{"text_format":"2","workbook":"xlsx","n_sheets":3,"sheets":["INSTRUCTIONS & TIPS","FOA CONTENT QUESTIONS","Admin Pick List"],"not_rendered":{"charts":0,"images":0,"macros":0,"external_links":0,"defined_names":2,"comments":0,"pivot_tables":0},"unopened":[],"bounds":{"document_bytes":16777216,"sheet_cells":100000,"run_cost":"one","rows_first":2000,"rows_last":500,"rows_between":2000,"halvings":0,"cell_chars":16384,"cell_head_chars":4096},"cells_cut":0,"cells_raw":0,"read":"whole","date_system":"1900"}

{"sheet":"INSTRUCTIONS & TIPS","index":0,"n_rows":13,"n_cols":2,"rows_kept":13,"cut":false,"hidden":false,"merged":[[0,0,0,1],[9,0,9,1]]}
["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed under the DE-FOA-0003178 - Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels, submit questions to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@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 three business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than three 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."]
[3,"Applicants who are unable to open pdf documents are advised that it could be due to an error with the user's web browser or the user's Adobe software.  We recommend closing your web browser and then opening a different web browser to navigate to the Exchange website to open/download the document.\" If that doesn't work, please contact the Exchange Help Desk at the web address provided on the FOA in Exchange. "]

{"sheet":"FOA CONTENT QUESTIONS","index":1,"n_rows":72,"n_cols":5,"rows_kept":72,"cut":false,"hidden":false,"merged":[[1,0,1,4],[0,0,0,4]]}
["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0003178 - Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels FOA"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[null,null,null,"General Information","1. Please check the Instructions & Tips tab for instructions and tips related to this FOA.\n2. DE-FOA-0003178 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. All questions regarding this FOA must be submitted via email to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@ee.doe.gov no later than three business days prior to the application due date.  All 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 specific to this FOA.\n3. The FOA and application documents are available through the DOE EERE Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE website at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx. Click on the FOA number to access the documents.\n4. EERE will not make eligibility determinations prior to submission of applications (see Section III.G. of the FOA). "]
[null,null,null,"General Information: Teaming List","The URL link to the Teaming List has been added to the general description of the FOA. Please visit https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/ and select this specific FOA number to locate the URL."]
[1,"2024-02-23","Eligibility","I'm currently working on a power plant to make green energy, biofuels, fertilizer, and animal feed. I would like to get this grant for my business that I'm currently putting together. Please lead me in the right direction.","Please refer to the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/. For specific information about the technologies this FOA supports, see Sections I.A. and I.B. For eligibility and application submission details, see Sections III and IV."]
[2,"2024-02-25","Eligibility","Please clarify If my small business for profit meets the Eligibility definition [redacted] of llll.A.i. Domestic Entity.","Section III of the FOA defines eligibility. Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.”"]
[3,"2024-02-26","Eligibility","We are developing a Power-to-Liquids technology that converts CO2 into sustainable aviation fuel. This process uses biogenic CO2, which is highlighted as an allowable feedstock in table 1 of the FOA. However, there is language on page 8 that states: \"at least 50% of the total carbon must be contained within the biofuel(s). In addition, carbon dioxide (CO2) from a fermentation...would be considered traditional waste streams and thus not be included in the total carbon contained in the biofuels and coproducts, even though there are technologies that can utilize these streams to further reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and benefit the overall economics of a process.\" By this definition, our biogenic CO2 feedstock would be considered a waste stream, and therefore not count towards this 50% carbon biofuel requirement. These two different eligibility requirements seem to contradict each other. Can you clarify if processes that solely use biogenic CO2 from fermentation would be eligible for this funding opportunity under topic 1?","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” \n\nFor the purposes in deciding whether to submit an application, an interpretation of the FOA indicates your process would be eligible if the CO2 is from a biogenic source. The language on page 8 of the document is saying is that you can’t count CO2 from fermentation as a co-product when calculating how much of the carbon ends up in the biofuels and coproducts from processes that are produced via fermentation.\n\nPlease review Topic Area specific requirements in FOA section I.B.ii and I.B.iii and Applications Specifically Not of Interest in FOA section I.D.\n\nAgain, per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.”"]
[4,"2024-02-26","Eligibility","[The FOA] states that for the pre-pilot topic area biogenic CO2 as a feedstock is eligible, which reads as if electrofuels such as e-SAF made from biogenic CO2 and hydrogen would be eligible for this FOA. However, the RFS currently does not recognize electrofuels as eligible (it hasn't been defined one way or another). So I just wanted to clarify whether electrofuel/power-to-liquids SAF pathways could be eligible for this FOA?","Per Section I.B.ii. Table 2 in the FOA, biogenic waste carbon dioxide is an allowable feedstock for Topic Area 1 of this FOA. Applicants should also note, per Table 2, that the Block Flow Diagram and Supplemental Data document should show that the maximum GHG emissions are 46 g CO2e/MJ combusted, lower heating value."]
