Question 1:
In this article I see there is mention of funding for electric vehicle charging in multi-unit housing through the VTO.
I looked at the DOE funding site listed at the bottom and couldn’t find such a solicitation or NOI.
Could you please steer me to that funding announcement pertaining to multi-unit housing charging?
Answer 1:
Please refer to te following link: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaIdbba83da0-9b58-4d26-8c6a-4a36230aed4f
Question 5:
1. Are Battery Electric Switcher locomotives applicable equipment deployments under the Electric Vehicle Charging Community Partner Projects if operating within a port facility and near disadvantaged communities? This would involve repowering a diesel locomotive, using new li-ion propulsion systems but reusing the train frame/chassis reducing embodied energy.
2. Does the concept paper need letters of commitments for vehicle deployments? Or just the full application?
Answer 5:
1. It is the prospective applicant’s responsibility to make the determination if their proposed project meets the requirements identified in the FOA/specific Area of Interest. Submittal of a concept paper will result in a recommendation regarding your proposed project.
2. No, letters of commitment for vehicle deployments are not required to be submitted with the concept paper.
Question 7:
I had two questions concerning Topic Area 2 of DE-FOA-0002475. In Section C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest, it states that AOI2 is not interested in applications that include the cost of EV charging infrastructure.
1. Does the word “infrastructure” here mean the charging pump itself, or the station hosting the pump? (i.e. Would the award be able to fund the charging pump, but not the land/asphalt/awnings/etc.? Or would it pay for neither?)
2. Would an award from this FOA support the purchase of PEV vehicles for a government entity for a current use? (i.e. Could we utilize the funding to change our fleet of gas powered inspection vehicles to PEVs?)
Answer 7:
1. Our definition of charging infrastructure includes electric vehicle supply equipment as well as all the supporting infrastructure. https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_infrastructure.html
2. It is the prospective applicant’s responsibility to make the determination if their proposed project meets the requirements identified in the FOA/specific Area of Interest. Submittal of a concept paper will result in a recommendation regarding your proposed project.
Question 8:
For AOI1, what is the definition of a rebate and tax incentive?
For example:
If the project wants to focus on charging in co-located areas: retail, medical clinics, hospitals and/or other businesses or government entities (e.g., museums, DMVs) where PEV drivers may have extended dwell times.
Can a city offer to cover installation/hardware/software costs for charging stations and vehicles for MFUs and workplaces? Does that constitute a rebate or an incentive?
Do the MFUs and workplaces have to be a partner within the application? Or can the city give them funding with them being a project partner?
Answer 8:
1. Yes. A city may cover installation/hardware/software costs for charging stations and vehicles for MFUs and workplaces. It is not considered a rebate or incentive if the city is making the commitment as part of the project application.
2. No. The MFUs and workplaces are not required to be partners.
Question 20:
Please see the below questions on topic areas 4a and 8.
Topic Area 4a: Research to Transform the Efficiency of Off-Road Vehicles
1. Does airport ground support equipment qualify as ‘off-road’ equipment?
2. Do TRUs fit within the definition of ‘off-road’ equipment?
Topic Area 8: Natural Gas Vehicle Technology Proof of Concept
1. Do light-duty vehicles qualify for this topic area? In the objective, it states that medium or heavy-duty vehicles are of interest, but in #2 under the General Requirements, it states “a description of the on-road natural gas light-, medium, or heavy-duty vehicles”. Please clarify.
2. Do bi-fuel (dual-fuel or non-dedicated fuel) vehicles qualify for this topic area?
3. If a project involved the purchase of a new natural gas vehicle, an upfit, and a fueling appliance, would the 50% cost-share requirement pertain to the overall cost, or specifically to the incremental cost of the upfit and fueling appliance? For example, would a fleet project partner be allowed to attribute the full cost of new natural gas vehicle purchase to the cost-share requirement, and have the grant funds cover 100% of the cost of the upfit and fueling appliance?
Answer 20:
AOI 4:
Commercial off-road vehicles are vehicles that do not travel on public streets or highways and are used for industrial, agricultural, or some other business activity. While there are many vehicles may technically qualify under this definition, the sectors referenced in the topic description (construction, mining, forestry, agriculture) are the largest emitters of greenhouse gas and criteria emissions. Applicants are encouraged to target technologies that have the biggest impact on energy use and emissions across the off-road sector
AOI 8:
1.The objective of this area of interest is to “spur adoption of on-road natural gas vehicles (medium or heavy-duty) in a specific fleet or community where the low emissions from natural gas can provide unique and immediate health benefits. The technical approach must utilize a proof-of-concept demonstration of five or fewer vehicles per fleet, along with supporting infrastructure in local public or private fleet(s), and validate the demonstration’s energy, environmental, economic and operational benefits with the purpose of reducing the burden from truck usage in these communities.” If light-duty vehicles help support this objective, they will be considered, but should not be the majority of vehicles proposed. They can supplement if it makes sense for a fleet.
