Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0000739
Apply for DE FOA 0000739
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Pilot and Demonstration Scale Production of Advanced Biofuels" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087 Renewable Energy Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 18, 2012 and posted on Jun 15, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 10, 2012 Concept Paper due July 16, 2012, 500 pm ET Application due September 10, 2012, 500 pm ET. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: For profit organizations other than small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education City or township governments County governments Small businesses Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments.
- Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Resources Development Organizations Consortia of eligible entities Please refer to Section III of the FOA for specific restrictions on eligibility.
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Opportunity Summary:
The funding opportunity titled Innovative Pilot and Demonstration Scale Production of Advanced Biofuels (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000739) is a U.S. Department of Energy effort managed through the Golden Field Office that targets the pilot and demonstration stages of advanced biofuel production. The core goal is to identify, evaluate, and support integrated biorefinery projects that can produce drop-in, hydrocarbon transportation fuels that meet U.S. military specifications, specifically JP-5 (naval jet fuel), JP-8 (air force jet fuel), and F-76 (diesel). The emphasis is on integrated systems at pilot or demonstration scale, meaning proposals are expected to go beyond lab validation and show real-world performance through design, construction, and/or operation of a facility that demonstrates the technology in an integrated way. While projects may generate co-products, the primary focus must remain on producing biofuels. The FOA explicitly encourages novel and highly innovative approaches, signaling that technology risk and innovation are acceptable as long as the project can credibly validate performance at scale.
The FOA is organized into two main topic areas based on feedstock type. Topic Area 1 focuses on lignocellulosic and waste-based feedstocks, and it also leaves room for advanced pathways that convert carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into liquid transportation fuels rather than relying on traditional biomass conversion. Topic Area 2 focuses on algal-type feedstocks, again requiring an integrated pilot or demonstration biorefinery concept that validates the technology by producing an acceptable biofuel. Across both topics, the government is effectively looking for scalable, defensible pathways to military-grade fuels, with an implied interest in domestic energy security and supply chain resilience.
A central eligibility and technical requirement in the FOA is that proposed feedstocks must be domestically available and meet the definitions in the announcement and Appendix A. The policy framing ties feedstock sufficiency to national-scale impact, referencing both military fuel needs and the Renewable Fuel Standard target of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022 established under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. A key change introduced by Modification 000001 is a clarification and relaxation of what counts as a "High Impact Feedstock." The modification adds explicit language that the feedstock quantity needed to meaningfully contribute toward the RFS goals is referred to as a high impact feedstock, and then revises the definition itself. Originally, the FOA required an ultimate sustainable availability potential of at least 100 million dry metric tonnes of biomass per year. The modification reduces that threshold to at least 50 million dry metric tonnes per year, which makes it easier for more feedstocks to qualify and broadens the universe of plausible projects. It also allows applicants to combine multiple feedstocks to meet the 50 million dry tonne requirement, as long as the proposed conversion technology can process each feedstock included in that combined total. As an alternative pathway to qualify as "high impact," a feedstock may instead demonstrate the sustainable potential to produce at least 1 billion gallons per year of an acceptable biofuel.
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement and the program requires cost sharing or matching, which generally means awardees are expected to contribute a meaningful portion of total project costs and to work in closer coordination with DOE compared with a standard grant. The public listing does not specify an estimated total funding amount or award ceiling/floor (they are shown as 0 in the extracted source data), so the definitive funding levels and expected award sizes would need to be confirmed directly in the full FOA text on EERE Exchange.
On timing, Modification 000002 changes only the application submission deadline while leaving all other terms intact. The original application due date of August 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time was extended to September 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, and the corresponding submission language in Section IV.E was updated to match. The concept paper deadline remained July 16, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The FOA also emphasizes that late applications will not be reviewed or considered for award, and encourages applicants to submit well before the deadline to avoid transmission or system issues.
Eligible applicants are broadly defined and include for-profit entities (including small businesses and other-than-small businesses), state and local governments, public and private institutions of higher education, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits, along with Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations. Consortia of eligible entities are also allowed, though the FOA notes that Section III contains specific eligibility restrictions and requirements that applicants would need to follow. Applications must be submitted electronically through the EERE Exchange portal, which requires registration and account creation, and the FOA provides avenues for technical help and content questions. The listed contact for accessing the full announcement or resolving access issues is Brenda L. Dias at InnovativePilot@go.doe.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name and number of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Innovative Pilot and Demonstration Scale Production of Advanced Biofuels and is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0000739.
2) Which federal agency is offering this funding?
This funding opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is managed through DOE's Golden Field Office.
3) What is the main goal of the FOA?
The core goal is to identify, evaluate, and support integrated biorefinery projects at the pilot or demonstration stage that can produce drop-in, hydrocarbon transportation fuels meeting U.S. military fuel specifications.
4) What types of fuels is DOE specifically seeking under this FOA?
