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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to SETO.FOA@ee.doe.gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

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["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA0002064 - Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) FY2019 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) "]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2019-03-28","Technical Topics","For Topic 2.2, would fuels (e.g., H2 alone or as a precursor to liquid fuels) produced using concentrated solar energy be considered responsive under the seasonal storage category? Or under some other category for this call? Fuel production seems distinct from the thermochemical storage based on a cycled endothermic/exothermic reaction as mentioned on p. 26 of the Announcement. Would it be considered acceptable to propose direct use of concentrated light to create fuels for this call?","Topic Area 2.2 is a Materials and Manufacturing Topic. Topic Area 2.1, Section A, solicits applications for seasonal thermal energy storage which may be thermochemical in nature. The storage systems of interest must dispatch energy to the electricity grid in the manner described in the topic. Concepts where the chemical process is only tangentially related to the CSP plant’s thermal dispatch are not of interest. In the case where the thermochemical process is not a closed cycle, the FOA requirement of accounting for all capital and operational costs associated with the process is broader but still necessary. While some thermochemical energy storage may be considered fuel, not all fuels are responsive to this FOA."]
[2,"2019-03-29","Webinar","Will the listed webinars for the FOA be recorded and available for review at a later date, for those who aren't able to make the time slots specified?","Yes, the webinars will be recorded and available on Exchange along with the slides. "]
[3,"2019-03-29","Eligibility","If our head-office is based in Canada, are we eligible to apply for this program. If the research is conducted in the U.S. by American employees does that make us eligible?","Please refer to FOA section III. A. vii. Eligibility Information – Eligible Applicants – Foreign Entities. \"Foreign entities, whether for-profit or otherwise, are eligible to apply for funding under this FOA. Other than as provided in the “Individuals” or “Domestic Entities” sections above, all prime recipients receiving funding under this FOA must be incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a State or territory of the United States and have a physical location for business operations in the United States. If a foreign entity applies for funding as a prime recipient, it must designate in the Full Application a subsidiary or affiliate incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a State or territory of the United States to be the prime recipient. The Full Application must state the nature of the corporate relationship between the foreign entity and domestic subsidiary or affiliate. Foreign entities may request a waiver of the requirement to designate a subsidiary in the United States as the prime recipient in the Full Application (i.e., a foreign entity may request that it remains the prime recipient on an award). To do so, the applicant must submit an explicit written waiver request in the Full Application. Appendix C lists the necessary information that must be included in a request to waive this requirement. The applicant does not have the right to appeal EERE’s decision concerning a waiver request. In the waiver request, the applicant must demonstrate to the satisfaction of EERE that it would further the purposes of this FOA and is otherwise in the economic interests of the United States to have a foreign entity serve as the prime recipient. EERE may require additional information before considering the waiver request.\""]
[4,"2019-03-29","Labs/FFRDCs","We are not an FFRDC, but rather a Government-Owned, Government-Operated laboratory. Are we eligible to apply as a prime recipient under Topic Areas 2,3 or 5?","For purposes of this FOA, EERE will treat Government Owned Government Operated laboratories (GOGOs) as if they were FFRDCs. If the GOGO is controlled by DOE it will be treated as a DOE/NNSA FFRDC. If the GOGO is controlled by another agency it will be treated as a non-DOE/NNSA FFRDC."]
[5,"2019-04-01","Webinar","Could you please send me the link which allow me to participate to the event?","If you are interested in participating in one of the FOA webinars, please click on the pertinent link on the FOA posting in Exchange to register."]
[6,"2019-04-01","Technical Topics","For the purposes of Topic Area 5.2, can you please define “small-scale solar generation”.  What is considered “small-scale” generation in this context?","Solar PV installed on residential home and small commercial building roof tops. Utility scale PV installations would not qualify in this case."]
[7,"2019-04-01","Eligibility","I am a resident of a foreign country. Are proposals only accepted from US residents?","Please reference FOA section III. Eligibility Information. Specifically section III.A.v Individuals."]
[8,"2019-04-02","Technical Topics","Would our proposed project be acceptable under this FOA? Which Sub Topic would be the most suitable for our proposal to be submitted under?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please see Section I.B. of the FOA for Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest."]
[9,"2019-04-02","Other","Can the award be used for equipment? If so, what percentage can be used for equipment purchases? How does that percentage affect competitiveness?","Yes project funds can be used to purchase equipment and there is not a fixed limit on how much of the project funds can go to purchasing equipment. Please refer to 2 CFR 200.313 and 2 CFR 910.360 for information on the requirements for equipment purchases under a Federal Award. "]
[10,"2019-04-02","Other","How many SIPS projects will be funded?","Please see the table in  FOA section II.A.i Estimated Funding. "]
[11,"2019-04-03","Other","I would like to withdraw my Letter of Intent for the FOA. How may I do this?","A Letter of Intent (LOI) may not be withdrawn once submitted. However, If you would please submit the associated Control Number via email to SETO.FOA@ee.doe.gov, we will note that you would like to withdraw your LOI submittal, and it will not be considered for review."]
[12,"2019-04-03","Webinar","Can you direct me to the slides that have been used for the webinar presentations?","The PowerPoint slides from all six FOA webinars have been posted in Exchange and are available for download under the Documents heading."]
[13,"2019-04-03","Webinar","Can you please let me know where I can find a recording of the webinars?","Links to five of the six recorded webinars have been posted in Exchange. To view the recorded webinars, you will need to use an internet browser other than Internet Explorer. The password to view the webinars is Setofoa2019. The link for the Topic Area 2: Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Research and Development webinar recording will be posted as soon as it is available."]
[14,"2019-04-03","Eligibility","Are foreign universities eligible as partners amongst a US consortium for this FOA?","See section III.A.vii of the FOA for eligibility information regarding foreign entities."]
[15,"2019-04-03","Foreign Entities/Work","Who do we send the Waiver Requests for Foreign Entity Participation as the Prime Recipient to?","Please see section III.A.vii of the FOA. Waiver requests for foreign entity participation must submit an explicit written waiver request in the Full Application. Please also review Appendix C - Waiver Requests and Approval Process: 1. Foreign Entity Participation As the Prime Recipient."]
[16,"2019-04-03","Application Content/Format","Is a one page slide required during concept paper submission? Is there a template for the concept paper?","Please see FOA section IV.D.i for Concept Paper Contents and Requirements. There is not a Concept Paper template."]
[17,"2019-04-03","Eligibility","Are federal agencies eligible for this funding opportunity?","Please see section III.A.iv of the FOA. \"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.\""]
[18,"2019-04-03","Other","Was through the webinar the only way to submit questions related to this FOA?","No. Please see FOA section VII. Questions/Agency Contacts. Please email questions to the SETO.FOA@ee.doe.gov mailbox. Questions and answers related to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. Please note that you must first select this specific FOA Number in order to view the questions and answers related to this FOA. EERE will attempt to answer a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted on the website. Questions must be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date and time. Please note, feedback on individual concepts will not be provided through Q&A.\n"]
[19,"2019-04-03","Other","Does EERE allow/recommend meetings with SETO program officers before submissions?","No.  Please see FOA section VII. Questions/Agency Contacts. \"Upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process...\""]
[20,"2019-04-04","Eligibility","Is the FOA open to a small business company? We plan to collaborate with university professors. Is the FOA open to schools/universities?","Please see FOA section III.A Eligible Applicants. Please also note the following from the FOA, \"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 and have a physical location for business operations in the United States are eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient or subrecipient. Nonprofit organizations described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible to apply for funding.\""]
[21,"2019-04-04","Teaming Partners","We would like to work with a partner, and would like to know where we can find one that would be a good fit.","Please download and review the SETO - Teaming Partner List spreadsheet from the FOA posting in Exchange, under the Documents header."]
[22,"2019-04-04","Cost Sharing","Are these cooperative agreements that need to be matched with outside funding/cost share?","Please see section III.B of the FOA."]
[23,"2019-04-04","Application Content/Format","What if the proposed technology has application to multiple areas? For example, CSP, PV, Chemicals, Fuels? Is it appropriate to mention all applications? Or only CSP?","An applicant may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible LOI and Concept Paper were submitted for each Full Application. For each unique, scientifically distinct project, the applicant should select the FOA Topic they feel is most appropriate."]
[24,"2019-04-04","Application Content/Format","If a concept could qualify for both Topic Area 2 CSP and Topic Area 4 Innovations in Manufacturing, for example, can separate concept papers be submitted for each subtopic?","An applicant may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible LOI and Concept Paper were submitted for each Full Application. For each unique, scientifically distinct project, the applicant should select the FOA Topic they feel is most appropriate."]
[25,"2019-04-04","Cost Sharing","Can the 20% cost sharing requirement be equipment dedicated to the manufacturing process?","Please review FOA section III.B.iii."]
[26,"2019-04-04","Technical Topics","Can you tell me if our proposed solar project would be acceptable under this FOA?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please see Section I.B. of the FOA for Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest."]
[27,"2019-04-04","Foreign Entities/Work","I plan to apply to this FOA. My group works closely with a foreign research institute. We are wondering whether foreign entities can be part of the collaborating group when applying to this FOA, specifically under Topic Area 1.","See section III.A.vii of the FOA for eligibility information regarding foreign entities."]
[28,"2019-04-04","Other","Can we change a non-lead institution to a lead institution in a collaborative project at the full proposal stage or after the project is awarded?","Applicants can change the teaming arrangement (lead Org/Team members) any time up to the submission deadline (Concept Paper/Full Application). Applicants can also change the teaming arrangement in the Full Application phase of the submission process. For instance, if the teaming arrangement changes for the applicant after the Concept Paper phase of the submission process and they intend to submit a Full Application the Exchange website will allow them to change the teaming arrangement in the Full Application phase.\nHowever, during the LOI phase the applicants cannot change their teaming arrangement after they click the \"Create Letter of Intent\" button on the Letter of Intent Details page. The EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange system uses the information that an applicant provides on the Letter of Intent Details form to populate the data fields in the Concept Paper Record in the website. The applicant can then edit that information on the Concept Paper form up to the Concept Paper Submission deadline.\nIf the application has already been submitted in EERE Exchange, the application must be resubmitted by the new Prime Applicant, and all application documents must reflect the correct Prime Applicant. The LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application must be submitted by the deadlines stated in the FOA."]
[29,"2019-04-04","Cost Sharing","Cost share is 20% for R&D projects, and 50% for demonstration or commercial application projects. What is a commercial application project? Topic Area 4 can be 20% to 50%, but seems to be intended for commercial applications, so under what cases would a cost share of less than 50% be appropriate for this topic area?","Any proposed project, or part of a project (i.e. Budget Period, Task, etc.), with demonstration is required to provide at least 50% cost share during the validation period. See Appendix F of the FOA for further discussion of technology readiness levels."]
[30,"2019-04-04","Cost Sharing","Cost share appears to be something that can be broken down, 20% for development and other tasks, 50% for tasks with demonstration. Is the only acceptable delineation for breaking that down along Budget Periods (as the examples show in the FOA), or can you have cost share allocated differently to different tasks within the same budget period (meaning that cost share must be 50% for equipment and man hours relating directly to demonstration tasks, but other tasks can have 20%)?","Regardless of Budget Periods, R&D costs should have at least 20% cost share, whereas Demonstration costs should have at least 50% cost share."]
[31,"2019-04-04","Technical Topics","In section 5.1.A, it says \"New inverter designs and associated model changes\" are specifically not of interest. What exactly does inverter design mean in this context? Do we mean to say that the power electronic components and control loops be specific to what is found in the literature/field today? Or is there something else meant here?","Inverter-based grid forming controls and software are of interest. Inverter/converter hardware design, semiconductor development, packaging, magnetic development, etc. are not of interest."]
