{"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":1,"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":12,"n_cols":2,"rows_kept":12,"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 to SEPFY16FOA1415@ee.doe.gov "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to EERE Exchange should be emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on EERE Exchange within this spreadsheet."]
[4,"DOE will attempt to respond to a question within 3 business days, unless a similar question and answer has already been posted in this spreadsheet. "]
[5,"All questions should be submitted not later than 3 business days prior to the application due date. Questions submitted after this date will not be answered."]
[6,"Questions are assigned a number in accordance with when they are reviewed by DOE.  "]
[7,"Questions are assigned a topic area by DOE when reviewed."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]

{"sheet":"FOA CONTENT QUESTIONS","index":1,"n_rows":50,"n_cols":6,"rows_kept":50,"cut":false,"hidden":false,"merged":[[1,0,1,4],[0,0,0,4]]}
["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0001415"]
["Question #","Date Submitted","Topic","Question","Answer","Answer - Additional Information"]
[1,"2016-01-19","Eligibility","We are a small business installation specialist.  We seek programs that offer us financial assistance to operate our business. ","Under DE-FOA-0001415, applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office (SEO) or other agency responsible for administering the state energy program.  Please be aware that Non-state entities interested in collaborating with their respective SEO must contact that SEO. The Energy Department supports a number of grant, loan and financing programs. Learn more about these programs and how they can help you -- whether you are a startup energy business looking to launch a pilot project, a company with proven technology that needs help reaching commercial scale, or a state, local or tribal government looking for funding resources for energy projects. Please explore the information at these links: http://www.energy.gov/public-services/funding-financing.  \nhttps://financere.nrel.gov/finance/"]
[2,"2016-01-20","Webinar","How can one register for the informational webinars regarding DE-FOA0001415: State Energy Program 2016 Competitive Awards ?","Webinar Registration.   Register for only one of these webinars; the same material will be covered.   \nJanuary 26 at 2 p.m. Eastern.  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9114099644491479042 \nJanuary 27 at 4 p.m. Eastern.  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1227298340407914242"]
[3,"2016-02-04","Technical Topics","In reading through the application, we’ve come across some language that is a bit unclear to us. On page 6, “Development of policies to promote energy efficiency new construction standards” is listed as an allowable activity, but on the following page, “Programs targeted to making new construction energy efficient” is listed as an activity that is specifically not of interest, with the exception of “energy efficient new construction standards (such as LEED or stretch codes).” Can you clarify whether a project focused on boosting implementation of the current code, as opposed to supporting above-code programs, would be eligible under this area of interest?","Both page 6 and page 7 of the FOA state that the “development of policies to promote energy efficient new construction standards (such as LEED or stretch codes)” are allowable under Area of Interest 3. To clarify, only programs or strategies to advance LEED or stretch codes are of interest. Technical assistance proposals to support current code efforts – including training and compliance – are not of interest under Area of Interest 3. "]
[4,"2016-02-11","Eligibility","I wanted to reach out and...find potential partnerships with DOE entities as we move forward with our R&D efforts.  Could  there be a relationship with your organization?","DOE encourages organizations and individuals to submit self-generated, unsolicited proposals that are relevant to DOE's research and development mission.  The Department of Energy's (DOE’s) central  point of receipt for all  Unsolicited Proposals is the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) as outlined in the link below which includes all DOE Program Research Areas.  The \"Guide for the Submission of Unsolicited Proposals\" provides more information on the unsolicited proposal process.\nhttp://www.netl.doe.gov/business/unsolicited-proposals\nEmail: DOEUSP@NETL.DOE.GOV\nThank you for your interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy. \n"]
[5,"2016-02-11","Technical Topics","One of the questions that I brought to the webinar was whether an established program would qualify as a proposal.  this program provides funding for solar programs to economically disadvantaged individuals through assistance (financing) from other individuals who gain a small amount of money from purchasing tax credits (state and federal) of the individual who is installing solar panels on his house. This reduces the initial PV system cost, strengthens the community and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.  Since this is a community based program; it should be replicable across the U.S.","Thank you for your inquiry and interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy.   Under DE-FOA-0001415, applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office (SEO) or other agency responsible for administering the state energy program.  Please be aware that non-state entities interested in collaborating with their respective SEO must contact that SEO. \nProposals specifically not of interest include programs that use project funds to capitalize financing programs. Please see Section 1C (page 7) of the FOA for further information.  The proposal would be eligible if funds would go towards expanding the impact or the scope of the existing program. For example, a barrier that is preventing maximum possible benefit of the program has been identified and funding (along with partnership with the Oregon SEO) would overcome that barrier, improve the program, and increase impact in some way. Funds cannot be used to maintain the status quo. Using two merit review criteria as examples (beginning on page 32 of the FOA), proposals will be rated (along with all of the other criteria listed) based on the “degree to which the proposal demonstrates that the project fills a current market need and/or gap and will be adopted by the target markets and/or consumer sectors identified” and the “extent to which the application demonstrates how the proposed strategy will advance the State or region in the topic area/s identified.”"]