[5,"2024-02-27","Eligibility","Would a proposal seeking to scale up the microbial production of isobutanol/ethanol mixtures from lignocellulosic sugars for use as SAF or other hydrocarbon fuels fall within the scope of this FOA?","Per Section 1.B.ii., Topic Area 1 and 2 specific requirements, biofuels must demonstrate a reasonable chance of receiving ASTM International (ASTM) or other regulatory approvals, as evidenced by substantial discussion in the narrative and inclusion of necessary tasks in the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO). "]
[6,"2024-02-29","Concept Paper","\u009fWhen submitting a concept paper, is there a suggested page limit and inclusive list of items necessary?  When and how is the concept paper submitted?\n\u009fAny suggestions on help with a concept paper content and where to submit that paper?","\u009f See Section IV.C. of the FOA, The concept paper must conform to the requirements listed, including the stated page limits. The concept paper deadline is listed on the first page of the FOA. Regarding how to apply for this FOA, refer to the first page of the FOA where \"applicants must register with and submit application materials through EERE eXCHANGE at https://eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov/, EERE’s online application portal.\"\n\u009f Concept papers are submitted through EERE eXCHANGE. Regarding suggestions on help, since this FOA is a competitive solicitation, we are prohibited from engaging in private discussions for help while the announcement is open."]
[7,"2024-03-03","Eligibility","Our project was supported by a previous DOE funding to produce a compound as a bioblendstock (~5%) of diesel fuel to improve its properties. We are considering proposing a pre-pilot scale-up process for this developed technology to produce the bioblendstock for this FOA. Would this proposal fall within the scope of Topic area 1?","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” Refer to the Sections I.B. Topic Areas and II.D. Areas Specifically Not of Interest."]
[8,"2024-03-04","Eligibility","Is biodiesel an allowable fuel for both the topics?","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” Refer to Sections I.B.ii. and I.B.iii. for allowable fuel types and metrics, as well as Appendix H."]
[9,"2024-03-04","Eligibility","Would a project focused on biofuel deployment in buildings be eligible for funding?  Specifically, we are developing a pilot to [redacted] in municipal buildings in [city].  This would include working with equipment manufacturers to update warranties and to retrofit existing building systems to allow for the usage of renewable diesel, as well as updating existing building code.  ","See FOA Section III.G. Questions Regarding Eligibility, “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” As proposed, this project may fall outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. See FOA section I.B.Topic Areas and I.D. Applications Specifically Not of Interest for DOE’s areas of interest associated with this FOA. "]
[10,"2024-03-05","Eligibility","The Summary Proposal detail using Agricultural Wastes to produce N-Butanol. I'm a for - profit entity. Any additional information your office can render me on this announcement would be greatly appreciated. ","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” "]
[11,"2024-03-05","Other","I would like to apply for the Inflation Relief/Reduction Act. Can you send me a link?","The FOA and application documents are available through the DOE EERE Funding Opportunity eXCHANGE website at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx. Click on the FOA number to access the documents."]
[12,"2024-03-06","Concept Paper","[redacted] We are planning to submit a full proposal with one such downstream partner, but do not yet have official documentation for doing so. In our concept paper, can we informally imply that we will be submitting the full proposal with an industry partner?","Section IV.C. Addendum of the FOA states \"Applicants are required to succinctly describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the proposed project team.\""]
[13,"2024-03-08","Technical Topics","For a fermentation process, what is the minimum scale (minimum size of the reactor) could  be considered as “Pre-pilot”, and thus be considered to fall into the scope of Topic Area 1.","Per Table 2 in the FOA, Minimum Throughput by End of Project is 0.5 dry ton per day biomass. This is the same for continuous, semi-continuous, or batch processes such as fermentation. It is up to the applicant to determine the objectives of throughput and reactor scale to determine what is necessary to meet the Minimum Throughput by End of Project."]
[14,"2024-03-09","Technical Topics","For Topic Area 1 in the FOA, it specifies that “Applications cannot include greater than 10% of the total project budget for earlier stage research and development (R&D) (<TRL 4), including expenses for equipment, salaries, and supplies.” This raised the question: is the work at TRL 4 subjected to this restriction? In our case, we have already demonstrated the high production level in a laboratory environment and TEA analysis has indicated the economic variability. However, we might still need to conduct substantial work for the optimization and further development of the process at lab scale, before we ultimately scale up the process to the relevant scale (would be part of the proposed work as well) as defined by this FOA. In this case, would such scope of work (optimization and development at laboratory scale) be allowed (from the budget standpoint)?","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” Also, as stated in the FOA’s Table 2: Topic Area 1 – Pre-pilot Requirements, the Minimum Throughput by End of Project is 0.5 dry ton per day biomass (or 8 MMBTU/day of biogas equivalent; or 35 gallons/day of final fuel equivalent for processes that utilize CO2 as a feedstock). Also in Table 2, the Continuous Reaction Time on Stream, at the Minimum Throughput by End of Project Metric, is 100 hours minimum, and the Cumulative Time on Stream by End of Project is 500 hours. As stated in Topic Area 1 Specific Requirements, the reviewers will evaluate the engineering and scientific merit of how the project meets or exceeds all minimum metrics listed in Table 2; and will evaluate how the technoeconomic and lifecycle analysis relates the key technical parameters to achieving cost and greenhouse gas reduction targets including delineating previously achieved values, scales, and durations; and also there is a requirement that projects selected for negotiation of award will be subject to verification in Budget Period 1."]
