Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001122

  • The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information Clean Energy Manufacturing Topics Suitable for Establishment of a Manufacturing Institute" 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 Apr 17, 2014 and posted on Apr 17, 2014.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by May 20, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • 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.
Apply for DE FOA 0001122

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Opportunity Summary:

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), with the Golden Field Office listed as the agency. The purpose is to gather input from industry, universities, labs, and other stakeholders on where the biggest gaps and barriers exist in clean energy manufacturing, especially in the middle stages of technology development (mid Technology Readiness Levels, or TRLs). The DOE is using the RFI to understand what kinds of research, development, and manufacturing-scale challenges are slowing progress and where coordinated, shared efforts could make a meaningful difference.

A key theme of the RFI is defining and scoping "clean energy manufacturing" and "advanced manufacturing" in a broad way. For clean energy manufacturing, DOE is looking at manufacturing of products (and product-based value-added services) that reduce environmental impacts at some stage of the lifecycle, meaning during production, during use, or at end-of-life disposal or recycling. For advanced manufacturing, DOE is looking for manufacturing approaches where technology is either the critical enabler or provides a clear competitive advantage compared to current methods. In practice, that can include advanced processes, automation, new materials processing methods, digital manufacturing, novel joining or forming methods, high-efficiency production techniques, and other technology-driven manufacturing capabilities tied to clean energy outcomes.

The information AMO is trying to collect falls into several buckets. First, DOE is asking about mid-TRL research and development needs. That generally implies challenges that sit between early laboratory proof-of-concept and full commercial production, such as pilot-scale validation, process scale-up, manufacturability improvements, repeatability and yield issues, equipment and tooling development, and process integration. Second, DOE is asking about market challenges, meaning barriers that prevent promising clean manufacturing technologies from gaining adoption even when the underlying science is sound. Third, DOE wants to hear about supply chain challenges, such as shortages of critical inputs, lack of domestic capability for key components, dependence on fragile or concentrated supply sources, qualification issues, and gaps in specialized manufacturing services. Fourth, DOE is seeking input on shared facility needs, which can include pilot lines, testbeds, demonstration-scale equipment, metrology and characterization capabilities, reliability testing, workforce training facilities, and other infrastructure that is too expensive or risky for single organizations to build alone.

A central motivation behind these questions is AMO's interest in "pre-competitive" advanced manufacturing technology challenges. Pre-competitive issues are the kinds of foundational technical hurdles that affect many companies and sectors at once, where collaboration makes sense because solving them helps build an ecosystem rather than giving one firm a narrow advantage. DOE is specifically signaling that it is exploring whether these types of shared challenges could be addressed by establishing a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. In other words, the RFI is a listening exercise intended to identify candidate topic areas and common needs that might justify a coordinated institute model, potentially bringing together industry, academia, and government to develop and de-risk manufacturing technologies, standards, and shared capabilities.

Administrative details in the listing reinforce that this is not a grant competition. The opportunity is labeled as discretionary and uses an "Other" instrument type, but the estimated total funding is listed as 0, with an award ceiling and floor of 0. Most importantly, DOE states explicitly that this RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), and DOE is not accepting applications. The intent is information gathering only. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity can provide input, subject to clarifications in the full text.

The RFI was posted on April 17, 2014, and closed on May 20, 2014, with an archive date of August 5, 2014. It is associated with CFDA number 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development). The full RFI and submission instructions were made available through the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov). For access issues or support, the contact listed is David R. Welsh (david.welsh@go.doe.gov). Overall, the notice is best understood as DOE surveying the field to pinpoint mid-stage manufacturing RD priorities and shared infrastructure needs that could shape the focus of a future clean energy manufacturing institute, rather than offering funding directly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this government opportunity?

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), issued through DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and associated with the Golden Field Office. It is a market and technical feedback request, not a funding competition.

Is this a grant or funding opportunity?

No. DOE states that this RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and DOE is not accepting applications. The listing shows estimated total funding of $0, with an award ceiling of $0 and an award floor of $0.

What is DOE trying to accomplish with this RFI?

