Frequently Asked Questions

Select a FOA to view questions and answers for the specific funding opportunity. Alternatively select "Non-FOA related items" to view system FAQ items.

Question 1: I am interested in getting more information on the teaming requirements for this FOA. Who is eligible to apply in a teaming arrangement?
Answer 1:

Please refer to the General Requirements in Section I of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), specifically number 6, which outlines and encourages teaming arrangements.  Also, please review Section III - Eligibility Information for further information on who can apply and teaming arrangements.   
Question 2: I have a question around the eligibility requirements. Are corporate entities eligible to apply for this FOA, in partnership with Clean Cities Coalitions, labs or universities?
Answer 2: Please review Section III - Eligibility Information, "all types of domestic entities" includes all domestic entities "except for NETL or other Federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995."  Therefore, corporate domestic entities, state entities, nonprofit domestic entities and so forth are eligible to apply as a prime recipient.
Question 3: I am not able to access the full announcement.
Answer 3: The full announcement is not located at www.grants.gov.  If you are on the grants.gov site, under this the subject Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) please follow the "Link to Additional Information" link (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov) to the EERE eXCHANGE website where you can search for the FOA and download the full announcement. 
Question 4: It appears that IDLE Reduction is NOT an applicable component of this RFP. Can we include IDLE Reduction/costs and education as a component of our GRANT application?
Answer 4: Proposals that include Idle Reduction as a petroleum reduction method will be considered under this Funding Opportunity Announcement. 
Question 5: It is unclear whether biojet (aviation biofuel) is eligible and of interest under this FOA. EPAct does state that “fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials” are considered an alternative fuel. Biojet used in the US is made from the same biological sources as biodiesel. Is this an eligible fuel under this FOA?
Answer 5: In accordance with Section I of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), this FOA "is fuel neutral; therefore applications should focus on one or more alternative fuels (identified at http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels.index.html),... the use of biodiesel should not include blends less than 20% biodiesel (B20)..." Also, please note the FOA General Requirements #2, which states that "Applications should focus on the use of on-road alternative fuel vehicles. However, applications that include off-road vehicles (i.e. ground support vehicles at public airports; medium and heavy duty freight loading and handling vehicles at ports and freight operations) as a secondary aspect may be considered, as long as the activities help to leverage the development of programs, policies, and infrastructure that will significantly advance the deployment of on-road alternative fuel vehicles." 
Question 6: On page 8 of the FOA, it states that "Funds may not be used for the purchase or installation of fueling infrastructure or vehicles." My organization is investigating using financial incentives to encourage third parties to purchase alternative fuel vehicles. Would this program be in violation of the grant? If we had such a program as part of our application, would our grant application be considered non-responsive?
Answer 6:

Section I of the subject Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Policy Initiatives section provides examples of application concepts that deal with financial and other forms of incentive programs and their impacts on consumer behavior and adoption. However, it is not the intent of the FOA to provide funding for financial incentive programs.
Question 7: I saw in the FOA "Funds may not be used for the purchase or installation of fueling infrastructure or vehicles. Applications that propose to use funds for either of these unallowable items may be considered non-responsive." If our barrier to advancing alternative fuel markets is the conversion of our fleet vehicles to CNG, can we use the grant funds to purchase conversion kits, training installation and marketing to similar sized organizations?
Answer 7:

It is not the intent of the subject Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to provide funding for "the purchase or installation of fueling infrastructure or vehicles." This includes the purchase of the conversion kits, however the training and marketing aspects are provided as examples of activities that would be considered under the FOA.