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

{"sheet":"INSTRUCTIONS & TIPS","index":0,"n_rows":11,"n_cols":2,"rows_kept":11,"cut":false,"hidden":false,"merged":[[0,0,0,1],[7,0,7,1]]}
["INSTRUCTIONS"]
[1,"All questions pertaining to this funding opportunity announcement should be emailed under the DE-FOA-0003099 - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Grants submit questions link at DE-FOA-0003099@netl.doe.gov. "]
[2,"All questions pertaining to Clean Energy Infrastructure (S3) Exchange should be emailed to InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. Include FOA name and number in subject line."]
[3,"All questions and answers pertaining to this FOA will be posted on Clean Energy Infrastructure (S3) 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."]
[]
["TIPS"]
[1,"Applicants may sort questions and answers in the question tabs of this spreadhseet by selecting the drop-down box arrow on the column headers and selecting any of the listed attributes."]
[2,"Applicants may search for questions and/or keywords by holding CTRL+F on the keyboard and typing in a phrase or keyword."]
[3,"Applicants who are unable to open pdf documents are advised that it could be due to an error with the user's web browser or the user's Adobe software.  We recommend closing your web browser and then opening a different web browser to navigate to the Exchange website to open/download the document.\" If that doesn't work, please contact the Exchange Help Desk at the web address provided on the FOA in Exchange. "]

{"sheet":"FOA CONTENT QUESTIONS","index":1,"n_rows":262,"n_cols":2,"rows_kept":262,"cut":false,"hidden":false,"merged":[[0,0,0,1],[1,0,1,1]]}
["ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTION AND ANSWER LOG"]
["DE-FOA-0003099 - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Grants"]
["Question","Answer"]
["The PDF document on the infrastructure-exchange website linked to the DE-FOA-0003099 announcement is having issues when downloading.","Please try either using a different web browser to open/download the document or download the document to your computer and then use the Adobe software on your computer to open the file locally.\n"]
["1. Could you kindly confirm that National Labs may submit proposals as either Prime or Sub applicants? We notice that A.ii.2. indicates that National Labs are able to participate in either role, and later in E.i.b. indicates that FFRDCs participation as a Sub must be authorized by the cognizant Contracting Officer. Are we correct in understanding that E.i. does not limit FFRDCs and merely clarifies that when they are subs, they must obtain the proper authorization?\n\n2. Next, regarding demonstration and manufacturing test facility proposals, it seems they are envisioned, though much of the language in the FOA centers around commercial scale projects. Could you offer more guidance on whether or not a proposal for a demonstration type project would be worthwhile? For context, would a proposal be of interest for a manufacturing test facility where private sector participants could access pilot lines for the development and scale up of battery manufacturing technologies, including materials processing modalities, as well as battery manufacturing processes, all combined with significant workforce development and equity-related resources? We note that I.C indicates demonstration projects need to have a federal share of at least $50M.","1. Section III.A.ii is the definition of a domestic entity at both the prime and subrecipient levels. Per section III.E.i.b National Laboratories may participate only as a subrecipient.                                                              2. Per section I.A.B and Appendix D of the FOA, all areas of interest require the creation of commercial scale facilities, not demonstration projects. Per section I.C of the FOA, “Applications that are based on research, development, or pilot-scale (alone) activities” are specifically not of interest. \n\n  "]
["Our company is a vertically integrated Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of mobile battery energy storage systems (with sourced battery cells), which designs, engineers, and manufactures all the core hardware used in its products, including our proprietary battery module and structure battery pack design, as well as our patented inverters. \n \nIt is not clear to us, and we would appreciate your guidance in determining if we are eligible for the Area of Interest #8 \"Commercial-scale Domestic Manufacturing of Other Battery Cell and System Components\" under this FOA?","AOI 8 is related to manufacturing of battery cell components and/or battery system components. These include current collectors, solid state materials, binder, conductive additives as well as battery packs and modules. Per section III.G of the FOA, the DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. \n"]
["On page 128 it only makes reference to silicon technology and doesn’t mention graphite. Should we assume that the graphite without silicon is also valid for the AOI 4.b?\n\nApplications shall provide a detailed description of the battery silicon technology, including material components/chemistry and performance.","This will be addressed/corrected in a future modification to the FOA "]
["On page 13: \n\n“ application that are based on research, development and pilot scale( alone) activities “ not qualified. \n\nWhat pilot scale do you mean here?  kilograms levels, hundreds of kilograms level or tons level?  What are preconditions for the process being qualified for this application? Any business development requirements are needed?","This FOA is focused on commercial-scale facilities for battery-grade precursor materials, battery components, and cell manufacturing and recycling. (See Section I.B. Areas of Interest.) Any pilot-scale facilities that would not produce commercial-ready materials or produce at speeds, costs, and scales needed for commercial production, would not be within scope of this FOA.     \n\nFor the purposes of this FOA, a commercial-scale facility is one that produces a commercially viable non-development-scale product in sufficient quantities to achieve projected market demand. "]
["With respect to topic 1, are foreign mined feedstock that are processed and manufactured in the United States expressly not of interest for the solicitation?","See Appendix D Areas of Interest 1.a and 1.b of the FOA, all upstream mined materials must be from domestic sources. Upstream mined materials from non-domestic sources are specifically not of interest for Areas of Interest 1.a and 1.b. "]
["are you planning to do a webinar or information session regarding this FOA?  We have a client who’s interested but has some questions about whether or not their technology might be applicable for this announcement.  ","A webinar is not planned for this FOA at this time. All specific questions should be sent to DE-FOA-0003099@netl.doe.gov and responses will be posted publicly via this FAQ. "]
["We are writing to request clarification on what seems to be a potential discrepancy regarding Area of Interest #8.  On page 9 of the FOA, it says that the objective of Area of Interest 8 is “to construct new commercial scale facilities or expand, retool, or retrofit existing facilities to create U.S. manufacturing capacity for other battery cell and system components (components not addressed in other areas of interest).”  The same language also appears in Appendix D (page 133).  However, in the table showing the estimated funding for each Area of Interest (pages 18-19), there seems to be a minimum/maximum of $50M for “Retrofit/Retool/Expansion” projects under Area of Interest 8, but no estimated funding available for “New Facility” projects.  Could you please clarify/confirm that new construction projects are eligible for funding under Area of Interest 8?  And if so, could you also clarify the minimum and maximum funding available for such projects?","This will be addressed/corrected in a future modification to the FOA."]
["With respect to Appendix D in FOA 3099, Area of Interest 7, please clarify whether the reference to a minimum specific energy of 100wh/kg mentioned on page 129 is an inadvertent technical drafting error, and that such a limit does not apply to battery technologies like lead and/or redox flow batteries.  All of the exemplar chemistries listed in the definition of AOI 7 in Appendix D, and others DOE has publicly stated would be supported, fall well below the listed specific energy.  Further, for stationary systems weight is not normally a factor in such systems where cost and lifespan are the dominant requirements.  It also appears that Footnote 35 refers to an energy density metric for sodium-metal-halide batteries (see page 62 of the Energy Storage Grand Challenge Draft Roadmap.)  Please confirm our understanding that this specific energy minimum was included inadvertently as a technical drafting error, and please publish a technical correction to the FOA deleting that clause. ","This will be addressed/corrected in a future modification to the FOA."]
["We are wondering if we can apply to and address two topic areas in one proposal?  e.g, begin with electrode production and end with commercial scale domestic manufacturing? ","As per Section III.F., an application must be a \"unique, scientifically distinct project\"."]
["We, Company X US LLC, are contemplating an application for AOI 4a.  Most likely we will need to set up a designated entity for these activities under our company at a later stage. Based on our experience with your peer organizations in the European Union I would approach the application with Company X US LLC as applicant. This entity is already registered in EERE Exchange and SAM and has an UEI. Could you please clarify if this arrangement would be acceptable from your point of view?","For projects selected under this FOA, all recipients and subrecipients must qualify as domestic entities. To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.  Per section III.G of the FOA, the DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. "]
["Assuming a project is selected and the award negotiations are successful, is there a standard timeline for grant issuance (e.g. lump-sum up-front issuance after executing the funding agreement) or is each award issued on a bespoke timeline per the negotiated funding agreement?","Expected award negotations are from Aug. 2024– Jan. 2025 as indicated on the cover page of the Funding Opportunity Annoucement (FOA).  See Section IV. I. ii. of the FOA for details on Pre-Award costs."]
["1.\tOn page 10, AOI2: Commercial-Scale Separation, Processing and Recovery of Battery Critical Minerals (non-Lithium): The company separates Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese and other critical elements from car batteries to feed downstream domestic cell manufacturing. However, this process results in black mass that contains trace amounts Lithium.  Under this AOI, would the company be eligible to apply?\n\n2.\tBattery Recycling:  As this NOFO doesn’t emphasize battery recycling as a single priority, does the Department of Energy intend to release a NOFO specifically for the purpose of battery recycling?  ","1. Facilities that are focused on the processing and production of battery critical minerals aside from lithium are within scope for AOI 2. Facilities that are focused on the processing and production of lithium would be applicable to AOI 1. Trace amounts would not mean a facility is focused on the production of said trace mineral.    2. DOE cannot comment on potential future funding opportunity announcements."]
["Under AOI 7. 'Commercial-scale Domestic Production of High-Capacity, Rechargeable Non-Lithium Based Battery Cell and Systems' can a company submit for $50,000,000 in Federal support to build a New Facility?","The statutory minimum for federal funding for a new commercial scale facility is $100,000,000. For retrofit facilities, the statutory minimum for federal funding is $50,000,000. This is a statutory requirement and applications submitted that do not meet the requirements will be considered non-compliant."]
["We've developed a Novel Sodium battery for Long Duration Energy Storage applications. We came across this funding opportunity and AOI7 is quite matching. \n \nBut, I'm confused on this statement. \n \nApplications specifically NOT of interest\n\"Applications that are based on research, development, or pilot-scale (alone) activities. \" \n \nCould you please clarify that statement? Our product is ready, are we eligible?\n","This FOA is focused on full commercial-scale facilities for battery manufacturing, battery materials processing, and battery recycling. Projects which focus on research and development, or non-commercial scale production of battery materials, components, cells, and/or systems are out of scope for the FOA. "]
["From the NOFO that DOE released on Wednesday, it looks like solid state is included as an option on p. 131 “solid-state” under AOI 6.\n \nThis is terrific news and we are extremely excited to see it included. However, I was hoping for some clarification on this sentence “Cell manufacturing for the commercial light duty vehicle market is out of scope for this AOI. Projects that do not identify a primary market for transportation or stationary storage applications are out of scope of this AOI. Production of either conventional and/or solid-state cells are applicable to this AOI.”\n \nI couldn’t tell whether a facility that also produced batteries for light duty vehicles would qualify under AOI 6, or whether a facility would count if it has a line producing batteries for one of the categories in the primary or secondary market as well as a line producing for light duty cars. ","AOI 6 applicants are required to specify at least one primary market and secondary market described within the Appendix D under AOI 6. As stated, cell manufacturing for the light duty vehicle market cannot be the predominant or majority market for product capaitization wihtin an application under AOI 6. "]
["Under Section III-B-v. (Eligibility Information – Cost Sharing – Cost Share Verification), which states:\n\n“Applicants are required to provide written assurance of their proposed cost share contributions in their Full Applications.” \n                                \nQUESTION: Since the majority of our cost share contribution is likely to come in the form of debt financing from one or more infrastructure debt funds, and potentially private equity funds and/or pension funds (we have already received non-binding commitments from several infrastructure debt funds for 50%-75% of the cost of construction our facility); we were wondering whether those commitments can remain non-binding, or whether those commitments have to be binding commitments in order to constitute “written assurance of the proposed cost share.”","Written assurance of the proposed cost share takes two forms in the application.  The first are letters of commitment from cost sharing partners and the second is the prime recipients signature on the SF-424. Refer to Section IV.D.ii of the FOA (Technical Volume contents) for the \"Project Financing\" discussion that must be included within the application. Please note that Technical Review Criterion 2 considers the availability of cash for the project as well as the realism of the plan for obtaining the balance of required project financing."]
[" We have engaged an EPCM and lead engineering firm for the construction of our facility, process engineers and equipment suppliers for our processing facility, and solar power engineers and consultants for the solar power arrays and battery facilities for our plant.  Since the grant from the MESC would be used primarily to pay for their services, we were wondering if we should describe them as contractors/vendors or as subrecipients.  Since I was unable to locate a definition for subrecipients, this is unclear to me how to best identify them.  My inclination would be to list them as contractors/vendors. Can you confirm that this is the correct approach.","Please refer to 2 CFR § 200.330 regarding Subrecipient and contractor determinations."]