[6,"2016-02-12","Labs/FFRDCs","I have a question regarding how national labs may participate on this FOA.  If State applicants wish to engage a national lab as a sub-recipient will that be allowed? ","Yes, State applicants may engage a national lab as a sub-recipient on an application. However, applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office (SEO) or other agency responsible for administering the State Energy Program.  "]
[7,"2016-02-19","Eligibility","I am  interested in writing a proposal to the Area of interest 3: I need to know whether Alaska has received funding in the last four years.  Also in that same FOA in section C. it states: The purchase of equipment to conduct, research, development or demonstration of energy efficiency or renewable energy technologies not commercially available; I intend to purchase off the shelf equipment is that okay?","Thank you for your inquiry and interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy.   The Alaska State Energy Office received a SEP Competitive award in 2015 is therefore NOT eligible for an award under this year’s Funding Opportunity Announcement under Area of Interest 3.  Also, applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office (SEO) or other agency responsible for administering the state energy program when applying.  Please be aware that non-state entities interested in collaborating with their respective SEO must contact that SEO."]
[8,"2016-02-19","Application Content/Format","We are in the process of completing the above mentioned Appendix F and needed a clarification regarding some of the questions. \nOur state is 100% public power. We have no investor-owned utilities. There are a number of questions regarding investor owned utilities and when reviewing the questionnaire we had some staff take that position that it was not necessary to answer those questions. Should we just not respond to those questions or would you like us to complete them to the best of our ability?","Thank you for your interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy. A required component of a complete application package is a fully completed State Energy Assessment.  This is a fillable template form that can be found on EERE Exchange : https://eere-exchange.energy.gov .  Please note that Appendix F is a partial example of select State Energy Assessment questions given to provide guidance to those applicants who wish to select a topic under Area of Interest Two.  With respect to questions in the State Energy Assessment, if the question specifically asks about investor-owned utilities, then you need not answer that question since there are no IOUs in your state.  However, if the question asks about electric utilities, which would include public power utilities, then please respond to the best of your ability"]
[9,"2016-02-22","Cost Sharing"," On Page 24 of the SEP FOA under the Section 10. Letters of Commitment, it states that letters of commitment for third party contributing cost match are parties other than the State submitting the application.  Does that mean that a specific state agency cannot use letters of commitment from other state agencies if the contribution from the agency is not from federal funding? An example is the state would like to include letters of Commitment from the state’s Environment Department Air Quality Bureau.","To clarify, State agencies other than the State Energy Office submitting the application are allowed to contribute cost match and would be required to submit Letters of Commitment. The State Energy Office submitting the application can also contribute cost match, but is not required to also submit Letters of Commitment as evidence of its own match. "]
[10,"2016-01-16","Registration Requirements","The Grants.gov attached information is confusing. There do not seem to be any documents available, so may I assume the FOA has not been issued yet today? Thank you for your reply.","Please scroll to the bottom of the Grants.Gov for DE-FOA-0001415.    See the additional information  section which shows: Additional Information \nAgency Name: Golden Field Office.  Description: The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE’s) State Energy Program (SEP) seeks applications to advance policies, programs, and market strategies that accelerate job creation, reduce energy consumption, and help achieve energy and climate security for the nation. This competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) allows States (which includes the District of Columbia and five territories) to compete for funding designed to meet EERE’s nationally focused initiatives for the fundamental and permanent transformation of clean energy markets across all sectors of the economy. Specifically, this FOA includes three Areas of Interest: State Energy Planning, Innovative Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Practices, and Technical Assistance to Advance SEP Formula Grant Clean Energy Activities. \nLink to Additional Information: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov \nYou will find a link to EERE Exchange, click on that link!\nPlease let me know if you have questions once you get into Exchange.  You will find the full text of the FOA under Exchange.  You might be accustomed to viewing the full FOA in grants.gov, but DOE no longer posts the full text in grants.gov.  Grants.gov shows only the synopsis and gives you the link to EERE Exchange.   DOE now uses EERE Exchange to post the complete FOA."]
