 19 of the FOA, it states: \"DOE anticipates making awards that will run from 24 up to 36 months in length, comprised of one or more budget periods\" and on page 35 of the FOA, in the technical volume guidance, it states: \"At a minimum, each project must have at least one project-wide Go/No-Go decision point for each budget period (12 to 18-month period) of the project.\" How long should the budget period be for this FOA? Should there be more than one [budget period] if the project is over 18 months (as indicated in the Technical volume guidance)?","It is the responsibility of the applicant to propose the number of budget periods and the length of time for each budget period. This should be specified in the Workplan and Market Transformation Plan, within the Technical Volume. Please see Section IV. E. ii. Technical Volume for additional details. "]
[77,"2022-11-22","Application Content/Format","Do we need to specify month/year for the beginning and end of the budget period(s) on the budget justification document? ","A specific month/year does not need to be identified. But, the anticipated project schedule should be detailed in the Workplan and Market Transformation Plan, within the Technical Volume. The schedule should include task and subtask durations, milestones, and Go/No-Go decision points. Please see Section IV. E. ii. Technical Volume for additional details."]
[79,"2022-11-30","Application Content/Format","If we are using the NSF fillable form for Current and Pending Support, where and how on that form should we include the new DOE Addition of Certification Statement and Signature, as stated below?\n \nEach Current and Pending Support report be signed and dated and include the following certification: \n\nI, [Full Name and Title], certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the information contained in this Current and Pending Support Disclosure Statement is true, complete, and accurate. I understand that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent information, misrepresentations, half -truths, or omissions of any material fact, may subject me to criminal, civil or administrative penalties for fraud, false statements, false claims or otherwise. (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001 and 287, and 31 U.S.C. 3729-3733 and 3801-3812). I further understand and agree that (1) the statements and representations made herein are material to DOE’s funding decision, and (2) I have a responsibility to update the disclosures during the period of performance of the award should circumstances change which impact the responses provided above","The Certification Statement and Signature can be filled out as a separate attachment and submitted with the Current and Pending Support. "]
[80,"2022-12-01","Application Content/Format","For the Budget workbook, on Personnel Tab A, it indicates that you can use loaded rates in the Hourly Rate columns. Since these loaded rates include fringe, does that eliminate the need to fill out Fringe Tab B?","If the personnel rates are loaded and include fringe rates, the Fringe tab should not be filled out, so as to avoid double-counting the fringe costs. As ntoed in the Personnel tab, if loaded rates are utilized, please provide a description of the costs the loaded rate is comprised of in the Additional Explanation section of the budget justification document."]
[81,"2022-12-01","Concept Paper","I’m writing to inquire about the possibility of amending [the title of the project, as given in the Concept Paper] for the sake of our full proposal, which is to be submitted by December 16th. Is that an allowable request, and, if so, what would be the procedure?","Once the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments is submitted in EERE Exchange, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments before the applicable deadline. The deadline for submission of the Concept Paper expired at 5:00 PM ET, September 20, 2022. Any changes or additional information may be captured in the full application. Changes may be made from the Concept Paper to the Full Application."]
[82,"2022-12-02","Application Content/Format","Could you provide a link to form SF-424 to ensure I am using the correct form?","The SF-424, along with other required application documents can be found at the following link: https://www.energy.gov/eere/funding/eere-funding-application-and-management-forms. Additionally, the forms can be found under the \"Application Forms and Templates\" section of the FOA announcement at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/."]
[83,"2022-12-08","Application Content/Format","When we submitted our concept paper, our budget [was estimated to be $XXXX]. Since our submission of that preliminary document... [our budget has increased]. Should we submit our final proposal with this new and increased budget? Is it likely to negatively impact consideration of our project? Or is there room for this sort of adjustment? ","Once the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments is submitted in EERE Exchange, applicants may revise or update that submission until the expiration of the applicable deadline. If changes are made to any of these documents, the applicant must resubmit the Letter of Intent, Concept Paper, Full Application, or Reply to Reviewer Comments before the applicable deadline. The deadline for submission of the Final Application expired at 5:00 PM ET, December 16, 2022. DOE cannot provide specific guidance or feedback on project ideas or concepts, including budgetary items, beyond what is already communicated in the FOA document itself."]
[84,"2022-12-09","Other","Our college is submitting a grant application for DE-FOA-0002769. I did not see a requirement regarding multiple bids for contractors. Specifically, we will contract with an outside expert to  provide the training/coursework. This person is not part of our staff but has provided training for several years. Are we required to provide multiple bids? If so, can you direct me to the document that states this requirement.","Selected award recipients will need to comply with the Procurement Standards set forth in 2 CFR § 200.317 through § 200.330, inclusive. "]
[85,"2022-12-12","Due Dates","I am in the process of preparing to submit a proposal under the 2769 workforce development initiative and I do not see that I submitted a LOI on any of my web pages. I am pretty sure that I did, I have had two zoom meeting with teams from SETO but I have this feeling that my application is futile because I cannot see the LOI on my login page. Can you provide any insight into this, please?","If an LOI was not received by the deadline of 9/13/22, then a Concept Paper could not be submitted and no further notifications would have been provided to the potential applicant by the DOE."]
[86,"2022-12-14","Other","I am trying to upload our submission documents to the exchange for [Control # XXXX-XXXX] according to the required naming convention, but the name of each document I upload is being overwritten to the generic file name. For example, I uploaded a pdf file to the category for \"Letters of Commitment.\" I named the file... per the instructions in the full announcement. However, the EERE shows that the file I uploaded is named \"ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs,\" which were the instructions for how to name the file. I don't understand why it's overwriting our file name with the instructions. This is happening for every file I add.","Please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov for additional assistance."]
[87,"2022-12-16","Due Dates","I understand that the deadline has passed, however, I'd like to know if there is an opportunity for [Entity] to apply through an extension or find a grant partner. ","The deadline for submission of the Final Application expired at 5:00 PM ET, December 16, 2022. DOE will not accept submissions past this due date."]
[88,"2023-02-02","Application Reviews","Will we have an opportunity to respond to the comments on our application for DE-FOA-0002769? ","An email was sent to eligible applicant on 2/2/23 detailing the process for preparing a reply to reviewer comments. Section IV.F of the FOA document details content requirements for replies. Please refer to the email and FOA for further details. "]
[89,"2023-02-02","Application Reviews","I did not see a place to upload applicant replies. Where would I find this?  I looked under “Submissions” after logging in and didn't see it.","In Exchange, please navigate to the \"My Submissions\" page, then click the Control Number link for the Full Application. Comments will appear in the \"Reviewer Comments\" section. During the Reply to Reviewer Comments phase, you are  able to upload a single Reply to Reviewer Comments file in PDF or Word document format, via the \"Reply to Reviewer Comments\" section, which includes an upload link. Please refer to the \"EERE_eXchange_Applicant_Guide_Nov_2022\" PDF available under the \"Manuals\" section of the EERE Exchange website."]

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