["Under Section IV-D-iv. (Application and Submission Information – Content and Form of the Full Application -- Letters of Commitment), which states:\n\n“Submit Letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers…”\n\nQUESTION 1:  Since the majority of our cost share contribution is likely to come in the form of debt financing from one or more infrastructure debt funds, and potentially private equity funds and/or pension funds (we have already received non-binding commitments from several debt funds for 50%-75% of the cost of construction our facility); does this mean that we will not be required or permitted to submit a copy of the signed Term Sheet for such debt facilities as pat of our Full Application, or will we have to request from such debt or equity sponsors a one page letter of commitment meeting the requirements of this subsection, in addition to a signed Term Sheet? \n\n“Letter of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project will not be accepted.”\n\nQUESTION 2:  The full Arizona Congressional delegation has expressed strong support for our project, and we are expecting letters of support from each of US Senator Sinema, US Senator Kelly, US Representative Grijalva and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs.  Does the above language in the above section indicate that such letters of support cannot be submitted with the Concept Paper and/or Full Application at all, or could we submit such letters of support as part of our supporting documentation under Section IV-D-XX.1. (Application and Submission Information – Content and Form of the Full Application – Community Benefits Plan: Job Quality and Equity-Community and Labor Engagement).","1. The letters of commitment submitted with the application must comply with Section IV.D.iv and v of the FOA.   2.  DOE will not accept Letters of Support or endorsement from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project.  "]
["We would appreciate a clarification regarding the DOE Public Access Plan document we should refer to for guidance in the writing of the Data Management Plan.\n In the proposal documentation there is a specific reference to the DOE Public Access Plan dated July 24, 2014. However, upon looking at the DOE website, we noticed that a more updated version of the DOE Public Access Plan is available, dated June 2023. Therefore, we wanted to please know according to which document we should write the Data Management Plan.","The 2023 Data Access Plan is not yet in effect.  Please visit https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/08/f18/DOE_Public_Access%20Plan_FINAL.pdf for a copy of the 2014 Plan."]
["If we apply for a grant under one entity – and are selected for award – can we later transfer the project (and thus the award) to another sister company or other entity other than the one the application was originally submitted under?","The specifics of this scenario would have to be evaluated by DOE before any sort of \"transfer\" could be implemented.  Approval cannot be guaranteed at this time."]
["We are contemplating submitting a concept paper on behalf of a joint venture project we are majority partner in.  We are in the process of finalizing the definitive agreements and expect to do so in the first half of 2024. We would then plan on making sure the joint venture was registered and had an UEI number.  With that being said here are a couple of additional questions on the FOA?\n1.\tThe definitive agreements (Joint Venture Agreement & Intellectual Property License Agreement) are planned to be signed by the end of March 2024 with closing at the end of June 2024.  Will that timing pose cause any roadblocks with our application?\n2.\tDoes the site selection need to be locked in when we submit the concept paper by January 9th or is there an opportunity to revise the location when we submit the full application by March 19th?","1. Per the FOA, “Each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) register in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application; and (3) maintain an active SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.” Although a Concept paper can be submitted without a UEI, an application cannot be submitted absent a UEI. Regardless of whatever scenario the partners determine, an established entity must take the lead and submit the required documentation.  2.It is not required to include a site location by the concept paper submission. That said, the absense of a site location determined before concept paper and/or full application submission can impact applicant information towards several review pieces, including (1) designation as retrofit verses new facility,  (2) total project costs, (3) community benefits plans and relevant disadvantaged communities, 4) tribal coordination, and (5) permitting."]
["I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out for clarification regarding the DE-FOA-0003099 funding opportunity. Our team is currently preparing our application and we have a specific question about the cost share requirements.\nWe are exploring the possibility of providing our cost share entirely through in-kind contributions, including donated equipment, volunteer expert hours, and use of our facilities. These resources are integral to the execution of our proposed project and represent a substantial investment.\nCould you please confirm if a cost share composed entirely of in-kind contributions is permissible under DE-FOA-0003099? \nAdditionally, are there specific guidelines or limitations regarding the types of in-kind contributions that are eligible for this FOA?\nYour guidance is crucial for us to ensure our application is compliant with the FOA requirements and helps us in resource allocation.","1. As per Section III.B.iii. of the FOA “Every cost share contribution must be allowable under the applicable federal cost principles, as described in Section IV.I.i. of the FOA. In addition, cost share must be verifiable upon submission of the Full Application.  Cost share may be provided in the form of cash or cash equivalents, or in-kind contributions. Cost share must come from non-federal sources (unless otherwise allowed by law), such as project participants, state or local governments, or other third-party financing.\"  DOE cannot comment further about potential cost share scenarios. \n \n2. As per Appendix A: In-Kind Cost Share encompasses all contributions to the project made by the recipient or subrecipient(s) that do not involve a payment or reimbursement and represent donated items or services. In-Kind cost share items include volunteer personnel hours, donated existing equipment, and donated existing supplies.  The cash value and calculations thereof for all In-Kind cost share items just be justified and explained in the Cost Share section of the project Budget Justification."]
["We are in the process of determining whether our client's project scope falls under that of a new facility. Can you please provide a definition or list of qualifications that a project must fall under to be eligible to apply as a \"New Facility\" as opposed to a retrofit or expansion? ","A new facility is groundbreaking and construction/creation of a facility where one did not exist previously. Retrofit or expansion would be modifying an existing site or facility to accommodate your project."]
["1. What are the requirements around the Retrofit/Retool/Expansion category? Can an existing nearby building be purchased, or nearby land developed, to increase the size/capabilities of a facility? Or must it be an entirely continuous building? \n\n2. Will the DOE conduct third party diligence and to what extent are awardees responsible for pre-award third party diligence costs?\n\n3. Are there any required environmental assessments?\n\n4. Will awardees be subject to any FAR or other regulatory provisions during the term of the grant?\n\n5. Post-award negotiations with successful applications from Round I appears to be ongoing.  What is DOE’s anticipated timeframe for Round II negotiations and awards? \n\n6. What financial surety or other financial guarantees have been required of awardees with regard to cost-share from Round I of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing grants; and what financial guarantees or surety with regard to cost-share does DOE expect to require from Round II awardees? \n\n7. Is there criteria to qualify for balance sheet funding of the cost share? \n\n8. Are term sheet or agreement terms and conditions available for review? ","1. A new facility is groundbreaking and construction of a new facility (creation of a facility where one did not exist previously). Retrofit or expansion would be modifying an existing site or facility to accommodate your project.  The award scope cannot include the purchase of land or an existing building with Federal funds.                                                        2.See Section VIII.G of the FOA regarding the conduct of third-party review of financial capability.                                                                                      3. See Section VI.B.vi of the FOA regarding environmental reviews in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).\n4. See Section I.E of the FOA regarding authorizing statutes and regulations governing the projects resulting from this FOA.                   5. See the schedule on the FOA cover page for key FOA dates and the expected timeframes for negotiation.\n\n6. See Section IV.C and IV.D regarding content of the Concept Paper and Full Application respectively.  Applicants should pay specific attention to information requests regarding financial health of the company and the company’s project financing plan.\n7. See Section V.A.i and V.A.ii of the FOA regarding Technical Review Criteria for Concept Papers and Full applications respectively.                                                                                                                            8. See Section I.F of the FOA regarding specific requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).  Specific award terms and conditions are not available until award negotiations."]
["1. A number of the firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with have not announced signed grant agreements, and there is speculation that some have ceased negotiations with DOE.  Without disclosing any confidential information, what issues or disagreements have inhibited firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with from signing grant agreements?  What terms or provisions have been difficult to agree?\n2. If DOE is unable to finalize agreements with the firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with, will unexpended funds from Round I be added to this second or future rounds of this program?\n3. Is there a way to save a draft of the concept paper in the submission portal? \n4. For the concept paper submission, once the organizational info page (including abstract) has been submitted, is it editable? Or is it final once we click “create concept paper”? ","1. DOE cannot comment on any past or current award negotiations.  2. See Section I.B. of DE-FOA-0003099 for the \"Anticipated FOA Cycle\" that will be used to implement funding authorized under BIL Section 40207(b) and (c).  3. & 4.  Until a submission is submitted in Exchange, an applicant should be able to modify/edit it.  See the Exchange Applicant User Guide at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx.  Questions on the Exchange system can be submitted to: InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov  "]
["We are interested in submitting a concept letter for the DOE funding for battery system manufacturing under BIL 40207 (c) for manufacturing grants.\n\nCan you please advise which classification in the application system we should follow/ focus on for domestic lithium-ion and/or LTO battery system / pack manufacturing. ","Interested parties are encouraged to thoroughly read all AOIs to determine which AOI may suit your application and technology best. DOE cannot make recommendations to companies for their specific technologies. "]
["In the concept paper template – there is a drop-down menu for selecting only one “Area of Interest” – however our idea that we plan to propose is cross cutting across couple topic areas and we were wondering how to we make this clear in the concept paper.\n\n•\tCan we submit to more than one area of interest in the same concept paper?\n•\tAre concept papers restricted to only one area of interest?","Each individual concept paper must be submitted towards one AOI. Further, one concept paper should not be submitted to multiple AOIs.  \nAs per Section III.F., an entity may submit more than one concept paper and full application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and an eligible concept paper was submitted for each Full Application."]
["1. For both concept papers and for a full application, can you clarify whether hyperlinks to applicable websites and/or supporting documents would be helpful, or whether this is not permitted\n\n2. For concept papers, it appears to be difficult to insert tables/text boxes or graphics. Can you clarify whether these are permitted in the concept paper stage. ","1. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of hyperlinks is appropriate.  As per Section IV.D.ii., \"Applicants must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Technical Volume.  However, DOE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.\"  2. It is the responsbility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in the Concept Paper template is appropriate."]
["1.\tCan you please clarify if the “Lead” field in the Concept Paper template should identify a person or a company.\n2.\tHow is a Control Number issued and does it need to be done prior to the submission of the Concept Paper.","1. In the Concept Paper template, \"Lead\" is meant to refer to the lead entity/company submitting the application.  2. As per Section IV.A. of the FOA, a control number is issued by the Exchange system when an applicant begins the process."]
["On page 11 of the FOA, it says that the FOA will focus on “on commercial scale battery cell, cathode, separator, and silicon-based anode production facilities and demonstration manufacturing facilities for new manufacturing processes or techniques.”  The balance of text in the FOA and in Appendix D refers only to commercial scale facilities.  How can demonstration manufacturing facilities be proposed within this FOA?  ","At this time, there are no demonstration-scale AOIs available under this FOA. Please refer to Appendix D for full text of all open AOIs at this time under this FOA. "]
["1.\tWe are a Delaware incorporated, US subsidiary of an Australian listed company with an office in New Jersey.  We want to apply as Prime Recipient and would like to understand if we qualify as a Domestic Entity (page 20 of FoA)\n2.\tPage 14 of FoA indicates that Demonstration Projects with more than $50,000,000 Federal Share are eligible but there is no further information or clarification.  Can we propose a Demonstration Project to produce 7,500 tons per year of battery material with Federal cost share of more than $50,000,000 but less than $100,000,000 on a New Facility?","1. See Section III.A.ii. for information on domestic entitites.  \"To qualify as a domestic entity, the entity must be organized, chartered, or incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.\"                                                                                                                                      2. At this time, there are no demonstration-scale AOIs available under this FOA.                                                     "]
["1. What are the requirements around the Retrofit/Retool/Expansion category? Can an existing nearby building be purchased, or nearby land developed, to increase the size/capabilities of a facility? Or must it be an entirely continuous building? \n\n2. Will the DOE conduct third party diligence and to what extent are awardees responsible for pre-award third party diligence costs?\n\n3. Are there any required environmental assessments?\n\n4. Will awardees be subject to any FAR or other regulatory provisions during the term of the grant?\n\n5. Post-award negotiations with successful applications from Round I appears to be ongoing.  What is DOE’s anticipated timeframe for Round II negotiations and awards? \n\n6. What financial surety or other financial guarantees have been required of awardees with regard to cost-share from Round I of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing grants; and what financial guarantees or surety with regard to cost-share does DOE expect to require from Round II awardees? \n\n7. Is there criteria to qualify for balance sheet funding of the cost share? \n\n8. Are term sheet or agreement terms and conditions available for review? ","1. A new facility is groundbreaking and construction of a new facility (creation of a facility where one did not exist previously). Retrofit or expansion would be modifying an existing site or facility to accommodate your project.  The award scope cannot include the purchase of land or an existing building with Federal funds.                                                        2.See Section VIII.G of the FOA regarding the conduct of third-party review of financial capability.                                                                                      3. See Section VI.B.vi of the FOA regarding environmental reviews in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).\n4. See Section I.E of the FOA regarding authorizing statutes and regulations governing the projects resulting from this FOA.                   5. See the schedule on the FOA cover page for key FOA dates and the expected timeframes for negotiation.\n\n6. See Section IV.C and IV.D regarding content of the Concept Paper and Full Application respectively.  Applicants should pay specific attention to information requests regarding financial health of the company and the company’s project financing plan.\n7. See Section V.A.i and V.A.ii of the FOA regarding Technical Review Criteria for Concept Papers and Full applications respectively.                                                                                                                            8. See Section I.F of the FOA regarding specific requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).  Specific award terms and conditions are not available until award negotiations."]