[11,"2016-01-25","Application Content/Format","A synopsis of DE-FOA-0001415 has been posted to grants.gov, but no announcement has appeared at eere-exchange.energy.gov.  When will the full announcement appear?","The full text of the FOA was posted on January 19 at:  https://eere-exchange.energy.gov"]
[12,"2016-01-22","Webinar","In the SEP 2016 competitive program FOA, p. 44, VIII.B. Informational Webinar, it states that specific dates for the two webinars can be found on the cover page of the FOA; however, I do not see the link. Can you please send me to the location or send me the link?  ","The webinar links are posted at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov"]
[13,"2016-01-25","Application Content/Format","A synopsis of DE-FOA-0001415 has been posted to grants.gov, but no announcement has appeared at eere-exchange.energy.gov.  When will the full announcement appear?  \n\nI believe that the FOA’s ARE in numerical order.   DE-FOA-0001415 is out of order because when it was entered a hyphen was left out, and it is posted as \"DE-FOA0001415”.   That change sends it to the bottom of the DE-FOA listing.","The full text of the FOA was posted on January 19 at:  https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.  "]
[14,"2016-01-25","Application Content/Format","The FOA’s are posted in numerical order.  DE-FOA-0001413 is followed by DE-FOA-0001420.  Where is DE-FOA-0001415?  I have found DE-FOA-0001415.","They are not in numerical order, they are in order by the date they were created"]
[15,"2016-01-25","Application Content/Format","I have found DE-FOA-0001415. I believe that the FOA’s ARE in numerical order.   DE-FOA-0001415 is out of order because when it was entered a hyphen was left out, and it is posted as \"DE-FOA0001415”.   That change sends it to the bottom of the DE-FOA listing.","The puncutation has been corrected, the hyphen has been inserted to show DE-FOA-0001415."]
[16,"2016-01-28","Webinar","Appreciate the opportunity to learn from this webinar.  It was very well organized and relevant information presented that can assist in developing a proposal.","Thank you for your feedback!   "]
[17,"2016-01-29","Eligibility","I am an assistant professor at a University. I am writing to ask whether I am eligible to submit a proposal regarding DE-FOA-0001415 in Area of Interest 3- Technical Assistance to Advance SEP Formula Grant Clean Energy Activities, which is only open to those States that have not been selected to receive a competitive award in the last four years (FY12-FY15).  My proposal would be focus on the study of improving geothermal.","The question in regards to eligible entities has already been addressed and posted in Exchange under the question and answer excel sheet under DE-FOA-0001415."]
[18,"2016-02-04","Application Content/Format","I want recive information about the grant DE-FOA-001415. Plese tell me where I find the guides to work the grant.  ","You will find the complete text and webinar for the state energy program DE-FOA-001415 at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov\nYou might be accustomed to viewing the full FOA in grants.gov, but DOE no longer posts the full text in grants.gov.     Grants.gov shows only the synopsis and gives you the link to EERE Exchange.   DOE now uses EERE Exchange to post the complete FOA along with questions and answers, and informational webinars. "]
[19,"2016-02-10","Eligibility","We are a biodiesel producer that would like to reduce our energy consumption. Is this grant applicable to us under Area of Interest 2?","Thank you for your inquiry and interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy.   As you may have already noticed, under DE-FOA-0001415, applications must be submitted by the State Energy Office (SEO) or other agency responsible for administering the state energy program.  Please be aware that non-state entities interested in collaborating with their respective SEO must contact that SEO.  The Energy Department supports a number of grant, loan and financing programs. Learn more about these programs and how they can help you -- whether you are a startup energy business looking to launch a pilot project, a company with proven technology that needs help reaching commercial scale, or a state, local or tribal government looking for funding resources for energy projects.  Please explore the information at these links: \nhttp://www.energy.gov/public-services/funding-financing\nhttps://financere.nrel.gov/finance/"]
[20,"2016-02-11","Eligibility","We are interested in working with the state Energy Office  to submit a proposal under the 2016 State Energy Program and have a question regarding whether our project proposal is a good fit and if so, which topic area of interest would it best submitted under. Our proposal would be to work with the state to expand their current efforts to incorporate home energy performance data into real estate transaction process through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to include information on other energy systems such as solar PV, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps.  