EERE Funding Opportunity Announcements

The Second Informational Webinar was held on Tuesday March 17th, 2015. A PDF of the slides presented are in the FOA Documents section and a recording of the webinar is available at this link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7154780912385447425

A First Informational Webinar was held on February 17th for potential applicants. A PDF of the slides presented are in the FOA Documents section and a recording of the Webinar is available at this link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/5702344743189496578

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has issued, on behalf of the Technology-to-Market Team in the Office of Strategic Programs, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number DE-FOA-0001271 entitled "Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP)." The full text of the FOA is in the "FOA Documents" section below.

The mission of EERE’s Technology-to-Market Team is to aid EERE technology offices and American energy innovation stakeholders in addressing the technological and financial barriers to bring new intellectual property to market. To advance this mission, the Technology-to-Market sub-program supports a variety of commercialization and entrepreneurship activities in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations around the country. Existing activities include the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (NCEBPC), National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy, Lab-Corps, and Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR); past activities include the Innovation Ecosystem Development Initiative, i6 Green Challenge, Technology Commercialization Fund, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and other initiatives.

This FOA supports the creation of the Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP) program designed to address the significant barriers to creating clean energy technology start-ups, resulting from a dearth of participants entering the energy entrepreneurship pipeline. For the United States to accelerate the rate of clean energy innovation and remain competitive, a strong national infrastructure that spurs and supports high-tech entrepreneurship is critical.

Traditionally, the nation’s institutions of higher education — where there is a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurs and start-ups — have fostered the high-tech innovation pipeline. EERE has had success in supporting initiatives to spur student entrepreneurship. Cleantech UP builds on its precursor, the DOE NCEBPC, which leveraged growing interest in energy entrepreneurship to expand student engagement in clean energy technologies.

The Cleantech UP program seeks to catalyze clean energy start-up formation on college campuses, support novel training and educational opportunities that equip the next generation of energy entrepreneurs and innovators across the country, establish a national-level training program and competition for America’s top clean energy student entrepreneurs, and create a sustained and diverse community to support student entrepreneurs.

It is anticipated that up to $2.5 million in DOE funds will be awarded under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriations. The FOA includes two general Areas of Interest:

Area of Interest 1: Cleantech UP Hub

The Hub will be responsible for engaging the nation’s student entrepreneurs, developing an innovative training program, institutionalizing coordination within the student cleantech entrepreneurship community and the Collegiate Competitions, and executing the nation’s premier event for student cleantech entrepreneurs at the National Competition, including awarding a National Prize in coordination with DOE. The Hub will create and implement programs to address gaps in clean energy entrepreneurship training that occur early in the education pipeline. The Hub will also provide capacity building activities related to the Cleantech UP network and the general clean energy entrepreneurship ecosytem.

Area of Interest 2: Cleantech UP Collegiate Competitions

The Collegiate Competitions recruit teams from their universities and regions — and potentially nationally. They prepare teams as they form and provide the early catalyst for company formation. Collegiate Competitions execute annual contests and each awards a prize for the winning cleantech company. The winners are eligible to compete in the National Competition.

Applications will only be accepted through the EERE eXCHANGE website. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guidefor EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website at
https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system. Questions and answers related to the content of the FOA can be found in the "FOA FAQs" file in the "FOA Documents" section below

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Technology-to-Market Team in the Office of Strategic Programs, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP)”, Number DE-FOA-0001271. The full Notice of Intent document is posted in the "FOA Documents" section below.

The Cleantech UP program seeks to catalyze clean energy start-up formation on college campuses, support novel training and educational opportunities that equip the next generation of energy entrepreneurs and innovators across the country, establish a national-level training program and competition for America’s top clean energy student entrepreneurs, and create a sustained and diverse community to support student entrepreneurs.The mission of EERE’s Technology-to-Market Team is to aid EERE technology offices and American energy innovation stakeholders in addressing the technological and financial barriers to bring new intellectual property to market.  To advance this mission, the Technology-to-Market Sub-Program supports a variety of commercialization and entrepreneurship activities in partnership with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, universities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations around the country.  Existing activities include the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition (DOE NCEBPC), National Incubator Initiative for Clean Energy, Lab-Corps, and Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR); past activities include the Innovation Ecosystem Development Initiative, i6 Green Challenge, Technology Commercialization Fund, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and other initiatives. 

NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. Please do not submit questions or respond to this Notice of Intent. Prospective applicants to the FOA should begin developing partnerships, formulating ideas, and gathering data in anticipation of the issuance of this FOA. DOE plans to issue the FOA around mid-February 2015. The applicant must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A User Guide for EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx after logging in to the system.

Congress established the SBIR and STTR programs to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. SBIR has four program goals:

• Stimulate technological innovation
• Use small business to meet Federal R/R&D needs
• Foster and encourage participation by the socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, and those that are 51 percent owned and controlled by women, in technological innovation
• Increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal R/R&D, thereby increasing competition, productivity, and economic growth

The Department of Energy is making available up to $4 million for cleantech projects through the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which help small businesses develop technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and job creation. Small businesses that win awards in these programs keep the rights to any technologies they develop and are encouraged to commercialize them. The programs help small businesses bring innovative technologies to market that help spur economic growth and diversify the nation's energy portfolio. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)  is one of five “applied energy” program Offices participating in  Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), (DE-FOA-0001046) posted on grants.gov and FedConnect.  This solicitation, like all DOE SBIR/STTR solicitations is being run by the DOE/SBIR office (science.energy.gov/sbir).

Letters of Intent must be submitted by December 16, 2013, 5:00 pm EST

Full applications must be submitted by February 4, 2014, 11:59 p.m. EST

Submitting your Letter of Intent

Letters of intent will only be accepted electronically through the DOE Portfolio Analysis and Management System (PAMS) website: https://pamspublic.science.energy.gov/. Please refer to Part IV B of the Funding Opportunity Announcement for instructions for submitting your letter of intent.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0001046) is available at FedConnect: https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/PublicSearch/Public_Opportunities.aspx. The Funding Opportunity Announcement can be downloaded by clicking on the “BODY” link on the right side of the page. The Topics for Release 2 are available at:http://www.science.energy.gov/~/media/sbir/pdf/docs/C38P1R2_Topics_11_01_13_FINAL_Ver_5.pdf. 

This FOA marks the first time that the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued three Phase I solicitations in a single year.  This “Release 3” is intended to give small businesses more topics and more opportunities to apply for SBIR/STTR Phase I grants in a given year.  It includes 8 broad topics and 30 subtopics aligned with EERE programs (see below).  Detailed application instructions, including eligibility requirements, can be found on DOE’s SBIR Funding opportunities website under Reference Number DE-FOA-0000715.

EERE leads the Federal government’s research and development (R&D) efforts in energy efficiency and renewable energy. It invests in clean energy R&D designed to reduce the cost of technologies that enable the efficient use of energy and/or the generation of renewable energy. EERE’s SBIR/STTR efforts are part of an integrated portfolio that will lead to economic and environmental benefits. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EERE program is interested in receiving proposals for research and development projects that offer potential for achieving EERE technology cost and performance targets.  This FOA seeks Applications to select and fund SBIR Phase I research and development (R&D) projects in the follow topics and subtopics:

1. Advanced Manufacturing:  a. Manufacturing Process  b. Advanced Materials

2. Biomass: a. Cellulosic and Algal Biofuels b. Biobased Products

3. Buildings: a. Solid State Lighting (SSL) Devices and Packages;

b. Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pumps

c. High COP Electric Water Heaters

d. GSHP Ground Loop Cost Reduction

e. Fast Payback Solar Hot Water 

f. Building Envelope Materials

g. Building Controls and

h. Commercial Building Power Meters

4. Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies a. Transportation Fuel Cells b. Hydrogen Storage

5. Solar: a. PV module b. Power Electronics & Balance of System (Hardware)

c. Balance of System (Non-Hardware) and

d. Concentrating Solar Power

6. Vehicles: a. Electric Drive Vehicle Batteries; b. Exhaust Aftertreatment Materials

c. Innovative Engine Boosting Technologies

d. Differential Compression and Expansion Technologies

e. Subsystem Component Technologies

f. Thermoelectric Technologies

g. Materials for Traction Drive Motor Laminations, Cores, or Structures and

h. Engine Friction Reduction

7. Water: a. Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy b. Hydropower Applications

8. Wind: a. Logistics for Land-Based Wind Power