[32,"2019-04-04","Technical Topics","In section 5.3.A, it says \"Applications that focus on solar and/or load forecasting algorithms and tools\" are not of interest. What about if forecasting is combined with other analytics, like solar disaggregation?","Solar forecasting, including disaggregating solar generation from load, is not of interest if duplicative to the SETO SI Solar Forecasting II program of projects. "]
[33,"2019-04-04","Technical Topics","In section 5.3.B, is the focus exclusively on the distribution grid/micro grid, or also on bulk power system?","While the subtopic does not specifically state bulk power system focused projects are not of interest, applicants are encouraged to review the performance metrics in detail to see if their idea may meet them. Instaneous penetration is for example a key demonstration metric."]
[34,"2019-04-04","Technical Topics","Regarding metrics for grid-forming inverters on page 70 of the FOA, should every proposal meet all these metrics?","The DOE highlighted key metrics that would be indicative of innovative projects at a pilot scale. Applicants are encouraged to incorporate those metrics as well as add and refine metrics for stability and reliability applicable to their proposal, as noted in the FOA."]
[35,"2019-04-05","Technical Topics","How do you define the system soft costs (on slide 8 of the webinar on Friday 4/5/19) of \"contracts\" and \"grid interconnection\"? Does this include utility rates/tariff structures?","The costs of “contracts” and “grid interconnection” are meant to encompass the costs associated with the development of the documentation and execution of the action associated with that documentation. For example costs associated with the development of an interconnection application, its review process and its approval or disapproval determination. Applications proposing the research and/or development of new utility rates or tariffs will not be considered. Projects should focus on reducing costs with solutions agnostic to local utility rates or tariffs. "]
[36,"2019-04-08","Technical Topics","Are CPV solar products excluded from this FOA? I thought I heard that on one of the webinars.","CPV applications are not specifically excluded from the FOA. However, Topics that are specifically not of interest to Topic Area 1 are listed in section I.C. of the FOA, and topics that are specifically not of interest to Topic Area 4 are listed in Section I.B.iv of the FOA."]
[37,"2019-04-08","Other","Is there a common award size per Principal Investigator (PI) that we should tailor our budget towards? It is not clear if the award scales with the team size or if there is an ideal number of PIs for such a project.","See section II.A.i for the estimated amount of funding for each topic area. There are no team size requirements for proposed projects. "]
[38,"2019-04-08","Other","Are there notable budget restrictions? Specifically, we are interested to know if large equipment can be budgeted for in a proposal such as this?","All expenditures must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with the applicable federal cost principles. Refer to the following applicable federal cost principles for more information: Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31 for for-profit entities, 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles for all other non-federal entities. Equipment may be included in an applicant's proposed budget. "]
[39,"2019-04-08","Other","The FOA states that these are collaborative projects. Are there explicit regulations about collaborations that I need to be award of (e.g. max/min number of PIs, max/min number of institutions, does a DOE national lab need to be involved)? At present, we are 2 PIs at the same institution.","There are no explicit regulations about collaborations on proposed projects. However, applicants are required to describe succinctly the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the proposed project team, including:\nWhether the principal investigator and project team have the skill and expertise needed to successfully execute the project plan;\nWhether the applicant has prior experience which demonstrates an ability to perform tasks of similar risk and complexity;\nWhether the applicant has worked together with its teaming partners on prior projects or programs; and\nWhether the applicant has adequate access to equipment and facilities necessary to accomplish the effort and/or clearly explain how it intends to obtain access to the necessary equipment and facilities.\n\nApplicants should carefully review each topic area description in the FOA when constructing their teams."]
[40,"2019-04-09","Application Content/Format","Is there a required format for the concept paper and for the full proposal?","Please see FOA section IV.D.i for Concept Paper Contents and Requirements. Please see FOA section III.F. Content and form of the Full Application."]
[41,"2019-04-10","Other","How many SIPS projects will be funded?","Approximately 10 SIPS projects are anticipated to be funded, subject to availability of appropriated funds."]
[42,"2019-04-11","Other","I am unable to find the FOA on the Grants.gov website. Can you please send me the link?","The Funding Opportunity Announcement is available on the Grants.gov site here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=314252"]
[43,"2019-04-11","Technical Topics","Are the SIPS projects limited to PV or do they include CSP as well?","For this FOA, the SIPS projects are limited to PV."]
[44,"2019-04-11","Other","Previous SIPS applications didn't have final reviews. Will final reviews be available for the SIPS projects under this FOA?","As with prior rounds of SIPS projects, under other FOAs, applicants will receive the reviewer comments and will have an opportunity to reply to the reviewer comments before DOE provides the selection notification."]
[45,"2019-04-11","Technical Topics","Can we apply under multiple Topic Areas? If our proposal is submitted under the \"wrong\" Topic Area, will it be rerouted by staff? We feel as if our proposal fits the goals of the program, but it isn't specifically PV.","An applicant may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible LOI wand Concept Paper were submitted for each Full Application. For each unique, scientifically distinct project, the applicant should select the FOA Topic they feel is most appropriate. EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant. Please see Section I.B. of the FOA for Topic Areas/Technical Areas of Interest."]
[46,"2019-04-11","Application Content/Format","Should the budget submitted during the concept paper stage be equal to that submitted during the full proposal stage?","There is not a budget submission requirement for the Concept Papers."]
[47,"2019-04-11","Labs/FFRDCs","Will National Labs be directly funded if they are subrecipients?","Please see Section II.B.ii of the FOA."]
[48,"2019-04-11","Other","What does it take to become a reviewer?","If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for this, or other FOAs, please send an email to the email address provided in the relevant webinar, and state your areas of interest."]
[49,"2019-04-11","Application Content/Format","Can an applicant submit more than one Concept Paper?","Yes. Multiple applications are allowed, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible Letter of Intent (LOI) and Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application. "]
[50,"2019-04-11","Technical Topics","Is it possible to propose a single project addressing both 5.2 and 5.3?","Applicants need to specify the topic when submitting application documents. Systems Integration (SI) has 3 topics an applicant can submit to: 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3. The projects will be reviewed based on the topic specified by the applicant. However, besides the main application topic focus, projects may propose secondary complementary approaches within three SI topics."]
[51,"2019-04-11","Application Reviews","How long does it take to receive an \"encourage\" or \"discourage\" after submitting the concept paper?","The Concept Paper decisions will be published in a timely manner to allow applicants to prepare for their full applications. Please note that an applicant who receives a \"discouraged\" notification can still submit a Full Application."]
[52,"2019-04-11","Teaming Partners","Where is the Teaming Partners list located?","All of the relevant information and documents, including the SETO - Teaming Partner List, can be accessed on EERE Exchange, under DE-FOA-0002064: Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2019 Funding Program. https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId45eda43a-e826-4481-ae7a-cc6e8ed4fdae. The SETO - Teaming Partner List can be downloaded under the DOCUMENTS header."]
[53,"2019-04-11","Application Content/Format","What is the difference between the Letter of Intent (LOI) and the Concept Paper?","Contents and forms of the Letter of Intent and Concept Paper are given in section IV.C and IV.D of the FOA, respectively."]
[54,"2019-04-11","Webinar","One of the slides on the Photovoltaics webinar indicated $5M total funding for Topic Area 1.2 SIPS projects. But page 73 of the FOA indicates $2M. Is this an error in the slide or the FOA?","The webinar was in error: Topic 1.2 SIPS is estimated to be $2M (subject to appropriations) as stated in the FOA. Additionally, $5M not $5.5M was intended to be the maximum size of a Topic 1.1 Photovoltaic Research Collaborations project."]
[55,"2019-04-11","Other","We submitted a proposal to another open FOA. Since we won't know the decision before the LOI deadline of May 7, 2019, can we still submit a proposal to this FOA? We may have different team members and different R&D, but much of the R&D will be the same.","You may submit a proposal to the FOA, however, if there is any overlap with other Federally sponsored projects, the proposal cannot be funded."]
[56,"2019-04-11","Eligibility","Must an applicant be from a company or a university in the United States?","Please see FOA section III for more details on eligibility."]
[57,"2019-04-11","Technical Topics","We have a specific solar related project already designed and ready to be launched. How or who should we reach out to, so that we can apply to the best possible program for funding?","See section I.B for Topic Areas of Interest. Moreover, see Award Information in Section II that defines the Technology Readiness Levels expected for the topics outlined in the FOA."]
[58,"2019-04-11","Other","For both the proposal and project reports, it's easier in many cases to estimate cost per W (DC) power for a module, than LCOE per kWh of energy produced in an average US geography.  Do you have a standard formula for us to make that conversion from $/W(DC) to $/kWh?","The System Advisor Model (https://sam.nrel.gov/) makes performance predictions and cost of energy estimates for grid-connected power projects based on installation and operating costs and system design parameters that you specify as inputs to the model.  Another resource is the recent paper produced by DOE which examines the impact of changes to key PV module and system parameters on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE):  \"Technology advances needed for photovoltaics to achieve widespread grid price parity: Widespread grid price parity for photovoltaics\" Jones-Albertus, Rebecca & Feldman, David & Fu, Ran & Horowitz, Kelsey & Woodhouse, Michael. (2016). Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications. 24. 10.1002/pip.2755."]
[59,"2019-04-11","Technical Topics","You mentioned systems in the webinar. How far do you go in systems? How do you differentiate between Topic 1 and Topic 5?","In this FOA, the SETO Photovoltaic R&D subprogram (PV) manages Topic Area 1 and the Systems Integration subprogram (SI) manages Topic Area 5. PV's interests cover the photovoltaic system of all components and infrastructure (including module level power electronics) up to but not including the inverter, which is where SI takes over and covers the components and infrastructure that involve the inverter and grid and distributed energy resource (DER) integration topics."]
[60,"2019-04-11","Teaming Partners","If you put your organization onto the Teaming Partners list, does that eliminate you from being a prime applicant later?","Teaming partners list submissions are voluntary and do not preclude an organization from submitting an application under the FOA as a prime recipient. "]
[61,"2019-04-11","Labs/FFRDCs","Can FFRDCs participate in Topic 1.2 (SIPS)?","Per section III of the FOA: Topic 1 Eligibility Restriction: DOE and National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FRDCs) and national laboratories are not eligible to apply as prime recipients and may be included only as subrecipients on applications for Topic 1: Photovoltaics Research and Development. The scope of work performed by the prime recipient shall not be less than the scope of work performed by the subrecipients who are ineligible to be prime applicants, as measured by the total project costs. "]
[62,"2019-04-12","Cost Sharing","We have been told by SETO that we cannot cost share as vendor. Only subrecipients can provide cost share.  We are requesting some clarification this. The FOA section III.B.iii states “Vendors/contractors may not provide cost share.” Can you please clarify if we just participate as a vendor, can we cost share by free licenses if we take profit out of those license costs?","No. If an entity participates in a project as a vendor, they cannot supply cost share to the project in any form."]
[63,"2019-04-16","Application Content/Format","Is there a page limit for the Letter of Intent (LOI)?","Content and form of the Letter of Intent is given in section IV.C of the FOA."]
[64,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","What about solutions that eliminate inverters entirely?","Section I.B.v of the FOA describes the areas of interest for Systems Integration related applications. If a project does not address any of these specifically, it may be deemed nonresponsive as described specifically in each topic section (I.B.v) and generally outlined in Section C."]
[65,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","How important is field demonstration for funding of projects in the Systems Integration area (Topic Area 5)?","Section I.B.v of the FOA describes our three topics in detail. Please refer to this section as each topic describes the field validation and demonstration requirements."]
[66,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Can projects be proposed that address more than one Topic Area?","Applicants will have to specify the topic when they are submitting their application documents. Systems Integration (SI) specifically has 3 topics an applicant can submit to: 5.1, 5.2, 5.3. The projects will be reviewed based on the topic they specify. However, besides the main application topic focus, projects may propose secondary complementary approaches within the three SI topics. "]
[67,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Can projects address more than one sub topic, for example 5.3a and 5.3b?","Yes. But applicants will have to specify the main topic when they are submitting their application documents. Systems Integration (SI) has 3 topics an applicant can submit to: 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3."]
