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["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed to BTOProvingGroundFOA@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 may 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-FOA0002324 - Building Technologies Proving Ground – Public Sector Field Validation"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer"]
[1,"2020-06-26","Eligibility","1. We are interested in the following technical area “Direct use of advanced natural gas efficiency technology solutions for end-use building sector applications. For example, natural gas technologies that have a coefficient of performance (COP) greater than 1.0 including heat pump water heaters, or easy-to-install, cost-effective combined heat and power (CHP) systems”\n\nSince propane is a byproduct during the extraction of oil and chiefly natural gas, would propane powered applications be considered compliant with the FOA? As you know, several natural gas devices and engines could also be operated with propane with minimal technical tweaks. Propane is also a great fuel in terms of the overall carbon footprint and is a vital fuel used in remote locations that do not have access to natural gas (correctional facilities and agricultural research facilities being two such examples). Please let me know.\n\n2. Do public universities and land grant institutions qualify as the prime applicant or should the application come from a state/local/tribal government directly?\n","1. Successful proposals will include the validation of technologies or the validation of operational changes to achieve energy and load flexibility in commercial or multifamily buildings.  Project proposals are not limited to any single technology area or type of operational change, and will be evaluated based on the Technical Review Criteria in  Section V.A of the FOA. Please also review Section I.D ‘Applications Specifically Not of Interest.\n\n2. Prime applicants are defined in Section III.A of the FOA and does not include public universities or land grant institutions. If non-eligibile prime entities wish to participate in projects that arise from this FOA, please submit your information to the teaming list email. For more information on the teaming list, please see section I.C. on page 5 of the FOA document.\n"]
[2,"2020-06-29","Eligibility","Do state university systems with a governing board, such as XXX State University, qualify as a state government agency that may apply as the prime applicant under the recent BTO Proving Ground FOA: DE-FOA-0002324? State University systems operate independently from the local or country governments, often serve as their own authority having jurisdiction, and govern on the authority of the state through a board of regents. ","Prime applicants are defined in Section III.A of the FOA and does not include public universities.  If non-eligibile prime entities wish to participate in projects that arise from this FOA, please submit your information to the teaming list email. For more information on the teaming list, please see section I.C. on page 5 of the FOA document."]
[3,"2020-06-29","Eligibility","Am I correct in understanding that the eligibility for (DE-FOA-0002324) is exclusively for public sector? Is there any opportunity for us to apply to this program as a private company?","Prime applicants are defined in Section III.A of the FOA. If non-eligibile prime entities wish to participate in projects that arise from this FOA, please submit your information to the teaming list email. For more information on the teaming list, please see section I.C. on page 5 of the FOA document."]
[4,"2020-06-29","Eligibility","We would like to demonstrate the advantages for grid management, energy efficiency and in savings, that arise from integrating multiple energy efficiency solutions. We are concerned about this statement in the FOA:\n\nD. Applications Specifically Not of Interest\nThe following types of applications will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or\nconsidered (See Section III.D. of the FOA): Applications for the validation of technologies that do not produce energy efficiency or end use demand flexibility, such as renewable installations or micro-grids.In our case, our application would be about about grid management, energy efficiency and energy production in a complementary way. We would like your feedback, if you would consider such a project appropriate for this FOA. Or you would discourage an application along these lines.\n","Successful proposals will include the validation of technologies or the validation of operational changes to achieve energy and load flexibility in commercial or multifamily buildings.  Project proposals that meet the stated goals of the FOA are encouraged to apply, and will be evaluated based on the Technical Review Criteria in Section V.A of the FOA. Please also review Section I.D ‘Applications Specifically Not of Interest. DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant"]
[5,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","Are District of Columbia and U.S. territories eligible applicants?","Yes, DC and territories as listed in \"2 CFR 200.90 State\" are eligible to apply."]
[6,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","Can multiple States do a joint application (with one State serving as prime)?","Yes, eligible applicants are encouraged to form partnerships with entities to make their proposals successful, including multiple states."]
[7,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","Renewable generation and microgrids are not eligible in and of themselves but can they be components of a project that as a whole delivers demand flexibility and energy efficiency?","Yes, please see answer to the first question in Question #1."]