[15,"2024-03-09","Technical Topics","[redacted] Would a process that generates biogenic carbon dioxide and green hydrogen at a 2:1 molar ratio be viable for this grant? [redacted]","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted.” Per Section I.B.i., “of all the carbon contained in the biofuels and coproducts, at least 50% of the total carbon must be contained within the biofuel(s). This calculation will be different among the technologies and the applicant is responsible for fully explaining and establishing the applicability of its process streams under this requirement."]
[16,"2024-03-11","Webinar","I registered for the above webinar but something came up at the last minute such that I couldn't attend. Is there a recording or anything similar of the March 4 webinar.  ","The webinar presentation and transcript are available at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx."]
[17,"2024-03-11","Eligibility","Our company is developing an innovative technology to convert carbon feedstocks into biofuels through a synthetic chemistry process. Unlike traditional bioengineering methods, our approach harnesses the principles of synthetic chemistry, offering a novel pathway to produce advanced biofuels. Our technology is designed to utilize bio-based feedstocks, aligning with the FOA's focus on sustainable and renewable energy sources. It demonstrates the capability to produce outputs that can serve as inputs to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other biofuels, thus contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing the  bioeconomy. Given the unique nature of our process, we seek clarification on its eligibility for this funding opportunity.","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.”"]
[18,"2024-03-13","Eligibility","[Company] has built small systems to process calorific waste into various biofuels including SAF.  What we need is a funding for a pilot system for the DOE to see the system work and the for the commercial community to see it work.  I believe that this will fall under your Topic Area 2.  Is such funding available through the Funding for Advanced Biofuels?  If so, I will proceed with a Concept Paper.","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” Regarding available funding, see Section II.A.i. Estimated Funding of the FOA."]
[19,"2024-03-13","Technical Topics","For Topic Area 1: Pre-Pilot Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefinery Technologies, is renewable natural gas (RNG) an allowable Fuel Type?","Per Table 2, allowable fuel types include Transportation fuel including fuel for use in motor vehicles and nonroad vehicles, except for the conditions on Non-Allowable Fuel Type. Also Per Topic Area 1 Specific Requirements section, “Biofuels must demonstrate a reasonable chance of receiving ASTM International (ASTM) or other regulatory approvals, as evidenced by substantial discussion in the narrative and inclusion of necessary tasks in the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO)."]
[20,"2024-03-15","Application Content/Format","Given that FFRDC “subrecipients” will need to provide a “DOE Work Proposal” and “Authorization from Cognizant Contracting Officer for the FFRDC”, please indicate whether they will need to additionally provide a 1) Budget Justification Workbook, 2) Letter of Commitment, and/or 3) SF-LLL Form, similar to other subrecipient entities? 4) For Topic Area 2 where FFRDC’s are allowed to Prime, how might these requirements change? Will the FFRDC Prime need to submit a, “DOE Work Proposal” and budget justification workbook? Will the SF-LLL be required?","1) Budget: Per Section D.III.xi., of the FOA, FFRDC's submit a Work Proposal instead of a Budget Justification. Also, see Section E.2.c. of the FOA. \n2) Letters of Commitment are required from cost share providers. FFRDCs are not allowed to provide cost share per Section III.B.iv. of the FOA.\n3) SF-LLL's are not submitted by FFRDCs.\n4) If an FFRDC elects to apply as a Prime applicant, the applicant must submit a full application that conforms with the requirements in Section IV.D.i. of the FOA."]
[21,"2024-03-15","Other","Can team members not listed on the concept paper cover page be included in a subsequent full proposal submitted in response to DE-FOA-0003178?","The composition of the project team may change between the submission of a Concept Paper and the submission of a full application."]
[22,"2024-03-18","Concept Paper","With regard to the topic area 1 prepilot requirements listed in Table 1 starting on page 10 of the FOA, will a determination of whether these requirements are met be based on information provided in the concept paper of the full proposal?","Per Section VI.A.ii. of the FOA, the purpose of the Concept Paper is to make a determination to encourage or discourage the submission of a Full Application. The Concept Paper is reviewed separately from the full application and is not included in the full application review. "]
[23,"2024-03-19","Other","The document download is corrupt. https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/FileContent.aspx?FileID=8c4c31b8-d43a-40f7-a48a-f7fff931213d Can you correct or send me a functional version?","Please download the file and then open it from an alternative location than the download folder of your browser. "]
[24,"2024-03-19","Eligibility","Would BETO consider for Topic Area 1 that a facility that intakes a mixed organic surfactant package that originates from 100% crop grown plant based material that is not on the Non-Allowable Feedstock List [redacted]?","Per FOA Section III.G. “DOE 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 apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant.” Per Table 2, the Allowable Feedstocks for Topic Area 1 include organic waste that is available on a renewable or recurring basis except for the conditions on Non-Allowable Feedstocks. Also per Table 2, the Non-Allowable Feedstocks include organic waste if it is not available on a renewable or recurring basis or if the Block Flow Diagram and Supplemental Data document does not demonstrate the fuel would have lifecycle GHG emission of no greater than 46 g CO2e/MJ combusted, lower heating value. Per Section I.B.ii., Biofuels must demonstrate a reasonable chance of receiving ASTM International (ASTM) or other regulatory approvals, as evidenced by substantial discussion in the narrative and inclusion of necessary tasks in the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO)."]