[68,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Can projects address Topic Area 2 and Topic Area 5, for example?","No. Those are two different main SETO program areas, and the applicants will have to specify one main topic or the other."]
[69,"2019-04-16","Eligibility","Do you anticipate funding to a University team without an industry partner?","Yes. Please see Section III of the FOA for more details on eligibility. And, check the requirements for the three Systems Integration (SI) topics, namely, 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 for field validation."]
[70,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","What if a project improves PV penetration and grid reliability, but does not fall under any of the Topic Areas specified in the FOA?","Section I.B.v of the FOA describes the areas of interest for Systems Integration related applications. If a project does not address any of these specifically, it may be deemed nonresponsive as described specifically in each topic section (I.B.v) and generally outlined in Section C."]
[71,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Can you please elaborate on what demonstration means?","Section I.B.v of the FOA describes the three Systems Integration (SI) topics in detail. Please refer to this section as each topic may have different field validation and demonstration requirements."]
[72,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","The FOA states that topics 5.1 and 5.3 must have demonstrations (page 59). Is that true for all applications or something that only responds to specific sub-sections? For example: 5.1a (model development) could avoid demonstration as it's software focused and the validation occurs with known data. Whereas 5.1b (adaptive protections) has a clearer path for validation via demonstration.","Section I.B.v of the FOA describes the three main topics and their areas of interest for Systems Integration related applications. Please refer to this section as each topic may have different field validation and demonstration requirements. "]
[73,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Topic 5.2 states the use of local control. Will financial incentive based local control fall under this subtopic?","Financial signals from relevant electricity markets may be used as a subset of local controls."]
[74,"2019-04-16","Cost Sharing","To qualify to be a demonstration site, does the feeder have to have more than 50% penetration of existing solar PV?","Demos, whenever they apply, do not necessarily require 50% or higher penetration of existing solar PV on a feeder. The proposed technologies, though, should be scalable to such feeders with a realistic potential to achieve high penetration by the end of the project. "]
[75,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","When solar integration is considered, is this for increasing the current generation via fossil fuel hybridization as well? For example, CSP and coal hybridization?","Section I.B.ii. of the FOA describes the areas of interest for Concentrating Solar Power related applications. If a project does not address any of these specifically, it may be deemed nonresponsive as described specifically in each topic section (I.B.ii.) and generally outlined in Section C. Thermal storage solutions developed for CSP may be applicable to other thermal power plants; however, applicants must make their own determination whether to apply based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA.  "]
[76,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","What about solar concentrator solutions that apply to both PV and CSP?","Section I.B.ii. of the FOA describes the areas of interest for Concentrating Solar Power related applications. If a project does not address any of these specifically, it may be deemed nonresponsive as described specifically in each topic section (I.B.ii.) and generally outlined in Section C. Solar concentrator solutions that apply to both PV and CSP could fit into Topic Area 3, but applicants must make their own determination whether to apply based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA.  "]
[77,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Is there a funding opportunity addressing the field in solar heat for industrial processing?","The benefits of the technology for industrial process heat applications/markets projects or work could fit into Topic Area 3, but applicants must make their own determination whether to apply based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA."]
[78,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Is there a requirement on the temperature ranges for the long-term, weekly, thermal energy storage media? Should it be compatible with Gen3 CSP systems?","The thermal energy storage topic area is not required to be compatible with Gen3 CSP temperatures (i.e. >700°C). Selected temperatures should be appropriate for a specified heat transfer fluid and power cycle which can be considered in broader technoeconomic analysis. Applicants must make their own determination whether to apply based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA."]
[79,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Would a BIPV (building integrated) windows project fit within this FOA?","Applicants must make their own determination as to which Topic Area their project may fit within, and make their own determination as to whether or not to apply, based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA."]
[80,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Does Topic 3.4 Rapid Solar Software Development cover software used in utility scale solar applications or only residential and commercial?","Software that addresses utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar are all included in Topic 3.4."]
[81,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","We intend to submit a Concept Paper for this FOA, focusing on Topic Area 5. Is it correct to assume that SETO does not support much effort on the power electronics elements from the team, but rather using commercially available firmware to do solar integration and grid resiliency, even for the field demo?","Section 1.A.v of the FOA describes the areas of interest and not of interest. Specifically, the FOA states that, \"Inverter hardware development, such as power converter topologies and wide-bandgap devise designs, incorporation of additional sensors within inverter/converter designs, and magnetics and filter design\" is not of interest. In addition, power electronics designs covered under DE_FOA-0001750 are not of interest if duplicative to that FOA."]
[82,"2019-04-16","Cost Sharing","Can cost share be met over the life of the agreement (or annually), as opposed to incrementally with each billing cycle?","Prime recipient’s cost share for each billing period must always reflect the overall cost share ratio negotiated by the parties as identified in the Terms and Conditions of the Award.\n\nIn limited circumstances, and where it is in the government's interest, the EERE Contracting Officer may approve a request by the prime recipient to meet its cost share requirements on a less frequent basis, such as monthly or quarterly. Regardless of the interval requested, the prime recipient must be up-to-date on cost share at each interval. Such requests must be sent to the Contracting Officer during award negotiations and include the following information: (1) a detailed justification for the request; (2) a proposed schedule of payments, including amounts and dates; (3) a written commitment to meet that schedule; and (4) such evidence as necessary to demonstrate that the prime recipient has complied with its cost share obligations to date. The Contracting Officer must approve all such requests before they go into effect."]
[83,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","Regarding Topic 3.3, we are wondering if the intent here is to also provide tools for underserved demographics such as low to moderate income consumers?","It is incumbent upon the applicant to determine the best topic area for their application. As for Topic 3.3, as stated in the FOA, \"Projects should enable local financial institutions… to fund solar projects in their local communities.\""]
[84,"2019-04-16","Intellectual Property","For Topic Areas 3.2 and 3.4, will public rights to Intellectual Property (IP) be one of the terms of acceptance?","The intellectual property provisions described in Sections VIII((K)-(N) of the FOA will be a requirement of any award."]
[85,"2019-04-16","Technical Topics","The Topic 1.1 section indicates that projects will be down-selected after 3 years, but each proposal should include a 5-year scope of work.  Does the maximum award limit for Topic 1.1 apply to the first 3 years of the project or the full 5 years?  Are applicants expected to complete the budget form for only the first 3 years of the project or the full 5 years?  Or will a budget for years 4-5 be requested during the Down Selection process?","$5M is the maximum federal funding expected to be available for the first three years of proposed work in Topic Area 1.1. Applicants are only required to provide budget information for the first 3 years of proposed work when applying to this funding opportunity. Budget information for years 4 and 5 will be requested later on during the downselection process."]
[86,"2019-04-19","Cost Sharing","It appears that DE-FOA-0002064 has not been updated to remove the 20% Cost Sharing requirement for Universities and Non-Profits.  The most current version of the FOA was released 3/27/2019, but the Federal Register Announcement of the change to 2 CFR 910.130 implementing the 2 year pilot cost share exemption was announced on 4/1/2019.\n\nWill an amendment to the FOA be released providing for the exemption from the 20% Cost Sharing requirement?","No, DOE will not be reducing the 20% cost share requirement for Universities and Non-profits under this FOA. \n\nSection 108, “Short-Term Cost-Share Pilot Program” of the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act (RIA), Pub. L. 115-246 provides the opportunity for DOE to exclude mandatory cost sharing without having to execute a cost share waiver for institutions of higher education and nonprofit institutions, as was previously required by section 988 of EPACT 2005.  DOE retains the discretion to require cost share above the statutory minimum. For this FOA, the cost share for research and development activities must be at least 20% of the total allowable costs for all applicants to this FOA, including institutions of higher education and nonprofit institutions."]
[87,"2019-04-19","Eligibility","Does a pilot or demo project in a mature state of development phase still qualify for an award?","A pilot or demonstration project in a mature development phase may qualify for an award; however, EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[88,"2019-04-19","Other","We are currently engaged in a product development effort which is being partly funded by a SETO grant. How will this influence the evaluation of an application submitted by our company under this FOA? Under what circumstances might it decrease the DOE’s likelihood of selecting our submission for funding?","Applications that are determined to be eligible will be evaluated in accordance with this FOA, by the standards set forth in EERE’s Notice of Objective Merit Review Procedure (76 Fed. Reg. 17846, March 31, 2011) and the guidance provided in the “DOE Merit Review Guide for Financial Assistance,” effective April 14, 2017, which is available at: https://energy.gov/management/downloads/merit-review-guide-financial-assistance-and-unsolicited-proposals-current. See Section V. Application Review Information of the FOA for details about the application review process. Please note EERE will accept only new applications under this FOA. EERE will not consider applications for renewals of existing EERE-funded awards through this FOA."]
[89,"2019-04-20","Application Content/Format","I plan to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) but I do not see any page number restriction sin the FOA for LOIs. I reviewed section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent, and there is no reference to page restrictions. What is the number of pages allowed for LOIs?","While there is not a page number restriction given in the FOA for the Letter of Intent, please thoroughly review the information provided in FOA section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent, for the information required in the Letter of Intent submission."]
[90,"2019-04-20","Application Content/Format","How do I obtain a Control Number?","Please see FOA section IV.A. Application Process, \"A Control Number will be issued when an applicant begins the EERE Exchange application process. This control number must be included with all application documents…\""]
[91,"2019-04-23","Application Content/Format","May we submit more than one proposal to this FOA?","An applicant may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible LOI wand Concept Paper were submitted for each Full Application. For each unique, scientifically distinct project, the applicant should select the FOA Topic they feel is most appropriate."]
[92,"2019-04-23","Application Content/Format","We will be submitting a lot of documents. Will Grants.gov offer enough work space?","Applications are submitted through EERE Exchange here: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaId45eda43a-e826-4481-ae7a-cc6e8ed4fdae. Not through Grants.gov."]
[93,"2019-04-23","Other","What are the definitions of research, development, and demonstration in the context of this FOA?  ","These terms are defined in the governing regulations.\n\n\"Demonstration\" means a project designed to determine the technical feasibility and economic potential of a technology on either a pilot or prototype scale.  (2 CRF 910.310(e))\n\n\"Research\" is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. (2 CFR 200.87)\n\n\"Development\" is the systematic use of knowledge and understanding gained from research directed toward the production of useful materials, devices, systems, or methods, including design and development of prototypes and processes. (2 CFR 200.87)\n\n\"Research & Development\" means all research activities, both basic and applied, and all development activities that are performed by non-Federal entities. The term research also includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques where such activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function. (2 CFR 200.87)"]
[94,"2019-04-24","Application Content/Format","We have written a Concept Paper for this FOA. However, there are no indications of how and where to send the Concept Paper. ","All application documents, including the Concept Paper, must be submitted through EERE Exchange: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx#FoaId45eda43a-e826-4481-ae7a-cc6e8ed4fdae. \n\nPlease review FOA section IV.A. Application Process. “The application process will include three phases: an LOI phase, Concept Paper phase, and a Full Application phase. Only applicants who have submitted an LOI and an eligible Concept Paper will be eligible to submit a Full Application.”\n\nPlease also see FOA Section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent. And specifically note the following, “To be eligible to submit a Concept Paper and Full Application, applicants must submit an LOI by the specified due date and time.” Also review FOA Section IV.D. Content and Form of the Concept Paper."]
[95,"2019-04-24","Application Content/Format","The EERE Exchange Funding Opportunity Exchange website includes a Summary Slide Template under the Required Documents for Concept Papers. There does not appear to be a Summary Slide requirement for Concept Papers in the FOA. Is a Summary Slide required to be submitted with each Concept Paper?","The Summary Slide Template under Required Documents for Concept Papers has been removed in EERE Exchange. A Summary Slide is not required to be submitted with a Concept Paper."]
