Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000977
Apply for DE FOA 0000977
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Composite Materials and Structures" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086 Conservation Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 20, 2014 and posted on Feb 26, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 24, 2014 A mandatory Concept Paper is due 04/22/2014.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $70,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $70,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), issued this discretionary funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000977) to establish a single Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on composite materials and structures. The institute is intended to strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, support national prosperity and security, and serve as part of the early buildout of the pilot National Network for Manufacturing Innovation. In practical terms, the government is looking to fund and launch a major, coordinated institute that brings industry, universities, national labs, and other partners together around a shared manufacturing technology roadmap, shared facilities, and applied R&D that can move composite manufacturing forward at scale.
The core technical theme is low-cost, energy-efficient manufacturing of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. DOE highlights a broad scope of composite systems, including continuous or discontinuous fibers, with an emphasis on carbon and glass fiber, and using either thermoset or thermoplastic resins. These materials are positioned as foundational, cross-cutting technologies used across many industries, meaning advancements in manufacturing processes, throughput, energy use, and cost can ripple into multiple markets with potentially large economic impact. The institute concept is centered less on isolated research projects and more on an integrated manufacturing ecosystem: developing and demonstrating better processes, validating them, and helping translate them into U.S.-based production capability.
Funding is structured as a cooperative agreement (with grant/other mechanisms also listed under the announcement), indicating DOE expects an active role in oversight and collaboration rather than a hands-off award. The opportunity anticipated one award, with an estimated total federal funding level of up to $70,000,000. The award ceiling is $70,000,000 and the award floor is $35,000,000, signaling that DOE expected a large, institute-scale proposal rather than a small program. Cost sharing is required, so applicants needed to bring significant non-federal contributions (cash and/or in-kind, depending on the FOA terms) to match federal investment and demonstrate strong partner commitment.
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could apply (for example, non-profits, for-profits, universities, consortia-led entities, etc.), subject to any clarifications in the full FOA text. Because the goal is to stand up an institute, applicants typically would be expected to form a substantial consortium with a credible governance model, an industry-driven technical agenda, and a plan for long-term sustainability beyond the federal period. Amendment 000001 specifically added a Teaming Partner List to the executive summary and to the end of Section I.B, reinforcing the importance of a well-defined partnership structure and clearly identified collaborators.
The application process required two key submissions with compliance rules: a mandatory concept paper followed by a full application. The concept paper deadline was 04/22/2014, and only applicants meeting the concept paper requirements would remain positioned for full application consideration (the FOA amendments note that DOE clarified compliance criteria and content requirements for both concept papers and full applications). The original full application closing date was 06/19/2014, but Amendment 000002 extended the full application deadline to 06/24/2014 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The amendments also revised requirements around how applicants respond to reviewer feedback (the length of the Reply to Reviewer Comments section was revised under Section IV.F), which matters because these institute competitions often involve iterative clarification and strict formatting and page-limit compliance.
A key restriction added in Amendment 000002 is that DOE funds cannot be used for fellowship or scholarship programs. That language is important because many institute concepts naturally involve workforce development; DOE is signaling that while training and workforce development may be part of the institute ecosystem, federal funds under this FOA cannot be routed into traditional scholarship or fellowship support. Applicants would need to structure education and workforce activities in compliant ways (for example, curriculum development, hands-on training tied to manufacturing demonstration, shared facility training, or other allowable institute functions), while keeping scholarships/fellowships funded by non-DOE sources if they are included at all.
Administratively, the FOA was managed through DOE’s Golden Field Office, and all submissions had to be made through the EERE Exchange portal (registration and account creation required). The full FOA, user manuals for the portal, and instructions for submitting questions (both about content and about technical submission issues) were provided via EERE Exchange. Overall, this opportunity is best understood as a large, competitive, consortium-based institute award meant to accelerate U.S. leadership in advanced composite manufacturing by reducing cost and energy intensity, improving manufacturability, and supporting domestic production capacity across multiple sectors.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): DOE Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute (Composites) - DE-FOA-0000977
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) discretionary funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). The FOA number is DE-FOA-0000977, and it was designed to establish a single Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on composite materials and structures.
2) What is DOE trying to fund?
DOE aimed to fund and launch one major, coordinated institute that brings together industry, universities, national laboratories, and other partners to execute a shared manufacturing technology roadmap, operate shared facilities, and perform applied research and development (R&D) to advance composite manufacturing at scale in the United States.
3) How many awards were anticipated?
The FOA anticipated one award to establish a single institute.
4) What is the technical focus of the institute?
