Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001213
Apply for DE FOA 0001213
- The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2015 Vehicle Technologies Office Incubator" 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 Jan 13, 2015 and posted on Jan 13, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $14,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 14 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 FY 2015 Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Incubator opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001213) was a competitive U.S. Department of Energy solicitation designed to find and support truly novel transportation technologies that could help the country use less petroleum. It sat within DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), which usually funds work aligned to detailed multi-year plans and roadmaps. The reason this "Incubator" program exists is that roadmaps, while useful for focus and impact, can miss unexpected, game-changing ideas. The incubator approach was meant to create a structured on-ramp for high-potential concepts that are not yet represented in a meaningful way in VTO's existing Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs) or current project portfolio. In practice, the program was looking for credible, science-based breakthroughs that could be de-risked enough to justify inclusion in future DOE roadmaps.
From a technical mission standpoint, VTO's broader goal is to develop and deploy efficient, environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that reduce petroleum use, lower costs, improve energy security, and cut environmental impacts. The announcement explicitly pointed to major DOE transportation goals and reference documents, including the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge and its EV Everywhere Blueprint, along with other guiding plans such as the VTO MYPP, the U.S. DRIVE Partnership Plan, and the 21st Century Truck Roadmap. Even though those roadmaps define many of DOE's existing priorities, this incubator call was specifically aimed at ideas that still advance VTO goals but are not already well covered by those plans. The FOA signaled that a wide range of solutions could be relevant, including not only physical technologies but also non-hardware solutions, as long as they meaningfully contribute to cleaner, more efficient transportation and reduced petroleum dependence.
A central theme of the FOA was that the work needed to be non-incremental and forward-leaning. The government was not looking for small performance tweaks, routine engineering improvements, or projects that simply extend what DOE was already funding elsewhere. The announcement also drew a firm line around what would not be reviewed. Nonresponsive applications included commercial hardware products or near-market offerings, incremental improvements to existing products or approaches, proposals that were essentially duplicates of solutions already being pursued through current or recent DOE projects, and anything that lacked sound scientific grounding (with an explicit example of concepts that would violate fundamental physical laws like the law of thermodynamics). In other words, the program wanted bold ideas, but only if they were technically defensible and sufficiently distinct from the existing DOE portfolio.
Award logistics and funding parameters were clearly defined. DOE anticipated making about 14 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of $14,000,000. Individual awards were expected to fall between $500,000 (award floor) and $3,000,000 (award ceiling). The funding instrument type was a cooperative agreement, which typically means DOE expected substantial involvement during project execution (for example, coordinated technical direction, milestones, and regular reporting), rather than the more hands-off posture common with standard grants. The funding activity category was Energy, and the CFDA number associated with the program was 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development). A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning recipients would need to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources.
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity was broadly open to many entity types (such as companies, universities, nonprofits, national laboratories where permitted, and other organizations), subject to any clarifications in the full FOA's eligibility section. The administering agency listed was the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The solicitation was posted January 13, 2015, and the application deadline was March 30, 2015, with the opportunity later archived on July 13, 2015.
For submission, DOE required applicants to apply through the EERE eXCHANGE portal (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). Applicants had to register and create an account in that system before submitting, and DOE provided an online user guide to help with navigation. Questions about the announcement and submission process were directed through the channels described in the full FOA on EERE eXCHANGE; the contact listed for access issues was Nicholas J. Anderson at NETL (nicholas.anderson@netl.doe.gov, 412-386-5266). Overall, this FOA can be understood as a targeted effort to scout credible, high-upside transportation innovations that might otherwise be overlooked by a roadmap-driven funding strategy, while still keeping proposals grounded in rigorous science and clearly tied to VTO's petroleum-reduction mission.
FY 2015 VTO Incubator (DE-FOA-0001213) FAQ
What is the FY 2015 Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Incubator opportunity?
It was a competitive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) solicitation (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001213) intended to identify and support truly novel transportation technologies that could reduce U.S. petroleum use. It was part of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), under the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO).
Why did DOE create an "Incubator" program instead of funding only through roadmaps?
The Incubator approach was designed to catch credible, high-upside ideas that may not appear in DOE's existing roadmaps and Multi-Year Program Plans (MYPPs). Roadmaps help focus investments, but they can miss unexpected, game-changing concepts. This program aimed to provide a structured on-ramp for innovations not meaningfully represented in VTO's current plans or project portfolio.
