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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA0002893 - FY23 Program Wide Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO)"]
["Question","Question","Answer"]
[1,"I am working on a project that pertains to \"…\" Could you please tell me if I can discuss this project further to determine eligibility for DE-FOA-0002893?","Please submit a concept paper to receive a DOE recommendation regarding your proposed project.  DOE will not discuss over the phone or in person."]
[2,"I would like to ask you, please, the following couple of questions on Topic 6 “Hydrogen Combustion Engines”:\n1.  Are also gas turbine concepts of interest, e.g. for aviation and aerospace applications? \n2.  If there is interest, other than 100% H2 fueled gas turbine, is also mixed Natural Gas / H2 fuel (at different rates) turbines of interest for the present call?","Gas turbines are not of interest to AOI 6. \n\nAOI 6 is targeted to 100% hydrogen applications."]
[3,"Regarding DE-FOA-0002893, AOI’s 1 and 2, FFRDC participation requirement eligibility; Page 62, Article III.E.i states: “DOE/NNSA FFRDCs and Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are not eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient for AOI 1a and AOI 2.” Can you please confirm AOI 1a and 2 restrict National Laboratories from participating in proposed scope or assisting industry applicants?","Correct.  National Laboritories are classified as FFRDCs, thus are not eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient for AOI 1a and AOI 2. In accordance with Amendment 000003, FFRDCs are no longer eligible to apply for AOI 14"]
[4,"Would portable Li-ion battery energy storage systems qualify under the Area of Interest 13? ","If the proposed systems are part of an effort supporting electric transportation, then they may qualify. 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.    "]
[5,"Page 57 of the FOA states: “For-profit entities, educational institutions, and nonprofits that are incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States, have majority domestic ownership and control, and have a physical location for business operations in the United States are eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient or subrecipient.”\n\nPage 58 states: “Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are eligible to apply for funding as a subrecipient, but are not eligible to apply as a prime recipient.”\n\nCan you clarify?","As listed within III.A.iii Domestic Entities, Non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDCs) are specifically listed as not eligible to apply as a prime recipient."]
[6,"I hope you are doing well. I have been in discussions regarding a proposal for the most recent FOA on ammonia and hydrogen blends under AOI 6.  I would like to inquire whether including ammonia would be out of scope for the AOI? ","We will not consider NH3 and H2 blends for this AOI."]
[7,"Given that FHWA Charging & Fueling Infrastructure proposals are due June 13, is there ANY CHANCE concept paper deadlines could be pushed out a couple weeks?","There are no extensions being granted for Concept Paper due dates."]
[8,"I am wondering whether Idaho National Lab is legal for AOI 1b. It seems the other national labs are legal in this area as sub.","FFRDC's are not allowed to apply to AOI 1a and 2, specifically.  FFRDC's are eligible on all other AOI's. In accordance with Amendment 000003, FFRDCs are no longer eligible to apply for AOI 14"]
[9,"I wanted to inquire why participation on the part INL is forbidden in DE-FOA-0002893 as listed on page 57? ","As referenced on page 2 of Amendment 00001, Idaho National Laboratory is eligible to participate in applications where FFRDC's are eligible to apply."]
[10,"In the Teaming Arrangements for the Topic 13 (page 48) you suggested to teaming with Clean Cities Coalition and you provided the URL address for this entity (https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/locations/). Questions:\n\n1. Is it mandatory to team with a Clean City Coalitions?\n2. Can one teaming with any of the other suggested partners (3 – 8) instead?\n3. Can you provide links (URL addresses) or examples for the other strategic partners suggested, such as (3 – 8):\n\n     3. Local/regional/state governments, metropolitan planning organizations Community-based organizations that focus on the needs and perspectives of underserved communities; \n     4. Transit;\n     5. Transportation network providers; \n     6. Vehicle, fuel, energy, and infrastructure providers; \n     7. Utility companies; and\n     8. Fleets and other end-user groups. ","1.  Yes; per FOA section I.B Topic Areas: “The project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget). Active Coalitions can be found at: https://cleancities.energy.gov/coalitions/locations/ .”\n\n2.  Not instead – teaming with a Clean Cities Coalition is a requirement.  Teaming with these and other entities are still encouraged.\n\n3.  We cannot, as the list would be very extensive, and not all-inclusive."]
[11,"We're writing to inquire whether a team that's currently working on another DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) Program from a previous year can apply for the 2023 round","Yes, selection under the FY22 VTO Program does not prohibit application for the FY23 VTO Program. Any application submitted needs to be separate and distinct to this FOA. "]
[12,"I am writing to understand if kinetic-based energy storage and charging solutions qualify for funding, as only chem batteries are listed in the “Topic areas of interest” section.","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[13,"We are interested in pursuing the Improved 12-volt Lead Acid Batteries for Safety-critical Electric Vehicle Applications topic.\n\nDoes our interest in aluminum-ion chemistry for this role rule us out, or should we submit a concept paper?","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[14,"We have two questions regarding AOI1:\n\n1. Will a proposal that is focused on an 800V architecture be evaluated differently than a 1kV architecture?\n\n2. Can the on-board charger be at 800V but the battery and inverter rated at >1kV? ","The following is a potential area of innovation, but not a requirement: \"Higher voltage on-board system architecture (> 1kV).\"\n\nIt 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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[15,"Regarding AOI 6 – Hydrogen Combustion Engines in the new FOA-0002893, would ammonia fueled vehicles that reform to hydrogen on-board for combustion in engines be applicable to this area?  Or, does the fuel tank on the vehicle need to be hydrogen directly?","The focus of this Area of Interest is H2-ICE.  The fuel onboard should be only gaseous or liquid H2."]
[16,"Do we need to do a full registration at SAM.GOV or are we only required to get our Unique Entity Identification?","Please reference Page 2 Registration/Submission Requirements. SAM registration is needed before submitting an application."]
[17,"The project we have in mind would be to demonstrate the engine in an OEM application for the power generation sector (potentially one that powers an EV charger in remote locations where the electrical infrastructure is not adequate), but the development of that engine could be used in other off-road vehicles in the agriculture and construction industries.  Would you consider this as a project suitable for Topic 6 of this FOA?","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.  The objective of this FOA/AOI is for vehicle application."]