["1. A number of the firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with have not announced signed grant agreements, and there is speculation that some have ceased negotiations with DOE.  Without disclosing any confidential information, what issues or disagreements have inhibited firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with from signing grant agreements?  What terms or provisions have been difficult to agree?\n2. If DOE is unable to finalize agreements with the firms from Round I that DOE announced its intent to negotiate awards with, will unexpended funds from Round I be added to this second or future rounds of this program?\n3. Is there a way to save a draft of the concept paper in the submission portal? \n4. For the concept paper submission, once the organizational info page (including abstract) has been submitted, is it editable? Or is it final once we click “create concept paper”? ","1. DOE cannot comment on any past or current award negotiations.  2. See Section I.B. of DE-FOA-0003099 for the \"Anticipated FOA Cycle\" that will be used to implement funding authorized under BIL Section 40207(b) and (c).  3. & 4.  Until a submission is submitted in Exchange, an applicant should be able to modify/edit it.  See the Exchange Applicant User Guide at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx.  Questions on the Exchange system can be submitted to: InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov  "]
["Do the project costs included in the application have to be SPENT during the specified budget period or can other ALLOCATED/COMMITTED costs also be included?","It is unclear what the questioner means by \"other allocated/committed costs\" but the estimated budget submitted with the application must reflect ALL costs required to complete the project.  All costs applied to the project, whether direct or indirect, must comply with the cost principles applicable to the applicant entity (the FAR cost principles in the case of for-profit entities).  As per Section VI.B.xiii, part of the Go/ No-Go Review is:  \nAt least ninety (90) days before the end of each budget period, the recipient must submit its continuation application, which includes the following information:\ni.\tA progress report on the project objectives, including significant findings, conclusions, or developments, and an estimate of any unobligated balances remaining at the end of the budget period. If the remaining unobligated balance is estimated to exceed 20 percent of the funds available for the budget period, explain why the excess funds have not been obligated and how they will be used in the next budget period.\nii.\tA detailed budget and supporting justification if there are changes to the negotiated budget, or a budget for the upcoming budget period was not approved at the time of award."]
["On page 27-28 of the FOA there are formatting requirements for the grant application. Does the DOE Concept Paper template adhere to these requirements as we cannot edit the formatting due to the content control function?\n\nPage 28 states, “A control number will be issued when an applicant begins the S3 Exchange application process. The control number must be included with all application documents. Specifically, the control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name (i.e., Control Number_Applicant Name_Full Application).” Again, the Concept Paper template provided by the DOE does not allow edits to the formatting, including the header, therefore the control number cannot be added to the header. It is only listed on the Cover Page per the template’s required text. Is this an issue for submission?","The control number is not required to be inserted into the header of the Concept Paper template.  This will be clarified in an amendment to the FOA."]
["Area of Interest (AOI) 4.b “Commercial-scale Domestic Production of Battery Anodes” specifies “… battery-grade anode materials production as well as anode manufacturing capacity capable of use in electric vehicles and/or electric grid energy storage applications.”  Are electrified motorcycles and electrified off-road vehicles applicable under this AOI?","AOI 4 is open to both transportation and stationary storage markets. There is no specification of a particular class of electrified vehicles for this area of interest. "]
["We are currently exploring opportunities to establish a domestic battery assembly facility, and we are interested in understanding whether DE-FOA-0003099 might apply to our project. The facility aims to contribute to advancements in domestic battery technology, and we believe it aligns with the goals outlined in the FOA.\n\nTo ensure that our project falls within the scope of DE-FOA-0003099, we would appreciate any guidance or clarification you can provide regarding the eligibility criteria and whether a domestic battery assembly facility would be considered suitable for this funding opportunity.","Please read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application. Eligibility information for this funding opportunity can be found in Section III and merit criteria can be found in Section V. "]
["I am trying to understand what extent of manufacturing the grant covers. If we are to assemble a battery domestically and have roughly 30% of the battery domestically manufactured -- would that be applicable? ","For projects selected under this FOA, all applications must be for domestic facilities. All recipients and subrecipients must qualify as domestic entities or receive foreign entity waivers. See Section III Eligibility Information.\n\nApplications will be reviewed using merit criteria defined in Section V of the funding opportunity announcement. "]
["I can’t find anywhere in the FOA when to expect to hear from DOE whether a full application is encouraged or discouraged. Can you please let us know","As per Section VI.A.ii of the FOA, Concept Paper notifications will either be encouraged or discouraged.  DOE anticipates sending out these notifications approximately one month after the Concept Paper submission date. Full applications will not be encouraged or discouraged. Rather, an announcement of selectees for award negotiations will be made after merit review. Per the funding opportunity, notifications for selections by DOE are intended to be made in August 2024. "]
["We are looking to schedule a call with the appropriate DOE/MESC staff to discuss DE-FOA-0003099 eligibility questions from our client. \n\nOur overarching question is whether battery pack manufacturing/assembly is an eligible use of the funds available under the DOE/MESC Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Grant program (DE-FOA-0003099). \n\nThe facility will also have a shared purpose. Along with battery pack manufacturing, the facility will also be utilized for the manufacturing of their aircraft’s electric engines. So that leads to question 2 and whether shared facilities or manufacturing of electric engines for a specialized market is also an eligible use of these grant funds.  ","DOE does not do individual calls with applicants during open, merit-based grant funding opportunities. All questions should be submitted to the open FAQ for this funding opportunity. All decisions for selection are made based on concept papers and full applications.\n\nPlease read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your facility."]
["Can you please confirm whether or not a new commercial scale Nickel Manganese Cobalt (“NMC”) battery cell manufacturing facility is an eligible applicant under AOI 8? We noted that the original FOA did include a reference to “construct new” as an objective of AOI 8. However, the 12/1 amended FOA omits the reference to “construct new” and now only references “expand, retool, or retrofit.” The omission of “construct new” was not highlighted as a change in the 12/1 amendment so we are not clear if the omission reflects a change in eligibility of newly constructed NMC battery manufacturing facilities.\n\nFor reference:\nOriginal: AOI 8. (Page 132): Commercial-scale Domestic Manufacturing of Other Battery Cell and System Components (Open Topic) \nThe objective of this area of interest is to construct new commercial-scale facilities or expand, \nretool, or retrofit existing commercial-scale facilities to create U.S. manufacturing capacity for other cell and system components (components not addressed in other topic areas).\n\n12/1 Amended AOI 8 (Page 135): Commercial-scale Domestic Manufacturing of Other Battery Cell and System Components (Open Topic) \nThe objective of this area of interest is to expand, retool, or retrofit existing commercial-scale facilities to create U.S. manufacturing capacity for other cell and system components (components not addressed in other topic areas).\n\nHowever the table on Page 9 in the 12/1 amended FOA continues to reference that new facilities are included in the objectives of AOI 8:\nThank you for your time and clarification of eligibility for a new commercial scale NMC battery cell manufacturing facility to apply for consideration under FOA 3099. ","This question will be addressed in a forthcoming amendment to the funding opportunity. "]
["Can you share if credit or bonds will be acceptable as forms of cost share?","1. Refer to Section III Eligibility Information Part B Cost Sharing.  See also Section IV.D.ii., Technical Volume contents (Business Development, Market Viability, Management, and Financial Plan section). "]
["The amended FOA issued December 1, 2023, continues to note that the objective of Area of Interest #8 is “to construct new commercial-scale facilities or expand, retool, or retrofit existing facilities….” (emphasis added) (see page 9).  However, the FOA does not identify how much funding is allocated toward new commercial-scale facilities for AOI #8 (see page 18-19).  \n\nCould you please clarify the minimum and maximum funding available for new commercial-scale facility projects for AOI #8?","New Facilities are not in the scope of AOI 8. This will be addressed in a forthcoming amendment to the funding opportunity."]
["1. We are assistant an applicant with the development of their Concept Paper and would like to know who needs to register with S3 Exchange? Should we register if we are submitting on behalf of our client or should our client register?\n2. Regarding the Concept Paper template, is there functionality to update the header with the control number? If so, how do you do so? I cannot seem to edit the header/footer. ","1. The prime recipient should be the entity who registers and submits in S3 Exchange.  2. The control number is not required to be inserted into the header of the Concept Paper template.  This will be clarified in an amendment to the FOA."]
["Area of Interest 4:  Our sodium-ion battery technology uses similar active materials for both the cathode and anode, and for this reason our planned facility will produce both cathode and anode materials to achieve maximum efficiency in plant operations and the resulting materials costs. Do projects of interest under AOI 4 include “general” projects that enable both cathode and anode materials manufacturing? Or, are only applications that select just one of AOI 4a or 4b of interest under the FOA? Area of Interest 4 is explicitly broken down into 2 separate sections.","For clarifications to AOI4, see Amendment 000002 to the FOA."]
["I was wondering how the 2023 BIL Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Grants stacks with the battery manufacturing tax incentive?","Applicants will not be advised by DOE on their tax filings. Applicants are encouraged to read all legal statutes and regulatory texts regarding Inflation Reduction Act clean manufacturing tax incentives and Bipartisan infrastructure Law 40207 grant funding."]
["We are currently looking into the potential of assembling our own High Voltage Batter Packs at our Plant. This grant was brought to my attention from my local city management team. I would like to get more information regarding this grant to see if it something that we may be qualified for. Let me know what is needed from my end to get this information so I can evaluate it to our business plan.","All information related to DE-FOA-0003099 can be found on the S3 Infrastructure Exchange website.  Please note that applicant must first submit a Concept Paper.  Submission deadlines are on the cover page of the announcement. Please read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application. Eligibility information for this funding opportunity can be found in Section III and merit criteria can be found in Section V. "]
["Thank you for updating the Question and Answer log on a frequent basis. We have three new questions.\n\n1.\tIs the “Project Lead/Principle Investigator (PI)” field in S3 Exchange intended to be the same as the “Technical Lead” field in the concept paper template?\n\n2.\tRegarding the “Lead Organization Location” section of the concept paper section of S3 Exchange, if key personnel have offices in two locations (e.g. in the plant and at the corporate headquarters), should we list both locations?\n\n3.\tCan the percent effort and percent of work for the lead organization and partners change between the concept paper phase and full application phase?","1. Yes.  The \"Project Lead/P Investigator\" field in S3 Exchange is the same as the \"Technical Lead\" field in the Concept Paper Template.  2.  If space allows, list both and clarify purpose.   3. Yes.  It is acceptable to make these changes between the Concept Paper and Full Application phases."]
