EERE eXCHANGE: FAQs

Question 1: Will an individual within EERE contact me in advance of my submission of a concept paper?
Answer 1:

EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with Applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process as described in FOA Section VII. “Questions/Agency Contacts.” EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please read the entire FOA document for additional details regarding eligibility and application submission requirements.

Question 2: We are focusing to develop a software technology product focused on improving energy efficiencies and sustainability for the residential and community markets by pointing out energy inefficiencies and how people can make a change by adopting new technologies and changing their usage behavior. We looked at your website and would like to find out if you do fund product such as ours.
Answer 2: All submissions must be within the specified topic areas in the FOA. Submissions outside the scope of the specified topic areas will be considered non-compliant and will be rejected. Please see the requirements in FOA Section I. for your Topic Area. DOE will not comment on specific proposals except in response to concept papers that have been formally submitted per the instructions in the FOA.

Question 3: Are the NNSA labs and/or plants eligible to apply?
Answer 3:

The Funding Opportunity Announcement states that DOE National Laboratories are ineligible to apply. DOE National Laboratories includes DOE NNSA Labs. Please see the FOA Executive Summary and Section III.A. “Eligible Applicants” for additional detail.

Question 5: Are Foreign Entities eligible to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement?
Answer 5:

Foreign Entities are eligible to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement. Please see the FOA Executive Summary and Section III.A. “Eligible Applicants” for additional detail.

Question 6: Will the Webinar be available for potential applicants after the scheduled Webinar date?
Answer 6: A recording of the webinar presented Wednesday, March 5 is available at: http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/commercial-building-funding-opportunity-webinar. The webinar PowerPoint file (no audio) is available in the FOA listing in EERE Exchange, in the "FOA Documents" section.

Question 7: Who is eligible to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement?
Answer 7: Please see the FOA Executive Summary and Section III.A. “Eligible Applicants” for information on eligibility.

Question 8: Is this FOA intended for manufacturers of high impact technologies that can be used in commercial buildings or organizations that are constructing/renovating commercial buildings and installing high impact technologies (or both)?
Answer 8:

Please see the FOA Executive Summary and Section III.A. “Eligible Applicants” for information on eligibility. There is no preference for manufacturers or organizations that are constructing/retrofitting commercial building space.

Question 9: Will recipients of funds awarded under this funding opportunity announcement who offer software be required to open source all or any part of the solution it proposes? In other words will innovative software solutions be required to become open source if a company accepts an award under this FOA?
Answer 9:

Software developed with funding under this Funding Opportunity Announcement must be open source. The open source requirement does not extend to software developed or that existed prior to the award and that the awardee might use in performance of the award.

Question 10: Is the "feedback" stage on concept papers new?
Answer 10:

The Concept Paper “feedback” stage is not new. Feedback content may vary for each Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Question 11: Can state funding be used to show cost share?
Answer 11:

State funding can be used as cost share if it is not Federal funding passed through to the State that was initially awarded as a grant for another purpose. For example, DOE funding awarded through the State Energy Program (SEP) cannot be used as cost share on DOE awards under this FOA. For additional detail regarding Cost Sharing on DOE Financial Assistance Awards, see FOA Section III.B., and 10 CFR 600.30 at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title10/10cfr600_main_02.tpl.

Question 12: How many concept papers is EERE expecting?
Answer 12:

EERE cannot anticipate or disclose the number of applications.

Question 13: Would another U.S. Government Agency be eligible to apply to this FOA?
Answer 13:

See FOA Section III.A. “Eligible Applicants.” Federal agencies and instrumentalities (other than DOE) are eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient.

Question 14: Are letters of support from key partners allowed to accompany the concept paper?
Answer 14:

See FOA Section IV. “Application and Submission Information.” Letters of Support are not required at the time of Concept Paper submission. Any Letters of Support from partners/end users should be submitted as part of the Full Application.

Question 15: Is EERE focused on the scope or depth of proposed projects? Is there a limit to the scope of proposals? Can individual system and/or upgrades be proposed for this FOA?
Answer 15:

See Section I.A. of the FOA for detailed information pertaining to the desired content and purpose of proposals. “Ideal proposals will demonstrate the potential of the technologies, including their impact on building energy use, operational costs, market readiness, market penetration outlook (including commercial availability, sales channel plans and competitive pricing outlook) and other quantifiable and non-quantifiable benefits.”

Question 16: We assume the Open Refrigerated Display Case Retrofit topic would include projects for fan motor retrofits, is this correct? Or is the topic intended for the installation of Doors on the Open Display Cases?
Answer 16:

FOA Section I.B., “Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest” is not an exhaustive list of specific commercial buildings energy topics eligible for consideration under this FOA. For example, the Open Refrigerated Display Case Retrofit topic is not restricted to the installation of doors on the Open Refrigerated Display Cases.