[96,"2019-04-24","Application Content/Format","Can we respond to two Topic Areas as part of one proposal? Or should we submit two proposals with the same team, one for each area?","An applicant may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project, and provided that an eligible LOI and Concept Paper were submitted for each Full Application. For each unique, scientifically distinct project, the applicant should select the FOA Topic they feel is most appropriate."]
[97,"2019-04-25","Application Content/Format","Do we need to include a control number on the Letter of Intent (LOI)?","Yes. Please see FOA section IV.A. Application Process, \"A Control Number will be issued when an applicant begins the EERE Exchange application process. This control number must be included with all application documents…\""]
[98,"2019-04-25","Eligibility","Does the U.S. citizenship and permanent residency requirement apply to all team members or only to the PI?","U.S. citizenship and permanent residency only apply if an individual is applying for funding under the FOA. Requirements for business organizations applying to the FOA can be found in Section III.A. The organization applying must meet the eligibility requirements for a domestic entity, foreign entity, incorporated consortia, or unincorporated consortia."]
[99,"2019-04-25","Eligibility","Can a co-PI or senior personnel be on an H1B visa?","A co-PI or senior personnel on an H1B visa may be part of a project team."]
[100,"2019-04-25","Technical Topics","With regard to Topic 1.1, PV System Recycling and End-of-Life Management, fourth bullet (\"Developing and piloting a process for the recycling of PV components equivalent to at least a 10-kilowatt system within the general waste-management system\"), I would like to know whether fulfilment of the 10 KW scale of recycling pilot would be considered as \"demonstration scale\" for the purposes of clarifying the cost share requirement if one were to propose a project to address the fourth bullet item listed above. Is 50% cost share required when proposing to pilot at 10KW scale?","As PV recycling is a nascent technology, it is DOE's expectation that this activity could be considered research and development. DOE will make a determination on a case by case basis. Applicants are encouraged to partner with existing recycling facilities/entities and if activities consist of showcasing a process for industry investment then the activity will be considered demonstration and require 50% cost share."]
[101,"2019-04-25","Technical Topics","Is decreasing the cost of chemicals to make advanced high efficiency GaAs solar cells excluded from this FOA?","Applicants must make their own determination as to which Topic Area their project may fit within, and make their own determination as to whether or not to apply, based on the goals and topics stated in the FOA."]
[102,"2019-04-26","Other","We are considering submitting a concept paper as the Prime Recipient of a proposal (Project 1). Separate and distinct from Project 1, we have been approached by another project to provide a small role as a participant on an Advisory Panel to be described in that project's concept paper (Project 2). Our only role in Project 2 would be to provide in-kind contributions to the advisory panel. The question is whether we would in any way jeopardize its chance for an award for Project 1 by being named as a participant in Project 2? Or, asked another way, are all project concepts evaluated independently, without any regard to how many projects a specific entity may be named on as a participant? We want to support Project 2 without any harm of PGE's consideration for Project 1.","Applications that are determined to be eligible will be evaluated in accordance with this FOA, by the standards set forth in EERE’s Notice of Objective Merit Review Procedure (76 Fed. Reg. 17846, March 31, 2011) and the guidance provided in the “DOE Merit Review Guide for Financial Assistance,” effective April 14, 2017, which is available at: https://energy.gov/management/downloads/merit-review-guide-financial-assistance-and-unsolicited-proposals-current. See Section V. Application Review Information of the FOA for details about the application review process. Please note an entity may submit more than one LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and provided that an eligible LOI and Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application."]
[103,"2019-04-26","Cost Sharing","The maximum award amount for Topic Area 1.2 is listed at $200k. Is this the total budget or DOE's share? Which is possible between these two cases:\n\na. $200k (DOE) + $50k (Cost Share) = $250k\nb. $160k (DOE) + $40k (Cost Share) = $200k","In the example given in the question, option a is correct. "]
[104,"2019-04-26","Other","For proposals we typically have to submit through our Grants and Contract office. I was wondering if it would present a problem if I submit the Letter of Intent (LOI) and Concept Paper through my own account and then we submit the final application through a different account?","The EERE Exchange system will allow any Exchange user who either owns the Concept Paper/Full Application record or who has been shared permissions to the record to edit or submit the record on behalf of the Lead Organization. The user making the submission in Exchange is asked to check a box indicating that they are authorized to submit on behalf of the Lead (submitting) organization. The applicant organization can decide user roles (Creating, Providing Content, Oversight/Review and Submitting). Information on sharing permissions can be found in the \"EERE eXCHANGE Applicant Guide...\" which is listed in the \"Manuals\" section of the website."]
[105,"2019-04-26","Cost Sharing","The table in Section II.A.i. lists the maximum dollars per award. Do these maximums apply only to the federal share of the project or do they apply to the total project costs (including cost share)?","The maximum dollars per award listed in the table in Section II.A.i. applies only to the federal share of the project."]
[106,"2019-04-27","Eligibility","For topic 5.2. it is stated that “Demonstration of proposed services will be supported for cases where there is an existing market or other mechanism that can accommodate such services, and where the projects conform to the grid operator’s requirements and specifications.”. We are a university and have a BTM facility with DERs, but currently there exists no market in the interconnected utility for aggregated participation of BTM DERs to provide grid services. Can we still propose a demonstration phase with a management system that controls the real world grid-tied BTM DERs to demonstrate grid services?","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[107,"2019-04-29","Technical Topics","Regarding Topic 1: PV System Recycling and End-of-Life Management. The FOA states that this research area will support \"Developing and piloting a process for the recycling of PV components equivalent to at least a 10-kilowatt system within the general waste-management system.\" (page 19) The question is the processing rate capability of the pilot operation, i.e., kg/hour. If a typical 10 kW system is some 34 panels and with all components is around 500kg, is the pilot scale operation to process 500 kg of material per hour, per day, per week?","The rate of processing is not dictated by the FOA and applicants must determine the reasonable rate for their process."]
[108,"2019-04-29","Other","Do we need to have our organizational AOR submit the Letter of Intent (LOI) or does the LOI get submitted by the EERE applicant individually?","The LOI should be submitted by an individual that has the ability and authority to submit on behalf of an organization."]
[109,"2019-04-29","Other","Am I able to submit the Letter of Intent (LOI) under an active Principal Investigator (PI) at our university naming the new faculty member as a team member, and then later changing his role to Lead PI when and if the proposal is awarded, as the PI does not technically join the faculty until August? (Our university has a PI who has accepted a faculty position here for which his appointment begins in August 2019. He is interested in submitting an application to this FOA. And I need some assistance submitting an LOI on his behalf.)","The LOI should be submitted by an individual that has the ability and authority to submit on behalf of an organization. Each applicant must provide the project team, including:\nThe principal investigator for the prime recipient;\nTeam members, such as subrecipients; and\nKey participants, namely individuals who contribute in a substantive, measurable way to the execution of the proposed project.\nThe PI on the project may be changed if the proposal is selected for negotiations, provided that the Prime Recipient and DOE agree that the person is qualified to perform as PI on the project."]
[110,"2019-04-29","Cost Sharing","With regards to applying to the subject FOA, Topic Area 5, can infrastructure previously constructed be counted as cost share funds? We designed a controller from scratch which is currently in operation. We would like to do additional development to it. Could this controller and the value of it, which is solely under our control, be considered for cost share funds?","See Section III.B. in the FOA for more details about cost sharing. Please also see Section IV.L.ii. for information on pre-award costs. "]
[111,"2019-04-30","Application Content/Format","I'm working on a Concept Paper and am wondering if the requested addendum material and any supplemental graphs, charts, or other data related to the technology description are included in the four page limit.","Please refer to FOA section IV.D. Content and Form of the Concept Paper. The Concept Paper page limit is a 1 page maximum cover page, and a 4 page maximum technical description, impacts and addendum. Each submission must not exceed the specified maximum page limit, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, addendums, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth above and single-spaced. If applicants exceed the maximum page lengths indicated below, EERE will review only the authorized number of pages and disregard any additional pages."]
[112,"2019-05-01","Other","How can an individual submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) without a DUNS number?","Please refer to FOA section IV.I. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM)."]
[113,"2019-05-01","Other","In accordance with the instructions in the FOA, I attempted to obtain a Control Number. After filling out the required sections in the General tab in EERE Exchange, I clicked the Submit LOI button, assuming it would generate a Control Number and lead me to the page where I could upload the Letter of Intent or fill out such information. But apparently it was the actual LOI submission. Because this submission of LOI generated a Control Number, my actual LOI did not contain the Control Number. Should I recall the LOI or resubmit the LOI with the Control Number (although I anticipate this will generate another Control Number in the process).","The Control Number should be included on the Letter of Intent. "]
[114,"2019-05-01","Application Content/Format","Would you please confirm whether the concept paper's page limit includes the addendum? Also, if is correct that the footer, including footnotes and page numbers, may not extend into the 1\" page margin?","Please refer to FOA section IV.D. Content and Form of the Concept Paper. The addendum is included in the 4 page limit. The FOA states, \"All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5x11-inch paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement. Each submission must not exceed the specified maximum page limit, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth in the FOA and single-spaced. If applicants exceed the maximum page lengths indicated below, EERE will review only the authorized number of pages and disregard any additional pages.\""]
[115,"2019-05-01","Application Content/Format","The FOA states that the Letter of Intent has a 200 word limit, but the EERE Exchange website indicates a maximum of 4000 characters. Which guideline should we follow?","The Letter of Intent guidelines in the FOA should be followed. Please refer to FOA section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent. The LOI abstract must not be longer than 200 words, and should provide a truncated explanation of the proposed project. While EERE Exchange allows for up to 4000 characters, an eligible Letter of Intent must be limited to 200 words in length, and follow the guidelines as laid out in the FOA. "]
[116,"2019-05-01","Application Content/Format","Please let me know whether the Letter of Intent (LOI) must include an abstract (4000 characters), cover page (1 page long) project description (4 page long) and a summary slide.","Please refer to FOA section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent. The LOI abstract must not be longer than 200 words, and should provide a truncated explanation of the proposed project. The LOI does not include a cover page, or a summary slide."]
[117,"2019-05-01","Technical Topics","A follow up question to question # 6 – “For the purposes of Topic Area 5.2, can you please define ‘small-scale solar generation’.  What is considered ‘small-scale’ generation in this context?”  Current answer: “Solar PV installed on residential home and small commercial building roof tops. Utility scale PV installations would not qualify in this case.” What about a ground level solar installation that is just above 100 kW on the campus of a university or research institute?  Would this be considered small-scale?  Would this be considered behind-the-meter? ","Yes. Such installations would be considered small-scale."]
[118,"2019-05-01","Technical Topics","In the introduction to topic area 5, the FOA states “All applications should focus on overcoming high PV penetration integration challenges, identified as 50% solar penetration or more compared to peak load on the distribution feeder system.”  What do you mean exactly by “distribution feeder system”?  Is it a feeding line from the grid to a whole business, to a building,  to part of a building?  Would this be a requirement for a demonstration project, i.e, half the peak load for the feeder system needs to be met by its local solar generation? ","Distribution feeder refers to distribution networks that feed loads at low voltage levels from distribution substations, including the secondary wires.  However, the secondary wires are not considered as a feeder just by themselves."]
[119,"2019-05-01","Technical Topics","Please clarify “behind-the-meter”.  If the utility company can directly collect information of a solar/storage system, is it still considered behind-the-meter? ","“A behind the meter generation system is a distributed renewable energy generating facility, such as solar PV, that produces power on site. As the power is being generated by the business, not produced on the side of the grid, it is referred to as 'behind the meter'.” A utility company may or may not have direct access to the related data from such a DER."]
[120,"2019-05-02","Application Content/Format","Could you please let me know if there is a page limit for the Letter of Intent? I can see the page limit for the Concept Paper but I can not find anything about the page limit for the Letter of Intent.","Please refer to FOA section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent. This section states specifically what the Letter of Intent should include, including a word limit for the abstract."]