[18,"AOI6 Hydrogen Combustion Engines General Requirements 5 and 6 references a baseline engine. \n\nRequirement 5 says “…as well as the increase in efficiency when compared to the baseline commercial engine”.\n\nRequirement 6 says “identify baseline engine NOx and PM and the projected reduction”\n\nMy first question: Since ‘baseline engine’ is not defined elsewhere, can the applicant select a conventional diesel engine for on-road and off-road applications that meets prevailing EPA emission standards as the baseline engine for comparison?  If not, how shall the application select a baseline engine?\n\nMy second question: The objective does not require an increase in efficiency or a reduction in NOx or PM, yet these two general requirements seem to add that requirement.  The objective says the hydrogen combustion engine must achieve ‘near or equivalent efficiency’ and must meet ‘prevailing EPA emissions standards’.\n\nMy third question: Does prevailing EPA emissions standards mean the emissions standards in place for model year 2023 diesel engines?  If not, what does “prevailing EPA emissions standards’ refer to?","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.  The applicant should select the baseline engine of the project.  Submittal of a concept paper will result in an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.\n\n2.  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.  An efficiency increase is not  required but the objective states the engine “…operate on hydrogen while achieving near or equivalent efficiency of conventional diesel engines and meeting prevailing EPA emission standards.”  Submittal of a concept paper will result in an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.\n\n3.  The resulting engine should meet the prevailing emissions requirements for the timeframe that the developed engine would be commercially available."]
[19,"Is there a specific definition (or class) of heavy-duty vehicles this grant is intended for? ","This FOA topic is for standar heavy-duty vehicles; Class 7 and 8."]
[20,"Under topic #6 Hydrogen Combustion Engine; as a small business it is difficult to attract an OEM to work on new technology; will it be considered non-responsive if the application does not include an OEM?  Also, are small engine manufacturers considered an OEM for this topic?","An application team should have an engine OEM as a team member when considering responsiveness to Area of Interest #6.  A OEM includes having a defined commercial production quantity."]
[21,"We assume, yet seek formal guidance, that the onboard charging system does not need to directly receive AC from the grid, but can instead charge onboard from a power source which is derived from the grid (HF AC, or DC) . Explicitly, does the AOI3 include bidirectional onboard-charging systems for configurations of propulsion integrated onboard DC chargers and onboard wireless chargers?","The objective of this area of interest (AOI) is to research, develop, and demonstrate innovative, functionally integrated systems co-optimizing both on-board charging and electric traction drive power electronics to reduce cost and improve charging capability. Per the question this could include onboard DC chargers and wireless chargers."]
[22,"Can the requirement for vehicle demonstration and validation in real world environments be met with OBC charging functionality alone?  Or does the vehicle need to able to be driven?","Vehicle demonstration and validation in real world environments is required."]
[23,"Regarding AOI 6 – Hydrogen Combustion Engines in the new FOA-0002893, would dual-fuel concepts be considered?  If a team was to propose a dual-fuel hydrogen/diesel heavy-duty vehicle, would that type of concept paper be compliant with the call and be considered for review?"," 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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.  As defined in an upcoming Amendment, hydrogen must be the primary fuel either gaseous or liquid.  A secondary pilot bio/renewable fuel may be used to enhance combustion conditions.  Gasoline/diesel are not encouraged for this application."]
[24,"Does the statement in AOI6 (p.27) that the AOI targets applications that “fully operate on hydrogen” mean that dual fuel approaches of pilot ignition approaches are excluded?"," 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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.  As defined in an upcoming Amendment, hydrogen must be the primary fuel either gaseous or liquid.  A secondary pilot bio/renewable fuel may be used to enhance combustion conditions.  Gasoline/diesel are not encouraged for this application."]
[25,"I am writing to ask about the scope of AOI 9: Novel Lightweight Materials. Are solutions involving novel geometries, combined with development of novel intrinsic materials, in scope? For example: using topology optimization or architected cellular or lattice materials.","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[26,"1) On Page 36 of the FOA, the description of Area of Interest 10: Mobility System Approaches Supporting Public Transportation, makes repeated reference to low-carbon transportation. However, one sentence in the Objective section reads as follows: Of particular interest are proposals that include pilot and demonstration projects pairing self-driving technology (i.e., mobility system approaches that include any technology or technologies from the range of SAE Levels of Driving Automation scale) and connectivity technologies with zero-emission vehicles (potentially including but not limited to the transit vehicle).\n\nMy question is whether only projects including zero emission vehicles are eligible recipients? Would projects that include hybrid vehicles be eligible?\n\n2) On Page 37 of the FOA, under the section 'Teaming Arrangements' the following is included:  Applicant teams are encouraged to include active participation, with clearly documented roles, responsibilities, and/or active participation by a partner with expertise in mobility equity. \n\nCan you please define the equity partner role more thoroughly? Who/which types of organizations can occupy that role? ","1.  The “zero-emission” language came from Congress and is not meant to restrict eligibility to only zero-emission vehicles (i.e., so hybrids are technically still eligible) but to give us a means for prioritizing projects that propose zero-emissions technologies consistent with Congressional interest.\n\n2.  The equity partner is an entity that is able to provide a transportation system that increases access to high quality mobility options, reduces air pollution, and enhances economic opportunity in low-income communities. Proposals are encouraged to include a partner who is actively thinking about and offering perspective related to mobility options and impacts in disadvantaged communities."]
[27,"First question: In the FOA, the following language is used for Topic Area 7: “Awarded projects will produce a structural automotive component from polymer composites….”  Would you mind providing a bit more context for what is meant by “structural” component?  Is there a list of components that are considered structural in the automotive for DOE that we can reference?\n\nSecond Question:  For Topic Area 7, using recycled materials may make lightweighting challenging if the target part is a composite in certain vehicle designs (i.e. pillars, etc. can contain composite structures now).  It may prove hard to provide a significant lightweighting advantage when offsetting composites with recycled composites in structural components.  Since lightweighting is not a performance target identified in this topic area on page 29, but is in the topic area title, is it OK to provide a decarbonized material for this application that may offset other virgin composite materials without providing a tremendous lightweighting advantage?","1)  Automotive structural components may include (1) Primary Structures, such as body-in-white structures, battery enclosure box, door assembly, underbody assembly, under hood, roof, etc. and (2) Secondary Structures, such as closures/ interiors , seats, arm rests, window glass, etc. However, development of the structural battery via chemistry is out of the scope.\n\n2)  AOI 7 is under VTO lightweight materials subprogram. Therefore, lightweighting is important to Materials Program. Use of polymer composites can significantly reduce overall vehicle weight for providing better fuel economy and efficiency. It is fine as long as the use of recycled materials is in polymer composites but not metallic, ceramic materials or others, without providing a tremendous lightweighting advantage. The use of the recycled materials can further reduce carbon footprint. In addition, reduction of the embodied energy for vehicle components is also one of the important performance targets."]