[8,"2020-06-30","Concept Paper","If an application has multiple technologies, do we submit a concept paper for each technology?","An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and provided that an eligible Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application. "]
[9,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","If a demand flexible resource (like an EV Bus Charging Station/depot) is paired with a microgrid, is that project allowable if we only request funds for the EV portion?","Please see answer to Question #4."]
[10,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","Can the projects be installed in government facilities?","Yes.  "]
[11,"2020-06-30","Other","Where could I access 2 CFR § 200.306 and 2 CFR § 200.306 on the EERE Exchange website?","It is accessible via the eCFR, please click to follow the link."]
[12,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","Does a Community Choice Aggregation entity as defined in California Administrative Code qualify as a local government entity?","Eligible entities include state, local and tribal governments. Please see section III.A of the FOA document and 2 CFR 200.64 for definition of a local government."]
[13,"2020-06-30","Other","Does the $1 million anticipated award limit mean that the maximum total project cost that you'll accept is capped at $1M?","The total maximum federal share per award is $1M. If awarded $1M, and with 30% cost share, total project costs would be $1,430,000. $1M federal share, $430,000 cost share. Please see Appendix A and B for more info on cost share.  Cost share above the 30% requirement is acceptable.  "]
[14,"2020-06-30","Cost Sharing","How are total project costs determined for the purpose of the FOA cost share when the FOA eligible project is proposed as an itegral part of a larger project?","The cost share must be at least 30% of the total allowable costs.  The total allowable project costs, including cost share, must be costs that fall within the technical parameters specified in Section I.A. and I.B. of the FOA."]
[15,"2020-06-30","Other","Does the \"top 25\" preference for states apply to city governments as well? So for example would a city government in Louisiana that applies be prioritized over a city say in California or New York since LA is in the top 25 states, and CA and NY are not? ","No, the stated preference is for state government applicants only, and does not apply to city governments.  "]
[16,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","Please explain the 250 TBTU requirement. Is this the technical potential for the selected tchnology on the national level? Who determines this potential?","Please refer to footnote 1 in Section I.B of the FOA."]
[17,"2020-06-30","Labs/FFRDCs","Do government labs qualify as applicants?","Prime applicants are defined in Section III.A of the FOA and does not include government labs."]
[18,"2020-06-30","Webinar","Where can we get a copy of this presentation?","The presentation has been uploaded to the Documents section of the FOA posting."]
[19,"2020-06-30","Other","Please clarify, can a technology vendor who is a sub-recipient perform work only if this work is not included in the cost-share?","Typically a technology vendor is a vendor, not a subrecipient.  Vendors may not provide cost share.  "]
[20,"2020-06-30","Intellectual Property","Does the Prime recipient obtain the ultimate ownership of the technology (if awarded the FOA)? ","Please see applicable sections of the FOA: VIII.J. Title to Subject Inventions, VIII.K. Government Rights in Subject Inventions, VIII.L Rights in Technical Data, and VIII.M. Copyright. For sample IP terms based on entity and project type please see section VI.B.xii. of the FOA. "]
[21,"2020-06-30","Concept Paper","Do we need to have all project participants identified when we submit the concept paper?","It is permissible to change or add project participants after the concept paper submission but before the full application submission.  However, the prime applicant and the proposed project must be remain the same. "]
[22,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","Does a Port Authority qualify as a local government?","Please see answer to Question #12."]
[23,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","If a demand flexible resource (like an EV Bus Charging Station/depot) is paired with a microgrid, is that project allowable if we only request funds for the EV portion?","Please see answer to Question #4."]
[24,"2020-06-30","Application Reviews","How many reviewers look at each proposal and is the final score an average of those reviews?","Please see section V.B of the FOA document."]