Question 17: Can interested parties submit Concept Papers via e-mail?
Answer 17: EERE will not review or consider submissions submitted through means other than EERE Exchange. See FOA Section IV., “Application and Submission Information.”

Question 18: If we have questions with respect to eligibility, can we speak to someone at EERE about this?
Answer 18:

See FOA Section III. “Eligibility Information” and Section VII. “Questions / Agency Contacts.” Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with Applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process as described below.

Question 19: Are previous awardees/recipients permitted to apply to this Funding Opportunity Announcement?
Answer 19:

Past award recipients and partners on previous commercial buildings FOAs may apply to this FOA. Per Section II. A. 3. of this FOA, EERE will accept only new applications under this FOA. EERE will not consider applications for renewals of existing EERE-funded awards through this FOA.

Question 20: Can EERE assist applicants with SAM registrations and MPINs?
Answer 20:

See FOA Section VI.C.1.iii. for detail pertaining to registrations in System for Award Management (SAM). For questions pertaining to SAM registrations, please refer to the User Guides and FAQs at www.sam.gov. If you need additional assistance with SAM registrations, please contact the Federal Service Desk (https://www.fsd.gov/).

Question 21: 1. How are “Advanced Retro-commissioning (RCx) Strategies and Technologies” defined? 2. How soon will Applicants find out if their “Concept Paper” is eligible, and they can move forward with a “Full Application”?
Answer 21:

1. A common definition of Retro-Commissioning with references to additional resources is available here: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/seeaction/pdfs/commercialbuildings_factsheet_retrocommissioning_stateandlocal.pdf.

2. EERE anticipates providing “encourage/discourage” commentary to FOA concept paper applicants on or around April 18^th, 2014.

Question 22: 1) Can EERE provide a definition of a pilot site? Is it one building, a community, a state or a region? 2) If more than one climate is targeted, is EERE looking for each funded applicant to focus nationally, or is it acceptable to focus on different climates zones within a state?
Answer 22:

1) Each site would be defined by how the applicant is demonstrating the impact and performance of a technology or strategy. However, applicants are requested to provide a list of building addresses where potential work will be conducted for the purposes of historic preservation review.

2) EERE is looking for replicable models with the potential for widespread eventual adoption and deployment. This could be models demonstrated within a state but that can be replicated more broadly across the United States.

Question 23: 1) If partners with demonstration sites purchase part or all of the demonstration equipment from the applicant, can that purchase be considered cost share? 2) How will these laboratory partners be funded? 3) How should work scope and associated costs be included in the application if partners are not identified until after the award? 4) Are the 3rd party measurement and verification costs separate from the application budget? 5) Can an applicant identify laboratory partners before the application is submitted to develop a measurement and test plan?
Answer 23:

1) If partners with demonstration sites purchase part or all of the demonstration equipment for the applicant, that purchase may be allowable 3rd party cost share.

Award cost share is subject to 10 CFR 600.313 “Cost sharing or matching.” Award costs used for the purchase of property or equipment are subject to 10 CFR 600.321 “Real property and equipment” at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title10/10cfr600_main_02.tpl.

2) EERE/DOE will fund Laboratory partners through separate agreements.

3) Laboratory partners will conduct measurement and verification of the technology or strategy. The Laboratory scope will include a site evaluation, measurement and verification plan, instrumentation and monitoring, analysis and evaluation. Laboratory partners will provide a final evaluation report to EERE/DOE and Recipients for further deployment.

4) Yes, the Laboratory will undertake M&V under a separate DOE agreement.

5) EERE/DOE will identify Laboratory partners and develop the M&V agreement under a separate scope.

Question 24: Is new construction permitted under this award/FOA?
Answer 24:

Please see FOA section IV.H.4. regarding construction. EERE generally does not fund projects that involve major construction (i.e., construction of new buildings, major renovations, or additions to existing buildings). Recipients are required to obtain written authorization from the Contracting Officer before incurring any major construction costs.

Question 25: If an applicant has identified several technologies that work together well, is it possible to include more than one technology in a single concept?
Answer 25:

Applicants may submit concept papers that discuss the potential integration of different technologies. The concept paper should indicate that the technologies could be demonstrated together or in separate applications.

Question 26: Could LED lighting be considered as part of EERE's Topic Areas list?
Answer 26: FOA Section I.B., “Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest” is not an exhaustive list of specific commercial buildings energy topics eligible for consideration under this FOA. Proposals related to LED lighting would be considered.

Question 27: Are State Energy Offices eligible if the applications include projects for public school districts and community college networks that are independent, operationally and fiscally?
Answer 27:

State Energy Offices are permitted to apply to this FOA. Proposals may include projects for operationally and fiscally independent community college networks and public school districts. Cost Share for the applicant’s proposed project may not include funding from other Federal Sources.

