Request for Information Specific Clean Energy Manufacturing Focus Areas Suitable for a Manufacturing Innovation Institute | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This opportunity 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), specifically the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), with the Golden Field Office listed as the agency office. The purpose is to gather detailed input from industry, academia, national labs, consortia, and other stakeholders about the most important mid-Technology Readiness Level (mid-TRL) research and development needs and the practical barriers that slow down clean energy manufacturing. Rather than funding projects, DOE is using this RFI to understand where the biggest technical and non-technical bottlenecks are, what kinds of shared infrastructure would make the biggest difference, and which challenges could realistically be tackled through a pre-competitive collaboration model like a Manufacturing Innovation Institute.

A central theme of the RFI is the gap between early-stage research and full commercial deployment. AMO is looking for information on the kinds of mid-TRL problems that are too applied for basic research programs but still too risky, expensive, or cross-cutting for single companies to solve alone. DOE is also explicitly asking about market challenges and supply chain challenges, signaling interest not only in lab-scale performance improvements but also in manufacturability, scale-up pathways, domestic sourcing constraints, quality control, workforce and process know-how, cost reduction levers, and the kinds of supplier ecosystems needed to support clean energy technologies at volume.

DOE notes that it previously ran a broader RFI on clean energy manufacturing, and this follow-on RFI is meant to narrow the scope to a smaller set of candidate focus areas that could anchor a future Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. In other words, the government is testing and refining the case for where an institute could provide the most value by pooling resources, sharing facilities, developing common standards and toolsets, and accelerating technology maturation through collaborative, pre-competitive R&D. The RFI asks stakeholders to weigh in on needs for shared facilities in particular, which often includes pilot lines, testbeds, demonstration-scale equipment, metrology and characterization tools, and other capital-intensive infrastructure that multiple organizations could use to de-risk manufacturing scale-up.

The RFI identifies four specific topical/technical focus areas under consideration. The first is Advanced Materials Manufacturing (AMM), which generally points to challenges in producing next-generation materials reliably and affordably at scale, including issues like repeatable properties, process control, feedstock quality, manufacturable material formulations, and pathways from novel materials to high-throughput production. The second is Advanced Sensing, Control, and Platforms for Manufacturing (ASCPM), emphasizing real-time measurement, data-driven control, automation, and manufacturing platforms that improve yield, energy efficiency, uptime, and quality, especially for complex clean energy components where small defects can drive large cost and reliability penalties. The third area is High Efficiency Modular Chemical Processes (HEMCP), focused on modular, intensified, and efficient chemical processing approaches that can reduce energy use, shrink equipment footprints, improve safety, and enable flexible siting and scaling for chemical or materials production relevant to clean energy supply chains. The fourth area is High Value Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing (R2R), which covers continuous manufacturing on flexible substrates, a critical approach for scaling certain advanced energy materials and devices, where major challenges often include web handling, uniform coatings, defect detection, in-line metrology, process integration, and achieving consistent performance at high throughput.

Administratively, this notice is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement and it does not accept applications. The estimated total funding is listed as $0 with no award floor or ceiling because the goal is information collection, not awards. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning DOE is open to responses from any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full RFI. The RFI was posted on August 29, 2014, and the response deadline was October 3, 2014, with an archive date of August 29, 2015. The CFDA number associated with the program area is 81.086 (Conservation Research and Development), and the activity category is energy.

For practical next steps, the full announcement and submission instructions are hosted on the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov). The notice also provides a point of contact for access issues: David R. Welsh at david.welsh@ee.doe.gov. Overall, the RFI is best read as DOE shaping the blueprint for a potential institute by asking the community to identify where collaborative mid-TRL manufacturing R&D, shared pilot capabilities, and coordinated supply chain solutions could most accelerate clean energy manufacturing competitiveness.

Browse more business programs for Manufacturing Companies, Manufacturing Innovation Programs

Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Golden Field Office

Browse more opportunities from the same category: Energy

Next opportunity: Notice of Intent to Award to Student Conservation Association

Previous opportunity: Surveillance, Service Data Analysis and Capacity Building to Support Management, Leadership and Sustainability of HIV Programs in Haiti and other Health Initiatives under the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

USGrants.org Applicant Portal:

Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.

Apply for DE FOA 0001158

 

[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?

Applicants also applied for:

Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0001158) also looked into and applied for these:

 

Grant application guides and resources

It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!

Apply for Grants

 

 

Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers

Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.

If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.

Subscribe to Leads

 

Request more information:

Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DE FOA 0001158", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:

Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.