Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001496
Apply for DE FOA 0001496
- The DOE-GFO in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "STATE ENERGY EVOLUTION AND DIFFUSION STUDIES II - STATE ENERGY STRATEGIES (SEEDSII-SES)" 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 Feb 05, 2016 and posted on Feb 05, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 02, 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 $1,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 18 candidate(s).
- 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 STATE ENERGY EVOLUTION AND DIFFUSION STUDIES II - STATE ENERGY STRATEGIES (SEEDSII-SES) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0001496) is a U.S. Department of Energy announcement focused on lowering the non-hardware, "soft" costs that slow down solar deployment in the United States. Rather than funding only equipment or construction, the program is aimed at the policies, processes, market structures, data gaps, and planning challenges that often drive delays and added expense in permitting, interconnection, customer acquisition, financing, and broader market adoption. DOE set this up as a discretionary energy funding opportunity using cooperative agreements, which typically means awardees should expect active federal involvement during the project period (for example, collaboration on milestones, data practices, or project direction).
The FOA is organized into two separate but related tracks. Topic 1 is research-oriented and is meant to strengthen the basic understanding of how solar technologies spread, how soft costs evolve over time, and what barriers in the U.S. marketplace continue to hold deployment back. A key theme is pairing advanced analytical or research methods with better data creation and use, so that information is not only collected but also structured, analyzed, and made practical for decision-making. Topic 1 emphasizes partnerships between researchers and real-world data and energy practitioners, reflecting DOE's intent to connect academic or analytical work directly with the institutions that shape the solar business environment, including utilities, grid operators, regulators, and market actors. In plain terms, Topic 1 is designed to answer questions like: what parts of the solar "ecosystem" help or hinder growth, how do grid and institutional rules affect adoption, and what evidence-based interventions can reduce friction and cost.
Topic 2 is more implementation- and strategy-oriented, aimed squarely at state and regional market barriers and the soft-cost challenges that show up in planning and deployment decisions. The focus is on maximizing the benefits of solar electricity through energy and economic strategic planning, with an emphasis on practical partnerships between state entities and utilities or other electricity-sector organizations. Instead of studying barriers in the abstract, Topic 2 supports analytical work that helps regions design and carry out strategies to expand solar while also advancing other policy and system goals. The FOA specifically notes outcomes such as greater emissions reductions, hedging against fuel price volatility, job creation, expanded access to electricity, and improved grid resiliency. The general idea is to use rigorous analysis and planning support to help states and regional partners set targets, evaluate scenarios, and implement approaches that make solar easier to deploy and more valuable to the broader power system.
In terms of logistics and funding scale, DOE listed an award ceiling of $1,500,000 per award and anticipated making about 18 awards. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications included in the full FOA text. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 81.087 and is administered by DOE-GFO. The FOA was posted February 5, 2016, and the application deadline was May 2, 2016, reflecting that this was a time-bound competitive solicitation.
Applications were required to be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE system (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), and applicants needed to register and create an account in order to apply. The FOA directs applicants to use the EERE eXCHANGE user guide available through the same platform, and it indicates that the full announcement contains the proper channels for asking questions both about the substance of the FOA and about technical submission issues. Overall, SEEDSII-SES is best understood as a DOE effort to accelerate solar deployment by funding both (1) deeper, data-driven understanding of how soft costs and institutional factors shape solar adoption and (2) state- and utility-linked planning work that turns that understanding into actionable strategies at the regional level.
SEEDSII-SES (DE FOA 0001496) Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SEEDSII-SES funding opportunity?
SEEDSII-SES stands for STATE ENERGY EVOLUTION AND DIFFUSION STUDIES II - STATE ENERGY STRATEGIES. It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) discretionary funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0001496) focused on accelerating solar deployment in the United States by reducing non-hardware "soft" costs and addressing institutional and market barriers.
What problem is DOE trying to solve with this FOA?
This FOA targets the non-hardware costs and frictions that slow solar deployment. These include issues that can increase time and expense in areas such as permitting, interconnection, customer acquisition, financing, and broader market adoption. The emphasis is on improving policies, processes, market structures, data, and planning that influence solar deployment outcomes.
What are "soft costs" in the context of this FOA?
