Question 1:
The FOA states two different submission methods and deadline dates for the letter of intent. Pages 1 and 28 of the FOA states that the submission date is May 3, 2012, whereas page 21 gives May 4, 2012 as the submission deadline. Page 21 also says that LOIs should be submitted to this email address (HAPHydrofoa@go.doe.gov), however, pages 28 and 29 state that LOIs should be submitted via the EERE exchange
Answer 1:
Page 21 of the FOA document has been revised to show the correct submission date for Letters of Intent – May 3, 2012 – and the correct place for submission of Letters of Intent - through the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.
Question 2:
Will a firm awarded an assessment study be disqualified from doing improvement or other work at a subject facility?
Answer 2:
DOE will not disqualify any firm from doing future improvements or other work on the facility (facilities) assessed by the assessment teams.
Question 3:
I recognize that I have missed the letter of intent due date but the application acceptance is still open. Is this project still open for bidding by teams? If so I am interested in more information and a point of contact for intent documentation.
Answer 3:
Per the Funding Opportunity Announcement, Letters of Intent were requested, but not required, so you may submit an application without having submitted a Letter of Intent. Applications must be submitted by the deadline of 5:00 PM EST on 6/14/2012.
Question 4:
It states on Page 5 of the announcement, last sentence, the following: “DOE is separately compiling a list of facilities that may be assigned to teams selected under this FOA”?
Is this DOE list available?. If so, can it be provided?
Answer 4:
DOE is in the process of compiling a list facilities that may be available for assessment(s). This list is not available at this time.
Of the facilities that will be available for assessments, DOE will select multiple facilities to be assessed. Those facilities will be assigned to the assessment teams as described in the announcement. A particular team will receive information about the assigned facilities. DOE does not plan to provide the overall list of facilities to all applicants.
Question 5:
1. Could you please let me know how long the training session in D.C. will be?
2. I would need to find the HydroPower Facility Data Sheets (p 23 in proposal). Could you give me the URL of the site?
Answer 5:
1. We are planning to have at least two full days for the workshop and have not decided on the location at this time. We plan to make the training location as central to the selected teams as possible.
2. You can find a copy of the Facility Data Sheet in Appendix C of the FOA.
Question 6:
1. Question: If awarded work on this contract, where in the country is the training slated to occur?
2. Question: Relative to the Assessment Team, can we show more than one person in each category (Assessment Team Leader, Power train and balance of plan expert, etc). Also, do we need to Specifically define each Assessment Team or can we simply show a few people in each category?
3. Question: Relative to the Submission, does it need to be ordered as described in Section IV, Subsection C. Content and Form of Application such as SF-424, then Project Summary, then Project Narrative, etc?
4. Question: The Project Summary/Abstract File must contain a summary of proposed activities. In reading the content, it appears that DOE is seeking a one page summary of each project the applicant bring forth. Do I have that correct? If an applicant does not bring forward a project, what is needed for this section? One of the requirements in the Project Summary states “…, including methods to be employed,…”. Please explain further it is meant by this.
5. Question: Is a separate Project Narrative file needed for each project the applicant brings forth? There is some level of confusion as to what is required for the Project Narrative file. In some areas it refers to Project specifics such as Project Objectives, Project Timetable, etc. There could be different project objectives for different projects. However, in other areas, such as the merit review criterion discussion, it is more of a description of how your team is qualified to conduct the work and our approach—something that would be pertinent to every project. Please provide more explanation of what should be required in the Project Narrative.
6. Question: Relative to the letters of recommendation for each team member, can this be from a co-worker?
Answer 6:
1. Response: We have not decided on the location at this time. We plan to make the training location as central to the selected teams as possible.
2. Response: No, there should be only one person in each category and all categories should be filled. Yes, each assessment team should be fully defined. Simply showing a few people in each category is not adequate. Note that Section I of the FOA states; ‘Organizations may submit multiple applications for more than one assessment team’. Only one team should be proposed per application.
3. Response: There is no required order for submission of the documents. It is a requirement that all items listed must be submitted, and all items must be labeled using the naming conventions provided.
4. Response: No, “Project” refers to the assessment activities of the proposed team and not to particular facilities. Section I of the FOA provides a summary of project purpose and objectives. Proposing a facility for assessment is preferred but not essential. For each hydropower facility proposed for assessment, the applicant must provide the facility details per ‘Appendix C – Hydropower Facility Data Sheet’ and a letter of commitment from the facility owner. If facilities are not proposed by the assessment team applications, DOE will assign facilities to the selected teams.
5. Response: “Project” refers to the assessment activities of the proposed team and not to particular hydropower facilities proposed for assessment. Per the FOA, each application can propose only one team, which will complete multiple assessments within an 18-month period. Section I. of the FOA provides a summary of project purpose and objectives.
6. Response: The FOA does not specify who letters of recommendation should come from. It will be up to the Merit Review Panel to evaluate the relevance of the letters submitted.
Question 7:
I would like to know where to send the application for this Funding Opportunity Announcement, the number is DE-FOA-0000700. It does not have an apply button, so this is why I ask this question. If you could send me a reply that would be grate, thank you for your time.
Answer 7:
You should now be able to see and utilize the “Apply” function for this FOA.
Question 8:
We filed a LOI earlier this month in response to DE-FOA-0000700 regarding HAP assessment teams. We have a few questions on which we’d appreciate some clarification, particularly in light of the upcoming deadlines for applications for HAP assessment teams (June 14) and facility registrations (June 25).
Can you clarify the number of assessments that EACH TEAM will be responsible for under DE-FOA-0000700 (or direct me to someone who can)? We note that the description (A) indicates assessments at “five (5) or more facilities” but also note that in (B) - objectives and purpose - it states “up to 40 standard assessments.” For example, if an assessment goes beyond “standard”, would a team still be expected to conduct at least 5? In addition, it will be difficult to estimate total costs in the application if the number and / or scope of the assessments is not clear
Answer 8:
For clarification, the reference to “40 standard assessments” is a reference to the total number of assessments that the DOE intends to complete as a result of this FOA, and the reference to “5 or more” relates to the number of assessments each team will perform.
This FOA intends to select teams to perform standardized assessments that have pre-determined assessment criteria. The DOE will provide the training on the standard assessments methodology. Teams will be expected to complete standardized assessments at 5 or more hydropower facilities. DOE does not have a reason to believe that an assessment should require effort beyond the standardized assessment methodology.
Applicants should complete budget justification file for 5 assessments utilizing average labor and travel costs for a diverse set of facilities in a variety of locations in the United States. The budget justification is expected to be a best estimate. DOE has developed the standard assessment methodology so that the scope of the assessments will be fixed in terms of facility components and the level of detail that will be addressed. Uncertainties in the level of effort required are limited, but Applicants should address any perceived uncertainties in their proposals. Examples of reports for assessments completed are available on the HAP website: hydropower.ornl.gov/HAP.