2. Dedicated natural vehicles are preferred, but dual-fuel vehicles can be part of the mix.
3. The overall project cost share should be a minimum 50% of the total project costs, please see Section IV. Application and Submission Information H. Funding Restrictions Section vi. Equipment and Supplies. Keep in mind property considerations. Allowable costs are not limited to the incremental costs. For the example, this would be allowable, but if the vehicle is sold at some point, 50% of the sale could be owed back to the Government.
Question 21:
1) Both AOI 1 & 2 make reference to providing data to a designated national lab; should we reference a national lab in our proposals or will this lab be appointed by the DOE?
2) Will there be a teaming list made available on the EERE website for this FOA?
Answer 21:
1) The application does not need to reference a national lab for providing data.
2) No, a teaming list will not be provided. The applicant may propose a team which conforms to the requirements of the AOI specific “Teaming Arrangements”
Question 23:
1)For topic area 1 – do we have to use new PEVs only? Can we use certified used PEVs or used PEVs?
2)Do we have to have cash funds secured as part of our cost share before applying? For example we are currently applying to a grant for our EV work, but we won’t know if we will get it until June and it will be awarded until September or later. Can we include that in the cost share or not?
Answer 23:
1) Vehicles must be new OEM factory produced as described in Topic Area 1.
2) Please refer to Appendix A Cost Share Information of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
Question 24:
Regarding FFRDC participants, the FOA states:
For subawards to DOE FFRDCs, the recipient shall use the Department’s strategic partnership projects program and the terms and conditions established for that program.
With our company, the statement of work between the DOE FFRDC (subrecipient) and the lead institution (awardee) determines the type of contractual agreement between a national laboratory contractor and a private company or university [either a Strategic Partnership Project (SPP) or Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)].
Can the FFRDC determine the type agreement between the FFRC (as sub-recipient) and the awardee?
If so, please confirm that CRADAs will also be allowed between the FFRDC and the awardee as the FOA only references strategic partnership projects.
Answer 24:
The type of agreement between the FFRDC and the potential awardee must be negotiated between the two entities. CRADAs are an acceptable type of agreement.
Question 29:
A couple of questions regarding topic area #8 of the VTO FOA.
1. Is Propane included in the proof of concept project?
2. Would Off-road vehicles, licensed for on-road be considered for this topic area? (for example Yard Tractors)
3. Would off-road vehicles and a hybrid platform for lift trucks be considered for this topic?
Answer 29:
1.No – this topic (AOI 8) is focused on natural gas.
2. Yes, but consider that these must be powered by natural gas, and if used on-road: “all vehicles must be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) and/or the California Air Resources Board and meet applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for on-road use.”
3. Yes, but consider that these must be powered by natural gas, and if used on-road: “all vehicles must be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) and/or the California Air Resources Board and meet applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for on-road use.”
Question 33:
The FOA links to a web page for standard IP provisions, for which there are several options. How do we determine which categories we fall into? Specifically, what is the difference between a grant and cooperative award? What is the definition of domestic small business vs. large business? How do we determine the answer to “Special Data Statute” (yes/no)?
Answer 33:
1. Cooperative agreements include substational involvement, Grants do not.
2. Based on the size of your business you need to determine if you are a small or large business.
3. Please see Section VII. L. Rights in Technical Data.
Question 35:
We are interested in submitting a proposal regarding Topic Area 2 (Electric Vehicle Workplace Charging), however, we noticed that, on Page 37 of the FOA, two types of applications that are not of interest are listed:
• Applications that include the cost of EV charging infrastructure.
•Applications that include the cost of data from EV charging infrastructureor vehicles.
I would like to confirm whether it is true that we cannot use the grant money to purchase charging infrastructure for workplace charging. If it is true, would you be able to provide us with some guidance on what could be included in the budget?
Answer 35:
Amendment 1, Section I.C “Applications Specifically Not of Interest" Area of Interest 2 clarifies:
Applications that include the costs of EV charging infrastructure, electric vehicle supply equipment or the deployment of vehicles are not of interest.