["AOI 7 and AOI 8 only mention a single award amount as minimum and maximum for any one individual award. Please provide clarification whether than means only that amount must be targeted or if there is a range (either less or greater). For example, for AOI 7, my organization would like to target more than $100M federal share for a new facility, and for AOI 8, we would like to target less than $50M federal share for an expansion facility."," The statutory minimum for federal funding for a new commercial scale facility is $100,000,000. For retrofit facilities, the statutory minimum for federal funding is $50,000,000. This is a statutory requirement and applications submitted that do not meet this threshold will not be eligible for award.\n\nThe anticipated maximum award size and anticipated number of awards for each AOI are approximate estimates. Please refer to the table in Section II.A.i "]
["Our company wants to produce a novel Li-ion battery material technology in the U.S that would support a domestic supply chain. Our applications would fall under AOI 8.  Currently, it seems with this new revision that commercial scale new construction is not of interest. Because our battery material technology is not currently produced at scale and has unique production requirements, utilizing an existing facility for retooling or retrofitting is not an option. Is this a correct interpretation of the new FOA release that we are ineligible to apply? If so, can DOE explain this rationale or highlight it from any DOE, FCAB, or stated administration priorities documents why upgrading existing facilities should be prioritized over new construction? If it’s a question of priority for the funding topic for a single project overall, would it be possible to open this topic to demonstration projects that allow for the $50M statutory floor?","A new facility is groundbreaking and construction of a new facility (creation of a facility where one did not exist previously). Retrofit or expansion would be modifying an existing site or facility to accommodate your project. A facility to be retrofit or remodeled does not need to be a facility already producing for the Li-ion battery market. New facilities are not in the scope for AOI 8. At this time, there are no available demonstration scale focused AOIs."]
["The FOA lists 70 days (1/9 - 3/19) between the deadline for submission of the concept paper and deadline for submission of the full application. Title 2 Section 200.204 of the CFR asserts the following: \"The Federal awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The Federal awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the Federal awarding agency head or delegate\". Given the expected turnaround time needed to evaluate concept papers, applicants will almost certainly have less than 60 days to complete their full applications based on encouraged concept papers. What is DOE's plan to address this issue?","As you indicated 2CFR200.204 states \n(b) Availability period. \nThe Federal awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The Federal awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period, but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the Federal awarding agency head or delegate.\n\nThe period between concept paper submission and full application submission is 70 calendar days. Notification of concept paper encourage or discourage will occur within that window. "]
["Can you please provide clarification on the following under, “Applications Specifically Not of Interest” in DE-FOA-0003099,  “Applications that include mining operations (mining and extraction) or mining equipment, excavation, labor, siting, etc. within the project scope?” Specifically, I am seeking to find out if a factory facility that produced equipment which was then used in mining vehicles or on mine sites would fall under that definition and therefore not be reviewed for this FOA. ","A facility to be retrofit or remodeled does not need to be a facility already producing for the Li-ion battery market. If your site is not currently producing mining equipment, and your proposed project would produce eligible battery materials or components within scope of the particular area of interest, the facility would be compliant. \nPlease read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application. Eligibility information for this funding opportunity can be found in Section III and merit criteria can be found in Section V."]
["I noticed that Area of Interest 8 in the FOA was recently amended to exclude the construction of commercial-scale facilities. Can you please explain why new construction is being excluded? ","DOE has determined scope of individual AOIs in accordance with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 40207 sections (b) and (c) provisions."]
["Can you please tell me if DOE anticipates having future rounds of the Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing grant, FOA DE-FOA-0003099? I realize there is a round open now, with a concept paper due January 9, 2024.","Please see Section I.B. under the heading \"Anticipated FOA Cycle Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40207 (b) and (c)\" for anticipated future releases.  "]
["We seek clarification for AOI 4.b Commercial-scale Domestic Production of Battery Anodes.  The table in Section I.B on page 8 for AOI 4.b refers briefly to “U.S. battery-grade anode manufacturing capacity” but makes no further mention of anode materials as the manufacturing output.  In Appendix D, AOI 4.b has expanded language for “a U.S. battery-grade anode materials production as well as anode manufacturing capacity …” (emphasis added) as well as deleting “silicon” as the only modifier for relevant technology from the 4th bullet point under “Requirements”. Based on this, we believe a commercial-scale manufacturing facility primarily or solely producing processed graphite as anode materials suitable for use in EV batteries would be eligible for AOI 4.b.  Can you confirm our understanding? Thank you.","The use of \"silicon\" as the only modifier within the referred to bullet was an error.  The revision to remove the modifier in the amendment to this FOA was to make clear that other anode manufacturing, not just silicon, are in scope of this AOI."]
["The template for the Concept Paper is highly restrictive and does not allow for the inclusion of images and tables. Is it acceptable for an applicant to create a comparable document that has the same information and layout but does not have the content controls?\n\nIf this is not acceptable, may an applicant provide an appendix to the Concept Paper that includes tables, graphs, and images? ","The Concept Paper must conform to the requirements listed in the FOA, including the stated page limits. \nIt is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in Concept Paper template is appropriate."]
["Our company wants to produce a novel Li-ion battery material technology in the U.S that would support a domestic supply chain. Our applications would fall under AOI 8.  Currently, it seems with this new revision that commercial scale new construction is not of interest. Because our battery material technology is not currently produced at scale and has unique production requirements, utilizing an existing facility for retooling or retrofitting is not an option. Is this a correct interpretation of the new FOA release that we are ineligible to apply? If so, can DOE explain this rationale or highlight it from any DOE, FCAB, or stated administration priorities documents why upgrading existing facilities should be prioritized over new construction? If it’s a question of priority for the funding topic for a single project overall, would it be possible to open this topic to demonstration projects that allow for the $50M statutory floor?","A new facility is groundbreaking and construction of a new facility (creation of a facility where one did not exist previously). Retrofit or expansion would be modifying an existing site or facility to accommodate your project. A facility to be retrofit or remodeled does not need to be a facility already producing for the Li-ion battery market. New facilities are not in the scope for AOI 8. At this time, there are no available demonstration scale focused AOIs."]
["The FOA lists 70 days (1/9 - 3/19) between the deadline for submission of the concept paper and deadline for submission of the full application. Title 2 Section 200.204 of the CFR asserts the following: \"The Federal awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The Federal awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the Federal awarding agency head or delegate\". Given the expected turnaround time needed to evaluate concept papers, applicants will almost certainly have less than 60 days to complete their full applications based on encouraged concept papers. What is DOE's plan to address this issue?","As you indicated 2CFR200.204 states \n(b) Availability period. \nThe Federal awarding agency must generally make all funding opportunities available for application for at least 60 calendar days. The Federal awarding agency may make a determination to have a less than 60 calendar day availability period, but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless exigent circumstances require as determined by the Federal awarding agency head or delegate.\n\nThe period between concept paper submission and full application submission is 70 calendar days. Notification of concept paper encourage or discourage will occur within that window. "]
["The template for the Concept Paper is highly restrictive and does not allow for the inclusion of images and tables. Is it acceptable for an applicant to create a comparable document that has the same information and layout but does not have the content controls?\n\nIf this is not acceptable, may an applicant provide an appendix to the Concept Paper that includes tables, graphs, and images? ","The Concept Paper must conform to the requirements listed in the FOA, including the stated page limits. \nIt is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in Concept Paper template is appropriate."]
["Please clarify this template for DOE-DE-3099 is meant to block the use of any formatting?\nIs it allowed to paste images or must it be just text. \nI have turned off restrict editing to delete the instructions taking up page 1.  (email contained Word attchment of template)"," It is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in the Concept Paper template is appropriate."]
["Hello – based on the answer you have provided to Question #54, it’s not clear if DOE considers us a domestic or foreign entity.  \n\nDo we need to request a waiver to apply as a foreign entity and, if yes, do we need such approval before Concept Paper submission?","DOE will not make determinations regarding domestic/foreign entities at this time.  If the applicant believes they do not qualify as a domestic entity, a waiver request should be submitted with the Full Application."]
["We noticed several of the documents are corrupt and can’t be opened on the https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov website under the DE-FOA-0003099: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) BATTERY MATERIALS PROCESSING AND BATTERY MANUFACTURING GRANTS section.\n\nSpecific documents are:\n\n1.\tApplication for Federal Assistance (SF 424) (Last Updated: 11/8/2023 10:04 AM ET)\nERROR in Adobe Acrobat: There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged and could not be repaired.\n2.\tSF LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Last Updated: 11/8/2023 10:06 AM ET)\nError in Word: Word was unable to read this document.  It may be corrupt.\nTry one or more of the following:\n* Open and Repair the file.\n* Open the file with the Text Recovery converter.\n(SF_LLL_-_Disclosure_of_Lobbying_Activ...)\n\nFollowed by:  \n\nWord experienced an error trying to open the file.\nTry these suggestions.\n* Check the file permissions for the document or drive.\n* Make sure there is sufficient free memory and disk space.\n* Open the file with the Text Recovery converter.\n(SF_LLL_-_Disclosure_of_Lobbying_Activ...)\n\nCould you let us know when you have updated these documents, or send us non-corrupt versions please."," Please try either using a different web browser to open/download the document or download the document to your computer and then use the Adobe software on your computer to open the file locally.\n"]
["We seek clarification for AOI 4.b Commercial-scale Domestic Production of Battery Anodes.  The table in Section I.B on page 8 for AOI 4.b refers briefly to “U.S. battery-grade anode manufacturing capacity” but makes no further mention of anode materials as the manufacturing output.  In Appendix D, AOI 4.b has expanded language for “a U.S. battery-grade anode materials production as well as anode manufacturing capacity …” (emphasis added) as well as deleting “silicon” as the only modifier for relevant technology from the 4th bullet point under “Requirements”. Based on this, we believe a commercial-scale manufacturing facility primarily or solely producing processed graphite as anode materials suitable for use in EV batteries would be eligible for AOI 4.b.  Can you confirm our understanding? Thank you.","The use of \"silicon\" as the only modifier within the referred to bullet was an error.  The revision to remove the modifier in the amendment to this FOA was to make clear that other anode manufacturing, not just silicon, are in scope of this AOI."]
["We are preparing a concept paper for DE-FOA-0003099.  We previously registered in Sam.gov and have a UEI which shows that it is inactive.  Is it sufficient for purposes of submitting the concept paper to provide this UEI even though the Sam.gov account is inactive, or must we reactivate the account for you to receive and consider our concept paper.  We do understand that the SAM.gov registration must be active before you can issue an award.","It is highly recommended that your organization begin the process to reactive the UEI.  A UEI is not required at the Concept Paper stage but it is required if a full application is submitted."]
["We couldn't find in FOA any information about whether there is a need to submit any LOI/LOS/Offtake with Concept Paper submission. It was only mentioned for Full Application submission requirements.\n\nCan you please advise if there is a need to submit any letter together with CP?","Refer to the FOA Section 4 part C for content and form of concept paper for submission.  "]
["Regarding the project period starting quarter and year, does DOE have a best practice guidance for estimating a project period start date, assuming that there are negligible barriers to starting the project beyond the award negotiation period?","The timing for budget periods will be finalized during the negotiation process after selections and notification. "]
["Please see answer below from the clean energy infrastructure exchange support desk directing me to you.\n\nI intend to make a concept paper submission on behalf of a new company to this FOA.  My old email login is associated in the exchange with my primary employer will any submission I make using this login automatically be associated with the old company? Or can I change the UEI # and the company name in the application (see below) and submit a proposal for another company with my normal login? i.e. do I need to make a new login for Forge Battery? (both companies are registered in SAM with separate UEI #s)","Ideally, your account and login would align across the new company, the new company's UEI, and your email address.  Creation of a new log in might be best.  However, the applying entity is defined by the UEI.  "]
["Electra Battery Materials Corporation, a Toronto based Canadian company (having a subsidiary company in the USA) has developed and demonstrated a hydrometallurgical technology to recycle end-of-life and scrap EV (electric vehicle) batteries. The products recovered are nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium and graphite. We have reviewed the DOE guideline DE-FOA-0003099 (Amendment 000002) and are interested to apply for the funding to construct and commercialize the battery recycling technology in the USA.\n\nCould you please provide info about the Foreign Entity Waiver requirements; and do we have to have this waiver to submit the Concept Paper due by Jan 9th of 2024. Look forward to your reply. Thanks.","Appendix B of the FOA contains requirements for both the Foreign Entity Participation Waiver and the Foreign Work Waiver.  Submittal of waiver requests occurs in the Full Application stage, not the Concept Paper stage. "]
["1.\tIs it required for an applicant to submit a concept paper by the 01/09/23 deadline if they choose to forgo the first round/cohort and apply to later rounds/cohort, or is it possible to submit a concept paper later?   \n\n\n2.\tThe FOA mentions that AOIs could be modified between rounds/cohorts. Is there an intent to modify the topics, if so do you have a schedule of modifications that you could share? \n \n3.\tDoes the DOE plan on awarding the maximum number of awards evenly between each round/cohort? Or will awards be strategically withheld or weighted towards specific rounds/cohorts?  ","1. An applicant that wants to apply in the first round must submit a Concept Paper no later than the due date listed on the cover page of the FOA.  If DOE reopens the FOA for round 2, a round 2 Concept Paper due date will be established.     2. The release of later rounds is anticipated. Please refer to the table on page 13 for anticipated timelines; no further information will be released at this time.  3. Please refer to A.1. for Estimated Funding. Per page 18, \"\"DOE anticipates making approximately 19-41 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue one, multiple, or no awards .\" "]
["Does DOE require a specific file name for the concept paper similar to the specific files names required for full application documents?","There is no specific naming requirement.  The Infrastructure Exchange system will name the Concept Paper with the assigned control number followed by the applicant name."]