[28,"I am having trouble resolving the stated program goals of \"novel solutions\" and \"innovation approaches\" with the \"promotion of a specific brand, product, or invention\" being highly discouraged. Could you provide some additional context to clarify what seems to be a disparity?\n\nMore specifically, could you comment on the applicability of our project? We intend to develop \"...\". The technology is \"...\". This technology is enabled by multiple inventions.\n\nThank you so much for any clarification you can provide, and if it's easier to hop on a call I am happy to do so.","The application can identify brands and partner with a brand name company. The intent is the application/proposed project should not be used to promote specific brands. \n\nIt is up to the applicant to determine if their proposal is relevant to the FOA and FOA topics. DOE will not provide feedback on technical ideas outside of the concept paper process."]
[29,"We have seen the 100% hydrogen requirement and we want to understand if that is applicable to pilot.\n\nThe proposed technology will work with HVO or Renewable diesel as the pilot fuel. In terms of fuel storage, the fuel tanks have 100% hydrogen and the pilot, is only used for ignition, and represents 1-2% of the total energy consumption.\n\nIs this technology applicable for this application?","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A.  Hydrogen must be the primary fuel either gaseous or liquid.  A secondary pilot bio/renewable fuel may be used to enhance combustion conditions.  Gasoline/diesel are not encouraged for this application."]
[30,"Topic 7 in FOA-0002893 specifies that “proposed materials should be applicable for structural automotive components”. Would you consider polyurethane foam, used in seating, to be a structural component? Foam pads are dependent on petrochemicals, are difficult or impossible to recycle, and are structural elements of passive and active safety systems for regulatory requirements.","Seating is considered to be a secondary structural component. Yes, the use of polyurethane for such application is fine as long as you can reduce carbon footprint in manufacturing as well as reduce the embodied energy of the vehicle component."]
[31,"Could you provide some clarification on Area of Interest 14 where it states that “a minimum of 75% of the project budget allocated to DOE-designated Clean Cities coalitions or their host organizations”? In that scenario, what is the definition of the host organization? Is it allowable for any of that 75% of the budget to be distributed by the host organization as subawards or contracts, or does the 75% need to be managed and spent on direct expenses by the host organization? ","As described within the Clean Cities Coalitions 2021 Annual Activity Report (https://afdc.energy.gov/files/u/publication/clean_cities_coalitions_2021_activity_report.pdf), Clean Cities coalitions are categorized in six different types: 1. Hosted in a city our county government; 2. Hosted by a state government; 3. Hosted in a Nonprofit; 4. Stand-alone Nonprofit; 5. Hosted in a multigovernmental body, such as a council of governments; and 6. Hosted in a University. Typically, the coalition director is an employee of the host organization, and the coalition benefits from the resources available at the host organization.\n\nProject budget allocated to DOE-designated Clean Cities coalitions or their host organizations can be used for any eligible expenses per the topic description, e.g., personnel, travel, contractual, etc.  For example, if a Clean Cities coalition or its host organization is the prime applicant, then 100% of the project budget is allocated to a Clean Cities coalition. Alternatively, an organization can serve as a project prime and subcontract out 75% of the project budget to Clean Cities coalitions."]
[32,"Are trucking/freight the only HD applications of interest for AOI 4? Or would Heavy-Duty bus fleets also be of interest as they have very similar depot space constraints and up-time needs. ","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[33,"On Area of Interest 4: Wireless Charging for Heavy-Duty Vehicles\n\nWe operate school buses (class 7) in a space-constrained urban area; we think this is an important application for wireless charging. The Teaming Arrangements section of this area of interest says that the team must include \"truck fleets and freight distribution sites where the proposed wireless charging would occur\". Would you accept an application that includes depots where non-freight heavy-duty vehicles will charge?","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[34,"We are looking at AOI 4 for wireless charging of heavy trucks but not charging the tractor. We use \"...\". \n\nCan we submit the same concept paper for AOI 4 and 13 seeing as how AOI 4 seems to be focused on wireless tractor charging and we are a bit out of those constraints? ","As referenced in Section III.F. An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project."]
[35,"I would like to confirm with you that if the authorization letter is required or not during concept paper? Thanks!","The authorization from the cognizant contracting officer is not required for concept papers, but is required at the full application stage"]
[36,"In regards to the cost sharing within this FOA, does our private company have to provide matching funds for the project demonstration or is it 50% of the proposed funding. In the project demonstration, there will be 10 awards out of a total of $5,000,000. \n\nTherefore, should our cost share be $750,000 (the awarded amount which is $500,000 plus 50% of awarded amount or $250,000 which is the cost share) or is the amount awarded $250,000 and the cost share is $250,000 equaling $500,000 for a total project cost? \n\nCan we apply for multiple topic areas in one concept paper as our technology solutions and partners will be applicable to multiple topics?","1)  As referenced in Appendix A - Cost Share Information;  cost sharing is calculated as a percentage of the Total Project Cost.\n\n2)  As referenced in Section III.F. An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project."]
[37,"Currently, we are in the process of writing a concept paper for the DE-FOA-0002893. We are actively seeking potential partners who can contribute to the success of our concept paper. However, we may not be able to finalize our partners by the deadline for submission.\n\nWith this in mind, we would like to inquire about the possibility of submitting the concept paper without disclosing the names of our partners. Instead, we can provide an explanation of the roles and responsibilities that our partners will fulfill in the implementation of our proposal.\n","The Technical Review Criteria for Concept Papers can be reviewed in Section V.A.i.  The teaming partners are not specifically indicated until the Full Application phase referenced in Section V.A.ii."]
[38,"After reviewing the initial criteria for the application—not full submission, would you be so kind as to help us understand what forms we must use, to submit the concept paper that is due 6/26/23.\n\n1. Do we need to submit an “Letter of Intent”?\n2. Can we upload the concept paper by itself only or:\n3. Do we have to complete the SOPO template?\n4. Do we have to complete the summary slide template?\n5. Is there a word limit on the concept paper? \n6. Must it be in pdf format and uploaded?","Letters of Intent are not being utilized for this FOA.  Concept paper formatting requirements can be found in Section IV.A.  Concept paper content requirements can be found in Section IV.C.i"]
[39,"We came across the above funding opportunity and would like to know if this a recurrent funding opportunity or is it a one-time opportunity.","Please continue to check appropriate government portals such as FedConnect, EERE Exchange, and grants.gov for any future opportunities that may fit your technology."]
[40,"On page 66 of your FOA document (a PDF) regarding DE-FOA-0002893, I note details on concept paper page maximums. \n\nIn contrast, I note on the EERE's Funding Opportunity Exchange application page that only form fields are provided to input information, with some character limits stated.\n\nCan you please clarify if attachments are/will be allowed, or if information will ONLY be accepted via the form fields specified on the EERE application page? ","Applicants will be able to upload their concept paper as a pdf attachment, formatted according the instructions found in Section IV.A in the FOA.  \n\nIf you run into issues using Exchange, please contact EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov."]