[121,"2019-05-02","Technical Topics","Does cost per kw/hr include an amortization of hard costs?","Our costs per kilowatt hour are the levelized costs of electricity, which includes all of the costs that are incurred over the lifetime of the system, including the hardware, soft costs, financing and operations and maintenance costs. It also accounts for the performance of the system over time to get the cost per unit of electricity produced. (See SETO FOA - Overview - 4-2019 Transcript document for response provided during webinar.)"]
[122,"2019-05-02","Technical Topics","What is the difference between the LCOE goals and actual current values?","Our 2030 LCOE goals require roughly a factor of 2-3 reduction in cost from current values. (See SETO FOA - Overview - 4-2019 Transcript document for response provided during webinar.)"]
[123,"2019-05-02","Technical Topics","What project life is assumed for LCOE calculation?  30yrs, more?","We assume 50 years for the utility-scale systems, and 30 years for residential and commercial, for our default scenarios. But we look at a range of scenarios that can enable us to reach these cost targets, in which the lifetime is something that can vary.  Longer lifetimes enable higher system costs to get to the LCOE goals; shorter lifetimes require lower system costs to hit the same goal. (See SETO FOA - Overview - 4-2019 Transcript document for response provided during webinar.)"]
[124,"2019-05-02","Eligibility","My company, plans to submit a proposal/application for funding opportunity DE-FOA-0002064 under Topic 1: Photovoltaics Research and Development. To make sure that our project would qualify, I wanted to take a brief moment of your time to raise an important question. The project we plan to submit is already in a fairly mature development phase. We already have preliminary system impact studies done with the utility and are ready to begin negotiating an interconnection agreement for grid connecting this particular system.  If all the development efforts (land control, initial procurement RFP’s and EPC/integrator bids, etc) continue according to the current schedule, we would anticipate construction starting on this project in Q3 2019 with a COD of Q1 2020. Even though the development and construction of this project will potentially already be in progress by the time the awards are announced (in Nov 2019), we would still like to submit this project for your consideration of an award under this funding opportunity because we believe it is a good fit for achieving the specified goals of SETO. We would also very much look forward to share and publicize the learning acquired from this pilot project through direct involvement with SETO and a potential collaborator.  As long as the concept of this proposal makes sense from a timing perspective, we are very excited to participate in this FOA.","EERE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
[125,"2019-05-02","Cost Sharing","Our company generally includes a 5% fee on SBIR projects and other government grants. Can waiving this 5% fee be counted as cash cost share on this FOA?","No. Fees are unallowable as direct costs and are therefore unallowable as cost share."]
[126,"2019-05-02","Other","I am planning to submit a concept paper and potentially a full application to this FOA. Under this circumstance, am I eligible to serve as a reviewer, maybe on topic areas that I am not targeting on my proposal?","Serving as a reviewer does not restrict an individual from submitting an application; however, non-federal reviewers are required to sign a conflict of interest (COI) and non-disclosure acknowledgements (NDA) prior to reviewing an application."]
[127,"2019-05-02","Other","Am I correct in assuming that you are not calling for a reviewers commitment yet nor established the honorarium yet? This looks exciting, but appears to still be early stage.","Correct, reviewer commitments have not been established at this time. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for this, or other FOAs, please send an email to the relevant FOA mailbox, and state your areas of interest. The information will be forwarded to the FOA Manager for consideration."]
[128,"2019-05-02","Application Content/Format","I had a question about the preparation of the SIPS application documents.  My understanding from the FOA is that the SIPS application as described in section IV. E. is the final step in a submission in response to the SIPS topic (Topic number 1.2) and that if we are responding to Topic 1.2 we do not follow the formatting guidelines for submission of a full proposal as shown in section IV. F.  I just wanted to make sure because it seems strange that we are then limited to only 3 pages of Project Description instead of the 15 pages that are allowed in the Full Application.  And it appears that in the submission of a SIPS application we do not need to submit the Budget Justification Excel file or the Subrecipient Budget Justification or Summary for Public Release, or any of the other files listed in the table in section IV.F.  Is that correct?  For the submission in response to the SIPS we only submit a SIPS application which contains a 1-page Cover Page, a 3 page Project Description (including an unlimited number of reference pages, one page letters of support and/or 1 pages resumes), and a summary slide.  Is that correct?","Applicants that intend to apply to Topic Area 1.2 Small Innovative Projects in Solar must follow the contents and form as stated in Section IV.E. and IV.E.ii of the FOA (See pages 91 -93). A budget justification (EERE 335) is not required; however, the application must include a high-level overview of estimated total project budget. SIPS applications must include a Cover Letter (1 page max), Project Description (3 pages max), and a Summary Slide (Not included in page limit). "]
[129,"2019-05-03","Other","Do applicants need to project how much their invention or approach might reduce costs? If so, do you have guidance for how you want us to demonstrate cost savings?","Proposed projects are required to be consistent with SETO’s Strategic Goals to achieve the 2030 Cost Targets (see Section I.A.ii).  The FOA does not provide specific guidance on how a proposed project should demonstrate that their technology is consistent with the 2030 Cost Targets, however, various metrics are indicated in the applicable Topic Areas in the FOA (see Section 1.B). Applications should clearly explain how the project aligns with the objectives of the relevant Topic Area(s)."]
[130,"2019-05-03","Other","I accidentally hit the “Submit Letter of Intent” button before including correct information.  How can I recall the submission so that I can resubmit a proper LOI?  If recalling the submission is not possible, can I resubmit a new, proper LOI with the same title and PI?","Applicants cannot recall the letter of intent.  When an applicant clicks the Create Letter of Intent button the website creates the Concept paper record, assigns it a Control Number and Pre-populates the Concept Paper record with the information provided on the Letter of Intent Details form.  The applicant can update the information in the Concept Paper record."]
[131,"2019-05-03","Application Content/Format","We have submitted an LOI to this FOA, have received a control number and confirmation that we are now at the concept paper stage.  As we are in the process of finalizing our collaboration agreements with external entities and their team members, we have listed these teams as TBD in the LOI. These partnerships agreements will not be finalized and in place by the May 7th deadline of the LOI. I’d like to ensure that (1) this is acceptable for the LOI and does not disqualify our submission and (2) at what stage of the submission process does the full team need be identified: at concept paper submission or  by final application submission?","The partnership agreements do not need to be finalized by May 7th; however, applicants should provide information in the Concept Paper that clearly states the qualifications, experience, capabilities and other resources necessary to complete the proposed project. "]
[132,"2019-05-03","Other","Can you please define “Outreach” as mentioned in Appendix B – pg 138 of the FOA.  What tasks or activities constitute “outreach”?","Appendix B is a sample cost share calculation. See Section II.A.i. of the FOA for the Topic Area cost share requirements."]
[133,"2019-05-03","Other","TRL levels listed in tables on pg 73.  Are these the starting or present TRL status of the technology? ","See Appendix F for the definition of Technology Readiness Levels."]
[134,"2019-05-03","Application Content/Format","For the SIPS applications, must we submit an LOI, LOI again with the Concept Paper, and then the Full Application including a 15 page technical volume? Or the LOI, LOI again with the Concept Paper, and then a 4 page application with a PowerPoint slide?","Please reference FOA section IV.E.ii. SIPS Application Concept Requirements. Applicants to Topic Area 1.2: SIPS must submit a mandatory LOI. For the Concept Paper stage, applicants must resubmit their LOI in order to be eligible to submit a SIPS application for review. SIPS applications must be submitted by the SIPS Application deadline, which coincides with the Full Application deadline of other topics. Please also refer to the chart that begins on page 92 of the FOA that lists the specific SIPS application content requirements."]
[135,"2019-05-04","Cost Sharing","Utilities within Defense Critical facilities are generally federally owned, and this type of participation of the utility is often the biggest source of cost share for these projects, is there a mechanism for counting those dollars as contributing to the work?","Please refer to FOA section III.B.iii: \"The prime recipient may not use the following sources to meet its cost share obligations including, but not limited to: Federal funding or property (e.g., federal grants, equipment owned by the federal government), and expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate federal program\"."]
[136,"2019-05-05","Other","I have a member of my team that at this point is not 100% sure if he will be able to collaborate due to a potential conflict of interest. Can the team members listed in the LOI be modified for the concept paper?","Applicants can change the teaming arrangement (lead Org/Team members) any time up to the submission deadline (Concept Paper/Full Application). Applicants can also change the teaming arrangement in the Full Application phase of the submission process. For instance, if the teaming arrangement changes for the applicant after the Concept Paper phase of the submission process and they intend to submit a Full Application the Exchange website will allow them to change the teaming arrangement in the Full Application phase.\nHowever, during the LOI phase the applicants cannot change their teaming arrangement after they click the \"Create Letter of Intent\" button on the Letter of Intent Details page. The EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange system uses the information that an applicant provides on the Letter of Intent Details form to populate the data fields in the Concept Paper Record in the website. The applicant can then edit that information on the Concept Paper form up to the Concept Paper Submission deadline.\nIf the application has already been submitted in EERE Exchange, the application must be resubmitted by the new Prime Applicant, and all application documents must reflect the correct Prime Applicant. The LOI, Concept Paper, and Full Application must be submitted by the deadlines stated in the FOA."]
[137,"2019-05-05","Technical Topics","If the primary Topic Area is 5.1A and the secondary Topic Area is 5.1B, do you still require field demonstration for the tasks related to 5.1B?","Please see the FOA under each topic area description for field demonstration requirements. Robust, effective testing and evaluation of any developed technology and systems integration is required. For applicants that specify a secondary subtopic to include along with their primary topic focus, the team is encouraged to specify a robust, effective testing and evaluation framework that may include field testing. Applications should describe this framework, including any applicable field demonstration, with justification for how the testing will be sufficient to evaluate technology readiness level and effective systems integration of the technologies."]
[138,"2019-05-06","Eligibility","We plan to be a Prime Recipient and are a legal US entity. Would it be possible to have another branch of our company, that is located in a foreign country, as a partner? How would this work from a budget and collaboration viewpoint if they are a vendor or a subcontractor? We","Please refer to FOA section III.A.vii. Foreign Entities."]
[139,"2019-05-06","Intellectual Property","How is intellectual property (IP) regulated for this grant? Who owns the R&D information or any innovation generated during the project? For example, if we would do research on a new material, processes etc.,  who is filing for patents, who owns commercialization etc?  ","Please refer to FOA section VI.B.xi. Intellectual Property Provisions for details regarding Intellectual Property."]
[140,"2019-05-06","Other","We are interested in DE-FOA-0002064. What is the minimum level of effort (in percent) required for the Prime Recipient?","The FOA does not specify a minimum level of effort for the Prime Recipient, however, please refer to FOA section IV.C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent, specifically, \"Each applicant must provide the following information as part of the LOI: ... Percent of effort contributed by the lead organization\"."]
[141,"2019-05-06","Cost Sharing","Can I contribute more than 50% for cost sharing? If not what is the max?","While the FOA does not list a maximum amount of cost share that a Prime Recipient may contribute to the project, please refer to FOA Appendix A - Cost Share Information for further details regarding cost share."]
[142,"2019-05-06","Other","Can a person who may be listed as a Principal Investigator on one submission, also be listed as a team member or sub-recipient, or key participant, on a second proposal for an entirely different project?","A person may be listed as a lead PI on one proposal while being a co-PI on another proposal. However, the roles and work to be performed by each PI and Key Participant must be included in the application. Also, the person must be able to track their hours worked on each project in an adequate timekeeping system, and comply with Generally Acceptable Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Generally Acceptable Government Accounting Standards (GAGAS). "]
[143,"2019-05-06","Technical Topics","For topic 1, the FOA states the technology should be TRL 2 to 6. Does this apply to the technology at the beginning of the project, at the end of the project, or both? E.g. if we propose to bring our technology from TRL 4 to TRL 7, would that be appropriate for this funding opportunity? ","A technology that is currently at TRL 4 may be appropriate for submission to Topic Area 1 depending on the details of the proposed work. Applications will be reviewed based on the criteria provided in Section V.A. and based on their responsiveness to the funding opportunity description provided in Section I.B. Each applicant is responsible for determining whether or not to submit an application to this funding opportunity."]