[25,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","Can you elaborate on the weighting of the state's non-transportation energy consumption? If we have a high potential project concept in a state that is not on the list in Appx G, should we still consider applying? ","For state govenment applicants, in addition to the criteria listed in Section V. of the FOA, the Selection Official may consider the degree to which the state government is in the top half of non-transportation energy consumption per capita amongst states in the U.S. as a program policy factors in determining which Full Applications to select for award negotiations.  All states are eligible and encouraged to apply.  "]
[39,"2020-06-30","Technical Topics","Can you elaborate on how Demand Felxibility will be evaluated?","Please see section I.B of the FOA document, which explains preferred components of proposals that include demand flexibility. Section V.A of the FOA includes the tehcnical Review Criteria for proposals."]
[40,"2020-06-30","Webinar","Is there a recording of the webinar?","Yes, once available it will be posted to the Documents section of the FOA posting."]
[41,"2020-06-30","Labs/FFRDCs","Would you offer clarification if FFRDC’s are permitted to participate in the DE-FOA-0002324?  \n\nPage 5 references “The prime applicant may convene teams to support project implementation and deliverables, and will produce technology performance data that can be shared across states and service territories. To support the collection of performance data, and objective measurement and verification, DOE may provide project support from one or more DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and DOE Government-Owned, Government-Operated laboratories (GOGOs)).”\n\nPage 8 “A. Eligible Applicants\nThe prime applicant must be a state3, local or tribal government. For states, preference will be given to the 25 state governments in the top half of non-transportation energy consumption per capita, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, listed in Appendix G. For purposes of this FOA, an eligible Indian Government means an Indian tribe, band, nation or other organized group or community (including Alaska Native villages), and must be federally recognized as listed in Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, published by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs in the Federal Register on January 30, 2020, 85 FR 20. DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are not eligible to apply for funding either as a prime recipient or sub-recipient.”\n","DOE/NNSA FFRDCs are not eligible to apply for funding either as a prime recipient or sub-recipient."]
[42,"2020-06-30","Eligibility","1. Do CCAs qualify as government entities? Under California law, utility customers may aggregate their electric loads as members of their local community as “Community Choice Aggregation” (CCA) entities. Their boards of directors are made up of city and county elected officials.\n2. Do RENs qualify as government entities? The California Public Utilities Commission enacted a decision that allows local governments to administer energy efficiency programs. There are two in California, SoCalREN and BayREN. \n3. Must the subject buildings be owned by government entities?\n4. Are both new buildings and existing buildings with retrofitted technologies eligible?\n5. Can a state energy office be considered a prime applicant if the project is contracted to a private grantee who is responsible to the energy office?\n6. If properties owned by the state are donated, can the assessed or appraised value be counted in meeting cost match obligations?\n","1. Please see the answer to Question 12.  2. Please see the answer to Question 12.  3. No.  4. Yes.  5. The prime applicant listed on the application must be a state, local or tribal government.  6. EERE does not make cost allowabilty determinations prior to selection.  However, typically the value of property is not an allowable project cost for awards under this FOA.  "]
[43,"2020-06-30","Other","The FOA for DE-FOA-0002324 provides clear details on the eligibility requirements (technical and prime applicant and team members), application process, and cost sharing responsibilities, but could further clarification be provided on how grant funds may be used if an award is made and what are eligible costs?  Are the funds intended for the full deployment cost of the technology, or just the incremental cost of data collection, analysis, and reporting?\n\nFor example, if the 70/30 cost share is achieved in the proposal, can grant funds be used, but not limited to:\n• Project design and consulting\n• Project equipment and materials\n• Project Installation \n• Information technology for data collection and reporting\n• Personnel costs for data analysis and reporting\n","EERE does not make cost allowabilty determinations prior to selection. Applications should propose costs associated with completing the technical parameters specified in Section I.A. and I.B. of the FOA."]