[41,"Can we submit a concept paper for two topics which are similar in nature but one is a much more robust project (3.5mil) while the other a smaller scale but similar project (open topic, up to 1 mil, with 50% cost share?\n\nIf we did this, and they both came back responsive we could then pursue the one project that makes most sense to us at the time?","As referenced in Section III.F. An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project."]
[42," Would a Kit that can transform any traditional fuel engine for medium/heavy tug tractors -diesel, GPL, gasoline…- into electric apply? (the old engine would be removed and the new, electric, Lithium-iron-phosphate, rewired)","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[43,"We have a question regarding AOI 10: \nWe plan to propose a new mobility service model utilizing connected and automated vehicles. However, we have not been able to find any vehicles currently available on the market that are suitable for demonstrating this concept. In this scenario, would we be permitted to develop such vehicles by modifying commercially available vehicles as part of one of the tasks in the proposal? Alternatively, is AOI10 strictly focused on system-level research? If vehicle development is permitted, what proportion of the project scope can it occupy?","Section I.B.“Area of Interest 10” states that “of particular interest are proposals that include pilot and demonstration projects pairing self-driving technology and connectivity technologies with zero-emission vehicles”.  Modification of commercially available vehicles is not out of scope, however 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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding the proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[44,"Regarding funding for battery development, it seems this FOA is focused on Li-S and lead acid batteries only.  Can you please confirm that aqueous zinc-ion (Mn-Zn) batteries would not qualify?","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[45,"I have a specific question regarding DE-FOA-0002893 in the area of Interest 6. In particular, in Teaming Arrangements, the document states:\n\n“Applicant teams should include an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). An engine OEM must have a defined commercial production quantity. Teams are also encouraged to include research partners from universities and/or National Laboratories”\n\nMy question is the following:\nIf the OEM is outside the country (e.g., Europe), should the OEM have a legal entity located in the US? ","In accordance with Section III.G. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. Also recommend reviewing entire Section III. Eligibility Information. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[46,"1. The minimum award seems to be $500,000 for DE-FOA-0002893, Topic Area of Interest Number 13 (Demonstration and Deployment). May we request less than $500,000?\n\n2. The Anticipated Period of Performance is listed at 24 – 36 months (same Topic Area - #13). May we complete this project in 12 months?","1) The anticipated minimum and maximum award sizes are provided to assist applicants in establishing the scope of their proposed projects.  The listed minimum is not a hard limit, so an application for less than the minimum anticipated award size would be considered.\n\n2) The anticipated period of performance is intended as a guide to assist the applicant in structuring their proposed project. A shorter period of performance may be acceptable if supported by the full application"]
[47,"I learned today my organization's UEI is inactive and in the process of being updated. This is due to staff turnover and loss of institutional continuity.\n\nWe intend to submit our proposal for FOA # DE-FOA-0002893 later this week before the 06/26 deadline. Will this impede our desire to do so? ","Please review Section IV.F. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) for further infomation on the UEI/SAM requirements in relation to submitting an application."]
[48,"We are very interested in submitting a proposal to the “DOE-FOA-0002893- AOI3: Advanced Integrated Charging System\n\nDoes it requires any traction inverter’s functionality and performance to be tested with demo vehicle in motion? ","Section I.B.\"Area of Interest 3\" states that \"vehicle demonstration and validation in real world environments is required, with technologies applicable to light, medium, and/or heavy-duty battery electric vehicles”. Applications must describe the proposed demonstration vehicle(s) to be used and the plan for validation of the system in real world environments."]
[49,"In AOI 4 the FOA states \"Demonstrations in northern climates are of particular interest\". How are you defining northern climates? If our proposed project falls outside of whatever definition you may use, will that project still be considered? ","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 an encourage or discourage recommendation regarding your proposed project as referenced in Section VI.A."]
[50,"We are preparing to submit a concept paper for DE-FOA-0002893 and would like to know if the funding for AOI 10 would cover procurement of a building and/or facility improvements. ","Unless restricted by the AOI, funding can typically be used for federally allowable costs needed to accomplish the project. Determinations of allowable costs cannot be made at this point; this would be determined if selected for negotiations leading to an award. 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."]
[51,"We need some clarification on the requirements for partnering with our area Clean Cities Coalition. In the Q&Q (row 13, Q10) in reference to Topic 13, it states “The project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget).”\n\nYet on page 50 of the NOFA for Area of Interest 14, it states, \"To be eligible an applicant must have a minimum of 75% of the project budget allocated to DOE-designated Clean Cities Coalitions or their host organizations\".\n\nCan Area 14 really be THAT different? that seems to set it up that only the Clean Cities Coalitions can/will apply... at least under Areas of Interest 14. We DO partner with our 'local' Clean Cities Coalition/Project Clean Air, but I'm still hoping that that's a typo. "," Area of Interest 13 and Area of Interest 14 are different topics with different objectives and requirements.  Please review the FOA for information regarding topics, requirements, and funding."]
[52,"We are preparing a Concept Paper in response to DE-FOA-0002893. On Page 69, it is stated that the Concept Paper page limit is 3, but the topics listed in the table (page 69) do not include “qualifications, experience, capabilities and other resources necessary to complete the proposed project”.\n\nI had two clarifying questions:\n1. Do we need to include “qualifications, experience, capabilities …”? (They are listed as part of the review criteria on Page 99)\n2. If yes, should we include “qualifications, experience, capabilities, …” within 3-page limit? Or, should we use an additional page of addendum? ","Yes, all concept paper content, including \"qualifications, experience, capabilities and other resources necessary to complete the proposed project\", must be contained within the three page limit."]
[53,"We are planning on submitting a white paper for the subject line announcement.  Our plan is to partner with non-traditional defense contractor.  With this partnership, we should be exempt from the cost-sharing requirement of an OTA.  The issue we are running into is within the EERE exchange.  It requires us to input acknowledgement of cost-share as well as a percentage.  Is there a path we can take to submit our white paper for consideration without completing the cost-share information on the EERE exchange?","This structure of this solicitation are awards as cooperative agreements with cost share.  This FOA is not funded through OTA or TIA.  Applicants are encouraged to refer to 2 CFR 200.306 as amended by 2 CFR 910.130 for additional cost sharing requirements. Cost sharing can be found in the FOA in Section III.B"]
[54,"In regards to:  DE-FOA-0002893.  Is there a limit for national lab participation in the proposal?","FFRDC's are not allowed to apply to AOI 1a and 2, specifically.  FFRDC's are eligible on all other AOI's.  In accordance with Amendment 000003, FFRDCs are no longer eligible to apply for AOI 14.  The FFRDC effort, in aggregate, shall not exceed 75% of the total estimated cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the FFRDC’s portions of the effort. See Section III.E.i Other Eligibility Requirements for further information."]