[144,"2019-05-07","Other","Please clarify whether or not it is required to have multiple organizations within a team in order to qualify for application.","Having multiple participating institutions is not a specific requirement to submit an application to Topic Area 1.1, although it is highly encouraged. Concept papers are expected to contain all of the information listed in Section IV.D.i., including a discussion of the capabilities of the proposed project team. Applications will be reviewed based on the criteria provided in Section V.A. and based on their responsiveness to the funding opportunity description provided in Section I.B of the funding opportunity announcement."]
[145,"2019-05-07","Other","I am a US citizen working as a professor at a foreign university. Is it preferable that I apply as an individual as the prime applicant and list my university as a collaborator, or to just apply with my university as the prime applicant and then request a waiver later?","Please refer to FOA section III. Eligibility Information, specifically section III.vii. Foreign Entities"]
[146,"2019-05-07","Other","We plan to submit to this FOA, and are wondering if we are considered a \"large business\" or a \"small business\". What is the definition of those terms?","Please refer to the Small Business Administration’s definition of a small business, which can be found here: https://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-and-why-determine-if-your-business-small."]
[147,"2019-05-07","Other","I was out of town and missed the deadline to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for this FOA? Can I upload one now?","A Letter of Intent may not be submitted after the May 7, 2019, 5:00 pm ET deadline. Letters of Intent must have been submitted by the date above in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application."]
[148,"2019-05-07","Other","Most of the small businesses on our grant proposal have less than 1/4 million dollars in revenue, or little to no revenue. Would they still be classified as a small business or as an individual?","Please refer to the Small Business Administration’s definition of a small business, which can be found here: https://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-and-why-determine-if-your-business-small."]
[149,"2019-05-07","Other","What is the maximum % of the award that I can give to outside third parties?","The FOA does not specify a minimum level of effort for the Prime Recipient, nor a maximum level of effort that can be diverted to subrecipients for Topics 2, 3, and 5. Please see the eligibility requirements for Topics 1 and 4 in Section III of the FOA. "]
[150,"2019-05-08","Other","My organization is applying to Topic Area 5, and on page 72 of the document, you reference UL standard 2900-2-4, but it is not available on UL's website. We are aware of 2900-2-2 and 2900-2-4 has been referenced, but again is not available on UL's website. Can you please provide the text for the UL std 2900-2-4?","UL standards are in general available for purchase on the UL website. UL 2900-2-2 and 2900-2-4 are a set of standards under “Industry Product Requirements”. UL 2900-2-4 is a new initiative and given as an example."]
[151,"2019-05-09","Application Content/Format","We are at the concept paper stage of Topic Area 1.2. In the FOA, it mentions \"applicants must resubmit their LOI in order to be eligible to submit a SIPS application for review.\" Do you want us to submit the same LOI as the concept paper? Or do you want us to prepare a concept paper with 1-page cover page + 3-page project description + 1 summary slide?","Please refer to the cover page of the FOA which states, “Topic Area 1.2 applicants must resubmit their LOI again as a Concept Paper by the Concept Paper deadline listed, to clear an administrative software restriction of EERE Exchange.” Please upload the LOI as the Concept Paper for Topic Area 1.2. Please ensure to also enter information for all required fields in Exchange including estimated budget numbers. The estimated budget numbers may change between the Concept Paper stage and the SIPS application stage. "]
[152,"2019-05-09","Application Content/Format","Guidelines specify that applicants for 1.2 must resubmit their LOI  in place of a Concept Paper but the system requests we include budget amounts as well as a concept paper upload. Do we upload the LOI summary as the concept paper or upload a file stating no concept paper required per guidelines for Topic Area. 1.2?","Please refer to the cover page of the FOA which states, “Topic Area 1.2 applicants must resubmit their LOI again as a Concept Paper by the Concept Paper deadline listed, to clear an administrative software restriction of EERE Exchange.” Please upload the LOI as the Concept Paper for Topic Area 1.2. Please ensure to also enter information for all required fields in Exchange including estimated budget numbers. The estimated budget numbers may change between the Concept Paper stage and the SIPS application stage. "]
[153,"2019-05-10","Application Content/Format","The \"Funds and Costs\" tab in the EERE Exchange system requires dollar amounts for Federal Share & Non-Federal Share, however, it's my understanding that there is not a budget submission requirement for Concept Papers. Can you please provide guidance on what should be entered in these fields in the EERE Exchange system?","While a budget justification document was not required to be submitted at the Concept Paper stage, the dollar amount for Federal Share & Non-Federal Share still needs to be filled in in Exchange where required. The amounts entered in Exchange can be changed in the full application stage. "]
[154,"2019-05-23","Other","Could you provide clarification on the $3M award maximum for Topic 5.2? Is the $3M award maximum total project cost or only the federal share?","The maximum amounts are for the federal share. The sum of the government share, including FFRDC costs, and the recipient share of allowable costs equals the total project costs (as applicable)."]
[155,"2019-05-24","Application Content/Format","In the FOA document, there is a subrecipient budget justification form required, if applicable. The instructions say a sub budget justification template is available on the EERE Exchange website.  However, I am unable to identify the template. Is this template available on the EERE Exchange site?","The EERE 335 Budget Justification document is used for budget documents for both prime and subrecipients."]
[156,"2019-05-30","Application Content/Format","The FOA states that tasks identified in the SOPO “should include a budget amount for each year of the proposed work”. Is this the only place that budget is broken out by task? If not, please identify additional forms that require budget by task. If selected for funding, will billing be by task?","The EERE 335 budget justification should be completed with the budget amounts for each year along with the associated tasks. The template is available on EERE Exchange. "]
[157,"2019-06-18","Application Content/Format","The FOA, in Section IV.F.ii., states:  “The Technical Volume to the Full Application may not be more than 15-pages, including the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics, and must include all of the information in the table below.” and “The Technical Volume must conform to the following content requirements:” The items in the content requirements chart include the Cover Page; Project Overview; Project Description, Innovation, and Impact; Summary Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO); Team Qualifications and Resources; and Appendices.  Can you please advise if the SOPO counts towards the page limit of the Technical Volume?","Yes, the SOPO counts towards the page limit of the Technical Volume. The Technical Volume to the Full Application may not be more than 15 pages, including the cover page, table of contents, and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics, and must include all of the information in the table below (table begins on page 95 of the FOA)."]
[158,"2019-06-19","Application Content/Format","I submitted a SIPS LOI and concept paper for the DE-FOA-0002064 RFP. Now I am preparing full application. My question is that the page limit for SIPS is Cover Page [1 Page Max] + Project Description [3 Pages Max] or should I follow the extensive details of Technical Volume 15-page limit described in \"Content and Form of the Full Application”?","Please follow the details listed in section IV.E.ii. SIPS Application Content Requirements."]
[159,"2019-06-20","Application Content/Format","Can we change the Principal Investigator for the project between the Concept Paper and Full Application stages?","The PI on the project may be changed in the full SIPS application stage, provided that the Prime Recipient and DOE agree that the person is qualified to perform as PI on the project."]
[160,"2019-06-21","Application Content/Format","Can you please provide clarification regarding the Letter of Commitment requirement? From what I understand, a Letter of Commitment from all national laboratories – specifically – under all Topic 2 areas is required. But then, under full application requirements, a letter of commitment is required from all subrecipient/third party cost share providers – I believe on all topics?","Yes letters of commitment are required in both of the instances described above. All Topic Area 2 applications that include working with a DOE National Laboratory must include a letter of commitment from the associated national laboratory, as described in FOA section I.B.ii. Topic Area 2: Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Research and Development. And yes, applications with proposed third party cost share should attach letters of commitment from all subrecipient/third party cost share providers, as described in FOA section IV.F.ii. Technical Volume."]
[161,"2019-06-22","Application Content/Format","If we have an FFRDC involved that will be receiving more than $250k, do they need to submit a subrecipient budget justification, or do they only seed to submit the DOE work plan and authorization from the cognizant contracting officer?","FFRDCs do not need to submit subrecipient budget justifications, regardless of the size of their budget. However, a Field Work Proposal and Contracting Officer authorization must be submitted for FFRDCs."]
[162,"2019-06-25","Application Reviews","Have there been any instances in SETO where a concept paper that received a “discouraged” notification, then proceeded to submit a full application and was selected for award negotiation?","An applicant who receives a “discouraged” notification may still submit a Full Application. EERE will review all eligible Full Applications."]
[163,"2019-06-25","Other","Would you be able to help us better understand the difference between a key participant, a key sub-recipient and a team member? Also, what is meant by participating in a substantive manner? In the FOA, it says “key participating team members” and then separately states key participants and team members, which further confuses my understanding of how to distinguish between the two. It appears to be important to distinguish between the two in the Team Qualification section where if you have a key participant there is significantly more of the work that needs to be explained.","Team members are entities, such as subrecipients, FFRDC’s, and/or vendors/contractors. Key participants are namely individuals who contribute in a substantive, measureable way to the execution of the proposed project."]
[164,"2019-06-25","Other","What does “business agreement” mean in the Team Qualifications section? Is there a requirement for us to have fully executed contracts with our key participants?","Fully executed contracts are not required to be submitted, however, the proposal should identify the roles of each participant that is agreed upon by all parties. "]
[165,"2019-06-27","Other","Is it acceptable to add a subrecipient to the applicant’s team for the full proposal stage if the entity was not listed as part of the team in the concept paper? The primary applicant is the same and all team members listed in the concept paper are still participating. The desire is simply to add another representative from the utility sector.","Yes, it is acceptable for an applicant to add an additional subrecipient between the concept paper and full application."]
[166,"2019-07-01","Technical Topics","We submitted a Concept Paper to Topic Area 1.1. We received a Discouraged response for pursuing a full application to Topic Area 1.1. However, in the Reviewer Comments, the reviewer encouraged us to submit a full application to Topic Area 3.4. Is it possible to change topic areas at this stage of the process? If so, is there anything that we need to do to effect the change?","Yes, it is possible to change topic areas at this stage of the process. When an applicant creates the Full Application record in the Exchange website they would visit the Topic data field on the General Information page and select the Topic that they want to use for the Full Application submission."]
[167,"2019-07-01","Application Reviews","We received a discouraged response. It seems the advice that was entered into our reviewer comments section could be easily addressed in a full paper submission, and that the review was actually generally supportive of the team and the potential of the project. We are confused as to why the result was to discourage a full submission. Is there anyone we can speak with to review our proposal comments and understand the basis for the discourage comment?","DOE will not provide any additional feedback. See FOA section VII. Questions/Agency Contacts. “Please also note that upon the issuance of a FOA, EERE personnel are prohibited from communicating (in writing or otherwise) with applicants regarding the FOA except through the established question and answer process…” Please also review FOA section III.D.I. Specifically, “An applicant who receives a “discouraged” notification may still submit a Full Application. EERE will review all eligible Full Applications. However, by discouraging the submission of a Full Application, EERE intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project in an effort to save the applicant the time and expense of preparing an application that is unlikely to be selected for award negotiations.”"]
[168,"2019-07-01","Other","What is the maximum amount of hours of work one person can have on a SIPS project in the budget justification?","In general, the maximum number of hours that a person can spend on a project in one year is 2,080, as this is considered full time, regardless of whether the project is SIPS or otherwise. "]
[169,"2019-07-01","Other","Is DOE allowed to approve multiple projects to one entity?","It is possible that DOE could award more than one project to an entity."]