[25,"2024-03-19","Eligibility","The question I have is if this grant is for non profit research institutions, or is it for businesses such as gas stations to incorporate biodiesel to their fuel pumps. ","See Section III.A.i. of the FOA for the types of entities that are eligible to participate as a prime recipient or subrecipient."]
[26,"2024-03-20","Technical Topics","Our startup organization [redacted]. It appears we would need both a TEA and an LCA to participate in this FOA. While we have high-level financial models and evidence our technology will be highly favorable from an LCA perspective, we do not have detailed full-blown analyses as a TRL-4 startup organization. Can you confirm? There are also references that RFS fuels and processes need to be part of the solution. We understand RFS fuels but wonder if catalytic thermochemical gasification is considered an RFS process.","As stated in Section IV.D.xix., applicants may use any standardized approach to calculating life cycle GHG emissions e.g., Argonne National Laboratory GREET model or provide schemes developed by the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) methodology for calculating life cycle emissions. Argonne National Laboratory has developed publicly available life-cycle assessment tools that Applicants may utilize. Use of these tools are not required, however equivalent data must be submitted with applications. Also as stated in Section IV.D.xix., the selection of an application from this FOA has no bearing whatsoever on the determination of the LCA of the pathway for the RFS program."]
[27,"2024-03-21","Cost Sharing","Appendix A requires 20% cost share, while in Appendix B, a mixed cost share example is provided. Which Appendix is to be followed for the cost share (Appendix A or Appendix B) for a Topic Area 1 concept paper?","See Section III B. Cost Sharing of the FOA."]
[28,"2024-03-22","Concept Paper","Due to technical problems this afternoon, we were unable to successfully submit our white paper for DE-FOA-003178.","Per Section V.B.i. Registration Requirements, of the FOA, \"there are several required one-time actions applicants must take before applying to this FOA. Some of these actions may take several weeks, so it is vital applicants build in enough time to complete them.\" eXCHANGE shows that you were not registered prior to the Concept Paper submission deadline; therefore, we cannot consider your Concept Paper for this FOA."]
[29,"2024-03-26","Other","We have a question regarding MACRO: “Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity”: Can a US organization apply if its main technology vendor is not a US company with no US presence?","The MACRO FOA has not yet been published. Please submit your question to the MACRO FOA email that will be listed in the footer of the FOA."]
[30,"2024-03-27","Due Dates","I know of an organization who might be interested in applying. However, I noticed concept papers are required and were due 3/22. If you could please confirm that the concept paper is past due and those who are interested who did not submit a concept paper and should not apply – that would be greatly appreciated. ","Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24. \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[31,"2024-03-27","Other","We are interested in applying for the DE-FOA-0003178 and would like to have a brief meeting to address important details regarding the projects that the DoE typically funds.","DE-FOA-0003178 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24. \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[32,"2024-04-03","Labs/FFRDCs","Are FFRDC National Labs considered a Subrecipient for purposes of the requirement of the Sub-recipient Budget Justification form, or do FFRDC’s only need to provide an FWP for the Budget data requirement? (D.x. Subrecipient Budget Justification (if applicable), page 54 of the FOA)","Per Section IV.D.xi., of the FOA, FFRDC's submit a Work Proposal instead of a Budget Justification. "]
[33,"2024-04-04","Concept Paper","Any updates that could be provided here regarding concept papers?","See Question #30 in response to your original email. The information remains unchanged."]
[34,"2024-04-09","Concept Paper","We are curious if there is an opportunity/channel to get any feedback on the concept paper beyond the 1-2 sentences that was provided by the reviewer in EERE.","DE-FOA-0003178 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. "]
[35,"2024-04-10","Other","I'm interested in this announcement. Any information your office can render me in this area with be greatly appreciated. Thank you.","Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24.  \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[36,"2024-04-10","Other","I am writing to share an exciting development in the field of sustainable energy production. As part of a collaborative effort between Palora a small city in the Ecuadorian Amazon region and a consortium of American companies, we are working diligently on a groundbreaking project focused on ethanol production from cellulosic sources, like pitahaya, Sugar cane, cassava o manioc and others. [redacted] We want to know if we can be beneficied by your founds, and if it is possible the requirements and documents needed.","Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24.  \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[37,"2024-04-16","Application Content/Format","I am currently working on the Full Proposal submission for BETO_IRA_DE-FOA-0003178. I was wondering if we can switch and or add the collaborator?","It is fine to switch or add partners/collaborators after the concept paper and before the full application."]