State funding can be used as cost share if it is not Federal funding passed through to the State that was initially awarded as a grant for another purpose. For example, DOE funding awarded through the State Energy Program (SEP) cannot be used as cost share on DOE awards under this FOA. For additional detail regarding Cost Sharing on DOE Financial Assistance Awards, see FOA Section III.B., and 10 CFR 600.30 at: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title10/10cfr600_main_02.tpl

Question 28: A grant of $500K – $3M and cost sharing of 50%, can be interpreted to mean a total project budget of $1M – $6M including Federal and non-Federal funding, correct?
Answer 28:

The Cost Share Requirement for this FOA is 50%. Please see FOA section III. B. and Appendix B for additional assistance and clarification regarding cost share and cost share calculations.

Question 29: The webinar presented on March 5, 2014 outlined various requirements for the upcoming commercial building technology demonstration funding. The criteria included the statement "Building Owners will not be funded." However, under FOA-0001084 Section III.A. 2, Eligible Domestic Entities include "...for-profit entities, educational institutions and non-profit entities..." Will EERE please clarify how any of the eligible entities, who may own property, are ineligible?
Answer 29:

Building owners are ineligible to apply to this FOA as a prime applicant or as a subrecipient to a prime applicant, and are ineligible to receive funding at any tier through this FOA due to a Congressional Restriction associated with the appropriations for this FOA. The Appropriations state that, “within available funds, up to $10,000,000 is to continue high value research into energy efficient building systems with national application. Prior to execution of these funds, the Department shall ensure that the research has clear and measurable goals with realistic timeframes to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and submit the research plan to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The agreement supports the Better Buildings Challenge but directs no grants to alliance members be provided within this program.”

EERE does not have a method to differentiate or track who will be future Better Building Alliance and Better Building Challenge participants, thus EERE has restricted the eligibility of applicants. For additional information pertaining to eligibility, please reference FOA section III.

Question 30: Can EERE offer any clarification as to what qualifies as a “commercial building?"
Answer 30:

Applicants are recommended to refer to the Building Type Definitions included in the U.S. Energy Information Administration Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, at http://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/building-type-definitions.cfm.

Question 31: 1) Would technologies deployed in large multifamily buildings be appropriate for this FOA? 2) Would Solar Thermal Hot Water heating systems be an eligible technology for this FOA?
Answer 31:

1) Proposals including deploying technologies in large multifamily buildings are appropriate for this FOA.

2) Solar thermal hot water heating is an eligible technology under this FOA. EERE encourages applicants to submit references and other materials that support the applicant’s assertions that it is underutilized in the market.

Question 32: How do applicants know if a technology has been demonstrated multiple times? Does EERE have a list of previous demonstrations and awards?
Answer 32:

EERE does not have a list of demonstrated technologies specifically not of interest. Applicants are recommended to "reference technical data or reports to support the stated technology-specific energy savings and list all previous demonstrations" in proposals submitted to the FOA.

Question 33: 1) Could EERE please explain better the role of an institution outside US? 2) How can the foreign institution can receive the payment? 3) Can a foreign applicant participate to this FOA as a single organization or it is better to have a US partner in the team? 4) In case of participation of several team members (US and foreign) which is better indicate as Lead organization? 5) Is the registration in FedConnect compulsory?
Answer 33:

1) There are numerous restrictions and requirements specific to foreign entities’ participation in projects under this FOA. Please read the entire FOA, particularly Section III.A.3., “Foreign Entities” for detailed eligibility information for foreign entities; Section IV.D.9., “Waiver Requests: Foreign Entities and Performance of Work in the United States;” Section VI.C.3., “Foreign National Involvement;” and Section IV.H.3., “Performance of Work in the United States.”

2) Award prime recipients can receive payments through an Automated Clearing House (ACH) VIPERS system or by Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system, depending on the organization type.

3) See FOA Section III.A.3., “Foreign Entities” for detailed eligibility information for foreign entities. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.

4) Again, see FOA Section III.A.3., “Foreign Entities.” In general, the organization and structure of the team is at the discretion of the Prime Applicant.

5) See FOA Section VI.C.1., “Registration Requirements.” FedConnect registration could take several weeks to process and is necessary for a potential applicant to receive an award if selected under this FOA. Although not required in order to submit an application through the EERE Exchange site, all potential applicants lacking a DUNS number, or not yet registered with SAM or FedConnect should complete those registrations as soon as possible.

Question 34: What does EERE mean by Lead/Lag plug load strategies?
Answer 34: A resource for information on plug load management strategies can be found by visiting the GSA's Green Proving Ground Plug Load Management Suite website at http://gsa.gov/portal/category/105699. Lead/Lag is also referred to as "Master/Slave."