[170,"2019-07-03","Application Content/Format","When is it necessary to complete the SF-LLL form?  Does the form have to be completed when an entity has nothing to disclose? ","Yes, the SF-LLL form must be completed even when an entity has nothing to disclose. "]
[171,"2019-07-03","Other","Please define the term contractor vs subrecipients.  In SETO FOA #2064, On Page 101 – “Prime recipients must complete each tab of the Budget Justification Workbook for the project as a whole, including all work to be performed by the prime recipient and its subrecipients and contractors.” Do you consider a subrecipient getting funds from DOE?\n\nFor example, when the PRIME RECIPIENT is a FFRDC/National Lab, they would have the 335 Budget Justification completed for the project as a whole, including contractors (subcontracts) on the CONTRACTUAL tab in the 335, and would then incorporate the 335 budget tabs of any sub-recipient (other national labs to be funded directly as an FFRDC) (greater than the $250k/25%).  Since Labs are the only recipients that would receive direct funds from DOE SETO.  The PRIME’s 335 Budget Justification would then represent all required data for the project as a whole. Upon award, SETO funds the PRIME and the FFRDC Subs directly, therefore FFRDCs are the subrecipients of DOE.  All other “partners” are contractors that have to enter into a contractual agreement with the PRIME and funded via the PRIME’s award funds.  Reporting would be reflected from the PRIME via contractual expenditure cost reporting for these contractors.","Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.\n\nContractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined in §200.22 Contract.\n\nYes, subrecipients are considered to be getting funds from DOE under an award. "]
[172,"2019-07-04","Application Content/Format","For the budget justification workbook, I see the 3 year and 5 year workbooks on Exchange under the \"Required Documents\", but I understand that we only need to detail 3 year budgets for the full application. Should I ignore the 5 year workbook for now?","Yes, if your proposal is for a 3 year project, then the 3 year budget justification document is required, and the 5 year budget justification document is not."]
[173,"2019-07-04","Due Dates","Due to the Encourage/Discourage decisions being released to applicants later than initially anticipated, will the deadline for Full Applications be extended at all?","No, the deadline for Full Applications will not be extended. "]
[174,"2019-07-04","Other","Did all SIPS applications receive “Encourage” notifications at the LOI/Concept Paper stage?","Yes, please note that the SIPS LOIs were not reviewed, and that the “Encourage” result in Exchange was provided to all submitted SIPS LOIs to allow them to submit full SIPS applications."]
[175,"2019-07-07","Other","We are unable to download form SF-424 from Exchange. ","Please find the downloadable SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance in Exchange for this FOA, under the REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS section. Click on \"View Required Application Documents\". And then click on the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance to download the document."]
[176,"2019-07-07","Application Content/Format","It seems there are separate cover page instructions for the Technical Volume, and for the Application. Perhaps the Technical Volume has one Cover Page and the application has one also?","The Technical Volume to the Full Application must include a cover page, which is included in the Technical Volume 15 page limit. Please refer to FOA section IV.F.ii. Technical Volume."]
[177,"2019-07-08","Application Content/Format","We are proposing an 18 month program, and are wondering if we need to have three six-month budget periods, or can we propose just two budget periods, with the first a full year and the second the remaining six months?","The FOA does not specify a required length per budget period. You may propose the budget period lengths that best suit your project."]
[178,"2019-07-08","Application Content/Format","The FOA states that a Budget Justification is not required for a SIPS full application, and that only a high-level overview of estimated total project budget needs to be included. However, in the EERE Exchange system under the upload and submit tab, the Budget Justification (EERE335) states it's a required document. Please confirm that a Budget Justification (EERE 335) is not required for the SIPS full application and whether or not anything needs to be done in EERE Exchange to avoid an error at submission since the document is marked as required in the system.","An EERE 335 Budget Justification is not required for a SIPS full application. EERE Exchange has been updated so that it is no longer a required document for SIPS applications. Applicants to all other Topic Areas are still required to submit EERE 335 Budget Justifications with their full applications."]
[179,"2019-07-09","Application Content/Format","For Full Application submissions, is there a format and page count maximum associated with the Technical Volume and U.S. Manufacturing Plan? If so, can you please direct me to where those requirements are specified?","Yes. Please refer to FOA section IV.F.ii. Technical Volume. This section details the format and page count maximum for the Technical Volume. For the U.S. Manufacturing Plan, please refer to FOA section IV.F.xii. U.S. Manufacturing Commitments. There is not a page count maximum associated with the U.S. Manufacturing Plan."]
[180,"2019-07-09","Application Content/Format","We received an \"encourage\" notification for our concept paper and, in the course of developing a budget and adding partners, we realized that we need to increase the budget by about 20%-50% compared to what was listed in our concept paper. Would this be acceptable?","Yes, it is acceptable to change the projected budget amount between the concept paper and full application stages."]
[181,"2019-07-10","Application Content/Format","Questions regarding the SF-424:\n1. What is the earliest date that our project can start?\n2. Is this program covered by E.O 12372?\n3. What should be entered in the \"Date Received\" box?\n4. What is the Competition Identification Number and Title?\n5. How do I enter the \"Areas affected\", when it is the entire U.S.?","1. It is anticipated that projects will be approved by the DOE Contracting Officer in November, December, and January. Projects can start once the agreements are approved by the DOE Contracting Officer.\n2. Most programs are not subject to E.O. 12372, however, applicants should consult with their legal counsel.\n3. Enter the date submitted to EERE Exchange.\n4. The Competition Identification Number and Title are not required.\n5. Enter the place(s) of performance."]
[182,"2019-07-10","Cost Sharing","To what extent can in-kind services be used to provide cost share for the award?","Please refer to 2 CFR 200.306."]
[183,"2019-07-10","Application Content/Format","Do we only need to complete a budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs and authorization forms for non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs if we have funding agreements with FFRDCs? Our project is funded by our company and not by a third party.","A Field Work Proposal (FWP) and Contracting Officer authorizations are required for all FFRDCs. Budget justification forms are not required for FFRDCs. "]
[184,"2019-07-10","Application Content/Format","We do not have any lobbying for this specific project, but we did lobby for something else, and continue to promote it. Given this, are we still required to complete the SF-LLL document?","Yes, the SF-LLL is a required document for all applications."]
[185,"2019-07-10","Other","We submitted a Concept Paper and are preparing a Full Application. However, going forward, our investors would like for us to use a different legal entity (a Delaware C corp as opposed to the LLC we used to submit the Concept Paper). The name of the submitting entity would be different. However, the team members would remain the same. Are such changes permitted?","You may change the legal structure of the organization applying to a FOA between the concept paper and the full application. "]
[186,"2019-07-10","Application Reviews","The feedback we received on the Concept Paper suggested that we obtain references from industry participants to demonstrate the market demand. Should we obtain signed PDF copies of these letters, and append them to our application (where it offers an option to upload more documents)? Or should our recommenders send these letters to you, directly? Would these letters count towards our word/ page limit? ","Applicants may attach one-page letters of support from other relevant entities (i.e. end users of the proposed solution) as an appendix.  Letters of support do not count towards the page limit. Multi-page letters of support are not allowed and will not be reviewed."]
[187,"2019-07-11","Foreign Entities/Work","We have a subrecipient whose company is registered in internationally. Is that okay? If not, we have another partner company in the U.S.A. ","Please review FOA section III.A.vii. Foreign Entities."]
[188,"2019-07-11","Application Content/Format","Which documents are required for SIPS full applications? Section IV.E.ii of the FOA only lists that the SIPS application must contain a cover page, project description, and summary slide. It does not specify that an SF-424 or SF-LLL are required. However, EERE Exchange identifies it as required to upload and submit the SF-LLL and SF-424 with the SIPS full application. Please clarify what the complete set of documents is that must be submitted with a Topic 1.2 SIPS application.","The FOA has been updated to clarify which documents are required for the Topic area 1.2 SIPS applications. Please refer to the Modifications table in the FOA, as well as pages 93-94 of the FOA for this information. The SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance and the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities documents ARE required for SIPS applications. "]
[189,"2019-07-12","Application Content/Format","We are submiting a SIPS application but the system asks us to submit a Technical Volume as a required document, which appears to be relevant only for non-SIPS full applications. Was the application wrongly classified as a Full Application, or do we need to submit up to 15 pages of technical description?","For SIPS applications, the SIPS Project Description should be uploaded to the Technical Volume option in Exchange."]
[190,"2019-07-12","Application Content/Format","I'm doing consulting and proposal writing for an R&D company applying to this FOA. I sent in the concept paper. In the database for all this is my small business info. I am forwarding the forms and write-ups with their information so they can send it in but I believe it comes up with a different control number from the one I received submitting the concept paper. Will this kick them out on a technicality for not having the same control number as the prerequisite concept paper has? If so, how can we fix that? We're also sending in an application together under another control number. It involves two universities. Does their letter of support/cooperation have to address the current control number to be compliant?","If you submitted concept papers for two control numbers, then you should be able to submit the full application under either one. Please reference the control number for the associated concept paper in the application. The control number referenced on the letter of support should also match that of the associated concept paper and full application."]
[191,"2019-07-15","Application Content/Format","Are SIPS (Topic 1.2) applicants required to submit a Summary for Public Release?","No, SIPS applicants are not required to submit a Summary for Public Release. Please refer to FOA section IV.E.ii. for the submittal requirements for SIPS applicants."]
[192,"2019-07-15","Other","We are an applicant that does not have a federally approved rate agreement negotiated and available, for both the fringe and indirect cost rates. However, we are an applicant that has an active Indirect Rate Proposal, already submitted to DOE for another award. We have since received funding approval for DOE projects based on those rates. We have not separately received a federally approved rate agreement on those rates. Going forward, when we submit for another FOA applicaton, do we need to resend the same indirect rate proposal to DOE?","If the Indirect Rate Proposal is current (based on your most recent fiscal year of incurred costs/expenses), then you can submit the same proposal. However, if it is not current, then you should develop a new proposal with the most recent fiscal year of incurred costs/expenses."]
[193,"2019-07-16","Application Content/Format","We are currently preparing an application to submit for this FOA. One of the requirements is to submit your CAGE code. We have been working through the SAM registration process for some time, however, have encountered a system issue as we move through the process. The Federal Service Desk has advised that they are working on the problem, but do not have a resolution date. As a result, we have been unable to complete the registration process and will likely not have a CAGE number prior to the FOA deadline of July 25th. We have also been informed that SAM is experiencing a significant backlog and registrations are taking longer than normal. Our application is otherwise ready to submit. Can we submit the application without a CAGE code?","Yes, you can submit the application without the CAGE code. However, if the application is selected for negotiation of an award, the GACE code and SAM registration must be complete in order to approve the award."]
[194,"2019-07-16","Application Content/Format","The FOA specified that Letters of Support should not be more than one page. It does not specify a length for Letters of Commitment. We have received some Letters of Commitment from project partners that are just over a page. Is this ok for application submittal?","Letters of Support must adhere to the one-page limit. As stated in the FOA, “Multi-page letters of support are not allowed and will not be reviewed”. However, the FOA does not specify a page limit for letters of commitment."]
[195,"2019-07-16","Application Content/Format","If a partner is only providing cost share and not receiving federal money, do they need to fill out the SF-LLL lobbying form?","All Subrecipients must provide a SF-LLL. Please refer to Section III.B. and Appendix A for information on cost sharing requirements. "]
[196,"2019-07-16","Application Content/Format","If a partner is using external cost share funds to purchase equipment, do we need to include a statement in the “equipment and facilities” justification? We will include a statement in the Budget Justification as required. Note: the equipment will never be located at the lead org (LLNL).","Per Section IV.F.ii, Technical Volume, Team Qualifications and Resources, Recipients should contain information such as the Project Team’s existing equipment and facilities that will facilitate the successful completion of the proposed project; include a justification of any new equipment or facilities requested as part of the project."]