We also have a local government partner for the project. We would need to help improve data collection and aggregation processes at the county assessors level and for the various permitting jurisdictions for the project. The MLS already has data fields for these systems but reporting these data is voluntary and so the actual data available to potential buyers and sellers is very incomplete. The state is just finishing a project to collect data for these systems from permits state-wide, which would significantly improve the completeness and accuracy of the data available to consumers. As such we were thinking that this project fits well under Area of Interest 2, Topic 5 Partnering with Local Governments.  If you can provide us with any feedback on the concept that I can share with CEO I would appreciate it. ","Please refer to the FOA FAQ Questions and Answers posted in EERE Exchange.   Please refer to question and answer #1 on the excel sheet that instructs you to contact your state SEO.  "]
[21,"2016-02-19","Eligibility","I am contacting you regarding funding opportunity DE-FOA-0001415. I am one of the co-founders of a startup currently exploring the market in the water efficiency, conservation and smart water management space. Our first product is a device and we believe that there will be energy savings. We had a few questions about this funding opportunity and were wondering if we could set up a call with you sometime next week. Also, if you know of other grants in the water and related energy, we will thoroughly appreciate your guidance."," Your inquiry has been addressed in EERE Exchange, please refer to questions 1 and 4 on the FAQ document.  DOE has already provided responses to other interested parties who previously submitted similar inquiries"]
[22,"2016-02-22","Registration Requirements","I went to the FAQ scrolled down to the appropriate FOA for 2016 State Competitive Award entered it and there was no display of any FAQ’s. Perhaps I am doing something wrong. I did log into the Exchange first.","Verbal instructions were given to the sumbitter by phone which is documented as follows: Exchange has generic FAQ that does not display information specific to a FOA.  However the FAQ for DE-FOA-0001415 are shown under the documents section of the SEP FY16 announcement.  In the \"jump to\" field, enter 1415.  After a brief pause, a line item will appear; select for DE-FOA-0001415.   The announcement will appear, please refer to the doument section for the specific FAQ pertaining to SEP FY16 Competitive. "]
[23,"2016-02-22","Application Content/Format","Regarding the first page you come to when you hit the apply button which is titled Full Application Details for #DE-FOA-0001415 State Energy Program 2016 Competitive Awards. Under Submission Status Project Title and then Abstract (4000 max characters). My question is, “once you put that information in to say the abstract section can you edit it later? Or is it when you fill it in you cannot go back and edit.","You can edit any of the saved information that is input into the Exchange sections any time prior to hitting the submit application button.  The user will have to select apply for this FOA as a first step that then lets them create an application.  Even once an application is submitted, as long as it is still before the March 31st deadline, a user can retract that application and make changes and resubmit.  If a user would like more information on how to use Exchange, please consult the downloadable manuals on the left side of the Exchange landing page and choose applicant guide. "]
[24,"2016-02-24","Eligibility","Can you point me in the right direction of trying to find out if there are grants available for electricity upgrades. \nWe are doing a $300k upgrade of our lighting at our 120,000 sq ft facility.  We have already applied for a rebate approx. 10% of the project but we are looking for more avenues.  We have been in business since 1962 and grew to over 250 employees by the year 2000.  However, because of the economy and the continuing loss of production to Asia, we now only employ approx. 70 Full time employees. Any suggestions on how we can receive grant money to help us with this major project for us.","Similar inquiries have been submitted by other interested applicants, and DOE has posted replies which are available to the public at: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.\n\nPlease refer to the FAQ question and answer document under DE-FOA-0001415.   Please submit future inquires to SEPFY16FOA1415@ee.doe.gov."]
[25,"2016-02-26","Application Content/Format","Is there an online location where an individual can access  spreadsheets required in response to the FOA?\n\nI viewed the basic webinar and no location was mentioned.\n","All documents related to this FOA can be viewed and downloaded from the EERE Exchange system here: https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov.  Insert the announcement number 0001415 to “jump” to this FOA, click on the link, and select view Required Application Package. You will have to register with Exchange before submitting an application. "]
[26,"2016-02-26","Webinar","I am writing to inquire as to whether there is a recording or link for the Grant Application Workshop held on  February 4th? Thank you in advance.","The Application Workshop slides and audio have been posted to the document section in EERE Exchange under DE-FOA-0001415."]