Question 35: Will EERE post a list of interested federal agencies or vendors that applicants might contact for this opportunity?
Answer 35: “Entities are encouraged to partner with Federal agencies and private retailers to demonstrate the technology(ies) or strategies on their site or installation, and EERE may match technologies identified through this funding opportunity with federal demonstration sites, but EERE will not provide a list of interested federal agencies or vendors for this opportunity.”

Question 36: Is a retailer who owns the building it occupies eligible to apply to this FOA, or only a retailer who leases the space it occupies?
Answer 36:

Per the FOA Executive summary, this funding will not be awarded to building owners. A retailer who leases the space it occupies is eligible to apply, subject to the other restrictions in FOA Section III. “Eligibility Information.”

Question 37: After signing up for EERE Exchange, do applicants have to do anything else other than Exchange registration to create the concept paper?
Answer 37:

See FOA Section VI.C.1. “Registration Requirements” for registration requirements.

Question 38: What are Control Numbers?
Answer 38: See FOA Section IV.A. regarding the application process and issuance of Control Numbers.

Question 39: In the announcement, I read “Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible to apply for funding.” We are considering using a trade association as our deployment partner for this project. Although they will be helpful in expediting adoption of the technology throughout our business sector, they will not be receiving funding for this project. Can I still identify them in the proposal even though they won’t be receiving funding, or will simply identifying them disqualify the proposal?
Answer 39: If a 501(c)(4) partner is not the lead organization, and receives absolutely no federal funding and is donating services for no financial or in-kind benefit, then the application would be eligible since the 501(c)(4) partner would not receive any benefits from taxpayer money.

Question 40: Where specifically are we able to upload and submit our concept papers? I was unable to find this in the FOA PDF or webinar.
Answer 40: See FOA Section IV. "Application and Submission Information." Concept Papers must be submitted via EERE Exchange at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.

Question 41: In reviewing the DE-FOA-0001084, it looks like we might have an eligible project topic/technology but I wanted confirmation. Also, does the deployment partner need to be determined at the time of concept paper?
Answer 41: Please see the requirements in FOA Section I. "Funding Opportunity Description" for your topic/technical area. All proposed technologies or approaches must have the potential to meet the EERE mission to dramatically reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase the energy efficiency of buildings. DOE will not comment on specific proposals except in response to concept papers that have been formally submitted per the instructions in the FOA. For concept paper content requirements, see FOA Section IV.C.1. "Concept Paper Content Requirements."

Question 42: I am trying to insert our Abstract into the first screen in EERE Exchange and I am receiving errors. Will you please confirm the limit of characters as our abstract is less than the three pages required in the FOA?
Answer 42: The Abstract field in EERE Exchange should be a brief (less than 4,000 characters) summary of the project proposal, and is not the same as the Concept Paper. The Abstract entered into Exchange may be the same as the one-page "Abstract/Summary for Public Release" as described in FOA Section IV.D.5. Try first composing the Abstract in MS Word, where you can check the number of characters before pasting the Abstract into the field in Exchange. Edit the Abstract to fit within the Exchange character limitation.

Question 43: Questions on SF-424 Application form: 1. Box 5a and 5b– Federal Entity Identifier and Federal Award Identifier- Can you tell me where to find this information? 2. Box 11 asks for the CFDA Title. I have the CFDA number (81.086), but I’m unclear as to where to find the title. 3. Box 13 asks for Competition Identification number and then there’s an area for the Title; I am unclear as to how to answer this as well. 4. Box 19 - Is this application subject to review by State under Executive Order 12372 Process?
Answer 43:

1. SF-424 box 5a. "Federal Entity Identifier" and 5b. "Federal Award Identifier" should be left blank.
2. Box 11: CFDA Title is "Conservation Research and Development."
3. Box 13: "Competition Number/Title" is the FOA Number/Title: DE-FOA-0001084/Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations.
4. Box 19: Select box c. Program is not covered by E. O. 12372.

The SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form in Exchange has been updated to include an Instructions page at the end of the document.

Question 44: The FOA lists registration to multiple systems as recommended as part of the process. These include: EERE, DUNS, SAM, FedConnect, and Grants.gov. Of those, I am not successful in getting a DUNS number because this appears to be set up and tied to a business entity, however I am applying to this as an individual (and group of individuals). The FOA lists individuals as capable of applying, so I'm just confirming that not having a DUNS number is not a deal-breaker. The second question I have is on the Grants.gov site, in registering to receive updates on this DOA. I am having trouble getting this site to find the FOA by the 0001084 number, when typing it in in the register input. I have tried a few combinations unsuccessfully. However, this FOA is searchable and available to view by the CFDA number.
Answer 44:

If your full application is selected for negotiation for award, a DUNS number will be required before the award is made, so it is strongly recommended that applicants begin the DUNS process early. Organizations/individuals must have a DUNS number prior to registering in the SAM. Individuals such as contractors who are engaged in a specific commercial activity are eligible for a DUNS number.