[44,"2020-07-02","Eligibility","Could you please provide clarification on what entities qualify as a state, local, or tribal government entity? I would assume that state agencies and municipalities fall under these, but what about other public entities such as public colleges or school districts? Also, if the entity does not qualify as a state, local, or tribal government, could a qualifying entity apply on their behalf? For example, could a state energy office apply on behalf of a private entity or non-profit organization?","Please see answers to questions 5 and 12. The prime applicant must be a state, local or tribal government. "]
[45,"2020-07-02","Eligibility","1. Does the product have to be US invented? We are a foreign technology but have a manufacturing plant in the US.\n2. Is the proving ground available for TR9+ technologies? Our technology is on the open market but very new.\n","1. Please see sections IV.I.iii, vi, vii of the FOA document.\n2. Please see section I.B Topic Area of the FOA document.\n"]
[46,"2020-07-06","Eligibility","Can grant funds be used to add a field validation, testing, and data analysis and reporting component to a project that is fully funded and currently under construction with an expected completion date around the expected date for EERE selection notification (January 2021).  ","“DOE seeks proposals that de-risk and drive innovation through the integration of new technologies and operational improvements in real buildings ‘in the field’...” As long as the building is occupied and operational by the time the proposed project begins, the proposal will be reviewed for consideration."]
[47,"2020-07-07","Eligibility","1. Would battery storage, in addition to thermal storage, be favorably evaluated as a means of providing demand flexibility?\n2. Under a project that packages demand flexibility and energy efficiency, would the provision of demand flexibility offset the requirement to deliver verified energy savings of 250 TBtu/yr?\n","1. Please see section I.B Topic Area of the FOA document and answer to question 4.\n2. Proposed projects are not required to meet the energy efficiency threshold if they are able to yield significant end use energy demand flexibility as compared to the existing building baseline condition.\n"]
[48,"2020-07-08","Labs/FFRDCs","As stated FFRDC’s are not able to lead or be a sub for this FOA. But it also states “The prime applicant may convene teams to support project implementation and deliverables, and will produce technology performance data that can be shared across states and service territories. To support the collection of performance data, and objective measurement and verification, DOE may provide project support from one or more DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and DOE Government-Owned, Government-Operated laboratories (GOGOs)).”\n\nAn industry partner is seeking clarification on how this would work and how to incorporate/engage FFRDCs based on “DOE may provide project support form one or more DOE/NNSA FFRDCs….”\n","FFRDC’s may be assigned to provide third party measurement and verification (M&V) for selected projects, and will be funded through a separate AOP."]
[49,"2020-07-08","Eligibility","On behalf of the City of X, we are interested in applying for the DOE EERE Building Technologies Proving Ground-Public Sector Field Validation program. We would appreciate if the DOE could provide guidance on the eligibility of the City’s potential project as outlined below.  \nThe City is interested in requesting funding for a zero net energy (ZNE) building designed for energy efficiency. The design and construction will focus on...\n","DOE cannot provide feedback on proposed projects, it is the applicants responsibility to read the FOA in its entirety to determine if the proposed project meets the requirements as outlined in the various sections of the FOA document.  For information on whether or not your project meets these requirements, please see the Topic Area section I.B. on page 2."]
[50,"2020-07-10","Other","Can you please clarify how public facilities are defined in terms of allowable sites? Do proposed sites have to be publicly owned and operated, or could they be publicly financed such as affordable multifamily housing that is publicly financed but privately owned and operated?","Proposed sites do not have to be publicly owned or operated."]
[51,"2020-07-13","Eligibility"," Are City Colleges eligible to respond to this Funding Opportunity?","Please see answers to questions 5 and 12. The prime applicant must be a state, local or tribal government. "]
[52,"2020-07-15","Other","1) Could we use this funding to pay for a FT or PT staff member? \n\n2) Is there a preference for piloting one site? Or, would the application be stronger if we piloted two sites? \n\n3) Are firehouse or senior center good candidates for the grant? \n","1) Yes, as long as the FT/PT employee is completing tasks as outlined in the Statement of Project Objectives.\n\n2) There are no limits to the number of test sites.\n\n3) Yes, the proposed sites do not have to publicly owned or operated.\n"]
[53,"2020-07-15","Technical Topics","Can you provide more detail around the expectations for the level of effort related to estimating energy savings for the projects?","For energy savings calculations, applicants should develop an energy conservation measure for their proposed approach using BTO’s free calculation tool: Scout (https://scout.energy.gov/), or any other methodology of their choosing. For proposals that include validation of end use demand flexibility, applicants will need to demonstrate underlying experience and background designing, integrating, evaluating and validating flexibility measures to meet grid requirements under real, dynamic operating conditions. In all cases the applicant must fully detail their baselines, methodology, and assumptions in determining the energy savings potential such that their calculations can be critiqued for proper validation by BTO. Please see section I.B “Topic Area” of the FOA for more detailed guidance."]