[27,"2016-02-24","Application Content/Format","I am developing a proposal as an implementation contractor for a state energy office that will submit as Prime.  Our project will be multi-state, and is intended to support a common project across several states or more.  The project will have implementation partners in states, typically academia, non-profits, and others partners that are implementing energy programs typically on behalf of state agencies in their own states.  This project would likely contract directly with lead organizations in each state to implement the project.  All organizations and states will be identified in the proposal.\n\nIn terms of classifying as a multi-state program, what must the Prime state do to demonstrate this status in order to ask for commensurate funding levels?  Is it required that the Prime include a letter of support from each State Energy Office or from another state government entity?   Is it adequate, instead, to name the state implementation partners and their role in state programs?\n\nWe had a meeting and some states were confused about what it means to be a partner.  States were favorable but some were worried that issuing a letter of support might compromise them from applying as Prime for other things. \n","Thank you for your question. Your proposal can be considered multistate if State Energy Offices (in addition to the Prime State applicant) will serve as implementation partners; we would define these as Key Partners. An application will only be considered as a multistate partnership (and eligible for corresponding funding levels) if there are specific tasks assigned in the Work Breakdown Structure of the Technical Volume to State Energy Offices in addition to the Prime State applicant (see pages 17-21 of the FOA for specific Technical Volume requirements). Partner States with tasks identified in the Work Breakdown Structure must provide a Letter of Support for inclusion in the application package (see page 29 of the FOA). Please note that all entities with tasks assigned in the Work Breakdown Structure (State Energy Office partners and otherwise) are considered Key Partners and must provide a Letter of Support for inclusion in application packages. \n\nServing as a Key Partner on a multistate application and providing a corresponding Letter of Support will not compromise a State’s allowability to submit an application as a Prime recipient (See page 12 of the FOA).\n"]
[28,"2016-02-24",null,"Can the threshold for states to be considered “Key Partners” be met if those states choose to fulfill their responsibilities by subcontracting with an eligible private/non-profit organization?","Thank you for your question. An application will only be considered as a multistate partnership (and eligible for corresponding funding levels) if there are specific tasks assigned in the Work Breakdown Structure of the Technical Volume to State Energy Offices in addition to the Prime State applicant (see pages 17-21 of the FOA for specific Technical Volume requirements). Partner States with tasks identified in the Work Breakdown Structure must provide a Letter of Support for inclusion in the application package (see page 29 of the FOA). \nPartner States with tasks assigned in the Work Breakdown Structure can choose to fulfill their obligations through third party contractors. However, the respective State would assume responsibility for managing contractors and delivering on assigned tasks. Arrangements across Key Partners and third party contractors should be described in the Workplan and Technical Qualifications & Resources sections of the Technical Volume (see pages 17-21 of the FOA for specific Technical Volume requirements) and also addressed under Merit Review Criterion 4: Partnership Capabilities and Structure (see page 31 of the FOA). \nPlease also note that all entities with tasks assigned in the Work Breakdown Structure (including any third party contractors and/or nonprofits) are considered Key Partners and must provide a Letter of Support for inclusion in application packages."]
[29,"2016-02-23","Application Content/Format"," We plan to submit a proposal under AOI 2, Topic 2 as the prime applicant under DE-FOA-0001415.  Two other states in the region may partner with us, but the degree to which they will be involved is still being debated.  Our state is still in the fledgling stages of implementing our new financial mechanism and the other two entities have more robust programs that we can learn from.  We obviously need to complete the State Energy Assessment as the prime applicant, but will the other two states also have to fill out the SEA, even if they have minimal roles in the proposal?","Only the Prime applicant is required to submit the State Energy Assessment."]
[30,"2016-02-25","Application Content/Format","We are seeking clarification on the DOE’s approval of the role a state’s key partners would play in this solicitation. Would any or all state key partners be required to receive funds via the budget as a contributor to the project tasks?  We plan to identify a stakeholder in each state included to work with the selected energy efficiency targets. ","States serving as Key Partners are not required to receive funds or contribute cost match to the Prime State applicant’s project. Proposed budgets are negotiated and determined by the Prime State applicant. Please also note that proposals that are regional in scope but lack support from additional partner States (as evidenced by assigned tasks in the Work Breakdown Structure and Letters of Support) will not be considered a multistate application. ","The FOA (page 25) states, “Key partners are entities that will significantly contribute to project tasks and overall project success with roles and responsibilities clearly defined in the Work Breakdown Structure of the Technical Volume. These include States identified as Key Partners in the case of multi-state applications.”  Tasks performed under a Federal award must be tied to the project budget, either as reimbursable work, or in-kind cost share.  Note that work performed under, or personnel funded by, other federally funded grants cannot be charged to this project, and cannot be used as cost match.  Project budgets are proposed, negotiated and finalized with DOE by the Prime SEO applicant. "]
[31,"2016-03-09","Application Content/Format","Is it possible to get a Word or editable PDF version of the Appendix F Assessment Questions?","Yes, there is a fillable template of Appendix F posted under the  Required Application Document in EERE Exchange.  The document  name is '2016 State Energy Assessment Template'.   Click on the document and it will open in protected view.  Click on 'enable editing'.   Be sure to save a working  copy for your files.   "]
