Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001676

  • The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI): Clean Water Technologies" 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 May 30, 2017.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 28, 2017 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to AMOCleanWater@ee.doe.gov no later than 500 pm (EDT) on July 28, 2017. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.. (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 $100.00 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.
Apply for DE FOA 0001676

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Opportunity Summary:

The Department of Energy, through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), issued a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Clean Water Technologies" (DE-FOA-0001676) to gather input from the public on promising early-stage research and development ideas. The core goal is to identify technology directions that could make clean water production more cost-effective and more energy efficient, while also aligning with AMO's broader mission of strengthening US manufacturing competitiveness and supporting high-quality domestic manufacturing jobs. In practical terms, DOE is using this RFI to learn what technical approaches, manufacturing needs, and innovation gaps exist so it can decide whether and how to shape a future funding program.

The RFI is focused on technologies that could improve the availability of clean water derived from many different source waters. DOE specifically points to surface water, groundwater, brackish water, seawater, wastewater, and produced water (water brought to the surface during oil and gas extraction) as relevant inputs. The intended end uses are equally broad, covering municipal drinking water systems, agricultural water needs, and industrial applications. That scope signals interest not only in desalination, but also in treatment, purification, reuse, and resource recovery concepts that can reduce energy consumption, lower total system costs, and operate effectively across varied water qualities and contamination profiles.

A key point is that this announcement is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). No grant applications were being accepted under this notice, and DOE made clear there was no guarantee that a future FOA would follow. Even if DOE were to issue a related FOA later, responding to the RFI would not give any applicant an advantage or disadvantage in a future competition. Any eventual award sizes, number of awards, and timing would depend on Congressional appropriations and agency direction, so nothing about future funding levels should be inferred from the RFI itself.

In terms of who could participate, eligibility was effectively unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could submit input (industry, small businesses, universities, nonprofits, individuals, and other stakeholders), subject to any clarifications contained in the full RFI document. This open eligibility is typical for RFIs because the agency is trying to cast a wide net and hear from technology developers, system integrators, manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and end users who can speak to real-world constraints and opportunities.

Operationally, responses were required to be submitted electronically by email as attachments to AMOCleanWater@ee.doe.gov, with a deadline of 5:00 pm EDT on July 28, 2017. The RFI was posted through the EERE Exchange portal (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), which is where DOE provided the complete document and instructions, including where to direct questions about the RFI content. The notice was managed under DOE's Golden Field Office and was originally created on May 30, 2017.

Overall, this opportunity functioned as a market and technical landscape scan: DOE/AMO was seeking detailed stakeholder feedback on early RD concepts that could materially reduce the energy intensity and cost of producing usable clean water from challenging sources, with an eye toward solutions that could ultimately be manufactured and deployed at scale in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DOE EERE/AMO RFI: "Clean Water Technologies" (DE-FOA-0001676)

1) What is this opportunity?

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). The RFI is titled "Clean Water Technologies" and is identified as DE-FOA-0001676.

2) Is this a grant or a funding opportunity?

No. DOE explicitly stated that this notice is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). DOE was not accepting grant applications under this announcement.

3) What is DOE trying to accomplish with this RFI?

DOE is gathering input from the public on promising early-stage research and development (R&D) ideas related to clean water. The stated aim is to identify technology directions that could make clean water production more cost-effective and more energy efficient, while aligning with AMO's mission of strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and supporting high-quality domestic manufacturing jobs.

4) Why is DOE collecting information instead of funding projects right now?

Based on the notice, DOE is using the RFI as a way to understand technical approaches, manufacturing needs, and innovation gaps. This input can help DOE decide whether to create a future funding program and how to shape it, but the RFI itself is an information-gathering step.

5) Does responding to the RFI guarantee future funding?

No. DOE stated there was no guarantee that a future FOA would follow from this RFI, and nothing about future funding levels should be inferred from the RFI.

6) If DOE releases a future FOA, does submitting an RFI response provide an advantage?

No. DOE indicated that responding to the RFI would not provide an advantage or disadvantage in any future competition, if a related FOA were issued later.

7) What kinds of water sources are covered by this RFI?

DOE highlighted a broad range of source waters, including surface water, groundwater, brackish water, seawater, wastewater, and produced water (water brought to the surface during oil and gas extraction).

8) What end uses does DOE have in mind for the clean water technologies?

The RFI described broad intended end uses, including municipal drinking water systems, agricultural water needs, and industrial applications.

9) Is this RFI only about desalination?

No. The scope suggests interest beyond desalination, including treatment, purification, reuse, and resource recovery concepts that can reduce energy use, lower total system costs, and operate across varied water quality conditions and contamination profiles.

10) What types of ideas was DOE seeking?

DOE sought stakeholder feedback on promising early-stage R&D concepts that could materially reduce both the energy intensity and the cost of producing usable clean water from challenging sources, with consideration for solutions that could ultimately be manufactured and deployed at scale in the United States.

11) How does manufacturing fit into a clean water technology RFI?

The RFI was issued by AMO and was framed around AMO's broader mission, which includes strengthening U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and supporting domestic manufacturing jobs. In that context, DOE signaled interest in technology directions and innovation gaps that also reflect manufacturing needs and the potential for U.S.-based scale-up and deployment.

12) Who was eligible to respond to the RFI?

Eligibility was effectively unrestricted. DOE indicated that any type of entity could submit input (including industry, small businesses, universities, nonprofits, individuals, and other stakeholders), subject to any clarifications in the full RFI document.

13) How were responses submitted?

Responses were required to be submitted electronically by email, as attachments, to AMOCleanWater@ee.doe.gov.

14) What was the deadline to submit responses?

The deadline stated in the notice was 5:00 pm EDT on July 28, 2017.

15) Where was the RFI posted and where could the full instructions be found?

DOE posted the RFI through the EERE Exchange portal at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. DOE indicated the complete document and instructions were provided there, including where to direct questions about the RFI content.

16) Which DOE office managed this RFI?

The notice was managed under DOE's Golden Field Office.

17) When was this notice originally created?

The notice was originally created on May 30, 2017.

18) What does the RFI number DE-FOA-0001676 mean in practice?

It is the identifier DOE used for this specific RFI titled "Clean Water Technologies." It is included so stakeholders can reference the correct notice and associated documentation.

19) What factors could affect whether DOE issues a future funding opportunity?

DOE stated that any eventual award sizes, number of awards, and timing would depend on Congressional appropriations and agency direction. The RFI itself did not commit DOE to a future solicitation.

20) What was the overall function of this RFI?

DOE described the effort as a market and technical landscape scan, aimed at collecting detailed stakeholder input to help inform potential future program design around clean water technologies that reduce energy use and cost and can be manufactured and deployed at scale in the United States.

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