[54,"2020-07-16","Application Content/Format","What is DOE’s expectation of the SEP as the lead applicant?  We have a university interested in applying for funding for a project that we, as the SEP, have no prior involvement in.  Would we as the SEP, and as lead applicant and if selected for funding, be fully in the role of primary award recipient and principal investigator of the project?  To reiterate, what then would DOE’s expectations be of us?  Would we directly interface with DOE on all communications and would we be responsible for all technical reporting, fiscal reporting, invoicing, subcontracting, and any special reporting like historic preservation, NEPA, equipment disposition, IP, and Davis Bacon for the full three year course of the project?  Would we, as the SEP, be allowed to recover all of our direct and indirect costs related to administering and managing the project?","Your assumptions are correct, being the lead/prime applicant you will be responsible for the reporting, invoicing, subcontracting, etc. The PI should be the lead/prime applicant however a subrecipient can be Co-PI. If the lead/prime applicant incurs any costs associated with reporting, invoicing, subcontracting, etc., yes, the lead/prime applicant can recover direct and indirect costs."]
[55,"2020-07-20","Eligibility","1. Can the \"Concept Paper\", to be submitted on July 27, be done without identifying a Prime in the Concept Paper? \n2. Does \"Concept Paper\" have to be submitted by a qualified \"Prime\" or can the technology provided submit the \"Concept Paper\" with no designated Prime at the time of the submission of the \"Concept Paper''?\n","1. The eligible Prime entity must be the Prime applicant listed on the Concept Paper.\n2. The eligble Prime must be the applicant, another entity can submit on behalf of the Prime but all the application documents must have all the information from the Prime entity. \n"]
[56,"2020-07-22","Eligibility","The Judicial Council of \"State\" is the state agency which manages all of the State courthouse facilities, as part of the State Judicial Branch of state government.\n\nWe are working on Concept Paper submission for the DE-FOA-0002324  and I wanted to get confirmation that the Judicial Council of \"State\", as a state agency is eligible to submit.\n","Please see the definition of a State at \"2 CFR 200.90 State\""]
[57,"2020-07-23","Registration Requirements","As a project team member, can I submit the concept paper to EERE Exchange on behalf of the prime applicant who is the state energy office? ","Yes, however the State Energy Office will have to grant you access to their EERE Exchange account. The EERE Exchange site registration must be under the State Energy Office and all required application forms show the State Energy Office as the prime organization. The forms that require a signature (i.e. SF-424) must be signed by the eligible prime organization. "]
[58,"2020-07-23","Eligibility","Would this funding opportunity be appropriate for research focused on airflow patterns and airborne contaminants in education facilities, where part of the research is modelling and part field testing?","Please see answer to Question #4."]
[59,"2020-07-23","Eligibility","I am the Energy Coordinator for the Town of X, and I have a question about this FOA. A neighboring town is planning to submit a concept paper. Town X is considering joining on because we have a project in the works that we think would be a great fit. I'm wondering what kind of approval will be needed from Town X if the neighboring town is the lead applicant (i.e. Selectboard? or just Town Manager/staff approval?).","No approvals are required as long as the application is submitted by an eligible entity as stated in section III.A of the FOA document and, 2 CFR 200.54, 200.64, and 200.90."]
[60,"2020-07-24","Other","Federal grants require compliance with federal procurement requirements (at a minimum §§ 200.317 - 200.326) which require competition. Does this FOA assume that the partnership between a government and private company has been established through competition prior to submitting an application? For example, the private company is already a vendor with the local government. Or, does the FOA allow for competition after the award is made as long as the timeline and milestones reflect the time it would take to procure the service for validation?","Yes, DOE assumes that any vendor listed in the proposal has been chosen via the applicant's own procurement policy and per the procurement requirements as outlined in the CFR. It is acceptable to list a vendor as TBD in the proposal and if awarded, the vendor can be chosen per the procurement requirements in CFR and the applicant's procurement policy during the project period. DOE does not need confirmation that any vendor was chosen via an RFP, it is the applicant's responsibility to follow the CFR and their own procurement policy."]