In this announcement, "soft costs" refer to non-equipment and non-construction costs that can delay or add expense to solar deployment. Examples specifically mentioned or implied include permitting and approvals, interconnection processes, customer acquisition practices, financing and transactional steps, data gaps, planning challenges, and institutional or market rules that shape adoption.
Is this FOA primarily for buying equipment or building projects?
No. The FOA is framed around reducing soft costs and solving non-hardware barriers, rather than primarily funding equipment purchases or construction. The funded work is oriented toward research, analysis, data, planning, and strategy that can make solar easier and less costly to deploy.
What type of award instrument does DOE plan to use?
DOE set this up as a cooperative agreement funding opportunity. Cooperative agreements typically involve active federal involvement during the project period, such as collaboration on milestones, data practices, or aspects of project direction.
What does "active federal involvement" mean for awardees?
Based on the description provided, awardees should expect DOE to be involved during the project period in ways that may include collaboration on milestones, alignment on data practices, and participation in project direction. The FOA is described as a cooperative agreement opportunity, which is commonly associated with this kind of engagement.
How is the FOA organized?
The FOA is organized into two tracks (two topics) that are separate but related: Topic 1 (research-oriented) and Topic 2 (implementation- and strategy-oriented).
What is Topic 1 focused on?
Topic 1 is research-oriented and is intended to strengthen understanding of how solar technologies spread, how soft costs evolve over time, and what marketplace barriers continue to slow deployment in the United States. A key theme is pairing advanced analytical or research methods with improved data creation and use, so the resulting information is structured, analyzed, and practical for decision-making.
What kinds of questions is Topic 1 meant to answer?
Topic 1 is designed to address questions such as: what parts of the solar "ecosystem" help or hinder growth, how grid and institutional rules affect adoption, what barriers persist in U.S. markets, and what evidence-based interventions could reduce friction and cost.
Does Topic 1 encourage partnerships?
Yes. Topic 1 emphasizes partnerships between researchers and real-world data and energy practitioners. DOE highlights connecting academic or analytical work directly with institutions that shape the solar business environment, including utilities, grid operators, regulators, and other market actors.
What is Topic 2 focused on?
Topic 2 is implementation- and strategy-oriented, aimed at addressing state and regional market barriers and soft-cost challenges that affect planning and deployment decisions. It supports analytical work that helps regions design and carry out strategies to expand solar while advancing other policy and power-system goals.
What types of partnerships does Topic 2 emphasize?
Topic 2 emphasizes practical partnerships between state entities and utilities or other electricity-sector organizations, reflecting the focus on regional planning and real-world implementation strategies.
What outcomes does Topic 2 aim to support?
The FOA notes outcomes such as greater emissions reductions, hedging against fuel price volatility, job creation, expanded access to electricity, and improved grid resiliency, achieved through strategic planning and analysis that supports solar expansion and integration.
How do Topic 1 and Topic 2 differ?
Topic 1 is primarily about research and deepening understanding (including better data creation and analysis) related to diffusion of solar and the evolution of soft costs. Topic 2 is primarily about implementation and strategy at the state or regional level, using analysis and planning support to design and carry out approaches that expand solar and maximize its benefits.
What is the maximum funding per award?
DOE listed an award ceiling of $1,500,000 per award.
How many awards did DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipated making about 18 awards under this opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be included in the full FOA text.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 81.087.
Who administers this FOA?
The FOA is administered by DOE-GFO, as stated in the opportunity information provided.
When was the FOA posted?
The FOA was posted on February 5, 2016.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was May 2, 2016.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE system at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Applicants needed to register and create an account to apply.
Is there guidance for using EERE eXCHANGE?
Yes. The FOA directs applicants to use the EERE eXCHANGE user guide available through the same platform.
How could applicants ask questions about the FOA or submission issues?
The FOA indicates that the full announcement contains the proper channels for asking questions about the substance of the FOA and for resolving technical submission issues. The specific channels are referenced as being in the full FOA text.
What is the overall goal of SEEDSII-SES?
Overall, SEEDSII-SES is a DOE effort to accelerate solar deployment by funding (1) data-driven research to better understand how soft costs and institutional factors shape solar adoption (Topic 1) and (2) state- and utility-linked planning and analysis that translates that understanding into actionable regional strategies (Topic 2).
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