The FOA targets military-specification fuels, specifically:
- JP-5 (naval jet fuel)
- JP-8 (air force jet fuel)
- F-76 (diesel)
5) What does "pilot and demonstration scale" mean in this FOA?
It means proposals are expected to go beyond lab validation and demonstrate real-world performance through the design, construction, and/or operation of a facility that shows the technology working as an integrated system.
6) Does the FOA allow innovative or higher-risk technologies?
Yes. The FOA explicitly encourages novel and highly innovative approaches, indicating that technology risk and innovation can be acceptable as long as the project can credibly validate performance at pilot or demonstration scale.
7) Are co-products allowed, or must the project only produce fuel?
Projects may generate co-products, but the FOA states that the primary focus must remain on producing biofuels.
8) How is the FOA organized?
The FOA is organized into two topic areas based on feedstock type.
9) What is Topic Area 1?
Topic Area 1 focuses on lignocellulosic and waste-based feedstocks. It also leaves room for advanced pathways that convert carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into liquid transportation fuels.
10) What is Topic Area 2?
Topic Area 2 focuses on algal-type feedstocks and similarly requires an integrated pilot or demonstration biorefinery concept that validates the technology by producing an acceptable biofuel.
11) Are CO2-to-liquids approaches included under this FOA?
Yes. Under Topic Area 1, the FOA leaves room for advanced pathways that convert CO2 directly into liquid transportation fuels rather than relying only on traditional biomass conversion.
12) Do proposed feedstocks need to be domestic?
Yes. A central eligibility and technical requirement is that proposed feedstocks must be domestically available and meet the definitions in the announcement and Appendix A.
13) What is a "High Impact Feedstock" in this FOA?
The FOA uses the term "High Impact Feedstock" to refer to feedstock quantity needed to meaningfully contribute toward Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) goals, and it provides a specific definition (including thresholds) for what qualifies.
14) What changed in Modification 000001 related to "High Impact Feedstock"?
Modification 000001 clarified and relaxed the definition. The original requirement of at least 100 million dry metric tonnes of biomass per year (ultimate sustainable availability potential) was reduced to at least 50 million dry metric tonnes per year.
15) Can applicants combine multiple feedstocks to meet the High Impact Feedstock threshold?
Yes. The modification allows applicants to combine multiple feedstocks to meet the 50 million dry metric tonne requirement, as long as the proposed conversion technology can process each feedstock included in that combined total.
16) Is there an alternative way for a feedstock to qualify as "high impact" besides dry metric tonnes?
Yes. As an alternative pathway, a feedstock may qualify if it can demonstrate sustainable potential to produce at least 1 billion gallons per year of an acceptable biofuel.
17) What award mechanism is used for this opportunity?
The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement.
18) Does this FOA require cost sharing or matching funds?
Yes. The program requires cost sharing (matching), meaning awardees are expected to contribute a meaningful portion of total project costs and to work more closely with DOE than under a standard grant.
19) Is the total amount of funding or award size stated in the information provided?
No. The public listing described here does not specify an estimated total funding amount or an award ceiling/floor (they appear as 0 in the extracted source data). Definitive funding levels and expected award sizes would need to be confirmed in the full FOA text on EERE Exchange.
20) What are the key deadlines?
The FOA includes both a concept paper deadline and a full application deadline:
- Concept paper deadline: July 16, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
- Application deadline (as modified): September 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time
21) What changed in Modification 000002?
Modification 000002 changed only the application submission deadline, extending it from August 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time to September 10, 2012 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. All other terms were left intact, and Section IV.E submission language was updated accordingly.
22) Will late applications be accepted?
No. The FOA emphasizes that late applications will not be reviewed or considered for award and encourages applicants to submit well before the deadline to avoid transmission or system issues.
23) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are broadly defined and include:
- For-profit entities (including small businesses and other-than-small businesses)
- State and local governments
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
- Indian Tribes
- Tribal Energy Resource Development Organizations
24) Are consortia allowed?
Yes. Consortia of eligible entities are allowed. The FOA also notes that Section III contains specific eligibility restrictions and requirements that applicants must follow.
25) How must applications be submitted?
Applications must be submitted electronically through the EERE Exchange portal. The portal requires registration and account creation.
26) Who can be contacted for help accessing the full announcement or resolving access issues?
The listed contact is Brenda L. Dias at InnovativePilot@go.doe.gov.
27) What is the broader policy context mentioned for this FOA?
The FOA frames feedstock sufficiency and scale in terms of national impact, referencing military fuel needs and the Renewable Fuel Standard target of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022 established under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
28) What kind of project concept is DOE looking for across both topic areas?
Across both topics, DOE is looking for scalable, defensible pathways to produce military-grade drop-in hydrocarbon fuels using an integrated pilot- or demonstration-scale biorefinery concept that validates performance.
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