What kinds of outcomes was the program trying to achieve?
The FOA aimed to de-risk science-based breakthroughs enough that they could justify inclusion in future DOE roadmaps. In other words, the goal was to move a novel concept toward a level of credibility and validation that would make it a serious candidate for broader DOE program adoption.
What was VTO's broader mission that proposals needed to support?
VTO's broader goal is to develop and deploy efficient, environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that reduce petroleum use, lower costs, improve energy security, and reduce environmental impacts. Even if an idea was outside current roadmaps, it still needed to clearly advance these goals.
Which major DOE transportation goals and reference documents were mentioned?
The announcement pointed to DOE transportation goals and reference documents including the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge and the EV Everywhere Blueprint, as well as other guiding plans such as the VTO MYPP, the U.S. DRIVE Partnership Plan, and the 21st Century Truck Roadmap.
Did proposals have to fit within existing DOE roadmaps like the VTO MYPP?
No. A key point of the Incubator call was to support ideas that advance VTO goals but are not already well covered by existing roadmaps (including the MYPP) or the current VTO project portfolio.
Were only "hardware" technologies eligible, or could non-hardware solutions apply?
The FOA indicated that a wide range of solutions could be relevant, including non-hardware solutions, as long as they meaningfully contribute to cleaner, more efficient transportation and reduced petroleum dependence.
What did DOE mean by "non-incremental" and "forward-leaning" work?
DOE was looking for credible breakthroughs rather than small performance tweaks or routine engineering refinements. The emphasis was on bold ideas with real potential to change the trajectory of transportation technology, while still being grounded in sound science.
What types of projects were explicitly considered nonresponsive?
Nonresponsive applications included: commercial hardware products or near-market offerings; incremental improvements to existing products or approaches; proposals that duplicated solutions already being pursued through current or recent DOE projects; and concepts lacking sound scientific grounding (including ideas that would violate fundamental physical laws such as the law of thermodynamics).
Does "bold" mean speculative ideas without strong technical justification were welcome?
No. The FOA sought bold ideas only if they were technically defensible and based on sound science. Proposals needed credible scientific grounding and could not contradict fundamental physical principles.
How many awards did DOE expect to make?
DOE anticipated making about 14 awards.
What was the estimated total funding available under this FOA?
The estimated total program funding level was $14,000,000.
What were the expected minimum and maximum award sizes?
Individual awards were expected to range from $500,000 (award floor) to $3,000,000 (award ceiling).
What funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument type was a cooperative agreement.
What does it mean that the award type was a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement typically indicates substantial DOE involvement during project execution, such as coordinated technical direction, agreed milestones, and regular reporting, rather than a more hands-off approach commonly associated with standard grants.
Was cost sharing (matching) required?
Yes. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning recipients were expected to contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to many entity types (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, national laboratories where permitted, and other organizations), subject to any specific clarifications in the FOA's eligibility section.
What was the funding activity category and CFDA number?
The funding activity category was Energy, and the CFDA number was 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development).
Which agency administered this opportunity?
The administering agency listed was the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
When was the FOA posted and when were applications due?
The solicitation was posted January 13, 2015. The application deadline was March 30, 2015. The opportunity was later archived on July 13, 2015.
How did applicants submit an application?
Applicants were required to apply through the EERE eXCHANGE portal at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.
Did applicants need to register anywhere before submitting?
Yes. Applicants had to register and create an account in EERE eXCHANGE before submitting.
Was guidance available for using EERE eXCHANGE?
Yes. DOE provided an online user guide to help applicants navigate and use the EERE eXCHANGE system.
Where were questions about the announcement and submission process directed?
Questions were directed through the channels described in the full FOA on EERE eXCHANGE.
Who was the contact for access issues with submission?
The contact listed for access issues was Nicholas J. Anderson at NETL (nicholas.anderson@netl.doe.gov, 412-386-5266).
What was the core purpose of this FOA in plain terms?
It was a targeted effort to scout credible, high-potential transportation innovations that might otherwise be overlooked by a roadmap-driven funding strategy, while keeping proposals tied to VTO's petroleum-reduction mission and grounded in rigorous science.
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