[38,"2024-04-18","Application Content/Format","[Applicant] does not have any lobbying activities. Therefore, I assume that form SF-LLL is not required. Could you please confirm?","Per Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA titled \"SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required)\": recipients and subrecipients are required to complete and submit SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”. "]
[39,"2024-04-23","Application Content/Format","On Page #36, applicants are instructed to use Calibri typeface, with a font size of 12. The one exception is that applicants are allowed to use a font size of 10 for figures and tables. Question: Does this font size 10 apply only to the supporting caption that typically accompanies figures? That is to say, if needed, can we use a font size smaller than 10 for words placed within the figure’s image itself (due to design restrictions)?  Or, do we need to maintain a font size of 10 throughout the entire figure, design image and supporting caption?","Per Section IV.a. of the FOA, \"All pages must be formatted in...a font size of 12-point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font).\" This includes any information typed by the applicant within the figures or tables. The graphic in the attachment to your email would not be subject to the font requirement since the text is already imbedded within the image. The supporting caption would be subject to the font requirement, as shown in your example."]
[40,"2024-04-24","Application Content/Format","We wanted to check how we could best approach this full submission since our technology extends over both topics which were encouraged. [project specifics redacted] Would we have to submit two separate applications for the topics or is there a possibility to submit a combined full submission with a description of work split between both topics?","Applicants may not submit more than one full application for each concept paper. When you submitted your concept paper, you were prompted to select a topic area. You may apply only for that topic area."]
[41,"2024-04-25","Technical Topics","Can you please confirm that biocrude production, to enable the continuous time on stream objectives of Topic 2, is an acceptable use of Topic 2 funds?","Generally speaking, biocrude production would be an acceptable use of a portion of Topic Area 2 funds. As noted on Section I.B.iii., challenges preventing adoption of co-processing biocrudes include insufficient supply of biocrudes for co-processing pilot/demonstration tests. Applications must still plan to meet all Topic Area 2 requirements including cumulative time on stream by end of project and continuous time on stream. Also, see Section IV.J.i. for Allowable Costs."]
[42,"2024-04-25","Concept Paper","Please send me a copy of the reviewer comments to the concept paper.  It was not available in the EERE Funding opportunity exchange.","DE-FOA-0003178 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited. Therefore, we are unable to send your reviewer comments directly. Please login into eXCHANGE and navigate to the My Submissions page, then click the Control Number link. If you are still unable to see your comments, please contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk. "]
[43,"2024-05-01","Technical Topics","Are non-edible vegetable oils classified as allowable feedstocks (Table 3)? The reference to footnote ‘8j’ in the FOA (page 15) is not clear from the Glossary.","Non-edible vegetable oils would not be an allowable feedstock for Topic Area 2 but as described in the FOA there are ways that non-edible vegetable oils could be used in coordination with allowable feedstocks for Topic Area 2. Table 3 is for Topic Area 2 – Biointermediate Processing Toolbox Requirements. As noted in the “Anticipated Approaches for Topic Area 2 Include, but are Not Limited To” section, “Applications using triglyceride/lipid feedstocks such as vegetable oils and biogenic fats/oils/greases are allowable and of interest for developing biogenic carbon tracking and measurement methods since there are no proven, widely-accepted methods that offer both high precision and relatively low cost with a relatively fast response. Triglyceride/lipid feedstocks are not biointermediates so other feedstocks would still be needed in the application. Additionally, applications using biointermediates that are byproducts from the triglyceride-based industry, such as free fatty acid feedstock, are of interest since they have not been commercially proven.”  For Topic Area 2, non-edible vegetable oils would not be allowable feedstocks since they are not included in the “Allowable Feedstocks” row of Table 3. Table 3, Allowable Feedstocks row does include free fatty acid (FFA) feedstock. Note that the Renewable Fuel Standard has a definition for free fatty acid (FFA) feedstock meaning “a biointermediate that is composed of at least 50 percent free fatty acids. FFA feedstock must not include any free fatty acids from the refining of crude palm oil.” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-80/subpart-A/section-80.2 As noted in the “Non-Allowable Feedstocks” row in Table 3, Non-Allowable Feedstocks include “lipids/triglycerides or any other feedstock intended to be an FFA feedstock with less than 50% FFA.\""]
[44,"2024-05-02","Foreign Entities/Work","If a third-party cost share provider (entity that does not have a role in performing the scope of work) is a foreign entity or the cost share is provided through work in a foreign country, does a Foreign Work or Foreign Entity waiver need to be completed?","A Foreign Entity Waiver would be required for Foreign Entities participating on a project. A third-party cost share provider would not be permitted to provide cost share in the form of work in a foreign country because third-party providers are prohibited from performing work on a project. Therefore, a Foreign Work Waiver would not be required. If selected for an award, DOE will make a determination about whether a foreign entity will be allowed to provide third-party cost share during the negotiations period. If the waiver request is denied, the prime recipient will be responsible for the foreign entity’s portion of the cost share as specified in Section III.B.i. Legal Responsibility. Appendix C of the FOA states that DOE may require additional information before considering the waiver request, and DOE’s decision concerning a waiver request is not appealable."]