["Is there an actual template for the Data Management Plan? Or are applicants encouraged to use the exact language listed under the line “Template Data Management Plan” on p.52-53 of the FOA?  Specifically, should applicants literally use this exact language from p.52-53 of the FOA and just put the applicant’s control number in the designated heading?","There is not a template for the Data Management Plan (DMP).  Applicants are encouraged to use the language provided; alternately, applicants may create their own DMP.  Applicants who do elect to use the provided language would insert the \"Template Data Mangement Plan\" text (Section IV.D.xiv) into their DMP file, add the header, and save it as prescribed."]
["How should applicants add control numbers to the headers of the following DOE-provided templates? Budget justification worksheet, Community Benefits Plan, Environmental Information Volume, Environmental Questionnaire, Locations of Work, and SOPO.","Control numbers can be added a variety of ways to application documents:  using the insert text box field might be an option.  Insertion of the control number near the top of the page, even if it is not located in the header text field, is also acceptable."]
["\"Solid state materials\" is listed as being an applicable material to AOI 8 (open topic).  If, for instance, solid state electrolyte material is being produced, could this material be applicable to any other AOI?  For instance, could solid state electrolytes be a candidate for AOI 5 (electrolyte salts and solvents)?","AOI 5 is relevant to project applications focused on electrolyte salts, electrolyte solvents, and liquid electrolyte mixes. Interested parties are encouraged to thoroughly read all AOIs to determine which AOI may suit your application and technology best. \nAn 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 an eligible Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application. Concept papers must meet the requirements for scope for the individual AOIs they are submitted to in order to be compliant."]
["I respectfully request a two-week extension of the deadline to submit a Concept Paper for the Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0003099) from January 9, 2024 to January 23, 2024.  It is extremely difficult to access the necessary people resources to prepare and get approvals for submission during the Christmas holiday period.  It would also be nice to have the extension announced within the next week rather than just prior to the current deadline.  Thank you very much for consideration of this request.","At this time, no extension to the submission deadlines are planned by DOE. Please refer to page 1 of the FOA for submission timelines."]
["Can you please define what is meant by an “existing commercial-scale facility?” \n\nSpecifically, if a company is already building a plant that will be completed late next year, can the company apply for grant funding to expand the facility? Or does the facility already need to be built and operating before the grant application is submitted. \n\nWe were close to finishing a concept paper for AOI 8 for a grant for a new facility, then noticed the FOA was amended to exclude the construction of new facilities. ","For the purposes of this FOA, an existing commercial-scale facility would be one that is currently in use and occupied or available for use or occupation on or before the of application submission deadline. A new commercial-scale facility that is not yet constructed or currently in construction at the time of application submission would not meet this definition and would be considered non-responsive to the area of interest.                  "]
["The Concept Paper instructions state:\n\"Applicants are asked to submit documentation of any potential sourcing from an entity that would be designated a FEOC by DOE’s definitional guidance.\"\n\nHowever, there is nowhere to submit supporting documentation with the Concept Paper. How should applicants provide FEOC documentation?","Sourcing from a potential FEOC should be captured within your concept paper, but the actual documentation need not be submitted."]
["In the Infrastructure Exchange Portal, there is a field to list partner organizations. A Joint Venture that will be formed upon notification for award will be a subrecipient to the project. We plan to name the proposed Joint Venture in the preapplication, with the primary contact information listed as one of the JV partners. Would this be acceptable? ","Regardless of whatever scenario the project partners determine, an established entity must hold the role of prime and submit the required documentation.  All proposed partners, even a JV that is not yet fully established, should be identified in Exchange.                                                                                                                            Applicants are reminded that each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) register in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting an application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in the application; and (3) maintain an active SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.  A UEI is not required for submittal of a Concept Paper, but is required for submittal of a Full Application."]
["These are formatting and submission questions regarding the concept paper form and treatment of confidential information based on the requirements in the FOA (Section VIII.D.).\n\n1.\tThe FOA states that if an application contains confidential information, the applicant should provide two copies – one with the confidential information marked and one non-confidential version with redactions. The submission portal only allows for one attachment. How should this be handled? Should only the confidential version be submitted with the information marked?\n2.\tThe FOA states that the cover sheet should include the “Notice of Restriction” language as well as language in the header and footer of pages containing proprietary information. The concept paper form does not allow for these edits. Are these required? If so, please advise on how best to proceed. ","The Concept Paper Submission in Exchange is structured to permit the upload of two files, allowing for the submission of a second confidential version of the Concept Paper, if applicable.  Applicants who elect to utilize this option should include \"confidential\" in the title of the applicable Concept Paper submission."]
["AOI 8 specifies eligible components, including separators, binders, and current collectors. We have developed a novel coating process for one of the specified eligible components that optimizes the components’ capabilities/functions and broadens the components’ applicability across multiple chemistries and applications.  We plan to develop a commercial-scale coating facility where we would apply our coating to eligible products sourced from domestic manufacturers.  Would DOE consider the development of a coating facility in scope for AOI 8?","All information related to DE-FOA-0003099 can be found on the S3 Infrastructure Exchange website.  Please note that applicant must first submit a Concept Paper.  Submission deadlines are on the cover page of the announcement. Please read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application. Eligibility information for this funding opportunity can be found in Section III and merit criteria can be found in Section V. If you believe your project is in scope for AOI 8 based on the FOA description, please apply.  "]
["Regarding FOA page 41, can you please clarify what DOE means when it says applicants are required to provide relevant financial data that includes a “Plan to provide the full remainder of the DOE cost share from private sources including balance sheet or other private capital, with supporting evidence (bank statements, LOIs, etc.)\"?  Does this mean the company, for example, is expected to show access to a full $100M and not just our $50M cost share?","No, the company is not required to demonstrate access to total project costs (Federal and Cost share).  The statement refers solely to the overall plan for project cost share."]
["When copy/pasting text into the concept paper template, the font size automatically defaults to 11 pt font even though the text we’re copying from (in a separate Word document) is in 12 pt font.  Is it allowable to use 11 pt font in the concept paper? If not, how should applicants work around this challenge in the template?","Yes.  DOE is aware that the format of the Concept Paper template presents challenges regarding font size.  Submittals with 11 pt font are acceptable."]
["The concept paper template has only four options for Team Member Organization roles, and our primary team member doesn’t fall into any of these categories.  How should this be addressed in the concept paper? Should we leave the “Role” column blank for that partner?","If any of the four choices are not appropriate, the selection could be left blank."]
["The preferred cell performance characteristics provided in Appendix D for AOI6 (Cell Manufacturing for Specialized and small markets) are focused on energy density. Many independent market experts report that “specialized” or specialty markets are not as sensitive to energy density but are more focused on power density or cycle life as primary selection factors driving adoption.  We are working with multiple customers in several of the market segments specified – these customers verify the perspective summarized above in that they require high power density, and long cycle life and long resulting “up-time”, not high energy density. Although we are pursuing higher energy density solutions than LTO-based batteries, historically, LTO would be a classic example of this trade, and we see LTO-based batteries in arguably “specialized applications today.”  Please could you confirm whether technologies that enable electrification in these markets by delivering high power density but do not meet the energy densities listed in the FOA will be considered in AOI6? ","Please read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application. Within AOI 6, examples of the preferred minimum cell performance characteristics are provided in, but are not limited to, the table on page 134. Annual production capacities are expected in the order of 0.5 to 10 GWh. "]
["We are preparing a submission in AOI6 to establish commercial scale domestic production of cell manufacturing for specialized and small markets. Our cell technology utilizes our novel active material, which we have been producing ourselves for all of our cells and has been utilized in cells/batteries upon which major customer relationships are now based. Is the inclusion of the active material manufacturing in a cell manufacturing proposal specifically to supply our own internal cell manufacturing line permissible within the scope of AOI6?"," Per the FOA, applications submitted to AOI 6 must create \"U.S. rechargeable, electrochemical battery cell manufacturing capacity for (1) transportation or stationary markets and (2) small and specialized markets such as defense, power tools, agriculture, industrial applications, and more.\"  The FOA does not preclude some of the cell components from being supplied by the prime applicant."]
["One of the specified primary markets for AOI6 is Off-road commercial/agriculture. Vehicles for mining could be considered within this category, however, section I.C. specifies “Applications that include mining operations (mining and extraction) or mining equipment, excavation, labor, siting, etc. within the project scope.” are specifically not of interest. Please could you confirm if this relates to the production of cells and batteries for mining equipment, as for example when a battery company provides batteries to a vehicle company that sells trucks that could be utilized for mining ? ","Production of battery cells for any off-road commercial or agricultural sectors would be elgible for AOI 6."]
["Since “ Statutory Minimum Any One Individual Award” metioned as $50M  in the FOA,  does one can apply for funding less than this amount?  For example $30M will be allowed to request with 50% cost share?","No.  The statutory minimums ($100,000,000 federal funding for a new commercial scale facility and $50,000,000 federal funding for retrofit facilities) are a requirement and applications submitted that do not meet the requirement will be considered non-compliant. "]
["We have a question related to portal submission.  That is my assumption on how we need to proceed with this since within one generated Control Number application it allows us to choose only 1 AOI.\n\nPlease advise if my assumption is correct and if I should follow the steps described above.\nSince FOA 0003099 allows submission for several AOIs, should we click \"Apply\" (as seen below) twice under the mentioned FOA in the portal to generate 2 Control Numbers and submit each CP with the chosen AOI separately?","You are correct.  Applicants who desire to submit two Concept Papers, whether under the same AOI or under different AOIs, must use the \"Apply\" function for eaach Concept Paper.  This would generate two separate Control Numbers for each submittal. "]
["As stated in the “Background and Context” section of the amended FOA, one of the primary goals of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the “creation and retention of good jobs.” While our proposed project will create a number of high-quality jobs in the area, funding under this FOA would also guarantee the retention of many existing jobs that currently align with the Department of Commerce and Labor’s Good Jobs Principles.  \n1.\tBy what metrics or definitions beyond the Good Jobs Principles, if any, are DOE using to evaluate retained jobs by applicants? \n2.\tWhat is the best way of conveying the number of retained jobs in the application? E.g., As separate numbers, or a combined total?","Applicants are encouraged to review DOE's Community Benefits Plan FAQ  (https://www.energy.gov/infrastructure/about-community-benefits-plans). There are 4 basic elements of the CBP template provided by DOE: 1) above average (upper quartile) wages and benefits, 2) employee participation in health and safety committees, 3) employer investments in worker education and training and worker retention and advancement, and 4) support for worker organizing and collective bargaining. The DOE will be using the requirements listed in the FOA for evaluation of retaining and creating quality jobs. The DOE will not advise how you should list retained jobs other than that provided in the FOA. "]
["1.\tPlease confirm that we can use graphics and tables in our submission\n-Your template form does not allow for inserting graphics\n-I do note specific guidance that font can not be smaller than size 10, which leads me to understand graphics (ie flow charts) are allowable, but I would appreciate the confirmation\n2.\tDoes the control number need to be in the upper right corner of the header on every page in the concept paper submission? \n-I see guidance that the control number must be in the upper right hand corner of every page which seems more focused on the full submission, and the template does not have a spot for this - but I can ensure it is added in our submission. \n3.\t Please confirm that we are not required to use the template file, as long as we comply with the guidance \n- I note guidance that says we may use the template which leads me to believe it is not required - and we would prefer not to use the template file (as it does not allow for inserting graphics and similar formatting restrictions. \n4.\tCan we put references in-text or must they be put in a footnote/ endnote? \n- For example \"as stated by the IEA, the demand for Nickel is expected to increase by 20 times in the next 10 years\" or must I add that IEA source within a footnote (or endnote)","1.  Please refer to previously answered question (line 32): It is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of hyperlinks is appropriate.  As per Section IV.D.ii., \"Applicants must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Technical Volume.  However, DOE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.\"  2. It is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in the Concept Paper template is appropriate. \n\n2. The control number is not required to be inserted into the header of the Concept Paper template.  This will be clarified in an amendment to the FOA. \n\n3. Please refer to Question #74:  The Concept Paper must conform to the requirements listed in the FOA, including the stated page limits.  \nIt is the responsibility of the Applicant to determine if inclusion of tables or graphics in Concept Paper template is appropriate. \n\n4. Please refer to Section IV.A. of the FOA. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement. "]
["If the Applicant’s project involves the production of active material precursors as well as cathode active material (CAM) powder, but not the cathodes themselves, which AOI should they apply under?","Please read the guidance provided for each Area of Interest to define which is the most appropriate for your application, particularly in this case the descriptions for AOI 3 and AOI 4."]