[32,"2016-03-08","Application Content/Format","Is there a person we can connect with to talk about logistical requirements for submission, including SF424 requirements for Prime and sub recipients? ","Unfortunately we need to have written documentation of all questions and answers related to this FOA so all inquiries need to be submitted to the mailbox and there is not a POC we can direct you to. In order to best answer your question, could you please provide more clarification on what is meant by “logistical requirements for submission, including SF424 requirements for Prime and subrecipients.” If you plan to partner with an SEO on a project as a subrecipient, please also consult with the State Energy Office you are partnering with as they should be able to answer questions related to SF424 requirements. If you’re having issues related to the Exchange submission process, please refer to the ‘EERE Exchange Applicant Guide’ at  link:  https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx"]
[33,"2016-03-14","Technical Topics","When preparing a multi-state application under Area of Interest 1 - State Energy Planning what are appropriate metrics that would be of interest to the DOE? Typically, metrics are reported in number of projects completed, square-feet retrofitted, kWh saved, BTUs saved, etc; however, none of these metrics can be applied to the multi-state regional planning process that we are proposing. Our primary objective is stakeholder engagement that will provide states with information and resources to make individual decisions in their best interest.","The proposal must respond to metrics as they appear in the merit review criteria. Please refer to page 31 of the FOA where impact criteria 2 and 3 are highlighted. "]
[34,"2016-03-03","Application Content/Format","Under a multi-state application, is it permissible for the prime applicant state to subcontract to another entity (non-profit or for-profit) that both assists in project implementation and subcontracts out to the other participating states? Some states have an extremely difficult process for subcontracting directly with other states and this would avoid substantial time and resources lost due to lengthy state-to-state contract negotiation. ","An application will only be considered as a multistate partnership (and eligible for corresponding funding levels) if State Energy Offices (SEOs) (in addition to the Prime State applicant) will serve as implementation partners; we would define these as Key Partners. Page 25 of the FOA states, “Key partners are entities that will significantly contribute to project tasks and overall project success with roles and responsibilities clearly defined in the Work Breakdown Structure of the Technical Volume. These include State [SEOs] identified as Key Partners in the case of multistate applications.” See pages 17-21 of the FOA for specific Technical Volume requirements. Key partner SEOs, and any other Key Partner entities who will significantly contribute to project tasks identified in the Work Breakdown Structure, must provide a Statement of Support for inclusion in the application package. If these requirements are met then, yes, the Prime Applicant State can propose to subcontract to another entity that will then subcontract out to the States named as Key Partners in the application. Please carefully review merit review criteria as the level of participation of Key Partners (partner State Energy Offices and otherwise), and how well the proposal demonstrates that the inclusion of these partners is critical to project success will factor into scores."]
[35,"2016-03-05","Application Content/Format","I have a question regarding Area of Interest #3.  Page 6 of the FOA states that the state’s preferred technical assistance provider must be identified.  However, if we were to utilize a consultant, state law would require us to go through a procurement process.  Because of this, we would not be able to guarantee that a particular consultant would be successful.  Would this make us be considered nonresponsive? ","It is not required for you to be under contract with TA providers at the time of application submission. Please note, if selected for award, Statements of Support from the technical assistance provider(s) will be required if the applicant is selected for award. See page 25 of the FOA. "]
[36,"3/14/206","Application Content/Format"," [State] is considering a multi-state proposal with[entity]and others. I'm seeking clarification on what level of participation is needed from an SEO in order to be considered a key partner (which is required for a state's participation to count toward a proposal being considered multi-state). From the posted FAQ, you stated that the SEO must be a key partner, and must have a tasks that are included in the work breakdown structure. If an SEO wants to work through a partner organization, and will perform tasks but does not intend to receive funds, what is necessary to have key partner status? Is it sufficient to have tasks listed for the SEO in the work breakdown structure, and then in a letter of participation from the SEO have the tasks they intend to do reiterated?  Given that [state] would like to be a key partner, but requires no direct funding, but will do tasks, what exactly do we need to do to ensure that the NJBPU as the state SEO will have key partner status?","The FOA (page 25) states, “Key partners are entities that will significantly contribute to project tasks and overall project success with roles and responsibilities clearly defined in the Work Breakdown Structure of the Technical Volume. These include States identified as Key Partners in the case of multi-state applications.”  Tasks performed under a Federal award must be tied to the project budget, either as reimbursable work, or in-kind cost share.  Note that work performed under, or personnel funded by, other federally funded grants cannot be charged to this project, and cannot be used as cost match.  Project budgets are proposed, negotiated and finalized with DOE by the Prime SEO applicant.  If selected for negotiation of award, DOE reserves the right to ask for additional budget information, including the sources of funding support for cost match outlined in the application (see page 26 of the FOA). "]
[37,"2016-03-15","Application Content/Format","In the “Technical Description” section, the FOA states: \"Merit Review Criterion Summary: This section should be formatted to address each of the merit review criteria listed in Section V.A.1. Provide data succinctly so that reviewers will be able to evaluate the application in accordance with these merit review criteria. Please include responses in the Workplan section of the Technical Volume.” Should our response to the merit review criteria go in the technical description or in the workplan, or both?","Responses to the merit review criteria should be contained in both the ‘Technical Description’ section and the ‘Workplan’ section of the Technical Volume. The ‘Technical Description’ section should be brief (you can choose a bullet point or table format) and the ‘Workplan’ section should be detailed. Slides 15-18 of the ‘Grant Application Workshop’ (downloadable from Exchange here: February 4 Slides Only: Application Workshop DE-FOA-0001415) describe the differences between the two sections."]