[55,"I noticed that the concept application for the DE-FOA-0002893 is over but the full application is open and wanted to know if I could submit an application as a Canadian or need to join with a USA firm and if so then how. ","Applicants must submit Concept Papers by the identified deadline (6/26/2023 5:00pm ET) on Page 1 of the FOA to be eligible to submit a Full Application."]
[56,"FFRDC's have been restricted from applying to AOI 1a and AOI 2.  Are there any other topic areas FFRDC's cannot apply to?","Per Amendment 000003, FFRDCs are also no longer eligible to apply as a prime or subrecipient on AOI 14. Reference Section III.A and Section III.E"]
[57,"What, if any, differences are allowed between the concept paper and the full application? Specifically, assuming all eligibility criteria are met for all partners, can the prime applicant be changed among the Team Partners presented in the concept paper?","Team members can change between the concept paper and full application phases. If selected for negotiations potentially leading to an award, DOE will review the proposed change and may potentially negotiate a change to the Prime Recipient. "]
[58,"Since DOE prohibits FFRDCs from lobbying to influence federal officials in connection with the awarding of grants or contracts, are federally owned and operated laboratories still required to provide a signed SF-LLL when there’s nothing to report?","No, FFRDCs do not have to provide a lobbying disclosure. However, Exchange in the past has required this document to be uploaded or an error will occur. If this is the case, just submit the form and indicate it is not applicable or a similar document that indicates that it is not applicable."]
[59,"DOE FFRDCs should address the required “Authorization for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs” To whom, name, title, and mailing address, please?  Past funding announcements have provided the DOE Grantor Contact/Contract Specialist information via the FAQ.","The information can be addressed to the Contracting Officer:\n\nAshley Reichl\nContracting Officer\n626 Cochrans Mill Road\nPittsburgh, PA 15236"]
[60,"In most cases partnering FFRDCs will be funded independently of the project team.  Should those partnering FFRDCs still provide their project lead a completed sub-recipient budget justification for the Full Application submission if the FFRDCs proposed federal share will exceed $250K or 25% of the total project costs?","If the value of the FFRDC/National Lab work exceeds $250K or 25% of the total project value, they will be required to submit a detailed budget justification. Reference Section IV.D."]
[61,"Regarding this FOA 0002893, I am inquiring as to whether there may be a forthcoming plan for a deadline extension beyond the current date of August 11, 2023 by 5:00 p.m.","DOE does not anticipate extending the deadline for full applications."]
[62,"We were evaluating our decision of submitting the full application despite receiving discouragement notification. If you would be kind enough to provide us with an extended review or detailed feedback on our concept paper, that will help us in addressing those points in our final application submission.","As described in your notification, the notification letter comprises the sole debriefing the DOE will provide with regard to your Concept Paper."]
[63,"I was wondering if it was possible to adjust the AOI that we submitted between the concept paper and final submission as our concept paper feedback showed that we did not meet the AOI specified in our concept paper. ","It is allowable to submit a concept paper to one AOI and then submit the corresponding full application to a different AOI."]
[64,"In the concept paper, I was listed as Lead PI. Would that be possible to change the Lead PI for our full proposal submission? If yes, what is the procedure we need to go through?","Yes it is allowable to change the PI between the concept paper and full application phases of the process.\n\nOnly applicants who submitted a Concept Paper in the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange website are eligible to submit a Full Application. You can add individuals eligible to edit the submission under the \"Share Submission\" section in Exchange."]
[65,"We have some questions on FOA-2893 AOI-4. As shown in the figure below, it says “Demonstrations in northern climates are of particular interest”.  What defines northern climates? Is it a “must have” or “nice to have” requirement?","The DOE preference is for a demonstration in northern climates, but also recognizes that may not always be practicable. Northern Climates would include the Energy Star Program's published Northern Climate Zone. \n\nThe General Requirements section of AOI 4 defines items that applications must include."]
[66,"1) Regarding the concept papers being encouraged and discouraged to submit a full application, are they subject to the same evaluation criteria?\n\n2) We submitted the concept paper to AOI10 (Mobility System Approaches Supporting Public Transportation). Could you let us know how many teams are encouraged to submit a full application? If we cannot know the specifics about AOI10, could you let us know, on average, how many teams are encouraged to submit a full application for an AOI? ","1) Full Technical Applications will be evaluated equally following the criteria stated in Section V.A.ii, which differs from the evaluation criterion utilized for the Concept Papers, which is specified in Section V.A.i\n\n2) DOE does not publish the number of Concept Papers or Full Applications received."]
[67,"Who would be our organization's Cognizant Contracting Officer? Is this a form to complete? If so, where do we locate this information?","When a DOE/NNSA and non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) is included as a Subrecipient, a written authorization must come from that FFRDC’s Contracting Officer. This written authorization is not required if a FFRDC is not performing as a Subrecipient on the proposed project. Reference Section III.E. for acceptable authorization language."]
[68,"Under Section D. Content and Form of the Full Application; i. Full Application Content Requirements, if the chart beginning on page 71 reads  “n/a”, there is no requirement for that component. I presume this is correct but wanted to be one-hundred percent certain.","The chart in Section IV.D.i. lists the components required in the Full Application phase.  The text \"n/a\" refers to if there is a page limit requirement placed on that component.  The component itself is still required."]
[69,"We noticed that on page 11-12 of the FOA there is requirement language for a DEIA Plan but the Full Application Content Requirements table on pages 71-72 does not have this as a file requirement or filename to submit to the system for submission.\n\nThe only report that is on the table that contains DEIA is the Community Benefits Plan and requires different items than the DEIA plan on pages 11-12.\n\nDo you need both plans, and if so, what is the filename for the specific DEIA Plan and where would it be attached in the system?","Advancing DEIA is one aspect of the Community Benefits Plan, and should be included in the Community Benefits Plan as described in the Application and Submission Information (Section IV).  Section IV.D.xv describes the R&D Community Benefits Plan required for AOI's 1-10, while Section IV.D.xvi describes the Community Benefits Plan required for AOI's 11-14."]
[70,"We are working on DOE VTO – topic AOI 1b topic.\n\nDoes the “Community Partners Documentation” file apply to us?","The Community Partnership Documentation applies to AOI's 11-14. Reference Section IV.D."]