For Grants.gov support, see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

Question 45: The Application User Guide said there would be an option for Uploading multiple documents. I have uploaded my Concept Paper and Addendum but the other 3 documents (SF-424 Application, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and the EERE_159_-_Budget_Justification) still need to be uploaded. Where do I upload these if the option for Upload next document isn’t there? Also, if they are all to be sumitted in a PDF format, how do I submit the Budget Justification which is Excel and is multiple pages?
Answer 45: Please read FOA Section IV. "Application and Submission Information" in its entirety. This section states the other 3 documents (SF-424 Application, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, and the EERE_159_-_Budget_Justification) are part of the Full Application, and the Budget Justification (EERE 159) is to be submitted in Microsoft Excel format.

Question 46: Could this grant be used to buy property and put up an energy efficient building?
Answer 46: Please read FOA Section !. "Funding Opportunity Description" for Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest. Applicants had to submit a compliant Concept Paper by 5 pm ET March 31, 2014 in order to submit a Full Application.

Question 47: I submitted my concept paper for the 3/31/14 deadline – When is the expected date for the concept paper review to be completed?
Answer 47:

Concept Paper encourage/discourage reviews are expected to be completed in Exchange late Friday, April 18, 2014. Applicants who submitted a compliant Concept Paper through Exchange will receive an email notifying them to log into Exchange to check the "My Submissions" tab to see encourage/discourage status and reviewer comments, if any.

For additional information on Exchange system navigation, see EERE eXCHANGE Applicant User Guide_06July2011 at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx.

Question 48: Has the date been extended or is an extension to the date being considered to submit a concept paper for this funding opportunity?
Answer 48: Applicants had to submit a compliant Concept Paper by 5 pm ET March 31, 2014 in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

Question 49: Will this grant have funding in place this year? I see in the grant summary no dollars are listed so I am wondering if by May you might have a maximum dollar amount we could consider applying for.
Answer 49: See the full announcement at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx. Applicants had to submit a compliant Concept Paper by 5 pm ET March 31, 2014 in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application.

Question 50: What is the anticipated Federal Funding per award from DE-FOA-0001084? Is it possible to contact DOE personnel directly by phone and discuss proposed projects?
Answer 50:

Please see FOA Section II. A. Award Overview for information pertaining to award funding.

EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with Applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process as described in FOA Section VII. “Questions/Agency Contacts.” EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please read the entire FOA document for additional details regarding eligibility and application submission requirements.

Question 51: When will Applicants receive feedback/eligibiltity confirmation to proceed with the submission of a Full Application?
Answer 51: DOE anticipates notifying applicants by email late Friday, April 18 that Concept Paper reviews are complete. Applicants will need to log in to EERE Exchange and navigate to the award’s “My Submissions” section to check the encourage/discourage status. Not all awards will have comments on the concept papers. If an applicant’s Concept Paper status is “Not Submitted” or the Concept Paper was otherwise noncompliant (content was not responsive to the FOA requirements, etc.), the proposal may not be submitted as a Full Application.

Question 52: Is Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0001084 still open for Full Applications?
Answer 52:

The Funding Announcement for this opportunity is still open. In order to be eligible for Full Application, Applicants were required to submit Concept Papers by 5pm ET on March 31, 2014. Please refer to EERE-Exchange.energy.gov for other funding opportunities.

Question 53: What are the expectations of the scope of the energy audit in terms of life cycle analysis?
Answer 53:

DOE does not have a requirement around Life Cycle Costs (LCC). The scope of the audit and metrics or targets around lifecycle cost should be determined based on the applicant’s market assessment.

Question 54: 1. Will the Recipients have the opportunity to work with DOE and the Laboratory Partners to define the M&V methodology and report format? 2. Will it be acceptable to DOE if applicants provide in their proposal the process and timeframe by which demonstration sites will be selected, along with letters of support from their project partners indicating their commitment to provide appropriate demonstration sites? 3. Can activities to overcome market barriers to support deployment be considered for the cost share? For example, can providing education to the market on the proposed technology using the results of the demonstration projects be considered for the cost share?
Answer 54:

1. DOE will provide lab verification and will work with the recipient to accommodate the needs of deployment partners.

2. DOE prefers that specific information about demonstration sites is included in the application. This is to facilitate the NEPA evaluation of proposed projects and to ensure the proper time to demonstrate while allowing time for deployment activities within the project period of the award.

3. Yes, market outreach, communications, training, etc. are acceptable cost share expenditures within the limits of Federal Cost Principles.

Question 55: On page 30 it states applicants are required to submit a data management plan with their full application. However, on page 19 the table of submission requirements does not have a data management plant component listed. Is the data management plan to be an appendix to the technical narrative? Or is it a separate document? If a separate document, what is the proper file name?
Answer 55: The required Data Management Plan can be included in the Technical Volume submitted with Full Applications.