The core theme is low-cost, energy-efficient manufacturing of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, including composite systems using continuous or discontinuous fibers. DOE highlighted an emphasis on carbon fiber and glass fiber and noted that the institute could involve either thermoset or thermoplastic resin systems.
5) What types of composite materials are included in the scope?
The FOA described a broad scope of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, including:
- Continuous-fiber and discontinuous-fiber composites
- Carbon fiber and glass fiber (with emphasis on these)
- Thermoset resin systems
- Thermoplastic resin systems
6) Why is DOE focused on composites for manufacturing innovation?
DOE positioned fiber-reinforced polymer composites as foundational, cross-cutting technologies used across multiple industries. Improvements in manufacturing processes, throughput, energy consumption, and cost can carry into many markets and potentially produce broad economic impacts.
7) Is this funding for a single research project or something larger?
It is intended to stand up an integrated manufacturing ecosystem rather than fund isolated research projects. The institute concept emphasizes developing and demonstrating improved processes, validating them, and translating those advances into U.S.-based production capability.
8) What funding instrument will DOE use?
Funding is structured as a cooperative agreement (with grant/other mechanisms also listed under the announcement). A cooperative agreement generally indicates DOE expects an active role in oversight and collaboration rather than a fully hands-off award.
9) How much federal funding is available?
The estimated total federal funding level was up to $70,000,000.
10) What are the minimum and maximum award sizes?
The award ceiling was $70,000,000 and the award floor was $35,000,000. This signaled an institute-scale proposal rather than a small program.
11) Is cost sharing required?
Yes. Cost sharing was required, meaning applicants needed to bring significant non-federal contributions to match the federal investment and demonstrate strong partner commitment. (The FOA notes cost sharing could involve cash and/or in-kind contributions depending on the FOA terms.)
12) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could apply (for example, non-profits, for-profits, universities, or a consortium-led entity), subject to any additional details or clarifications in the full FOA.
13) Is DOE expecting a consortium-based application?
Yes. Because the goal was to stand up a manufacturing innovation institute, applicants were typically expected to form a substantial consortium with a credible governance model, an industry-driven technical agenda, and a plan for long-term sustainability beyond the federal period.
14) What is the "Teaming Partner List" and why does it matter?
Amendment 000001 added a Teaming Partner List to the executive summary and to the end of Section I.B. This reinforced the importance of a well-defined partnership structure and clearly identified collaborators as part of the institute proposal.
15) What are the required application steps?
The process required two key submissions with compliance rules:
- A mandatory concept paper
- A full application submitted after the concept paper
16) Was the concept paper mandatory?
Yes. The concept paper was mandatory, and only applicants meeting the concept paper requirements would remain positioned for full application consideration.
17) What was the concept paper deadline?
The concept paper deadline was 04/22/2014.
18) What was the full application deadline?
The original full application closing date was 06/19/2014. Amendment 000002 extended the deadline to 06/24/2014 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
19) Were there compliance and content requirements for submissions?
Yes. The FOA amendments note that DOE clarified compliance criteria and content requirements for both concept papers and full applications, indicating that formatting, content, and rule compliance were important for responsiveness.
20) Did DOE revise anything related to responding to reviewer feedback?
Yes. The amendments revised requirements related to how applicants respond to reviewer feedback, including revising the length of the Reply to Reviewer Comments section under Section IV.F.
21) Can DOE funds be used for fellowships or scholarships?
No. Amendment 000002 added a restriction stating that DOE funds cannot be used for fellowship or scholarship programs.
22) Does the FOA allow workforce development activities at all?
The FOA noted that many institute concepts involve workforce development, but it specifically restricted DOE funds from being used for traditional fellowship or scholarship support. Applicants would need to structure workforce-related activities in compliant ways and keep scholarships/fellowships funded by non-DOE sources if included.
23) Which DOE office managed this FOA?
Administratively, the FOA was managed through DOE's Golden Field Office.
24) How were applications submitted?
All submissions had to be made through the EERE Exchange portal. Registration and account creation were required to submit.
25) Where could applicants find FOA documents and submission help?
The full FOA, user manuals for the submission portal, and instructions for submitting questions (both content-related and technical submission issues) were provided via EERE Exchange.
26) What is the broader purpose of the institute in this FOA?
The institute was intended to strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, support national prosperity and security, and serve as part of the early buildout of the pilot National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.
27) What outcomes was DOE aiming for from the institute's work?
Based on the FOA description, the institute was meant to accelerate U.S. leadership in advanced composite manufacturing by reducing cost and energy intensity, improving manufacturability and throughput, validating improved processes, and supporting domestic production capacity across multiple sectors.
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