[61,"2020-07-24","Concept Paper","My team has been working with the X Department of Facilities on a Concept Paper for the Building Technologies Proving Ground FOA. They just informed me that they will not be able to complete and submit the concept paper by Monday morning due to their obligations related to a potential natural disaster. \n\nWould it be possible to get an extension on the concept paper submission?\n","Unfortunately we are unable to extend the Concept Paper deadline and must adhere to the schedule so we can move along in the process to receive full applications. The Concept Paper is required to submit a full application but please note the concept paper is just a brief description of the concept for the project. Please also see answer to question #57."]
[62,"2020-08-19","Concept Paper","I received a non-compliant notification for my concept paper. Can you please explain why my concept paper was non-compliant?","There are several reasons why a concept paper can be non-compliant. If any of the below reasons apply to your situation, then your concept paper was deemed non-compliant. \n\n1. The Prime applicant who submitted the concept paper was not an eligible entity, per section III.A of the FOA.\n2. Concept paper was not submitted through Exchange.\n3. Concept paper was not submitted by the deadline of July 27 at 5pm ET.\n4. Proposed concept paper was not responsive to the FOA objectives. "]
[63,"2020-08-19","Application Content/Format","Will there be a template posted for the Technical Volume portion of the application?","No, there will not be a template posted for the Technical Volume. Please see section IV.C.ii of the FOA for content and form requirements of the Technical Volume."]
[64,"2020-08-26","Cost Sharing","We plan to work with a hot water heater manufacturer and would like to know if they could provide cost share for the project for following items/tasks.\n- Data collection equipment  \n- Data collection labor\n\nWe understand that vendors cannot provide cost share, but in this case, they are a water heater vendor, not a data collection equipment vendor, so we would like to know if they are able  to provide cost share for this aspect of the project.\n","Costs proposed as cost share must also be allowable, allocable and reasonable. For more information on allowable costs please see section IV.I.i. of the FOA document.  Please also note that any third party that contributes cost share must be considered a subrecipient (subaward), of the project and therefore subject to the terms and conditions of the award."]
[65,"2020-08-26","Eligibility","I submitted a concept paper for this FOA that was encouraged to apply. I have just gotten word that X Entity will only participate in the grant if they are the lead applicant. If all other portions of the application and concept stay the same, but the lead applicant is the DOA instead of the Public Service Commission (where the energy office is currently located) would they still be able to submit a full application? The technical point of contact would remain the same but the business point of contact would not.","Yes, the prime entity can be switched up until submittal of the full application provided that the new prime entity is an eligible applicant per section III.A of the FOA document. The full application should then list the new eligible entity as the prime applicant, and the application must be the same project proposed as the concept paper. "]
[66,"2020-08-26","Labs/FFRDCs","We have several questions related to the role of FFRDCs in proposed projects:\n• Can an FFRDC play a role beyond M&V, such as providing lab validation of a proposed technology package prior to installation in buildings?\n• Is third party M&V support a requirement for the project? It’s mentioned in the FAQ, but not in the FOA document.\n• Should the potential cost of FFRDC support be included in the budget, even though it is a separately funded activity outside the contract?\n","\n• No, FFRDSs are not eligible to participate in the project scope as a prime or sub-recipient. \n• Not necessarily. Applicants may provide their own M&V as part of the project scope. Additional M&V support may be provided by FFRDCs to awarded projects at DOE’s recommendation and at no cost to the project.\n• No, any FFRDC participation will be captured outside of the project budget and should not be included in budget justification document.\n"]
[67,"2020-08-28","Concept Paper","Had a question if my Concept Paper was successfully submitted for DE-FOE-0002324 ","If you concept paper was submitted successfully you will receive an encourage or discourage notification to submit a full application. Or you may receive a non-compliant notificaiton. For more information on non-compliance, see answer to question 62. If you do not receive any notification then your concept paper was not submitted successfully."]