Question 56: Can DOE personnel speak directly with interested parties? Can DOE assist interested parties register in Grants.gov?
Answer 56:

EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with Applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process as described in FOA Section VII. “Questions/Agency Contacts.” EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please read the entire FOA document for additional details regarding eligibility and application submission requirements.

For assistance with Grants.gov, please contact Grants.gov support at support@grants.gov or visit http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html.

Question 57: Will projects that have a POP of less than 36 months be considered?
Answer 57:

Please see FOA section II.A.2. which states “EERE anticipates making awards that will run up to 60 months in length.” Proposed projects with shorter Periods of Performance are eligible for consideration.

Question 58: May Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) be included in Full Application submissions if not previously included in the Concept Paper?
Answer 58:

Yes, REITs may participate in an Applicant’s Full Application.

Please ensure that all parties understand that Building Owners are ineligible to apply to this FOA as a prime applicant or as a subrecipient to a prime applicant, and are ineligible to receive funding at any tier through this FOA due to a Congressional Restriction associated with the appropriations for this FOA. The Appropriations state that, “within available funds, up to $10,000,000 is to continue high value research into energy efficient building systems with national application. Prior to execution of these funds, the Department shall ensure that the research has clear and measurable goals with realistic timeframes to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and submit the research plan to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The agreement supports the Better Buildings Challenge but directs no grants to alliance members be provided within this program.”

EERE does not have a method to differentiate or track who will be future Better Building Alliance and Better Building Challenge participants, thus EERE has restricted the eligibility of applicants. For additional information pertaining to eligibility, please reference FOA section III “Eligibility Information.”

Question 59: Can the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)’s in-kind work or cash funds be recognized as cost share?
Answer 59:

Yes, cost share (in-kind or cash) provided by Bonneville Power Administration is be allowed since it is not Federal funds.

Question 60: Can applications be submitted if concept papers were not submitted? How can interested parties get on the mailing list for future opportunities like this?
Answer 60: Interested parties were required to submit a concept paper in order to be eligible for the submission of a Full Application. Grants.gov has the capability to notify interested parties of new grant opportunities. In order to be notified of future opportunities posted by EERE on Grants.gov, please visit Grants.gov and click on Manage Subscriptions or follow the link provided below.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html

The Grants.gov posting will provide a link to EERE-Exchange.energy.gov for the grant opportunity.

Question 61: Is EERE able to disclose the average percentage of proposals that are funded through this type of FOA compared to the total number of proposals submitted?
Answer 61:

EERE cannot and will not disclose the average percentage of proposals funded for FOAs nor the number of proposals received for this particular FOA.

Question 62: How should Applicants document any market analysis performed directly by the entity or by hired firms?
Answer 62: Applicants may cite market research performed in the References and include pertinent excerpts in the body of the Technical Volume.

Question 63: Will FOA documents be provided to Applicants through Grants.gov?
Answer 63:

The grants.gov synopsis is just a summary of the Funding Opportunity Announcement, as well as the summary statement found in Exchange. The Funding Opportunity Announcement and ancillary documents are provided to applicants through EERE-Exchange.energy.gov.

Question 64: On page 2, it is indicated that “EERE may (ital. mine) match technologies identified through this funding opportunity with federal demonstration sites; thereby using federal buildings to lead by example…” Should applicants submit with federal building partners already known? Is it possible to not do the work at a Federal site but maybe a state or private sector site? Will EERE impose the federal part on an applicant?
Answer 64:

Applicants are not required to use Federal buildings as a demonstration option. Applicants may submit proposals using a variety of demonstration sites and may propose projects at either Private sector buildings or Federal buildings.

Question 65: Is the Full Application, besides the summary page and the PowerPoint slide, confidential? What parts of applications are open to public dissemination?
Answer 65:

See FOA Section VIII.E. “Treatment of Application Information.”

Question 66: Question #1: Is the cost of product eligible for either Government funding or cost share? Question #2: We plan to utilize energy efficiency rebates by Utilities to finance a portion of costs for retrofits. Can these rebates count as Cost Share? Question #3: Can product line extensions be included in the project?
Answer 66:

#1: Costs of equipment and supplies directly attributed to the proposed projects are eligible for Government funding and cost share as long as they meet the OMB Cost Principles detailed in 2 CFR 200.

#2: If the proposed rebates are recovered during the proposed project period, the energy efficiency rebates may be used as Cost Share.

#3: Regarding the question about whether product line extensions are eligible, please submit a follow-up question with additional clarifying information. Also, see FOA Section I. “Funding Opportunity Description” for more information on eligible projects.