[45,"2024-05-03","Due Dates","The FOA cover page below states that the deadline for Full Application submission is 5/24/24 whereas when you go to EERE exchange and down load the FOA, the stated Deadline for the Full Application is 6/14/24 (see below).  I would like to know which is the proper deadline for submission of the Full Application for DE-FOA-0003178 FOA","Amendment 00001 of the FOA updated the date on the cover page to the full application due date of 6/14/24. Please refer to the updated FOA posted on EERE eXCHANGE at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/."]
[46,"2024-05-07","Other","Is the 0–3-month verification period in addition to the 24- or 36-month period of performance? Or is the verification period subtracted from the period of performance such that the actual project completion time is 3 months less. For example, actual project time is 21 or 33 months?","Verifications are included in the period of performance. If selected for an award, these dates can be adjusted. "]
[47,"2024-05-07","Technical Topics","Would cellulosic lipids made by fermentation of cellulosic sugars be an allowable feedstock?","The exact phrase “cellulosic sugars” is not listed as an allowable feedstock in Table 2 or 3 but applicants should look at the allowable feedstocks in Tables 2 and 3 which lists feedstocks that would have cellulosic sugars. As noted in Section I.A., “To evaluate the lifecycle impact of a commercial-scale refinery, EPA’s RFS program defines a fuel pathway as a specific combination of (1) feedstock, (2) production process, and (3) fuel type. This FOA is intended to support EPA’s RFS program and is different in allowable feedstocks and allowable primary fuels, among other things, compared to other recent BETO FOAs. All full applications must use the Block Flow Diagram and Supplemental Data document to show the potential lifecycle greenhouse gas emission to demonstrate the application is supporting advanced biofuels.” As noted in Section IV.D.xix., Block Flow Diagram and Supplemental Data document are required and must demonstrate how the proposed biofuel from the proposed feedstock and conversion technology would have a GHG emission of no greater than 46 g CO2e/MJ combusted, lower heating value. For Topic Area 2, note that the Glossary has definitions for biocrude and biointermediate."]
[49,"2024-05-07","Application Content/Format","When filling out the budget justification spreadsheet I noticed that it said we should attach the F&A rate agreement as well as the Fringe Benefit rate agreement to the proposal. How would I go about doing this as it is not outlined in the FOA. Let me know if this is required, and how to do so. ","The budget justification is a centralized form used by many government agencies. Our office does not have a mechanism to attach rate agreements to the budget justification, so it is not included in the FOA's optional or required application documents. If selected for an award, the award notification letter will include a request to submit your rate agreement(s) by email."]
[50,"2024-05-08","Foreign Entities/Work","We are very interested in partnering with a foreign entity, a leading expert for a critical component of our proposed project. However, we have a question regarding the eligibility of foreign entities as subrecipients under this FOA. We have reviewed the FOA documents, specifically on Foreign Entities, but would appreciate clarification on a few questions. 1. Can the foreign entity be included as a subrecipient or a vendor in our application? 2. If eligibility is conditional, what steps or documentation are required to ensure their inclusion? 3. We would be grateful for the opportunity to schedule a brief call to discuss our specific situation.  Alternatively, please let me know the name and contact information...","1. See Section III.A.ii. for allowability of foreign entities as subrecipients. See Appendix C of the FOA for waiver request requirements for foreign subrecipients. Item 2 of Appendix C applies to foreign vendors.\n2. There is no assurance that a foreign entity will be permitted to participate in a project. If selected for an award, DOE will make a determination of the waiver request, and the decision is not appealable.\n3. DE-FOA-0003178 is a competitive solicitation and private discussions, while the announcement is open, are prohibited."]
[51,"2024-05-08","Other","As we plan for our three-year project, I wanted to seek clarification regarding the breakdown of performance periods (BPs) and verifications. We propose the following structure:\nBP1 (Initial Verification): Months 0-3;\nBP2: Months 4-12;\nBP3: Months 13-24 (Intermediate verification during Months 22-24);\nBP4: Months 25-36 (Final verification by the end of the project);\nHowever, I noticed that pages 19-20 of the FOA mention “An intermediate verification will be conducted toward the end of BP2.” So, could you please confirm whether our proposed arrangement as discussed above (for the setup of BPs and Verifications) aligns with the FOA guidelines?","Budget Period 1 is the Initial Verification, as you've noted. Each subsequent budget period should include a verification at the end of that budget period. Applicants should determine the number of months needed for each budget period based on the scope of work. If selected for an award, these dates can be revised as needed."]