[68,"2020-08-31","Cost Sharing","Section III.B.iii of the FOA states “Any partial donation of goods or services is considered a discount and is not allowable.” Can this statement be clarified?  If a recipient or subrecipient is donating some subset of their services, is it considered partial donation, and thus not allowable?  It seems that if a project has a recipient and two subrecipients, and the cost sharing is only allowable through them, then a cash or in-kind contribution would always represent some portion of the project.   ","Third party contributions of labor or equipment must meet the definition identified in 2 CFR 200 §200.96 and the criteria set forth in 2 CFR 200 §200.306. \nApplicants should be aware that DOE will have an interest in real property or equipment contributed as cost share proportional to the Federal participation in the project as defined in 2 CFR § 200.910.360(d). "]
[69,"2020-09-04","Cost Sharing","How does DOE evaluate the amount of cost share provided by applicants, for example, if an applicant identifies more cost share than the required 30%? Would a larger cost share potentially reduce the amount of an award?","No, the award amount from DOE would not decrease. Applicants are required to include a minimum 30% cost share of total project costs in their proposed budget, and any amount above 30% would not have any impact on the federal share of the award. "]
[70,"2020-09-06","Application Content/Format","Can you please tell me if the \"FOA Specific- Requirements (1 page)\" is included in the 10 page limit for the Technical Volume?","The FOA Specific Requirements page should be included as part of the 10 page technical volume. The \"provide one separate page\" is meant to defer the applicant from including other technical volume information on that page."]
[71,"2020-09-09","Eligibility","Can a government entity be prime on 2 different applications for two different technologies?  We are interested in 2 different technologies but are not sure if we are limited to only one application.","Yes, please see bottom of page 12 of the FOA document. \"An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and provided that an eligible Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application.\""]
[72,"2020-09-11","Application Content/Format","Can Dept of Energy funds be used to purchase capitol equipment such as a more efficient HVAC system or hot water system?","Yes, equipment may be purchased using federal funds. Per the Technical Qualifications and Resources section of the Technical volume, found on page 24 of the FOA document \"...include a justification of any new equipment or facilities requested as part of the project.\" While it may be necessary to purchase equipment to acheive the outcomes of the FOA, the focus of the effort should be centered around the research and validation of performance."]
[73,"2020-09-11","Application Content/Format","Is a sub recipient to a sub recipient required to complete a EERE Budget Justification if they receive $250,000 or more in funding or just the prime sub recipient?","Subrecipients shall submit a Budget Justification describing all project costs and calculations when their total proposed budget exceeds either (1) $250,000 or (2) 25% of total award costs. For the purposes of the application DOE does not require a budget from a sub's subrecipient. Only first tier subrecipients if over the threshold. However, if selected for an award the contracting officer may request a detailed budget from the sub's subrecipient if over the threshold."]
[74,"2020-09-14","Application Content/Format","In work on the SF-424 for the DE-FOA-002324 application, I cannot find any specific instructions on DOE sites for how to interpret and complete this form. I found guidance from other federal agencies on-line for the SF-424, but these instructions may not apply to DOE. If there are SF-424 instructions somewhere for DOE, would someone send a link?\n\nThe specific question is about #9 Type of Applicant, which states, “Select a minimum of one applicant type or select up to three applicant types in accordance with agency instructions”. The State must be the applicant under this FOA (A. State Government). How do we determine which, if any, of the project partners would be deemed “applicants” for the other two lines? What are DOE’s instructions here?","Please follow this link to grants.gov with instructions on how to fill out the SF-424, the column on the far right of the matrix gives tips on what to include in the form: https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf424-fid.html?formId=667\n\nNo other applicants should be listed in #9, only the Prime."]
[75,"2020-09-15","Cost Sharing","Would financial savings from an Energy Performance Contract with HUD under section 24 CFR 990.185 that would be invested into the project be eligible for the cost share? ","Specific cost share questions regarding allowability can be answered if selected for an award. With the limited information provided, we can offer the following: please see 2CFR200.306 (b)(5) and 2CFR200.406 (a)."]
[76,"2020-09-15","Application Content/Format","Page 24 of the FOA states: “Provide one separate page overviewing the project with short answers to the following questions [emphasis added]”. Is this separate page in the ten page limit of the technical volume? ","Please see answer to question #70."]
