Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001520
Apply for DE FOA 0001520
- The DOE-GFO in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent (NOI) Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies II – State Energy Strategies" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 27, 2016 and posted on Jan 27, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1.00 in funding.
- 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 U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), acting for the Solar Energy Technologies Office, announced its intent to release a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) called "Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies II (SEEDS II) - State Energy Strategies" (DE-FOA-0001520). The planned funding pool is about $20.9 million, and the agency indicated it would support work through cooperative agreements, meaning DOE involvement is typically more active than in a standard grant and may include substantial technical coordination during the project period.
The opportunity is organized around two distinct topic areas. Topic 1 focuses on research aimed at improving the country's baseline understanding of how solar technologies and solar markets change over time and what factors speed up or slow down deployment. The emphasis is on "soft costs" and non-hardware barriers, such as permitting, interconnection processes, customer acquisition, financing friction, regulatory complexity, information gaps, and institutional practices. DOE describes this topic as combining modern research tools with the creation, analysis, and practical use of data and information. A key feature is collaboration: the program expects researchers to partner with data holders and energy practitioners so the findings are grounded in real-world market and grid conditions, and so the resulting datasets, methods, and insights can be used beyond a single study.
Topic 2 shifts from broad, foundational study to applied state and regional strategy. It targets soft-cost and market-barrier problems by helping states and utilities work together on energy and economic strategic planning that increases the value and impact of solar electricity. DOE highlights outcomes such as setting or expanding renewable energy targets, achieving larger emissions reductions, reducing exposure to fuel price swings, supporting job creation and local economic development, improving energy access, and strengthening grid resilience. The underlying idea is that coordinated planning between state decision-makers and utility planners can remove practical deployment bottlenecks and allow solar to be integrated in ways that deliver measurable system and community benefits.
In terms of eligibility and competition basics, the notice lists eligibility as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details that would appear in the full FOA. The listing shows an award ceiling of $1, although that figure is almost certainly a placeholder in the source record rather than a meaningful cap, and it lists expected awards as 0, which is also typical of early notice postings before final award counts are determined. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding within the energy activity area (CFDA 81.087) and is administered under DOE's grants and funding office (DOE-GFO).
The timeline and submission process are centered on EERE Exchange, DOE's online portal for EERE funding. DOE stated it planned to issue the FOA in February 2016 and that applicants should register on EERE Exchange to receive official updates. Once the FOA was released, applications would be accepted only through that system. The opportunity record indicates a closing date of July 22, 2016, with the notice itself posted on January 27, 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity called?
The planned competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is titled "Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies II (SEEDS II) - State Energy Strategies" (DE-FOA-0001520).
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), acting for the Solar Energy Technologies Office.
What type of funding mechanism will DOE use?
DOE indicated it would support selected work through cooperative agreements. This generally means DOE involvement is typically more active than in a standard grant and may include substantial technical coordination during the project period.
How much total funding is DOE planning to make available?
The planned funding pool is about $20.9 million.
What are the main topic areas under this opportunity?
The opportunity is organized around two distinct topic areas: (1) foundational research on solar technology and market evolution with a focus on soft costs and non-hardware barriers, and (2) applied state and regional strategy work aimed at addressing soft-cost and market-barrier issues through coordinated planning between states and utilities.
What is Topic Area 1 focused on?
Topic 1 focuses on research to improve baseline understanding of how solar technologies and solar markets change over time and what factors speed up or slow down deployment. The emphasis is on soft costs and other non-hardware barriers.
What does DOE mean by "soft costs" in this notice?
In this notice, "soft costs" refers to non-hardware barriers such as permitting, interconnection processes, customer acquisition, financing friction, regulatory complexity, information gaps, and institutional practices.
What kinds of activities does Topic 1 emphasize beyond traditional research?
DOE describes Topic 1 as combining modern research tools with the creation, analysis, and practical use of data and information, with an emphasis on real-world applicability.
Does Topic 1 expect collaboration with external partners?