[38,"2016-03-16","Cost Sharing","Is stakeholder participation in a training and/or stakeholder meeting an allowable form of in-kind cost-share?  Participation would be tracked with timesheets and an hourly wage estimated from BLS data for the state will be used.","Please refer to 2 CFR 200, Subpart E,  Cost Principles, for guidance. "]
[39,"2016-03-17","Application Content/Format","When I pull up the FAQ the 3/16 is the last question answered and it refers to cost share. Can you please send the updates excel sheet with our question included? Thank you. ","There are two items from your organization, please refer to items 34 (date 3/4/2016) and 37 (date 3/15/2016) on the spreadsheet. I updated the spreadsheet to show the correct dates of the original submissions.   You are correct, last question is about cost sharing, submitted on 3/16/2016.  If you scroll up on the spreadsheet, you will see the items with earlier dates. Please log on to EERE Exchange again and view the updated version of the FAQ.   ","Corrected typo.  The submission date for item 34 is 3/3/2016"]
[40,"2016-03-16","Labs/FFRDCs","We are a DOE FFRDC National Lab partner (sub-recipient).  The Subaward Budget Justification states, \"4. FFRDCs must submit a signed Field Work Proposal during award application.\"  Will the DOE/NNSA FFRDC portion of the work be authorized and funded under the DOE field work authorization system independently of the remainder of the Project Team?  Does this FOA require a DOE/NNSA FFRDC to submit written authorization from a cognizant Contracting Officer with the prime's Full Application?","                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Although inadvertently left out of the FOA text, the FFRDC information below applies. The answer to both your questions is yes: DOE/NNSA FFRDCs must submit written authorization from a cognizant Contracting Officer with the prime's Full Application and if the application is selected the DOE/NNSA FFRDC portion of the work would be authorized and funded under the DOE field work authorization system.    Requirements for DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers Included as a Subrecipient:   DOE/NNSA FFRDCs may be proposed as a Subrecipient on another entity’s application subject to the following guidelines:    A. Authorization for DOE/NNSA FFRDCs        The cognizant Contracting Officer for the FFRDC must authorize in writing the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the application. The following wording is acceptable for this authorization:    Authorization is granted for the [Enter Laboratory Name] Laboratory to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the laboratory is consistent with or complementary to the missions of the laboratory, and will not adversely impact execution of the DOE assigned programs at the laboratory.    B. Value/Funding    The value of and funding for the FFRDC portion of the work will not normally be included in the award to a successful applicant. Usually, DOE will fund a DOE/NNSA FFRDC contractor through the DOE field work proposal system and non-DOE/NNSA FFRDC through an interagency agreement with the sponsoring agency.    C. Cost Share    Although the FFRDC portion of the work is usually excluded from the award to a successful applicant, the applicant’s cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant’s and the FFRDC’s portions of the project.    D. Responsibility    The Prime Recipient will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues including, but not limited to disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the Prime Recipient and the FFRDC contractor.  If a DOE/NNSA FFRDC is proposed as a Subrecipient on another entity’s application there would also be 2 additions to the Full Application Content Requirements:    1. Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)     1. Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)\nIf a DOE/NNSA FFRDC contractor is to perform a portion of the work, the applicant must provide a DOE Field Work Proposal (FWP) in accordance with the requirements in DOE Order 412.1, Work Authorization System. DOE Order 412.1 and DOE O 412.1 (Field Work Proposal form) area available at the following link, under “DOE Budget Forms”: https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives/0412.1-BOrder-a/view. Save the FWP in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title {{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_FWP.\n2. Authorization for non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (if applicable)    The Federal agency sponsoring the FFRDC must authorize in writing the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the application. The use of a FFRDC must be consistent with the contractor’s authority under its award. Save the Authorization in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title {{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_FFRDCAuth."]