[71,"My question is about the indirect cost rate. Our organization does not have a federal award nor has an agreed to indirect rate with any federal agency.\n\nOur organization is interested in procuring a NICRA. Does this citation from CFR apply? Specifically, Section 2. Negotiation and Approval of Rates, (b) Except as otherwise provided in § 200.414(f), a nonprofit organization which has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a Federal agency must submit its initial indirect cost proposal immediately after the organization is advised that a Federal award will be made and, in no event, later than three months after the effective date of the Federal award.\n\nAs a follow-up, our organization is currently a subcontractor to a partner under another DOE grant and our organization is currently recorded as having the de minimus rate for indirect at 10%. Given this, is our organization restricted to using the same indirect rate with our application for DE-FOA-0002893?","The process of negotiating an Indirect Rate Agreement will involve working with the final awarding Contracting Officer if selected for negotiations. Please also reference the below language from CFR 200.414: \n\n“any non-Federal entity that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, except for those non-Federal entities described in appendix VII to this part, paragraph D.1.b, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10% de minimis indirect cost rate. As described in § 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.”\n\n"]
[72,"My company is preparing a full submission for this FOA under Topic 4. This topic requires 20% cost share for the R&D Phase and 50% cost share for the Demonstration Phase. Can you provide clarity around the scope of each of these phases, specifically how long each should be and expected budget allocation for each phase?","Currently, there is no preset or predetermined length of each phase.  The 20% cost share will be applied to R&D tasks and the 50% cost share will be applied to demonstration tasks."]
[73,"Questions on the 25% requirement for Clean Cities Coalitions:\n\n1) Does the requirement for Clean Cities participation mean that Clean Cities Coalition(s) must receive 25% of the federal funds requested, or 25% of the total project cost?\n\n2) Can the “at least 25% of project budget” be distributed among the various team members delineated in the list of recommended teaming partners, or is it limited just to the designated Clean Cities Coalition(s)?","1) Clean Cities Coalitions must receive 25% of the project budget. Project budget refers to total project costs which include federal and recipient cost share. Reference Section I.B.Area of Interest 13.  \n\n2) \"The project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget).\"  25% of the project budget can go to more than one Clean Cities Coalition - a collective 25%+ is acceptable."]
[74,"Regarding DE-FOA-0002893 AOI 14, “a minimum of 75% of the project budget allocated to DOE-designated Clean Cities coalitions or their host organizations”. Can you confirm if all Clean Cities Coalitions partners need to be identified at the time of the application submission? Or can some partners be identified during the project lifetime, as long as they are not receiving more than 25% of the project funds (and thus required to submit a detailed budget justification at the time of the application)?","Team members should be identified at the time of application.  Teaming is a large aspect of the evaluation criteria.  Reference Section IV.D.i for Full Application requirements"]
[75,"I'm currently working on our team's community benefits plan, and I was wondering if you could provide me with some clarification. The general template provided on Energy.gov seems significantly more in depth that the scope that is described in the FOA. Are you looking for applicants to use this template, reducing the sections down to the ones specified by the FOA, or is there an alternative template we should use, or should we just use section headers based on the three main categories of consideration instead of a template? Thank you so much for your help!","Please use the Full Application requirements in the FOA, Section IV.D.xv and Section IV.D.xvi (depending on the AOI being applied to) for the appropriate Community Benefit Plan requirements."]
[76,"We plan to include one or more Letters of Contingent Commitment (Letters) from interested project off-takers or users (Off-Take Partners). These organizations activities would occur in and after Budget Period 3.  Therefore, the activities of these Off-Take Partners are contingent upon successful completion of the Go / No-Go at the conclusion of Budget Period 1.  Although these Off-Take Partners do not have significant roles in BP 1 nor BP 2, will their Letters be accepted in the Letters of Commitment section?","Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not accepted. Reference Section IV.D.iv"]
[77,"I was wondering what we should use for the project start date.  In the FOA it says that award negotiations would be December 2023 - January 2024.  Should we use February 1, 2024 as the project start date?","Please use 02/01/2024 as your proposed start date.   This date may be changed as part of the award negotiation process."]
[78,"Regarding DE-FOA-0002893, I have a question about third party participation in the work of proposal: \n\nOn page 62 of the FOA it notes: \"Project teams may provide cost share in the form of cash or in-kind contributions. Cost share may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work).\"\n\nFor clarity, third parties who provide in-kind consulting services or other supplies, would not perform the tasks but others would be doing so using their in-kind contributions?","This interpretation is correct"]
[79,"Regarding DE-FOA-0002893, Area of Interest 13, the FOA states that “the project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget).” Are we interpreting “project budget” here correctly to mean the total federal requested amount, or does this refer to the overall project budget, including both federal request and cost share?","Project budget is referring to total project costs which include federal and recipient cost share."]
[80,"We are glad to receive the notification which encourages us to submit a full application of the concept paper that we submitted earlier. While we are working hard with industry partners preparing the application, due to the complexity of the proposal as well as subcontracting structure, it is fairly challenging to finish everything and submit it by August 11 (which is less than one month after the notification). I am writing to ask if DOE VTO program will consider an extension of the submission deadline. ","Full applications are due by the date specified in the funding opportunity announcement, and no extensions will be provided beyond that specified date."]
[81,"Regarding the required components of the full application, if a proposer does not have letters of commitment do they still need to submit a PDF stating there are no letters of commitment?  Same question regarding foreign work waiver.  If no foreign work does the responder need to submit a PDF stating there is no foreign work?","Letters of Commitment are a required component - if none are available, please upload and submit a form or similar document stating there are none available.  \n\nForeign Work Waivers are only required \"if applicable\"; reference Section IV.D.xiv. "]
[82,"Per AOI 13, does the 25% of the project budget for a Clean Cities Coalition have to go directly to the Clean Cities Coalition entity for that city/region, or can the 25% of the project budget go directly to another entity of the city/region, like a Department of Transportation of a city within the region?","At least 25% of the project budget must go to one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role. If there is not a local Clean City Coalition, working with a one from a different city is acceptable as long as the coalition has a significant role as described by the FOA topic."]