["Can you kindly let us know whether phosphorus, phosphorus trichloride, or lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) are in scope for AOI 3 as “battery material precursors?”","Per AOI,\"There are many advanced precursor materials that are necessary for lithium-ion based battery or other alternative advanced battery production. Securing supply of ultra-high purity, battery-grade precursor materials are critical for US battery material production and downstream battery manufacturing. Materials including silane gas for silicon anodes may be bottlenecks for crucial materials production.\" Listed precursor materials are examples only. Other precursor materials that are used for the production of battery critical minerals may be of scope for AOI 3. If you believe your project is in scope for AOI 3, please apply. "]
["Please clarify if funding under AOI 4.a requires the facilities be capable of manufacturing the cathodes themselves, in addition to the capabilities to create U.S. battery-grade cathode materials, or if the facility can produce the cathode materials, but not manufacture the final cathodes, if it would qualify to apply for funding under AOI. \n\n“AOI 4.a: Commercial-scale Domestic Production of Battery Cathodes\nThe objective of this area of interest is to construct new commercial-scale facilities or expand, retool, or retrofit existing commercial-scale facilities to create a U.S. battery-grade cathode materials production as well as cathode manufacturing capacity capable of use in electric vehicles and/or electric grid energy storage applications.?\n\nIf not, please confirm if AOI 3 would be the appropriate AOI to apply under.","Applications focused on cathode materials production and/or cathode electrode production would be within scope of AOI 4.a. "]
["Can a company who conducts recycling end-of-life battery to make mineral-containing materials (this could include salts, sulfates, carbonates, or metals) that can be utilized in Li-ion battery production apply for AOI 2a or AOI 2B?","Applications focused on recycling of batteries or battery materials for the production of battery critical minerals and materials (not lithium) would be within scope of AOI 2a. Applications focused on recycling of other materials and systems aside from batteries or the production of battery critical minerals and materials (not lithium) would be within scope of AOI 2b."]
["We are finalizing our concept paper for submission to the solicitation DE-FOA-0003099 and had a question about the roles of primes, vs. Leads, vs. subrecipients. We are partnering with a large manufacturing OEM for the production of cathode battery electrodes utilizing our IP. The project will be targeted to retrofit their existing manufacturing lines to make them compatible with our specific manufacturing process. In short, the vast majority of the funds will be allocated to upgrading/modifying their existing facilities and given that they are an established company with vastly larger financial resources than us, it is our understanding that they would take on the role as the 'prime'. Given this we would be a 'subrecipient' on the project. Now, given that we came up with the plan for scaling the manufacturing and understand its deployment (and prepared the concept paper), we have listed ourselves as the 'Lead' on the project.\n\nGiven the above information, the main questions are as follows:\n1.\tCan we list ourselves as the lead on the project if our partner is the prime?\n2.\tAre we able to submit the concept paper or would the prime be required to submit (whether we are the lead or not)?\n3.\tIf we are able to submit while naming our partner as the prime, will they still need to be registered with sam.gov prior to submission?","The Prime Applicant must submit the Concept Paper and ultimately the Full Application.  The Prime Applicant in this case would be the owner of the Facility to be modified and the manufacturing lines to be retrofitted since that entity will be responsible and accountable for the modified facility and equipment at the end of the project."]
["We have submitted a confidential and non-confidential version of our concept paper into the EERE portal however when the document is uploaded under the section allocated for the concept paper, the title automatically changes to the systems labeling. I have therefore uploaded only the Concept paper in the first section and then the non-confidential document under the Additional documents section so that a description can be applied and the title of the document does not seem to change in that section. The record shows that there is no redacted version but there is no specific section to upload the redacted version. Could you verify if this is acceptable?","Your approach is acceptable.  The Concept Paper Submission in Exchange is structured to permit the upload of two files, allowing for the submission of a second confidential version of the Concept Paper, if applicable. "]
["We have completed the concept paper and we would like to make 100% sure that it will be received by the proper reviewing team.\n\nMay I please ask to confirm the email address that we should send the concept paper for DE-FOA-0003099?","All concept papers should be submitted via the Infrastructure Exchange site within the concept paper submission for FOA 3099. Applicants should click the Apply button within FOA 3099 and follow prompts. Concept papers will not be accepted via email."]
["We are  working with a company that plans to submit a concept paper for this FOA.\n\nWould the names of the applicants be disclosed publicly of those who merely submit concept papers ?   Or would the names of the applicants be disclosed for those who submit full applications in March?    \nOr does that not occur until  the final selection of the awardees?  \n\nWhen would names of applicants be released to the public?  ","DOE does not publish a list of applicants at either the Concept Paper or Full Application stage.  However, a list of applicants could be requested via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process."]
["Our registration in Sam.gov encountered a problem with the IRS validation failure. Perhaps it was due to our company's new establishment, just formed in January 2024.\nwill this failure influence our application for the DE-FOA-0003099 in the submission of the concept paper?"," A UEI is not required at the Concept Paper stage but it is required if a full application is submitted."]
["Will we be notified if our concept paper is accepted before proceeding to the full application deadline in March? ","Yes. Applicants will be notified approximately 30 days after submission of their concept papers of encouragement or discouragement."]
["On page 50 of the FOA it states, “The SOPO, including the Milestone Table, must not exceed 8 pages when printed using standard 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins (top, bottom, left, and right) with font not smaller than 12-point (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font).” However, in the SOPO template on the DOE Exchange, it says “The SOPO shall not be more than 10 pages and shall utilize the following format.” Can you please clarify the page limit for the SOPO as these two items do not match?","The 8 page limit noted in the FOA is correct.  The SOPO template in Exchange has been corrected."]
["We are a battery recycling technology provider with global operations, producing battery grade precursor materials (pCAM, lithium carbonate and graphite) from battery scrap. We're currently deploying our equipment at our first site in the US in Atoka, OK, where we hope to be the first domestic commercial scale producer of battery grade precursor materials. \n\nWe are however looking to expand our operations in the US and deploy our technology at scale to rapidly accelerate the closing of the loop in the United States' battery supply chain. \n\nTo this end, we were looking to make an application for the recently announced Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing FOA (DE-FOA-0003099). However, while we had applied for a UEI and SAM registration prior to the submission deadline, these are still pending which ultimately prevented us from submitting the concept paper by the deadline. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to nonetheless still be considered for this opportunity, as we believe our technologies offers a unique opportunity to rapidly accelerate domestic battery material production using recycled materials. \n\nAttached is our concept paper for reference. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions. ","The concept paper deadline has closed as of January 9th for the Round II of funding. DOE will not accept concept papers via email submission. Future rounds of funding are anticipated and applicants who did not meet the Round II application deadline are encouraged to submit at that time."]
["1.\tHow does DOE define a “budget period”? Are budget periods specifically 12 months and based on the start date of the grant period? Or can budget periods be more or less than 12 months periods as associated with specific phases of work?\n\n2.\tThe guidelines for the “Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Operations” subsection of the “Business Plan” section of the Technical Volume state that, “Applications should include initial versions of Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Operations (EPC&O) project documents if available.” Since such documents are hundreds of pages, where should they be placed in the application package?","1. Budget periods are not required to be 12 months. Applicants should prepare projects with budget periods that make the most sense for the proposed project scope.  The timing for budget periods will be finalized during the negotiation process if selected for negotiations leading to award.                                                             2. For Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Operations (EPC&O) project documents, applicants should summarize these documents within the page count of this section of the technical volume. "]
["Will a webinar be held?","DOE will hold an information Webinar on January 24th 2024 at time 11 am ET.  The registration link is https://doe.webex.com/weblink/register/r880f18fbce408df7ff75fd95c7ca0b92?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery. Full applications can only be submitted by those who submitted a concept paper."]
["We were wondering how much time/duration we should plan\nfor the federal NEPA process in the workplan and integrated project schedule\nas part of the permitting process for facilities?","Please allow the following durations for scheduling purposes: \n\n 6-9 months for a Categorical Exclusion (CX) \n\n9-12 months for an Environmental Assessment (EA) \n\n12-24 months for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) "]
["Hello, we have an agreement in place with a national lab to test product samples (testing currently underway). The national lab is not involved in the project outside of this one testing agreement. Do we still need to submit the FFRDC/sub-recipient documentation with the full application? ","Any effort that is a necessary part of the scope of a project should be captured in the SOPO and budget.  However, if an effort is not integral to the project scope and only represents an ancillary activity, it may not need to be included in the SOPO and budget."]
["We had developed our Concept Paper (attached here) for the DE-FOA-0003099 Grant, unfortunately, we had issues accessing the DOE website on time and were unable to submit this by the closing time.\n\nWe are looking for any avenue to allow LiCAP Technologies to submit this Concept Paper and wanted to ask for your assistance to see if we can get this submitted so that LiCAP Technologies could participate in the Final Submission portion of this Grant.\n\nWe do appreciate any assistance you can provide and once again, thank you.","The concept paper deadline has closed as of January 9th for thus Round of funding. DOE will not be accepting concept papers outside of this window. Future rounds of funding are anticipated and interested applicants are encouraged to apply should DOE release future rounds of this FOA."]
["I have a question about the timing and rounds of Funding for FOA 3099 – The webinar that is scheduled for January 24th says that it is to review the application process for Round II funding, but are we in the Round I cycle now? The FOA says that the opportunity released Nov. 15th is Round I and that Round II will not be announced until late summer 2024, but just wanted to make sure that the webinar is on Round II applications? Thanks so much.","The webinar on January 24th is in support of this current round of FOA 3099."]
["Do vendors/contractors need to provide a separate budget justification form if their total budget exceeds a certain amount?","See the instructions on tab f. \"Contractual\" of the Budget Justification Template for thresholds related to the submittal of budget detail."]
["I'm a student researcher, and I came across a recent grant opportunity for battery manufacturing. What are the full eligibility requirements for DE-FOA-0003099 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing? \n\nhttps://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/350986 ","All eligibility and review criteria can be found within the FOA 3099 document for this funding opportunity, posted on the Infrastructure exchange website"]
["Are the grants based on money to be spent. Or, is the grant based on money already spent and money to be spent.","In support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding opportunity seeks grant applications to fund investments wtihin the electric vehicle battery supply chain, increase domestic battery manfacturing, and create good-paying clean energy jobs.  Interested applicants should propose project scope with a Total Project Cost (TPC) estimate that covers the entirety of the project, including construction, capital, labor, and finance costs associated with the Community Benefits Plan, and other cost categories as appropriate for individual project plans. Cost estimates should meet industry standards for the size and complexity of the proposed project and should explain what assumptions were used and why they were deemed appropriate.  Once awarded, projects are reimbursed for actual allowable costs that are incurred within the project period of performance."]
["(1) Is the Impacted Tribal Nations Documentation required for all applications (including those where no impact is found)?  (2) If yes, should Applicants use the bulleted questions on FOA pgs. 48 and 49 to determine whether a Tribal Nation is impacted by the Applicant’s Project?  ","1) As per Section IV.D.vii. of the FOA, \"For any project intended to be sited on Tribal land(s), a letter of support from Tribal leadership acting on behalf of the Tribe is required with the application. For projects not intended to be sited on Tribal land(s) but that may have other potential impacts on Tribal interests, letters of support are strongly encouraged and, depending on the nature of the impact, may be required if selected for negotiation of a financial assistance award. \"  This application document is noted as \"if applicable.\"\n\n2) To help determine if an Indian Tribe is impacted by the project, all applicants should consider the questions on pages 48 and 49.   As reflected in Section IV.D.vii., \"Applicants are required to document any efforts taken to identify any potential impacts to Indian Tribes. \"  If Tribes are impacted, then information must be provided."]