Question 67: Will EERE please provide some more guidance on the contents and length of a US manufacturing Plan that is required?
Answer 67:

EERE does not have any prescribed standard language or template for the US Manufacturing Plan because it is anticipated and expected that the content will vary widely among proposed projects by Applicants. For more information, please see the FOA Section IV.D.10.

Question 68: How strict/stringent is the cost share commitment letter? Is there an opportunity between the time when a proposal is selected and officially awarded that enables the cost-share party (or parties) to discuss/better understand what officially constitutes the commitment?
Answer 68:

Firm cost share commitments are not required at the time of application to this FOA, but will be required before an award is made to an applicant selected for negotiations. Please see FOA Section III.B.4. and Appendix B for additional information pertaining to Cost Share and Cost Share Verification.

Question 69: What is the “Federal Entity Identifier” for block 5a of the SF-424 Application for Financial Assistance?
Answer 69:

The Federal Entity Identifier for the Department of Energy is 8900. Applicants are not required to include this code on the SF-424.

Question 70: 1. If a building requires an upgrade of some sort – for example sub-meters, a BMS front-end upgrade or VFDs – in order to deploy our technology, can that upgrade cost be included as part of the project budget to be 50% funded by the grant? 2. If our deployment partners charge us a fee for make-ready work, system integration and project management during the course of the grant, can those costs be included as part of the project budget to be 50% funded by the grant? 3. If the deployment partner purchases our solution as per the example in Question 23, do those partners have to be listed as the Lead Organization or can they just be part of the Team? Would you please clarify the question?
Answer 70:

1. Yes, the cost of an upgrade may be included depending on the upgrade and subject to funding requirements including NEPA review.

2. Yes, applicants may include the fees charged for these proposed costs in the total project budget in their application submission.

3. Only one organization can be the Lead Organization on an application to this FOA. Pleaseclarify the question - is the deployment partner in the third question above a customer of your solution?

Question 71: 1. The proposed period of performance is 5 years, but the EERE 159 template only provides columns for budget periods 1-3. Are applicants allowed to add columns for years 4 and 5? If adding columns is not allowed, how do applicants submit a budget for a 5-year period? 2. Are prime applicants required to submit a separate EERE for vendors with project total costs greater than $100,000?
Answer 71:

1. The EERE 159 template may be edited by applicants to include additional budget periods. The applicant may do so if they believe each fiscal year of the project will represent a budget year.

2. Applicants are requested to submit a separate Scope of Work and quote for Vendors with project costs in excess of $100,000. A separate EERE 159 is not required for Vendors. Per FOA Section IV.D.7. “Subaward Budget Justification (EERE 159),” Applicants must provide a separate budget justification, EERE 159 (i.e., budget justification for each budget year and a cumulative budget) for each subawardee/subrecipient that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25 percent of the total work effort (whichever is less).

Question 72: The Technical Volume is required to be submitted as a PDF file. The Workplan, a component of the Technical Volume, is required to be submitted as a Word file. In which format should the Workplan be submitted?
Answer 72:

The Workplan should be included within the PDF Technical Volume, instead of as a separate Word document.

Question 73: Do the Milestone Summary Table, Work Breakdown Structure, and Project Schedule (Gantt chart) count towards the 5-page limit in the Workplan section of the Technical Volume?
Answer 73:

Yes, the Milestone Summary Table, Work breakdown Structure and Project Schedule all count towards the 5 page limit of the Workplan Section of the Technical Volume as identified on pages 21 through 23 of the FOA.

Question 74: Can EERE confirm that the Certs & Assurances back up referred to at Field 21 is “not required to be attached” to the Form 424, but the box needs to be checked?
Answer 74: The box in field 21 of the SF-424 must be checked by the Applicant. The Applicant is not required to attach the certifications with the SF-424 when submitting an application to this FOA. A list of the Certifications and responsibilities of the Applicant can be referenced in section VI. C. 8. of the FOA.

Question 75: Is the Demonstration Sites List required as a separate document from the Technical Volume, in addition to the one-page Building Site(s) component included in the Technical Volume?
Answer 75:

Applicants are requested to include the Demonstration Sites List in the Technical Volume.

Question 76: Are products that are in the process of receiving EPA emission approval eligible for the demonstration? Is it possible to receive EPA emission waivers on the test units as part of the study?
Answer 76:

Regulatory and code approvals affecting market readiness of demonstration products will be considered as part of the merit review of applications. The potential of products to complete EPA review and approval will be considered during Merit Review. Demonstration tasks of proposed projects, if selected, can be structured to allow additional time for EPA Approval. DOE cannot provide a waiver for EPA regulation of proposed products.

Question 77: If an applicant anticipates Program Income from a proposed project, where other than Block 18 on the SF-424 should this be documented?
Answer 77: If the Applicant anticipates program income, this income will need to be documented in the SF-424 in block 18 and on the SF-424A Budget Information form which is included in the EERE 159 Budget Justification form.