It is the prospective applicant’s responsibility to make the determination if their proposed project meets the requirements identified in the FOA/specific Area of Interest. Submittal of a concept paper will result in a recommendation regarding your proposed project.
Question 36:
1. For AOI 1, the FOA states on page 37 that: “Applications that include rebates or tax incentives” are Not of Interest. Does this mean that proposals for AOI 1 that include rebates, tax incentives, or other incentives as match funds to contribute to the cost of deployed ZEVs and infrastructure are not allowed? In other words, does the remaining cost of the ZEVs and infrastructure deployed under AOI 1 have to be covered completely by cash match, or can it be supplemented with available vehicle and EVSE grants and/or incentives?
2. Can you please elaborate on the following statement in the FOA on page 71: “Property disposition will be required at the end of a project if the current fair market value of property exceeds $5,000.”
3. On page 84 of the FOA, it states: “Prime recipients must report the executive compensation for their own executives as part of their registration profile in SAM.” When must prime recipients complete this by?
4. Can you please elaborate on the following phrase in the FOA on page 89: “…the government retains an undivided reversionary interest in the equipment.”
Answer 36:
1. Please refer to Appendix A Cost Share Information of the Funding Opportunity Announcement.
2. As stated on page 71, please see the regulations at 2CFR 910.360 or 2CFR 200.310 through 2CFR 200.316 depending on your type of organization.
3. Please see page 2 of the FOA regarding SAM Registration
4. Essentially, the recipient holds conditional title to the property and the Government has an undivided reversionary interest in the share of the property value equal to the Federal participation in the project. The Government thereby retains a vested interest in purchased equipment until dispositioned in accordance with 2 CFR § 910.360(g). Please read 2 CFR § 910.360 - Real property and equipment, for a more complete elaboration on the phrase you have questioned.
Question 37:
1. Under Section C "Applications Specifically Not of Interest" under AOI 1 it states "Applications that include rebates or tax incentives". Can you provide any clarification on this item or what specifically related to rebates or tax incentives is not of interest?
2. Under Topic 1 "Electric Vehicle Charging Community Partner Projects", it states;
" Project approach must include both: 1. PEVs and charging infrastructure in underserved communities (e.g., lowincome, rural, and demographics that currently have minimal access to PEVs). 2. Multi-family housing and curbside charging providing PEV charging opportunities for residents without access to dedicated off-street parking."
Can you verify that a project must include both PEVs and charging infrastructure into the proposal. A project proposal for either PEVs or charging infrastructure alone will not meet the FOA requirements?
Answer 37:
1. Essentially, the recipient holds conditional title to the property and the Government has an undivided reversionary interest in the share of the property value equal to the Federal participation in the project. The Government thereby retains a vested interest in purchased equipment until dispositioned in accordance with 2 CFR § 910.360(g). Please read 2 CFR § 910.360 - Real property and equipment, for a more complete elaboration on the phrase you have questioned. .
2. Yes, they must include both.
Question 40:
1. Can you confirm that the Code of Federal Regulations applicable to this EERE solicitation allows for non-federal entities, both for-profit and not-for-profit, to take title to real property and equipment that is partially funded through an award issued under this funding opportunity?
2. Can you describe the full range of options for and how the directions articulated in 2 CFR 200.311(c), or other applicable CFRs, would be applied to the disposition of equipment at the end of the grant performance period in the scenario where the purchase cost of an electric school bus is split between the federal grant and a for-profit school bus service provider?
a. Does this grant cover anything more than the depreciation value of the equipment during the grant period of performance?
b. Are there other options beyond the three listed in 2 CFR 200.311(c) that may be presented to grant recipients as part of the disposition instructions?
3. Are all elements or approaches within a single Concept Paper required to meet both of the “must include” items listed on page 14 of the FOA?
4. Is there a specific distance between a curbside charger and multi-family or underserved single family housing which defines the threshold under which EERE considers the charging infrastructure to service the needs of those families and above which is deemed impractical?
5. Would a Level 2 or DCFC in a parking lot accessible to the multi-family residence be considered as meeting the intent of the second “must include” on page 14 of the FOA, or are the “curbside” and “without access to dedicated off-street parking” rigid requirements?
Answer 40:
1. Essentially, the recipient holds conditional title to the property and the Government has an undivided reversionary interest in the share of the property value equal to the Federal participation in the project.
2. The Government thereby retains a vested interest in purchased equipment until dispositioned in accordance with 2 CFR § 910.360(g). Please read 2 CFR § 910.360 - Real property and equipment, for a more complete elaboration on the phrase you have questioned. Disposition opitions will be discussed in more detail during negotiations if selected for award.