["Can you please confirm that Current and Pending Support Disclosures are NOT required for full application submission?","As per Section VI.B.xx of the FOA, ”If selected for award negotiations, within 30 days of the selection notice the selectee must submit current and pending support disclosures and resumes for any PIs or senior/key personnel. Throughout the life of the award, the recipient has an ongoing responsibility to submit: 1) current and pending support disclosure statements and resumes for any new PI and senior/key personnel, and 2) updated disclosures if there are changes to the current and pending support previously submitted to DOE.”  Information related to Current and Pending Support is not required with the submittal of the Full Application.   "]
["The FOA (pgs. 37 and 38) states that the business plan should include to following:\n\n\"Applications should include initial versions of Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Operations (EPC&O) project documents if available. The EPC&O project documents should provide detailed technical data and/or information to show how the targeted annual manufacturing capacity of the proposed project could be ramped and delivered.\"\n\nIs there place for applicants to submit \"EPC&O project documents and detailed technical data,\" or does DOE contemplate these documents being included in the technical volume and counting toward the 30 page limit? EPC&O documents and/or detailed technical data alone could easily surpass 30 pages.","For Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Operations (EPC&O) project documents, applicants should summarize these documents within the page count of this section of the technical volume. "]
["We are confused by a seemingly contradictory statement in the section ix. Lobbying\n\nThe instructions advise that no federal funds may be used for lobbying activities.  That’s clear.\n\nIn the following sentence the form is referenced to declare that non-federal funds are being used. \n\nThis is confusing, in as much as that it means one of the following:\n\n1)\tNo federal and non-federal funds may be used to lobby at any time.  However there is no form that we can fill in that would state that this is the case. In fact no SFF form would be submitted at all for this, as the SFF form only requires declaration of activities being entered into.\n2)\tThe “non-federal” in the second sentence (highlighted below) is a typing error and should read “no federal”.  In which case non-federal funds would be allowable and warrant a SFF form submission if there was lobbying activity.\n\nOur question is which is the correct interpretation, and if no activity is being undertaken, do we have to submit a SFF form?\n","Section IV.I.ix Lobbying contains two prohibitions: (1) a prohibition on using federal money for lobbying activities; (2) a prohibition on using any money for lobbying activities related to an applicant’s application under this FOA.  Applicants must submit SF-LLL to demonstrate compliance with this second prohibition. Consistent with the FOA language, the requirement applies to all Federal funds as well as non-Federal funds now and in the future."]
["The applicant is a US based entity. Is the applicant required to submit a Foreign Work Waiver Request if some senior/key person(s), who work for the applicant, are non-US citizens and work remotely in a different country?","As per Section IV.i.iii of the FOA, all work must be performed in the U.S.  In this scenario, even though the applicant is a U.S. based entity, if the applicant has employees who live and work remotely from another country, the applicant must submit a Foreign Work Waiver Request."]
["To confirm, FFRDCs/National Laboratories are not applicable to apply as a prime recipient on this FOA, only subrecipient? \n\nAn additional question for FFRDCs: does the FFRDC Authorization Letter signed by the cognizant Contracting Officer equal the letter of commitment for FFRDCs when FFRDCs are applying as a subrecipient?","See Section III.A.ii., which lists domestic entities eligible to apply as prime and subrecipient.  That list includes National Laboratories.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The FFRDC Authorization Letter can function as a letter of commitment."]
["I wonder if you might be so kind… I am writing to enquire as to when letters of encouragement/discouragement are expected to be sent for FOA 3099?\n\nWe support various clients applying for DOE funding opportunities. For planning purposes, we would greatly appreciate any insight into the timeliness of these notices so we can prepare our clients and have resources at the ready to support them.\n\nI also wonder if there is a way for us to also be notified, as to who is encouraged/discouraged from applying, at the time these notices are sent?","DOE anticipates distributing encourage/discourage notifications no later than the middle of February.  A list of applicants and their encourage/discourage decision will not be publicly posted."]
["We would like the opportunity to submit our information and technology as part of DE-FOA-0003099 as an open opportunity.\nWe see that the opportunity deadline for the submission is 3-19-24 5pm EST. \n\nCan we still submit?","No.  Applicants must first submit an eligible Concept Paper before a Full Application can be submitted.  The deadline to submit Concept Papers has passed.  However, additional opportunities may become available.  Section I.B. of the FOA \"Anticipated FOA Cycle Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40207 (b) and (c)\" outlines DOE's anticipated plan future releases.  "]
["In the SOPO template for this FOA, Section C (Tasks to Be Performed) instructs that “This section should not duplicate tasks or milestones from the Equity Plan.” \n\n1)\tIs the Equity Plan referring to the Community Benefits Plan?\n2)\tIf yes, please confirm that the CBP milestones should not be incorporated into the SOPO.\n3)\tPlease confirm CBP milestones should be included in the Workplan section of the Technical Volume.","1.  Yes, \"Equity Plan\" refers to \"Community Benefits Plan\".  This term was used in error and will be corrected in a future amendment.  2.  Yes, CBP milestones should not be incorporated into the SOPO.  3.  Yes, CBP milestones should be included in the Workplan section of the Technical Volume.  "]
["The FOA says on pages 53 and 71 that we must attest \"that non-federal funds have not been paid and will not be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the following in connection with the application: \n•\tAn officer or employee of any federal agency;\n•\tA member of Congress;\n•\tAn officer or employee of Congress; or\n•\tAn employee of a member of Congress.”\nThe beginning of the section states that federal funds cannot be used for lobbying.  Is the “non-federal” statement a typo?  I assume lobbying is allowed with your own funds, but not government funds.  Is that correct?  ","Section IV.I.ix Lobbying contains two prohibitions: (1) a prohibition on using federal money for lobbying activities; (2) a prohibition on using any money for lobbying activities related to an applicant’s application under this FOA.  Applicants must submit SF-LLL to demonstrate compliance with this second prohibition. Consistent with the FOA language, the requirement applies to all Federal funds as well as non-Federal funds now and in the future."]
["On page 2 of the “EERE Environmental Questionnaire Attachment 1” section of the Environmental Questionnaire document, in the Historical Archeological or Cultural Resources section, it states “This item should be checked \"yes\" if a proposed project is in an area that meets any of the above, or if an archeological survey has not been performed.”  This suggests that applicants must check “yes” even if they do a database search for historically significant sites and it comes up negative. \n\nWill DOE please clarify if a formal archeological survey must be performed even if a database search reveals that there are no historical archeological or cultural resources on the site?","Not at this time.  However, it may be required after further evalution by the NETL NEPA division or agencies consulted as part of the NEPA process."]
["With regards to confidentiality, are Letters of Support/ Commitment from customers and suppliers considered business confidential information, and if so, what is the proper procedure for marking them as such for the full application? There is understandable concern of the potential competitive ramifications should these business relationships be disclosed publicly.","Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit two well-marked copies: one copy of the document marked “confidential” including all the information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked “non-confidential” with the information believed to be confidential deleted"]
["1.\tAre applicants expected to make changes to SOPO sections D (Deliverables) and E (Briefings and Technical Presentations) or are the items listed in the template requirements that will be applied uniformly to all applicants selected for award?  ","These requirements will be applied uniformly to all applicants. "]
["Please reference page 106 of DE-FOA-0003099 that states: \"If an applicant chooses to submit trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, the applicant must provide two copies of the submission (e.g., Concept Paper, Full Application). The first copy should be marked “non-confidential,” with the information believed to be confidential deleted. The second copy should be marked “confidential” and must clearly and conspicuously identify the trade secrets or business-sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information and must be marked as described below.\"\n\nMany sections of the application may not present a coherent and compelling case with the confidential sections deleted, and such would require extensive rewriting of every volume of the application. Thus, creating two documents for every volume places an inordinate burden on the applicants, especially small businesses that may not have the resources to do so. We respectfully request that this requirement be deleted, allowing us to submit a single application that has clear markings that indicate the presence of confidential information.","For questions regarding marking and treatment of confidential business information, please refer to Section VIII.D. (“Treatment of Application Information”) of the FOA where the two copy process is outlined.  DOE understands that an application with certain portions retracted may not read as coherently.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 For further information concerning the procedures by which records may be requested from all DOE offices, please refer to the Department of Energy’s Freedom of Information Act regulations at 10 C.F.R. Part 1004.\n"]
["On page 44 the FOA, it is stated that \"At a minimum, each project must have at least one project-wide Go/No-Go decision point for each budget period (12 to 18-month period) of the project.\" In the Q&A document on row 106, it is stated that \"Budget periods are not required to be 12 months. Applicants should prepare projects with budget periods that make the most sense for the proposed project scope.\"  Can you provide clarification on whether a project budget period can be less than 12 months if it makes sense for the proposed project scope and internal Go/No-Go decisions points?","As stated in prior questions, budget periods are not required to be 12 months. Budgets periods can be less than 12 months, however it is important to note that a continuation application must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the end of a budget period in order to be able to move into a subsequent budget period. As such, applicants should take this into consideration when designing potential budget periods. "]
["Is it possible for us to line up a call to clarify approach on this submission?","Due to the need to maintain procurement integrity and fairness for all applicants, DOE will not have discussions or calls with individual applicants.  "]
["In regards to whether our project is considered and expansion or a new construction, we would be using some of the infrastructure on a current site and then adding facilities to make this product to support the Battery project.  Is that considered expansion or new construction?","Please refer to Questions 41 and 43 "]
["Today I attended an informational webinar pertaining to the application process for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Grants (FOA 0003099). I have a few questions:\n      What round of funding are we currently in for FOA 0003099? \n      Are we in round I or round II? \n      Was the info in the presentation pertaining to round I or round II? \n      When will round II start?\n\nI understand there is an anticipated timeframe for this info included in the FOA doc, but there was some conflicting information/dates, so I am seeking further clarification."," We are currently in Round 1 of DE-FOA-00030999 and the info in the presentation pertained to Round 1.  As per Section I.B of the FOA, DOE may issue Round 2 of DE-FOA-0003099, with potential for Rounds 3 and 4.  We apologize for the confusion.   "]
["Does DOE value Letters of Commitment from international customers equally as compared to LOCs from American customers? Or would LOCs from American customers be preferred? To clarify, these customers do not reside in Countries of Particular Concern.","Applications must include off-take agreements or letters of commitment from one or more battery-grade cathode precursor manufacturers to buy products produced at the proposed manufacturing facility. Both domestic and foreign battery partners may be included. The type, amount, and duration of the commitment shall be included. All letters of commitment will be individually reviewed by the merit review team "]
["When we submitted our concept papers, we incorrectly marked that we are “Large Business” when we still meet the requirements for a “Small Business” for our NAICS Code. Is there a way to correct it at this point in time? Otherwise is it possible to correct if we are selected to submit a full application submission?","When submitting a Full Application, you may be able to correct/modify your business type.  If the Exchange system does not allow you to do that, you could ensure the proper Applicant Type is captured in section 9 of the SF 424, should you decide to submit a Full Application."]
["1.\tWe do not see anywhere in the infrastructure portal the TV template available to download. Where can it be found?\n2.\tThe link to download SF-424 template from the portal  is broken (we used several browsers). Can you please provide the working link to download the template?\n3.\tIn the portal the Full Application submission is not initiated yet, meaning we cannot find anywhere the \"Apply\" \"Start Full Application\" button for Full Application.","1. There is no template for the Technical Volume (TV).  Applicants should prepare the file following the content requirements laid out in Section IV.D.ii.  2.  A new file has been uploaded into Exchange for the SF-424.  3.    The Clean Energy Infrastructure Funding Opportunity Exchange website removes the “Apply” button from the funding opportunity announcement when the Concept Paper Submission deadline passes.  When the Concept Paper review is complete, and the decisions have been published to applicants the applicants will be able to initiate the Full Application process from their “My Submissions” page."]
["If the site selection is still under discussion and has not been officially decided by the time of the DOE application submission date (March 19th, 2024), is it okay to apply while mentioning a strongly considered site candidate?","A selected site is preferred by the time of the application in order to streamline negotiation and NEPA process stages of award, in addition to determining relevant disadvantaged communities and applicable communities benefit plans. If an applicant does not have a location finalized by time of application submission, the application should discuss potential locations and merits of those.  "]
["I was told by my competitors about a grant that I could apply for and was wondering if you could help me with this. I run a battery manufacturing company for large energy commercial storage and retail applications and a grant like this could help my business expand in NV so I can start to improve the battery servicing department to fix and recycle these batteries. \n\nAre you able to help me apply?  The apply button is greyed out and wont let me start the process. ","It is past the due date of submission for Concept Papers (01/09/2024). Therefore, you are not eligible to apply for funding in this round.  If future rounds are released, please read the objectives closely as they adhere to the requirements in BIL Sections 40207(b) and (c). "]
["On the webinar last Wednesday, the speakers mentioned that an updated Community Benefits Plan template would be uploaded for this FOA. Can that please be provided?  ","The updated Community Benefits Plan Template is now available on https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov."]