[52,"2024-05-12","Other","I want to build a house in USA because I spend most of my time here for work. I bought the land last November and contacted the local authorities...","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[53,"2024-05-12","Due Dates","I hope this message finds you well. We identified the grant listed above, and feel [redacted] would be a great fit. However, we did not submit a concept paper. Is there still room for consideration prior to full application submissions? We would be happy to get this completed ASAP if this is a possibility. ","Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24.  \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[54,"2024-05-13","Due Dates","When you have a minute, can you please contact me about a renewable energy project that we are assisting [redacted] develop in [redacted].  Specifically, I want to know if the proposed project described below is eligible under the Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0003178.","Per the cover page of the FOA, the Concept Paper due date was 3/22/24.  \"Applicants must submit a Concept Paper by 5 p.m. ET on the due date listed above to be eligible to submit a Full Application.\""]
[55,"2024-05-13","Application Content/Format","For the Current and Pending Support document, it was noted that \"The information may be provided in the approved common disclosure format available at Common Form for Current and Pending (Other) Support (nsf.gov).\" In light of this, I would like to confirm if it is permissible to use SciENcv (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sciencv/) to generate the \"Current and Pending\" document in the NSF format.","Applicants may choose the format as long as it 1) includes the information requested in the FOA, 2) includes the signed and dated disclosure statement and 3) is uploaded to eXCHANGE as a single pdf."]
[56,"2024-05-15","Application Content/Format","I have not received a response yet, and I am working on putting our application package together.","Please see the response that was posted in row 53, Question #49."]
[57,"2024-05-17","Other","We are trying to get subject matter information in relation to any grants/benefits/subsidies provided either through state or federal for gas station owners. Apart from owning gas stations we design and construct gas stations too, so I would really appreciate it if you could provide any grant/funds information.","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@ee.doe.gov."]
[58,"2024-05-23","Cost Sharing","What documents are required for cost share only partners? We understand that a letter of commitment is required but what additional documents are expected.","It would depend on their role in the project, whether they are a third-party cost share provider or a subrecipient who is contributing 100% of their effort as cost share. The requirements for third-party cost share providers and subrecipients are documented in the FOA, along with additional requirements if it is a foreign entity."]
[59,"2024-06-03","Foreign Entities/Work","We are partnering with a research entity located in [foreign country] and they have a separate sister company located here in the USA. The most critical and confidential components will be manufactured, assembled and checked in [foreign country]. These components will then be sent to the entity in US and along with our involvement we will complete the assembly and commission the equipment for pilot operations in the USA. Should we subrecipient the [foreign] Company and their US entity separately or is it okay if the US entity can subrecipient the [foreign entity]. ","Since the work will be performed in the foreign country by the foreign entity, the subrecipient should be listed as the [foreign country] entity and the appropriate waiver(s) should be included with the application as rquired in Appendix C of the FOA. Additional disclosures are cited in the FOA such as section IV.D.xvii. Transparency of Foreign Connections. If selected for an award, DOE may, at its discretion, require additional information."]
[60,"2024-06-03","Cost Sharing","The FOA states that we are able to claim waived F&A as cost share, however on the budget worksheet it states that we are not able to claim this as cost share without prior approval. A small portion of our cost share as well as our subawards cost share is waived F&A, so I would like to figure out how to gain this approval. ","The term \"waived\" is not cited in the FOA. Please provide more information including the section of the FOA you are referring to. Recipients and subrecipients who have a negotiated indirect rate agreement or are planning to submit an indirect rate proposal may include unrecovered indirect expenses as cost share, provided those expenses are allowable and in compliance with the applicable 2 CFR 200 regulations. Recipients and subrecipients that use the de minimis option may not claim unrecovered indirect expenses as cost share. If selected for an award, DOE will review this during the negotiations period and make a determination of allowability at that time."]
[61,"2024-06-05","Application Content/Format","Are 2nd tier subrecipients funded at less than $250K (or 25% of the total work effort) required to submit standard documents typically required of 1st subrecipients under this FOA? (E.g.: Current & Pending Support, Resumes, Letter of Commitment, etc.)","For application purposes, the level of funding for subrecipients is not a factor for what documentation is required of subrecipients, other than for budget justification purposes. See Section IV.D. of the FOA to determine the submission requirements. For example, Current and Pending Support is required of \"the Principal Investigator or Lead Project Manager and all senior/key personnel at the applicant and subrecipient level application requirements.\""]
[62,"2024-06-06","Other","We submitted a concept paper in the EERE portal under [name1]'s account which got encouraged and are working on submitting the full proposal. [Name2] (copied here) opened a new EERE account for the submittal because [name1] left the company. Would it be possible to move our concept paper record to his account?","We are looking into the best option. We might add Name2 as a second user to the original registration's control number. All aspects of the application are tied to the control number that was assigned when Name1 registered. Moving the concept paper to a new control number could be problematic when you upload your full application if eXCHANGE doesn't recognize that a concept paper was submitted by the deadline. Please check this Q&A for updates, and you should also receive a response from the help desk."]