Yes. A key feature is collaboration: DOE expects researchers to partner with data holders and energy practitioners so results are grounded in real-world market and grid conditions, and so datasets, methods, and insights can be used beyond a single study.
What is Topic Area 2 focused on?
Topic 2 shifts from broad, foundational study to applied state and regional strategy. It targets soft-cost and market-barrier problems by helping states and utilities work together on energy and economic strategic planning to increase the value and impact of solar electricity.
What outcomes does DOE highlight for Topic 2 work?
DOE highlights outcomes such as setting or expanding renewable energy targets, achieving larger emissions reductions, reducing exposure to fuel price swings, supporting job creation and local economic development, improving energy access, and strengthening grid resilience.
Why does DOE emphasize coordination between state decision-makers and utility planners in Topic 2?
The notice suggests that coordinated planning between state decision-makers and utility planners can remove practical deployment bottlenecks and allow solar to be integrated in ways that deliver measurable system and community benefits.
Who is eligible to apply?
The notice lists eligibility as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details that would appear in the full FOA.
Is the award size clearly defined in this notice?
No. The listing shows an award ceiling of $1, which appears to be a placeholder in the source record rather than a meaningful cap. The notice does not provide a definitive per-award maximum in the information provided here.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
The opportunity listing shows expected awards as 0, which is typical of early notice postings before final award counts are determined. The notice does not specify a final expected number of awards.
How is this opportunity categorized (funding type and program area)?
It is categorized as discretionary funding within the energy activity area and references CFDA 81.087. It is administered under DOE's grants and funding office (DOE-GFO).
Where will the FOA be posted and how will applications be submitted?
The timeline and submission process are centered on EERE Exchange, DOE's online portal for EERE funding. DOE indicated applicants should register on EERE Exchange to receive official updates, and once the FOA is released, applications would be accepted only through that system.
When was DOE planning to issue the FOA?
DOE stated it planned to issue the FOA in February 2016.
What is the closing date shown in the opportunity record?
The opportunity record indicates a closing date of July 22, 2016.
When was the notice posted?
The notice itself was posted on January 27, 2016.
What should applicants do to stay informed about updates or the official FOA release?
DOE indicated that applicants should register on EERE Exchange to receive official updates.
Is this information the full FOA?
No. This is described as an intent to release a competitive FOA, and it notes that additional eligibility details would appear in the full FOA.
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| STATE ENERGY EVOLUTION AND DIFFUSION STUDIES II - STATE ENERGY STRATEGIES (SEEDSII-SES) Apply for DE FOA 0001496 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001496 Agency: DOE-GFO Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
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| DE-FOA-0001545 Request for Information: Challenges and Opportunities for Non-Powered Dam and Pumped Storage Hydropower Development in the U.S. Apply for DE FOA 0001545 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001545 Agency: DOE-GFO Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
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| ADVANCED SYSTEMS LEVEL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT, INTEGRATION AND DEMONSTRATION FOR EFFICIENT CLASS 8 TRUCKS, SUPERTRUCK II Apply for DE FOA 0001447 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001447 Agency: DOE-NETL Category: Energy Funding Amount: $20,000,000 |
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| Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Development Apply for DE FOA 0001418 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001418 Agency: DOE-GFO Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,350,000 |
| Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001510: Research, Development and Business Strategies Needs for Hydrogen and Automotive Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells Apply for DE FOA 0001510 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001510 Agency: DOE-GFO Category: Energy Funding Amount: $100 |
| NEXT GENERATION ELECTRIC MACHINES: ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES Apply for DE FOA 0001467 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001467 Agency: DOE-GFO Category: Energy Funding Amount: $6,500,000 |
| Energy Regulatory Partnership Program Apply for RFA OAA 16 000012 Funding Number: RFA OAA 16 000012 Agency: USAID Category: Energy Funding Amount: $24,000,000 |
| STATE HEATING OIL AND PROPANE PROGRAM (SHOPP) Apply for DE FOA 0001509 Funding Number: DE FOA 0001509 Agency: DOE-01 Category: Energy Funding Amount: $330,891 |
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