3. Please review the technical review criteria for concept papers identified in Section 5 of the FOA.
4. Access must be convenient to charging such that residents are able to reasonably own and operate a PEV.
5. Yes, Level 2 and DCFC EVSE in a parking lot accessible to multi-family housing is considered a PEV charging opportunity for the those residents.
Question 41:
1. In AOI2, are the cost of a) purchasing and b) installing EVSE allowable as cost share?
2. Under “Objective” in AOI2, you state in the first sentence “…a nationwide employee recognition program for offering workplace charging; …” – our question is should “employee” be “employer” in that sentence?
Answer 41:
1. Applications that include the costs of EV charging infrastructure, EVSE or the deployment of vehicles are not of interest under this AOI. Applications with these costs included will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered
2. This should read as "nationwide employer recognition program".
Question 49:
Federal Agency - are there any restrictions in having another federal agency as a subrecipient of an awarded project (ex: Military base electrification and public chargers, so Department of Defense as subrecipient)
National Labs- the FOA states that there is a preference using DOE tools for subprojects. Since the National Renewable Energy lab’s EVI Pro Tool fulfills the need for a regional EVSE analysis, would there be justification in partnering with NREL with a sole source subaward as a DOE national lab providing this service as priority under this award? Or must they go through a competitive selection process to be considered as an eligible partner? We have reviewed the FOA indepthly and are aware of the authorization form submittal with the full application of the contracting officer from the federally funded research and development center to be submitted and that they would receive funds directly from NCTCOG as a subrecipient of the award.
Answer 49:
1. No, there are no restrictions on having another federal agency to work on the project.
2A. DOE will not provide a recommendation on who the applicant may partner with. That decision is solely on the prime applicant.
2B. A competetive selection process is not required to propose a sub-awardee as a partner.
Question 72:
Question1:
Provided we have identified all sources of local/applicant cost sharing prior to application, can we identify a pool of federal dollars to be allocated after award, using an innovative competitive procurement process? This approach would ultimately allow us to assign more dollars and benefits to under-served communities.
Question 2:
Is solar-powered charging equipment allowed? Off-grid solar-powered charging equipment? Are there any similar types of limitations on charging equipment?
Question 3:
What is defined as a rural area? As we are looking to bring on partners from under-served communities and small municipalities, would an area outside of a major metropolitan area be defined as such? If so, is there a radius from outside a metro recommended?
Answer 72:
1. Federal dollars cannot be used as cost share. Entities should follow their established policies and procedures for competing sub-awards.
2. Please reference the AOI that your question relates to.
3.
(i) a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants; and
(ii) the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town with a population greater than 50,000 inhabitants.
Populations of individuals incarcerated on a long-term or regional basis and the first 1,500 individuals who reside in housing located on a military base are not included in determining whether an area is "rural" or a "rural area".
Question 78:
The Budget Justification Form is corrupt when I click on the link for the Low GHG FOA (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaIdbba83da0-9b58-4d26-8c6a-4a36230aed4f). I tried to open it in a different browser, still no luck. Can you update the link? Or send the form to me?
Answer 78:
The link provided downloads and opens the file without problem, please check with your system administrator. The Budget Justification Form can also be found on https://www.energy.gov/eere/funding/eere-funding-application-and-management-forms
Question 82:
1) If an entity is participating as a partner and receiving program material, but is not sub-recipient, are they still eligible for cost-share? if a vendor is a sub-recipient on the project, does that supercede its status as a vendor and thus ineligibility for cost share?
2) In the FOA, pg 59, 3rd bullet, the instruction states "The SOPO will contain a more detailed description of the WBS and tasks." This is the exact opposite direction from previous year FOAs templates that state "The SOPO will contain a more limited description of the WBS and tasks." Is the guidance given in FOA 0002475 stated incorrectly?
Answer 82:
1. An entity partner can provide cost share on the project. Vendors are not required to provide cost share.
2. The guidance in the FOA is accurate.
Question 91:
I have a question regarding subrecipients. In order to qualify as a subrecipient does an entity have to receive $250,000 or 25% of the grant and otherwise should be considered a vendor/contractor?
Or can a subrecipient receive any amount and still qualify as a subrecipient?
Answer 91:
No, a determination on whether an entity is classified as a subreciepent is not based on the dollar value of the award.
See 2CFR 200.330 for further information of the definition of a subrecipient.