Question 78: Do the Davis-Bacon Act and the Buy American Act apply to this funding solicitation and agreement?
Answer 78: Davis-Bacon and the Buy American Act will not apply to awards generated by this FOA.

Question 79: Applicants can change the lead organization on the Funding Opportunity Exchange submission site. Would it be acceptable for a previously encouraged Lead Organization to submit a Full Application identifying an alternate Lead Organization?
Answer 79:

As stated in FOA Section IV.A. “Application Process,” only applicants who have submitted an eligible Concept Paper will be eligible to submit a Full Application. Applicants are not allowed to transfer eligibility status to other Lead Organizations after the submittal of a Concept Paper. Full Applications submitted with the same Control Number as a previous Concept Paper but different Lead Organizations will be marked non-compliant and will not be eligible for consideration.

Question 80: Will the SF 424 get signed automatically by the system or should Applicants print, sign and add the attachments to a scanned pdf?
Answer 80: Please print and sign the SF-424 and scan this document. If the applicant has the capability to electronically sign the SF-424, then an electronic signature is also appropriate for the submission of this application document.

Question 81: We are the lead organization in the application. We are working with deployment partners (who will be named in Application as “team members”) who would purchase our software and install it in the Demonstration Sites (their customers), thereby acting as a reseller. They typically add a margin on top of the purchase price to cover the project mgmt. and other ongoing costs, and resell that software to the end customer. The Deployment partner also may have additional costs for deployment, as mentioned in question #70 (upgrades and project mgmt.). Are all of the following costs okay to be included in the project costs for 50% matching of the Grant: a) The purchase price paid to us by the Deployment Partner; b) the margin added by the Deployment Partner; and the c) additional costs for upgrades and project management?
Answer 81:

A) and B): The purchase price paid to the Lead Organization by the Deployment Partner for the software, and margin added by the Deployment Partner, might be considered program income rather than a project cost to the Prime Recipient. C): If there are additional costs for upgrades and project management by the Deployment Partner those costs might be allowed, but more information will be necessary to make a determination. Please provide more detailed information in the EERE 159 Budget Justification and other appropriate sections of the full application, and see 10 CFR §600.314 "Program income" and 10 CFR §600.318 "Fee and profit" at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title10/10cfr600_main_02.tpl for more information.

Question 82: There is a limitation in uploading multiple subawardee Budget Justification spreadsheets on the EERE Exchange site. How are Applicants supposed to upload multiple Subawardee Budget Justifications?
Answer 82:

The Prime Applicant Budget Justification is the only required budget document and subawardee budget justifications can be submitted and negotiated at a later point in time, if the Prime Applicant is selected for an award.

Question 83: On the Instructions and Summary page, does the cost share amount get included as part of each category line item or is it included in only one, separate line item?
Answer 83:

Applicant cost share and DOE Federal share for itemized cost categories should be combined in the Budget Justification Summary tab and detailed tabs a - i. On the Cost Share tab, Applicants should document how and where cost share is being applied, the format (cash or in-kind contributions), and the basis of cost.

Question 84: One of the FOA deadlines is for “Replies to Reviewers: 6/17/14 5PM ET.” Will Applicants receive Reviewer Questions via e-mail? If so who will the e-mail be addressed to? The PI or the Business Contact? Thank you.
Answer 84:

Upon notification in mid-June 2014, Applicants will log in to eere-exchange.energy.gov to view the comments provided by reviewers to the Applicant, and have the opportunity to upload Responses to Reviewer Comments by 5:00 ET on June 17, 2014. Applicant responses will be limited to 3 pages. For additional assistance with EERE-Exchange, please view the Applicant User guide by clicking on the following link:

EERE eXCHANGE Applicant User Guide_06July2011

Question 85: I have received comments from Reviewers regarding the lack of cost share letters, and I was unable to upload copies of indirect and fringe benefit rate agreements. There was no ability to upload these documents as supplemental attachments.
Answer 85:

Cost share letters may be provided in the response to Reviewer Comments subject to the page limit specified in FOA Section IV.F., "Content and Form of Replies to Reviewer Comments," or during award negotiations if the Applicant is selected. If applicable, Indirect and Fringe benefit rate agreements should be provided during award negotiations if the Applicant is selected.

Question 86: How do I view and respond to Reviewer Comments?
Answer 86:

As described in the EERE Exchange Applicant User Guide pages 22-23 (available at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx), navigate to the "My Submissions" tab in Exchange. This tab takes the applicant to a summary screen of their submissions. By clicking on the control number of the proposal, the applicant arrives at the Full Application detailed screen, where each uploaded file appears. Below that section appears a new section for Reviewer Comments. Applicants can view and respond to Reviewer Comments from that screen.

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