[77,"2020-09-18","Application Content/Format","In the Application Documents available for upload on the EERE Exchange for this opportunity (DE-FOA-0002324), there is no template for the Summary Slide. We have downloaded a Summary Slide from the EERE Exchange, but it does not contain the same kind of requirements described in the FOA instructions. Do we use it, anyway, and change it to match the FOA requirements, or is there a Summary Slide template somewhere in the Exchange for this FOA that we missed?","There is no summary slide template available for this FOA, please do not use any other template slide found on Exchange. The summary slide must include all the information listed on pages 26-27 of the FOA document."]
[78,"2020-09-22","Application Content/Format","1) Attached is a standard SF424 – is the correct form?\n2) The SF-LLL (lobbying form) needs to be filled out a) ONLY if you pay for lobbying activities b) by the primary ) by all parties  - prime ann sub recipients who are receiving funds from the grant \n3) Whats the difference between sub recipients and vendors – \n","1) Yes, a blank SF424 can be found in the FOA posting on Exchange in the \"Required Application Documents\" section, then click \"View Required Application Documents\"\n2) The SF-LLL must be completed by all applicants. If there are no lobbying activities then mark \"N/A\" in boxes 10a and 10b.\n3) Please see 2CFR200.23 for definition of contractor (vendor), and 2CFR200.93 for the definition of a subrecipient, please also see 2CFR200.330 Subrecipient and Contractor determinations.\n"]
[79,"2020-09-22","Application Content/Format","Are we required to attached a signed copy of \"Financial Assistance Certifications and Assurances for Use with the SF-424 \" to the SF-424 form we submit with the FOA application?  Does registration in the Systems Award Management system suffice?","No, checking the box is all that is required for the application but if requested by DOE please have a copy of the assurances on hand."]
[80,"2020-09-22","Application Content/Format","I have a question about the SF-LLL – if the prime or a particular SubAwardee has not engaged in any lobbying activities, can you confirm if the expected way to complete the form is to leave fields 10a and 10b of the form Blank or to enter N/A in those fields?","That is correct, if the prime or subrecipient(s) do not have any lobbying activities please mark \"N/A\" in boxes 10a and 10b."]
[81,"2020-09-23","Application Content/Format","1. Can you please clarify what additional paperwork items are required for any third-party cost-share organizations , other than a Commitment letter specifying type and amount of cost shares?\n\n2. Do third-parties  (entities that do not have a role in performing the scope of work) who provide cost-share have to complete a  SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (PDF format)?\n","1. Please note that all third-party cost share contributors will be considered subrecipients and therefore subject to the terms and conditions of the award, if selected for an award. In addition to the cost share commitment letter, the third party must submit an SF-LLL and if the budget of the third-party is $250K or more, or 25% of total project costs then a budget justifcation for the third party must be submitted (EERE-T-540.132) as found in the Required Application Documents in the FOA posting.\n\n2. Any third-party contributing cost share will be considered a subrecipient and therefore must submit an SF-LLL.\n"]
[82,"2020-09-24","Application Content/Format","The DE-FOA-0002324 SOPO template’s header has \"Award Number\" and \"Mod Number\" – should these two fields be left for the full application stage, and only completed if an award has been offered and those 2 numbers provided?","In place of the award number and mod number, please insert the full exchange control number for your application."]
[83,"2020-09-24","Application Content/Format","Our institution is a Sub under State Dept. of Agriculture Consumer Services, who is currently working on a full proposal for submission to this subject line FOA due next Monday Sept. 28.\n\nOur Sub documents are due to Prime applicant tomorrow and we have completed our SF-LLL as required for a Sub.\n\nHowever, as a Sub, we have two Subs under our institution. Per the FOA, the SF-LLL is only required for Prime and Subs.\n\nBut due to the unique nature of this Proposal, would SF-LLL forms also need to be submitted for our Sub too?\n","Only first tier subrecipient SF-LLL documents are required, meaning only the prime and their subrecipients. Any second tier subrecipients SF-LLL documents are not required. "]

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["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"]