[83,"The Full Application Content Requirements starts on page 71 of the PDF file and we are seeking support on a particular document that shows on page 72 – “DOE Work Proposal for FFRDC, if applicable (see DOE O 412.1A, Attachment 3.  As we accessed the FFRDC_Field_Awork-Authorization template from the (DOE) EERE site  - link -  and tried to get a copy of Attachment 3 we realized that such Attachment was not included on the template. \n\nCould you please indicate from where we can get a copy of the Attachment 3 mentioned above? ","Please use the \"FFRDC Field Work Authorization Form\" linked in the APPLICATION FORMS AND TEMPLATES section of the FOA announcement to complete your FFRDC Field Work Authorization "]
[84,"For parts of the application that may not be applicable (i.e., the Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice and the Transparency of Foreign Connections), do we have to submit blank forms? Or nothing at all?","For items listed as \"if applicable\", and it does not apply to your application, nothing needs to be uploaded.\n\nFor required items, but your project does not have any that are applicable, please upload a file stating that there are none available."]
[85,"I'm assisting with submission of Control Number XXXX to DE-FOA-0002893. The concept paper was originally submitted with one party as lead but due to unforeseen circumstances, the PI's would like to change the lead organization to a second party for the full proposal. \n\nIs this possible? If so, could you please give me instructions on how to proceed? ","If selected for negotiations potentially leading to award, DOE will review and negotiate a proposed change in the prime recipient."]
[86,"I was hoping to understand better the expectations of the following question. It is not one I have seen before, either by missing it or it being new to the content preparation.\n\nDescribe the technical services to be provided by DOE/NNSA FFRDCs, if applicable; and\n\nIs this prompt referring to items like beam time and use of service centers like NETL Advanced Alloy Signature Center.","This requirement refers to any technical work that DOE/NNSA FFRDC will provide.  "]
[87,"1) For this wording in the RFP: \"The project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget).\" (pp. 50-51 RFP)  If there are three Clean Cities partners on our application, can this total equal 25% - to be divided among them? Or would there need to be one leading partner getting 25% of the budget, and the others an additional share?\n\n2) Subrecipient Budget Justification - would this be required if a subrecipient is budgeted for 25%, $500k of the project total of $ 2M? The description for requiring the justification is not clear to us in the RFP (p. 86). \n\n3) If there is close competition in this Area of Interest - will you consider a partial award, if a project can be scaled back? \nWe intend to include wording to this effect in the Technical Volume, that the project could be scalable according to funding","1) 25% of the project budget can go to more than one Clean Cities Coalition - a colletive 25%+ is acceptable.\n\n2) Subrecipient Budget Justifications are required for greater than or equal to $250,000 or 25% of the total work effort, reference Section IV.D.xi.  In this scenario, yes a subrecipient budget justification would be required.\n\n3) The anticipated minimum and maximum award sizes are provided to assist applicants in establishing the scope of their proposed projects.  These are not hard limits, so an application for less than the minimum anticipated award size would be considered."]
[88,"To better define our project, my I edit the name we used for the Concept Paper and use a different name for the Full Application?","Yes it is allowable to change the title of your proposed project."]
[89,"I have a question on AOI4. It is required that the research will lead to a real-world demonstration of a full system with a total system efficiency greater than 90%. How do you define the “full system”? Referring to the following figure of a system from medium voltage (13.8kV) to electric vehicle battery, does the “full system” include 13.8kV-to-480V transformer, grid-side rectifier with PFC, etc?","The full system efficiency would be from the grid (480 V) to the DC bus (battery)."]
[90,"We are proposing a project that has multiple sources of funding. Funding from the VTO/DOE would support some activities within the larger project. When developing the application, should we focus on describing the entire larger project, or only on the specific activities that would be carried out with the VTO/DOE funding?\n\nFor example, in the technical Volume - “technical description” section it states: “ The applicant should provide a detailed description of the technology, including the scientific and other principles and objectives that will be pursued during the project”. Should we describe here the larger innovation, or just the specific activities to be carried out with the DOE funding?","The application should express how project funds will be executed towards project objectives. Enough technical background should be provided to understand how the proposed project integrates with the overall larger innovation."]
[91,"As noted by other applicants, the period between notification of Concept Paper encouragement and the submission deadline is very tight (<4 weeks). This substantially limits applicants’ ability to secure partnerships and commitments, and to develop meaningful Community Benefits Plans. We strongly encourage DOE to extend the deadline for the full application submission beyond August 11.","Full applications are due by the date specified in the funding opportunity announcement, and no extensions will be provided beyond that specified date."]
[92,"Regarding AOI  13 cost-share requirement, can you verify this understanding is correct?  If the overall project budget is $1M, a minimum of 25% of the budget (or $250,000) must go to a Clean Cities Coalition. If the Clean Cities Coalition cannot provide any cost-sharing and assuming no other project partner, the applicant must supply $500,000 of cost-sharing to meet the minimum cost-sharing requirement (50%) and would at most receive $250,000 in DOE funding, which would be equal to Clean Cities Coalition share of DOE funding.","The participation of Clean Cities Coalitions is measured by project cost and at least 25% of the project work (as measured by project costs) must be performed by one or more Clean Cities team members.  This requirement is in addition to the cost share requirement of 50%."]
[93,"Good afternoon. We are assembling an DE-FOA-0002893 proposal package in EERE-xCHANGE and have noticed that although the FOA lists resumes and letters of commitment - and the budget justification spreadsheet mentions the F&A agreement - as required uploads, we do not see fields in EERE xCHANGE to upload any of those documents. Is there another field to which we should be uploading these? ","This document field has been updated and is currently available in EERE Exchange."]
[94,"I am a part of the team behind Control Number: 2893-1944. My question is urgent: in AOI 13, is the 25% budget minimum for Clean Cities Coalition a HARD limit? I ask because the coalition we are working with does not have the manpower due to labor shortages and cannot accept such a heavy role.","For Area of Interest 13, the project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget)."]
[95,"For this FOA, AOI 1a, page 16 bullet 7 reads:\n\n“The cell specific energy milestone of this topic is 250 Wh/kg, but S cathode cells can achieve much higher specific energies. Detail a viable strategy to achieve 350 Wh/kg or higher through improvements to cell design such as lean electrolyte formulations (≤6 μL/mg S, liquid; ≤50 μm membrane thickness, solid) and high sulfur loading (≤6 mg S/cm2) that is compatible with the materials and design that will be pursued to meet the 250 Wh/kg deliverable;”\n\nPlease confirm if this is a typo intended to read greater than or equal to as it seems to be.","For confirmation FOA AOI 1a text requirements reads less than or equal to 6mg S/cm2."]
[96,"On the EERE Exchange portal submission page to \"Upload and Submit\" the following documents are missing from the list of items to upload (see attached screenshot):\n\nResumes\nLetters of Commitment\nCommunity Partnership Documentation\nCommunity Benefits Plan Budget Justification\n\nCan you please clarify where we should upload these documents in the portal?","These document fields have been updated and are currently available in EERE Exchange."]