DOE is gathering input from stakeholders to identify the biggest gaps and barriers in clean energy manufacturing, especially challenges that occur in the middle stages of technology development (mid Technology Readiness Levels, or mid-TRLs). The goal is to understand where coordinated, shared efforts could have the most impact.

Who is the intended audience for providing input?

DOE is seeking input from industry, universities, laboratories, and other stakeholders involved in clean energy manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technology development.

Who is eligible to respond?

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity can provide input, subject to any clarifications provided in the full RFI text.

What does DOE mean by "clean energy manufacturing" in this RFI?

DOE is using a broad definition. Clean energy manufacturing includes manufacturing of products (and product-based value-added services) that reduce environmental impacts at some stage of the lifecycle, including during production, during use, or at end-of-life disposal or recycling.

What does DOE mean by "advanced manufacturing" in this RFI?

DOE is also defining advanced manufacturing broadly as manufacturing approaches where technology is either the critical enabler or provides a clear competitive advantage over current methods. Examples described include advanced processes, automation, new materials processing methods, digital manufacturing, novel joining or forming methods, high-efficiency production techniques, and other technology-driven capabilities tied to clean energy outcomes.

What are "mid-TRL" needs, and why is DOE focused on them?

Mid-TRL needs generally sit between early laboratory proof-of-concept and full commercial production. DOE is focused on this range because many clean energy manufacturing technologies stall during scale-up and validation, even when early research results are promising.

What kinds of mid-TRL research and development challenges does DOE want to hear about?

DOE highlights mid-TRL topics such as pilot-scale validation, process scale-up, manufacturability improvements, repeatability and yield issues, equipment and tooling development, and process integration challenges.

What market challenges is DOE asking about?

DOE is looking for barriers that prevent promising clean manufacturing technologies from being adopted even when the underlying science is sound. The RFI seeks stakeholder perspectives on what slows or blocks market uptake.

What supply chain challenges is DOE asking about?

DOE is requesting input on supply chain barriers such as shortages of critical inputs, lack of domestic capability for key components, reliance on fragile or highly concentrated supply sources, qualification issues, and gaps in specialized manufacturing services.

What are "shared facility needs" in the context of this RFI?

Shared facility needs are infrastructure and capabilities that are often too expensive or risky for a single organization to build alone. DOE indicates interest in needs such as pilot lines, testbeds, demonstration-scale equipment, metrology and characterization capabilities, reliability testing, workforce training facilities, and similar shared resources.

What does DOE mean by "pre-competitive" advanced manufacturing challenges?

Pre-competitive challenges are foundational technical hurdles that affect many companies and sectors at once. DOE is interested in these issues because addressing them collaboratively can strengthen the broader ecosystem rather than providing a narrow advantage to a single firm.

Is DOE considering any future program based on the RFI responses?

DOE signals that it is exploring whether shared, pre-competitive challenges could be addressed through a Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The RFI is described as a listening exercise to identify candidate topic areas and common needs that might justify an institute model bringing together industry, academia, and government.

Which DOE office is issuing the RFI?

The RFI is issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), with the Golden Field Office listed as the agency.

Where were the full RFI and submission instructions posted?

The full RFI and submission instructions were made available through the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.

What are the key dates for this RFI?

The RFI was posted on April 17, 2014, and closed on May 20, 2014. The archive date is August 5, 2014.

What CFDA number is associated with this notice?

This notice is associated with CFDA number 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development).

What instrument type is listed for this opportunity?

The listing shows a discretionary opportunity using an "Other" instrument type. However, it also clearly indicates $0 funding and explicitly states it is not a FOA and not accepting applications.

Who is the listed point of contact for access issues or support?

The contact listed is David R. Welsh at david.welsh@go.doe.gov.

If this is not a grant, what should a response focus on?

Based on the RFI description, responses would focus on identifying gaps and barriers in clean energy manufacturing and advanced manufacturing, particularly mid-TRL technical challenges, market adoption barriers, supply chain weaknesses, and shared facility or infrastructure needs that could benefit from coordinated, pre-competitive collaboration.

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