[197,"2019-07-16","Application Content/Format","Please reference the attached budget justification. I understand that EERE anticipates making awards that will run up to 60 months in length, comprised of one or more budget periods. And I understand that go/no-go decision points should be included within each budget period. If we are proposing 3 years total Period of Performance, how should we break down each budget period? Should it be by year? Is there specific $ breakdown by budget period?","EERE will not review the budget justification attached to your email below at this time. This should be submitted with your application in EERE Exchange. The FOA does not specify a required length per budget period. You may propose the budget period lengths, and dollar amounts per budget period, that best suit your project. Please also refer to Section II.A.i. for information on expected funding amounts per award. "]
[198,"2019-07-16","Other","The FOA says, \"Applicants must designate primary and backup points-of-contact in EERE Exchange with whom EERE will communicate to conduct award negotiations.\" Can you advise how I could include backup contact information? In My Account in Exchange, it seems that it is only for one contact's information. ","In the Full Application form in the Exchange website applicants can provide contact information for a Technical POC and a business POC (preferably not the same person).  Applicants can also share permissions to the Full Application record to other Exchange users.  This allows applicants to access the submission record should the owner leave or by otherwise unavailable during the rebuttal period or when the Full Application response is published to applicants."]
[199,"2019-07-16","Other","Does this grant allow for a company fee?","Per Appendix A, fee or profit, including foregone fee or profit, are not allowable as project costs (including cost share) under any resulting award. The project may only incur those costs that are allowable and allocable to the project (including cost share) as determined in accordance with the applicable cost principles prescribed in FAR Part 31 for For-Profit entities and 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles for all other non-federal entities. "]
[200,"2019-07-16","Other","Does this grant allow the company to pay the CEO to conduct project-related commercialization activities? If so, should we include it in Personnel of the Budget Justification, or within Indirect Costs? One of our cost share partners can cover the CEO salary. However, our understanding is that any pay from cost share should be under the allowance of the grant.","If the CEO salary is paid through the company’s indirect costs, then the CEO time working on the project cannot be a direct cost in the budget under personnel."]
[201,"2019-07-16","Other","Does this grant allow the company to pay personnel for project related administration?","Yes, hours for project related administration should be included on the Personnel tab of the budget justification as long as the person is not paid through the company’s indirect costs. "]
[202,"2019-07-17","Application Content/Format","The FOA states that Foreign Entity and Performance of Work in the United States waiver requests are required (if applicable) at such time the application is selected for negotiations of an award. Does that mean they do not have to be submitted with the SIPS application due July 25th?","Foreign Entity and Performance of Work in the United States waiver requests do not have to be submitted for SIPS applications by the deadline of July 25th. However, if your application is selected for negotiations of an award, these documents, if applicable, will be required at that time."]
[203,"2019-07-17","Other","We are applying to Topic Area 4. In our concept paper we indicated it would be an 18 month project at $1.25MM. For a variety of reasons related to getting to commercialization faster, we think it is achievable and preferred to intensify the effort and complete the project in 8 months with the same $1.25MM. May we change the time frame from what we proposed in the concept paper?","Yes, the timeframe may be changed from what was proposed in the concept paper."]
[204,"2019-07-17","Application Content/Format","We are writing a full proposal with a national lab. On page 103 of the FOA, it says that the SF-LLL form is required. We do not have any lobbying activity. Could you please tell us if we still need to complete the SF-LLL form? There is no question on SF-LLL clearly asking whether or not lobbying activities exist, it seems that completing this form automatically means lobbying activities exist.","Yes, the SF-LLL form is required for all applicants. If there is not any lobbying activity, please state so on the form. "]
[205,"2019-07-17","Application Content/Format","Please provide guidance on how to mark the budget justification as confidential. There is no cover sheet, so is it acceptable to add to the header of the excel file? Should the Notice of Restriction be included only on the technical volume, and we include page #s for confidential information that includes budget/manufacturing plan, although they are separate attachments?","As stated in the FOA, the Cover Page should contain any statements regarding confidentiality. Please also refer to FOA section VIII.D. Treatment of Application Information."]
[206,"2019-07-17","Application Content/Format","What are the requirements for the manufacturing plan? What is the format? Do you have a sample?","Please review FOA section IV.F.xii. U.S. Manufacturing Commitments. A sample U.S. Manufacturing Plan is not available."]
[207,"2019-07-17","Other","We contacted a local SBA agent. I was told a small business loan is available. We are going to submit a proposal to a bank for such a loan. When do you require us to start the loan program?","DOE cannot specify a requirement for the loan program. "]
[208,"2019-07-17","Application Reviews","In regards to recruiting new employees: We have some employees, have posted job openings in a number of schools, found some potential employees for a better team, and continuously recruit high quality employees for our team. How will you review our team?","Per Section V.A.ii. of the FOA, Full and SIPS applications will be evaluated against the merit review criteria shown."]
[209,"2019-07-18","Application Content/Format","Are Go/No-Go points needed for submissions to Topic 4? It seems like there would only be one budget period for this short time frame (18 months).","Yes, a Go/No-Go decision point is required for submissions under Topic 4."]
[210,"2019-07-18","Application Content/Format","Are Letters of Commitment from cost share partners for an EERE SETO proposal legally binding? A few potential cost share partners hesitate to state explicit $ amounts in their letters, particularly those who would provide in-kind contribution through their participations in meetings and workshops. We suspect that it may be because they are concerned that specifics stated in the letter are legally binding.","Per Section III.B.i. of the FOA, although the cost share requirement applies to the project as a whole, including work performed by members of the project team other than the prime recipient, the prime recipient is legally responsible for paying the entire cost share. If the funding agreement is terminated prior to the end of the project period, the prime recipient is required to contribute at least the cost share percentage of total expenditures incurred through the date of termination. The prime recipient is solely responsible for managing cost share contributions by the project team and enforcing cost share obligation assumed by project team members in subawards or related agreements."]
[211,"2019-07-18","Application Content/Format","Do Topic Areas 3 and 5 require a letter of commitment from a National Lab when the National Lab is the prime recipient?","A letter of commitment is not required from the prime recipient if the National Lab is the prime recipient."]
[212,"2019-07-18","Application Content/Format","We are confused by ControlNumber_LEDOrganization_WP. Is this the work plan? We already have a work plan in the technical volume. What should we do for ControlNumber_LEDOrganization_WP?","ControlNumber_LEDOrganization_WP refers to the Field Work Proposal or Work Plan for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). This document is only required if you are proposing work to be performed by a FFRDC in your project. "]
[213,"2019-07-18","Cost Sharing","We are proposing a project under Topic 3.1 and are uncertain whether the cost share applies to this particular subtopic. I have consulted p. 74 of the FOA, which indicates 20% TRL 2-6 for Topic Area 3. None of the TRLs, according to appendix F, seem to apply to the types of projects that one would execute under this topic. Also, the projects one would execute for this subtopic do not seem to fall under R&D or demonstration. P. 140 of the FOA notes: \"Non-federal cost share is not mandated for outreach.\" The solutions for streamlining permitting and siting under 3.1-b, which would involve convening, coordinating, educating and facilitating, appear to fall under outreach and would not have a mandated cost share.","Yes, Topic 3 projects require 20% cost share."]
[214,"2019-07-18","Other","Is it allowed to grant the maximum grant amount for a period of time that is less than 50% of the maximum grant period? I assume you prefer to have the work done faster than slower.","Applicants should propose a project period length that best suits their project."]
[215,"2019-07-19","Other","Can Internal Research and Development (IR&D) funds be used to help meet the cost sharing requirements for this FOA?","Please refer to refer to FAR Part 31.205-18 for information on Independent Research and Development and Bid and Proposal Costs. Generally, IR&D costs are included in the company’s indirect costs. "]
[216,"2019-07-22","Application Content/Format","I am working with a client on submitting an application for this FOA. Should we submit in grants.gov or through EERE Exchange or both?","All submissions must conform to the form and content requirements, including maximum page lengths described in the FOA and must be submitted via EERE Exchange at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. EERE will not review or consider submissions submitted through means other than EERE Exchange, submissions submitted after the applicable deadline, or incomplete submissions."]
[217,"2019-07-22","Other","What is the performance period for a Topic Area 1.2 SIPS project? Is it 12 or 18 months?","Please refer to the table on page 73 of the FOA, in section II.A.i. for SIPS project lengths."]
[218,"2019-07-22","Cost Sharing","Is it correct that Third-party in-kind cost-share providers (who are not receiving any federal funds through the FOA) do NOT have to comply with FAR 31 (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31 for For-Profit entities) cost/accounting? Specifically we are working with in a third-party partner who would provide in-kind commercial software licenses, support (phone, internet) for the software, and commercially-available courses on the application and functionality of the software.","Recipients of Federal funds must agree to apply the terms and conditions of the Award, including the Intellectual Property Provisions, to all subrecipients (and subcontractors, as appropriate), as required by 2 CFR 200.101, and to require their strict compliance. Further, the Recipient must apply the Award terms as required by 2 CFR 200.326 to all subrecipients (and subcontractors, as appropriate), and to require their strict compliance.\n\nA third-party is an entity not otherwise involved in the project (e.g. they do not have a role in performing the scope of work). See 2 CFR 200.306 for specific requirements and valuation determinations. Per 2 CFR 200.96, Third-party in-kind contributions means the value of non-cash contributions (i.e., property or services) that— (a) Benefit a federally assisted project or program; and (b) Are contributed by non-Federal third parties, without charge, to a non-Federal entity under a Federal award.\n\nVendors/contractors may not provide cost share. Cost share cannot contain fee or profit and cannot be a discounted rate. Any partial donation of goods or services is considered a discount and is not allowable. "]
[219,"2019-07-22","Cost Sharing","For the cost share requirement, is prior funding for patent application and previous work allowable towards cost share?","No, costs incurred prior to the Selection Statement being signed may not be used as cost share for an award. Please also reference 2 CFR 200.405."]
[220,"2019-07-22","Application Content/Format","I am trying to find the document template for the “Technical Volume” and it is the only mandatory document that does not have a template offered. Can you please send me a template?","No, there is not a template available for the Technical Volume."]
[221,"2019-07-22","Application Content/Format","Is it possible to clarify what information is expected for a high level budet overview for SIPS applications to this FOA? We reviewed the FOA and FAQs and it is  not clear what is expected for this information. Previous FOAs explicitly requested the information, so we wanted to make sure we included what was expected.","The FOA specifies for SIPS applications to include a \"high-level overview of estimated total project budget\". This is all that is required as far as a budget for SIPS applications at this time."]
[222,"2019-07-23","Application Content/Format","Is it possible to clarify what information is expected for a high level budet overview for SIPS applications to this FOA? We reviewed the FOA and FAQs and it is  not clear what is expected for this information. Previous FOAs explicitly requested the information, so we wanted to make sure we included what was expected.","The FOA specifies for SIPS applications to include a \"high-level overview of estimated total project budget\". This is all that is required as far as a budget for SIPS applications at this time."]
[223,"2019-07-23","Other","Does this grant allow the company to pay patent application fees and patent licensing fees? If so, where to allocate? Should it be included in the Indirect Costs? Again, cost share might cover these fees.","EERE has not allowed recipients to invoice a project for patent application fees.  However, those fees can be captured in the indirect costs.\n\nA patent licensing fee can be a direct allowable costs.  The amount of the fee that is allowed is the portion allocable to the cooperative agreement project only.  For example, if the license covers activities outside the cooperative agreement, e.g., for commercial purposes or for R&D activities outside the cooperative agreement, the portion of the licensing fee that covers those activities is not allowable. "]
[224,"2019-07-23","Other","Can we allocate funding for the third-party validation of milestones, as suggested in the SOPO description? Are we required to submit any sort of supporting documentation  for that?","Yes, funding may be allocated for the third-party validation of milestones. If chosen for award, supporting documentation may be required during award negotiations."]

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["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]
["Teaming Partners"]
["Other"]