[97,"Regarding topic area 13 for DE-FOA-0002893, I am hoping to receive guidance on how the DOE is anticipating Clean City Coalitions to reach the required 25% of budget share.","AOI 13 states \"The project team must include at least one active and DOE designated Clean Cities coalition with a significant role (at least 25% of project budget)\".  DOE will not provide further guidance on how to distribute funds within the project.  Please submit an application for determination."]
[98,"Do Buy America requirements apply to federal funding used for research and development projects by a for-profit corporation appliant? ","Please reference SectionIV.I.vii.  Based on implementation guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued on April 18, 2022, the Buy America requirements of the BIL do not apply to DOE projects in which the prime recipient is a for-profit entity. \n\nSubawards should conform to the terms of the prime award from which they flow; in other words, for-profit prime recipients are not required to flow down these Buy America requirements to subrecipients, even if those subrecipients are non-Federal entities as defined above. Conversely, prime recipients which are non-Federal entities must flow the Buy America requirements down to all subrecipients, even if those subrecipients are for-profit entities."]
[99,"Can you please describe the difference between the \"Community Partnership Documentation\" and the \"Letter of Commitment\", specifically for our community based organization and workforce partners that are funded as part of the project? Do they need to submit TWO separate pieces of documentation or is it possible to avoid overburdening our community partners by having them just submit just one letter that satisfies both (which would include information required for both pieces of documentation)? ","The Letters of Commitment (LOC) are to document the amount and form of cost share that a subrecipient is providing.   Examples are how much funds, labor amount and type, equipment provided, etc.\n\nThe Community Partnership Documentation- (CPD) is to document the partnerships of team members whether they are providing cost share or not.  Most likely, it would be provided for subrecipients or team members who are not providing cost share.  While the LOC takes the form of a specific commitment (ideally) the CPD is more descriptive of the nature of the various partnerships between/among team members "]
[100,"1. In the budget justification on the fringe benefits tab, our team has already won a DOE grant where we submitted and had approved an indirect rate model. How should we submit that model? How should we title this document/submit it in our submission package?\n\n2. We are unclear on the definition of a subcontractor and subrecipient. It seems like the main difference is whether they are paid through the DOE or the lead recipient. Is it up to the discretion of the lead recipient whether a collaborator is a subcontractor or subrecipient?","1) It is acceptable to include a link to the indirect rate agreement on the fringe benefit and IDC tabs.\n\n2) Please see 2 CFR 200.331 for definitions of subrecipients and contractors."]
[101,"For the CPS form, it specifies the certification form must be signed by all key personnel, to what extent does that span? For example, we do not have any subrecipient. Can just our PI sign it, or do all senior personnel involved in the project need to sign?","The current and pending support applies to the individual, not the company. This includes the PI and other critical personnel. As part of the application, the principal investigator and senior/key personnel at the applicant and subrecipient level must provide a list of all sponsored activities, awards, and appointments, whether paid or unpaid; provided as a gift with terms or conditions or provided as a gift without terms or conditions; full-time, part-time, or voluntary; faculty, visiting, adjunct, or honorary; cash or in-kind; foreign or domestic; governmental or private-sector; directly supporting the individual’s research or indirectly supporting the individual by supporting students, research staff, space, equipment, or other research expenses. Reference Section IV.D.xviii"]
[102,"I am preparing a full application for the DE-FOA-0002893 FOA and I have a question about typefaces. I noted that Section IV.A says to use the Calibri typeface. However, the template for the SOPO and CBP are both in Times New Roman (and specify not to change the formatting). Should these additional documents be changed to Calibri, or left in Times New Roman? ","The template default typeface of Times New Roman is acceptable."]
[103,"There's a location of work template in the templates folder but I see no mention of it in the FOA. I just want to confirm that it is not necessary for this application.","Locations of work are a required item included in Amendment 0002.  Please refer to the newest version of the FOA Amendment 0003 Section IV.D.xix published to the Exchange website on 7/10/23 for the most up to date requirements for this FOA."]
[104,"The FOA suggest submitting business sensitive, trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information in a separate version marked “confidential”.  How does do you submit two copies of the full proposal through EERE Exchange?","Submit confidential deleted copy to exchange and submit the confidential version to de-foa-0002893@netl.doe.gov."]
[105,"Could you please let me know if the form SF-424 is required for subrecipients? This is not very clear in the FOA","The SF424 is only required to be submitted by the applicant"]
[106,"Under this FOA, is it permissible for prime recipients to include cost share for services performed by a third party (ex: pay for labor performed by employees at a different company)?","Cost share may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work). Any partial donation of goods or services is considered a discount and is not allowable. Reference Section III.B for further details from the FOA, and see 2 CFR 200.306 and 2 CFR 910.130 for the applicable cost sharing requirements"]
[107,"Per the FOA document, we have identified the following items/documents that both the Prime Recipient and the Sub-Recipients must fill out and complete. \n•\tLetters of Commitment \n•\tCurrent Spending and Support \n•\tTransparency of Foreign Connections \n•\tSF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities \n•\tPotential Duplicative Funding Notice \n\nShould items that require documents from both the Prime Recipient and the Sub-recipients be combined into one PDF document to be uploaded? Or is there a way to upload multiple files for an item like Letters of Commitment?","Yes, per the instructions in the FOA, each of these documents should be combined and uploaded as a single PDF file."]
[108,"1) We couldn’t identify restrictions or eligibility exclusion in Q&A or FOA document, for a Military Installation, a military support and research center (unclassified from the classification “non-DOE/NNSA FFRDC”) or a ARM National Guard prime entity for eligibility as applicant for this grant. Could you clarify?\n\n2) Our concept paper process yielded a different outcome than our full application intent and package – as per answer63,  row 66 of Q&A, “It is allowable to submit a concept paper to one AOI and then submit the corresponding full application to a different AOI.” Can you confirm?\n\n3) How many years has this opportunity been funded for eligible entities and applicants, is there a bi-yearly cycle or yearly submission deadline cycle?","1) 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.  Reference Section III.A\n\n2) Yes, it is allowable to submit a concept paper to one AOI and submit the corresponding full application to a different AOI\n\n3) DOE cannot comment on future solicitations"]
[109,"Would you please advise where I can find the template for the Summary Slide in regard to the DE-FOA-0002983","The  Summary Slide Template is attached on the EERE Exchange website under the \"Application Forms and Templates\""]
[110,"Should teams add sub-subtasks to Task 0 (Project Admin) in the Workplan, SOPO or both for things like Annual Meetings? \n\nIs it required, preferred or not required?","The Annual Merit Review Meeting is included in the SOPO template under Section E. Please make sure you have distinguished a way to attend this meeting in your budget."]

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