[63,"2024-06-07","Application Content/Format","For the Transparency of Foreign Connections, would these types of affiliations need to be disclosed:\na. Subrecipient owns a subsidiary that is registered in a non-risk foreign country that is a pass-through foreign entity for tax purposes.\nb. Foreign contractors (risk or non-risk countries) who work on client relationships and sample forwarding. They have no access to data.","Correction: All prime recipient applicants and subrecipients that are not U.S. National Laboratories, domestic government entities, and institutions of higher education are required to submit the Transparency of Foreign Connections. See instructions for questions that subrecipients that are U.S. National Laboratories, domestic government entities, and institutions of higher education are required to answer.\na. Subrecipients who own foreign subsidiaries are required to complete the Transparency of Foreign Connections regardless of being pass-through entities for tax purposes. \nb. The Transparency of Foreign Connections is required for foreign contractors, although some of the questions might not apply if the contractor is not considered an \"entity\". It is the applicant's responsibility to determine if a \"foreign contractor\" is considered an entity."]
[64,"2024-06-07","Technical Topics","For Topic Area 1, it was mentioned in the FOA that “Applications must contain techno-economic and life cycle analyses (TEA and LCA) that relate the key technical parameters of the proposed technology described in the proposal application to achieving cost competitive MFSP and GHG reduction targets. Previously achieved values, scales, and durations should be delineated from the values necessary to meet the targeted MFSP to assure the level of technology advancement needed is clear.” Would it be sufficient to present this needed information in the “Block Flow Diagram and Supplemental Data”, or should also include such information in the main text of the Technical Volume?","Instructions for content and form of the full application are given in Section IV.D. of the FOA."]
[65,"2024-06-08","Application Content/Format","We are having difficulty meeting the requirements of the BFD SD 15 page limit. P 40 of the FOA has a 15 page limit for the BFD SD; while the BFD SD Instruction and Overview suggests 10 block max (we have 8), with 1-2 pages devoted to the entire process, why it was chosen, history of the development; and 2 – 3 pages for each block with a very long list of items to include for each block, suggesting about 30 pages. In addition to this we have the BFD which is a full page. We have combined the material and energy balances for each block into a single table with each block boxed within the table, and have shrunk the size of the GREET model snap shots, and have reduced the page count from 20’s to high teens. Is the 15 p limit a hard limit? If so, are there sections of the instructions that do not have to be addressed?","Page 1 of the BFD & SD Template says “Please indicate, with a dotted lined circle, which unit operation(s) will be the subject of the proposed project. Similarly, please provide the filled out Supplemental Data Template (or equivalent data) for the unit operations that will be the subject of the proposed project.” Page 2 of the BFD & SD Template says “Answer the following questions for each unit operation that has been circled in your BFD (approximate length 2-3 pages per unit operation)” and then lists the long list of items to include for each block. Page 3 says “Simplified Block Flow Diagram with dotted circle showing unit operations that will be part of the proposed project.” That is, as stated throughout the BFD & SD Template, the long list of items is most important for the units that will be part of the proposed project. As stated in the FOA “This FOA does not seek a fully integrated pilot-scale unit, but rather a critical process step or steps.\""]
[66,"2024-06-11","Application Reviews","...For “Letters of Commitment” section, it states, “Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project will not be accepted.” How should we determine what constitutes a “substantive role”? In one scenario, we have an industrial collaborator who will help with the Market Transformation Plan. In another, a collaborator will provide materials for our research needs. Neither will take a budget from the project or claim their work/materials as a cost-share.  In both cases, we plan to provide Letters of Support. However, based on the instruction above, should we avoid providing these letters of support? In other words, should a letter of support not be provided if the entity does not take a budget or commit/claim a cost-share to the project? \nIn addition, will the proposal be \"rejected without review\" or \"reviewed unfavorably\" if such letters of support are submitted along with the proposal?","Letters of Commitment from entities that are not directing the scope of work on the project will not be accepted because they do not have a substantive role. DOE reserves the right to not review Letters of Commitment from entities that do not have a substantive role."]
[67,"2024-06-13","Application Content/Format","The FOA states \"If an applicant chooses to submit trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, the applicant must provide two copies of the submission (e.g., Concept Paper, Full Application). The first copy should be marked “non-confidential,” with the information believed to be confidential deleted. The second copy should be marked “confidential” and must clearly and conspicuously identify the trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information and must be marked as described below.” However, there is not a spot in EERE Exchange to upload a second, non-confidential Technical Volume. Please advise on how to proceed with file upload.","We have updated the application requirements to allow for the submission of two Technical Volumes."]
[68,"2024-07-08","Other","To a lay person, this process is very difficult.  I'm just looking for a little support for our first system or 2 to convert calorific waste into something useful thereby saving resources (fossil fuel) and emissions.  The government should want to help us.  But the process I run into is hard, very hard.","This question falls outside of the purpose and scope of the FOA. If you have a question directly related to this FOA, please send it to IRAAdvancedBiofuelsFOA@ee.doe.gov. Please check grants.gov for funding opportunities that might align with your project."]

{"sheet":"Admin Pick List","index":2,"n_rows":17,"n_cols":1,"rows_kept":17,"cut":false,"hidden":true,"merged":[]}
["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Concept Paper"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["Other"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]