[41,"2016-03-23","Application Content/Format","Where exactly are the fillable templates for the required tables for this FOA?   Summary Table for each Area of Interest (1, 2 & 3) &  Milestone Summary Table.","                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            When you have located the FOA in Exchange, instead of clicking on \"Applying for the FOA\", scroll down to the section that says \"View required application documents\".  Click on that and it will expand to show all required documents.  All of these will be fillable template documents.  You may also click on \"Apply\" for this FOA in Exchange and go to the Full Application page.  Scroll down the page to \"Full Application Attachments\".  All attachments are located here and are fillable template documents.  Any problems using EERE Exchange should be Emailed to EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[42,"2016-03-23","Application Content/Format","Can one application cover three topics (1,2 &3)?  If yes, how do I select the topic?  ","                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Under Area of Interest 2, States may choose to address just one topic area or can submit proposals that address multiple Topics of Emphasis. Proposals that address multiple topic areas will be scored based on how well the topics are integrated into a uniform policy or program strategy (see page 3 of the FOA). Please identify the Topics of Emphasis to which you are applying in the Technical Volume.  If your question pertains to how many applications will be accepted under this FOA to each Area of Interest, please see page 12 of the FOA for 'Limitations on Number of Full Applications Eligible for Review.' Please note, you are not able to submit a single application that covers all three Areas of Interest.  "]
[43,"2016-03-23","Application Content/Format","                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Page 15 of the FOA states that the applicable Area of Interest must also be identified in the file name.  However, the AOI is not included in the File Names in the table on page 16 or the conventions in each section of the full application content requirements.  Should the AOI be included after the {{ControlNumber}} and {{LeadOrganization}}, and before the component?  For example:   {{ControlNumber}}_{{LeadOrganization}}_AOI1_TechnicalVolume","As you pointed out, there is a discrepancy in the file naming convention within the FOA.  It is not required that you include the AOI in the file name.  Please follow the example currently listed in EERE Exchange."]
[44,"3/22/016","Application Content/Format","Thank you for your answer #40. Your pdf cut off the top line or lines of the answer."]
[45,"2016-03-23","Application Content/Format","I am trying to initiate the application process for DE-FOA-0001415, 2016 SEP Competitive Awards, in EERE-Exchange.   I have encountered a problem with the tab where you enter the federal and non-federal budget amounts being requested.  I cannot enter the non-federal match amount … the box is frozen with a zero, which cannot be deleted in order to enter a match amount.  Am I just not doing something correctly, or is there a glitch in the system that you can fix?","There is a system fix that has been made as of March 28, 2016 at 3:10 pm,  MST"]
[46,"2016-03-28","Application Content/Format","The first page of the a FOA application has blank spaces for a Project Title and an Abstract before creating a “full application.”  Is it possible to change the Project Title and Abstract after you receive the Control Number and the full application has been created?","You can edit this information anytime before submitting the actual application.  So once it is created, the applicant can edit as they please until they actual hit the sub it button."]
[47,"2016-03-28","Cost Sharing","On the Funds and Costs tab and the Budget Justification (EERE 335) the proposed Cost Share percentage is being calculated as: \nCost Share / (Federal Funds + Cost Share) = Cost Share %.  In the FOA, page 10 and Appendix A both state: B. COST MATCH\nFor Areas of Interest 1 and 2 (our application), the recipient cost match must be at least 20% of the total Federal Funds allocated. I could adjust the formula in the Budget Justification (EERE 335) and submit based on the FOA calculation method, but I cannot change the coding in the application.","Yes, it is correct for you to adjust the formula in the Budget Justification EERE 335 and submit based on the FOA calcuation method.    There is a system fix that has been made as of March 28, 2018 at 3:10 pm, MST in the EERE Exchange application; therefore you should be able to enter your proposed cost match amount to comply with the FOA calculation method. "]

{"sheet":"Admin Pick List","index":2,"n_rows":15,"n_cols":1,"rows_kept":15,"cut":false,"hidden":true,"merged":[]}
["Pick List"]
[]
["Registration Requirements"]
["Webinar"]
["Eligibility"]
["Labs/FFRDCs"]
["Foreign Entities/Work"]
["Cost Sharing"]
["Due Dates"]
["Application Content/Format"]
["Intellectual Property"]
["Data Management"]
["U.S. Manufacturing Plan"]
["Application Reviews"]
["Technical Topics"]