IMPACCT | Apply Online

IMPACCT (ARPA-E) Funding Opportunity FAQ

1) What is IMPACCT?

IMPACCT is a competitive ARPA-E funding opportunity under DOE FOA 0000208 focused on advancing carbon dioxide (CO2) capture for coal-fired power plants beyond incremental improvements, aiming for more transformative, disruptive approaches.

2) Which federal office is running this opportunity?

The program is run by ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy), a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that focuses on high-risk, high-reward applied R&D intended to produce commercially relevant, disruptive energy technologies.

3) What problem is this FOA trying to solve?

The FOA targets the challenge of capturing CO2 from coal power plant flue gas so it does not enter the atmosphere, directly addressing emissions and climate impacts while acknowledging the major role coal generation played in U.S. electricity at the time the FOA was issued.

4) What does ARPA-E mean by “revolutionize” CO2 capture?

In this program, “revolutionize” means funding ideas that go beyond small optimizations of existing capture systems and instead offer fundamentally better approaches, with a credible path from laboratory concepts toward larger-scale demonstration and eventual commercialization.

5) How is IMPACCT positioned relative to other DOE carbon capture efforts?

ARPA-E describes IMPACCT as complementary to DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), which traditionally manage broader and more established carbon capture portfolios. IMPACCT is intended to accelerate especially promising, technically uncertain, or unconventional concepts that might otherwise stall at early stages.

6) What technical areas does the solicitation emphasize?

The FOA highlights three major areas of interest: (1) low-cost catalysts to overcome kinetic barriers and enable high-efficiency capture concepts, (2) robust materials that can survive harsh and contaminant-laden flue gas, and (3) advanced capture processes that substantially reduce the parasitic energy load of capture.

7) What is the focus on catalysts in this program?

The program seeks low-cost catalysts that can enable capture systems with better thermodynamics but that have historically been impractical because reaction rates were too slow. The goal is to overcome kinetic barriers so those concepts can operate at meaningful throughput.

8) What kinds of materials challenges is IMPACCT trying to address?

IMPACCT emphasizes robust materials that can withstand harsh, contaminant-laden flue gas, including caustic components that can degrade or poison sorbents, solvents, membranes, or other capture media. Durability and resistance to poisoning are treated as central barriers to real-world deployment.

9) What does the program mean by reducing “parasitic energy load”?

The parasitic energy load refers to the significant power and/or steam consumption associated with many conventional CO2 capture approaches, which can raise the cost of electricity. IMPACCT seeks advanced capture processes that reduce this energy penalty to improve economics.

10) What type of award instrument will be used?

The opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, indicating DOE expects substantial federal involvement during project execution, including milestone oversight, technical interaction, and program management typical of ARPA-E.

11) How much total funding is estimated for the program?

The FOA estimates total program funding at $35 million.

12) How many awards does the program anticipate making?

The program anticipates making approximately 13 awards.

13) What is the expected funding range for individual awards?

Individual awards are expected to range from $500,000 to $10,000,000, supporting both smaller proof-of-concept efforts and larger, more integrated demonstrations.

14) Is cost sharing required?

Yes. Cost sharing is required, meaning awardees must contribute a portion of total project costs from non-federal sources. The FOA frames this as reinforcing commercialization orientation and ensuring participants have their own stake in the outcome.

15) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is essentially open to any type of applicant organization, subject to compliance with any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement.

16) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA listing provided is 81.135 (Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy).

17) When was the FOA posted, and what were the key dates?

The FOA was posted on December 15, 2009. It was originally due January 15, 2010, later extended with a closing date of March 15, 2010, and the program is noted as archived on July 28, 2010.

18) What does it mean that the program is “archived”?

The information provided indicates the program was archived on July 28, 2010, reflecting that the solicitation is no longer active under that posting.

19) What is the main application emphasis: basic science or applied development?

The program is framed as high-risk, high-reward applied R&D with an emphasis on concepts that can move from early science toward integrated engineering, larger-scale demonstration, and eventual commercialization.

20) Why does the FOA focus on coal-fired power plant flue gas?

The FOA targets coal plant flue gas because it is a major point source of CO2 emissions and because coal generation represented roughly half of U.S. electricity when the FOA was issued, making it a significant area for potential emissions impact.

21) What kinds of real-world operating conditions are considered important?

The FOA specifically calls out harsh, contaminant-laden flue gas conditions and caustic components that can degrade capture media, highlighting the need for durability and resistance to poisoning as key deployment requirements.

22) Who is the point of contact for access or contracting questions?

The FOA provides a contracting point of contact: John T. Harris, Contracting Officer, at DOE headquarters.