["Is equipment for drilling deep brine wells and transporting brine to an extraction facility within scope of Area of Interest 1 for DE-FOA-0003099","DOE will not make determinations regarding the suitability of a proposed projects.  "]
["I am working with a company who wishes to apply for funding under DE-FOA-0003099. If you could answer the following question, it would be greatly appreciated:\n\nIs there a template for the Community Benefits Plan Budget? We've found generic EERE templates on the \"EERE Funding Application and Management Forms\" webpage, but is there a template specific to use for DE-FOA-0003099? Is it acceptable to use the generic template?","The updated Community Benefits Plan Template is now available on https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov."]
["The Budget Justification Workbook instructs applicants to place costs for construction performed by a vendor under the “Contractual” tab. Is the “Construction” tab in the budget justification workbook really only for construction related activities performed by the applicant itself? Since applicants will almost always turn to EPC firms (or similar) to carry out the construction work, are we correct in assuming the “Construction” tab will be left blank in nearly all cases?","You are correct that the \"Construction\" tab in the Budget Justification Workbook is for construction related activities performed by the applicant.  It is not unexpected that some applicants will have costs under the \"Construction\" tab and other will not."]
["Our client is responding to FOA Number: DE-FOA-003099.  We are hoping you can clarify the requirements in Sections IV.D.xvii and VI.I.ix as they pertain to lobbying activities.  Specifically, the language states that recipients and subrecipients may not use federal funds for lobbying and goes on to state that a form SF-LLL must be submitted to ensure that non-federal funds have not been used for lobbying in connection with this application.   We are aware that federal law prohibits the use of federally appropriated funds for lobbying activities.  Is it the case that an applicant is prohibited from using non-federal funds for lobbying activities in connection with this application as well?  If so, can you please point us to the statutory or regulatory authority for this prohibition? This is not a requirement we typically encounter.  In our experience, the SF-LLL is submitted so the use of non-federal funds for lobbying activities is disclosed to an agency awarding federal funds, but the use of non-federal funds for such purpose is not prohibited.   ","Section IV.I.ix Lobbying contains two prohibitions: (1) a prohibition on using federal money for lobbying activities; (2) a prohibition on using any money for lobbying activities related to an applicant’s application under this FOA.  Applicants must submit SF-LLL to demonstrate compliance with this second prohibition. Consistent with the FOA language, the requirement applies to all Federal funds as well as non-Federal funds now and in the future."]
["The FOA states that part of the technical review criteria will include \"The reasonableness of the proposed project budget and spend plan for the proposed project and objectives, including the level of contingency proposed to address risk.\" Are applicants expected to represent contingency costs as a line item in the budget? If so, what level of contingency does DOE expect to see?","DOE does not provide specific guidance on contingency.  Applicants are expected to prepare a budget that is believed most appropriate and reasonable to accomplish the project scope.  See also 2 CFR 200.433"]
["Pg 41 of the FOA (in the financial plan section of the TV) states: \"Plan to provide the full remainder of the DOE cost share from private sources, including balance sheet or other private capital, with supporting evidence (bank statements, LOIs, etc.)\n\nTwo questions: \n(1)\tAre we correct in assuming DOE means the remainder of the Applicant cost share rather than DOE cost share? \n(2)\tWhere does DOE want applicants to submit \"balance sheets, bank statements, LOIs, etc?\" These items can’t be included in the TV because they alone would use up the entire page limit. Will there be a place to submit ancillary items like this on the submission page?","1. The statement refers solely to the overall plan for project cost share.      2. As there is no place to submit ancillary items, applicants must work within the page limits of the Technical Volume.  This could mean that a summary statement of snippet or portion of a document is provided."]
["There’s a potentially confusing response in the Q&A spreadsheet (line 133). \n\nThe question: Does DOE value Letters of Commitment from international customers equally as compared to LOCs from American customers? Or would LOCs from American customers be preferred? To clarify, these customers do not reside in Countries of Particular Concern.\n\nThe answer (boldface mine): Applications must include off-take agreements or letters of commitment from one or more battery-grade cathode precursor manufacturers to buy products produced at the proposed manufacturing facility. Both domestic and foreign battery partners may be included. The type, amount, and duration of the commitment shall be included. All letters of commitment will be individually reviewed by the merit review team \n\nIs it possible that battery-grade cathode precursor manufacturers were specified in error? Most of the areas of interest do not include battery-grade cathode precursors.","Yes, this inclusion is in error. Applications must include off-take agreements or letters of commitment from one or more downstream companies  Both domestic and foreign battery partners may be included. The type, amount, and duration of the commitment shall be included. All letters of commitment will be individually reviewed by the merit review team. Please use this answer as an answer for line 133."]
["The SOPO template supplied by the government does not follow the instructions given in the FOA (for font, font color and headers), as described below in the referenced sections.  Are we correct in our interpretation that we should modify the supplied template and make the document comply with the “Application Process” requirements defined in the FOA for use of colors, fonts, and headers? Or are applicants permitted to use the templates as formatted despite possible contradictions with the “Application Process” requirements?\nIV.A Application Process: All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5” x 11” paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Calibri typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12-point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font). \nviii. Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO): Applicants must complete a SOPO. A SOPO template is available on S3 Exchange at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/. The SOPO, including the Milestone Table, must not exceed 8 pages when printed using standard 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins (top, bottom, left, and right) with font not smaller than 12-point (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font). ***The supplied SOPO template has words in Avenir font and colored text in many places.***","Please follow the instructions included in the FOA: The SOPO, including the Milestone Table, must not exceed 8 pages when printed using standard 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins (top, bottom, left, and right) with font not smaller than 12-point (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font). Save the SOPO in a single Microsoft Word file using the following convention for the title: “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_SOPO”."]
["What is required of Applicants in the following passage found in the Integrated Project Schedule section of the Workplan (FOA pg 44): “The applicant should also include the sufficiency of the Earned Value Management Plan to use total project costs and schedule to enable timely and accurate project performance monitoring and prediction as a means to make project adjustments.” (emphasis added)","Earned Value Management (EVM) is a project management technique that assesses project performance and progress by evaluating measurements for scope, schedule, and resources. Applicants are asked to adequately describe how they will use their proposed EVM plan and other pieces of their Integrated Project Schedule (IPS) to effectively meet costing and schedules to develop project goal.  "]
["I was not able to log into today's Webinar for DE-FOA-0003099: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing held at 11AM EST Jan 24th.\nI wonder if there will be a recording of the event?","Here is a link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w16rGF6MTXU) to the video and a slide deck is in the list of the FOA attachments."]
["The reason for the email is that in looking at the summary of the project on the infrastructure exchange site, I noticed that the funding amounts on the submission page (not in the concept paper itself) are presented in thousands.\n\nI did not want there to be confusion, as the project is in the millions of dollars, and was concerned that the rounding convention used in the summary/submission tab could impact the consideration of our concept paper.","Regardless of whether you receive an encourage or discourage letter, this will not prevent your company from submitting a full application. Within both the concept paper and full application merit reviews, both exchange inputs and submitted application materials have been/will be reviewed. "]
["We are in the process of preparing a full application for DE-FOA-0003099 and have encountered a few areas of uncertainty regarding the inclusion of additional materials.\n\nThroughout the solicitation document, there are several instances where it is suggested to attach or supply supplementary materials that are not explicitly listed as required components of the full application. For example, under the EPOC description, it is mentioned that \"Applications should include initial versions of EPOC documents if available.\" However, we noticed there isn't a designated section within the application format to include these documents without exceeding the prescribed page limit. Similar references are made concerning the inclusion of intellectual property revisions, offtake agreements, and other such documents.\n\nGiven these circumstances, we would appreciate your guidance on how best to handle these suggested attachments and additional supplementary material. Specifically:\n\n1) Should these additional documents be included in the main application file, or is there an alternative method of submission for supplementary materials?\n2) In the event that including these documents causes us to exceed the page limit, how should we proceed?\n3) Are there any preferences or specific requirements for the formatting and submission of these optional attachments?","Follow all page limit guidance in FOA section IV. D. i. for full application content requirements. "]
["Regarding the submission of two copies of each application component, pgs. 106-107 of the FOA states \"The first copy should be marked “non-confidential,” with the information believed to be confidential deleted.\" Does DOE require that all confidential information actually be deleted from the non-confidential version (which will render many sentences and passages incoherent), or is redacting the confidential information acceptable?","A \"non-confidential\" version of a file should contain no confidential information.  For questions regarding marking and treatment of confidential business information, please refer to Section VIII.D. (“Treatment of Application Information”) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0003099). For further information concerning the procedures by which records may be requested from all DOE offices, please refer to the Department of Energy’s Freedom of Information Act regulations at 10 C.F.R. Part 1004.”"]
["In section IV.D.xiv of DE-FOA-0003099, a data management plan is required. However, this section appears to be incongruent with FOA objectives focusing on “investment in infrastructure”: “has a plan for making all research data, if applicable, displayed in publications resulting from the proposed work digitally accessible at the time of publications”. Is it possible that this requirement and section was included by error?","No this section and requirement is not included by error. Where a publication includes results of the project or the underlying research data, these results and data will be made available according to the policies of the publication, Recipient, and the Intellectual Property Provisions of this grant. The Recipient will ensure compliance with any requirements pertaining to advance review by the DOE and to any clause(s) mandating the acknowledgement of federal sponsorship of the data to be published. "]
["Can you possibly advise a date for your decision on our concept paper, which we submitted on Jan 9th?  \nThe full application submission is coming up soon, March 19th, and we will need time to collect all the content requirements and support letters.  ","Concept Paper notifications were sent to all applicants of February 6, 2024. \n\nGiven the timeframe you should continue to work on full applications. Applicants may submit a Full Application even if they receive a notification of discouragement."]
["Thank you for the feedback.  This is our first DOE application and we appreciate the opportunity.  However, is there any way we can get more feedback on the 2 items below?  We clearly made a distinction of our technology and deployment relative to our competitors (mostly DLE based) and our process is also far cheaper.  We agree that we are a new start up with small funding, so we have no issue with the third comment.  Any additional input from the reviewers is greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.\n\n•\tThe Concept Paper did not clearly describe the extent to which the planned project represents a viable plan that separates it from competitors.\n•\tThe Concept Paper did not clearly describe the degree to which the planned project supports a target market that is economically viable, sustainable, and contains potential growth after the project concludes.","DOE is unable to provide specific responses about Concept Paper comments.  Please refer to Section V. Application Review Information subpart A. I. Technical Review Criteria in the FOA for guidance on concept paper merit review metrics.  Applicants may submit a Full Application even if they receive a notification of discouragement."]
["Would it be possible to schedule a call to discuss our rejected application under DE-FOA-0003099.\n\nThe Notification Letter that we received today indicates that there are concerns with Review applicability of proposed project under Topic Area 2.\n\nHowever, we did not apply under Topic Area 2.  We applied under Topic Area 3 – Commercial-scale Domestic Processing of Battery Materials. \n\nWould it be possible to look into this?  Was there a typo in the notification letter, or did our application get misclassified?  My copy of the Filed Concept Paper (which is attached) clearly indicates that we applied for Topic Area 3: Commercial-scale Domestic Processing of Battery Materials.\n\nYour prompt assistance in helping to clear up this misunderstanding would be most appreciated.","DOE will not be conducting independent calls for those who submitted concept papers. Some concept papers received a discouragement with the language stating \"review applicability of this project under Area of Interest [X]\" were given the comment to evaluate the applicability under a different AOI that appeared to be better suited for the project topic than the AOI it was submitted to. Any applicants that received a discouragement for their concept paper can submit a full application. And the area of interest for submission can be changed between concept paper and full application. If an applicant feels the initial AOI they submitted under is most appropriate, the change in AOI does not need to be made. "]
["We submitted our concept paper on January 9th, 2024. Upon checking the EERE site 'My Submissions' it showed up. For the past couple of weeks when we log in it states, \"You do not have any Concept Paper submissions\". \n\nPlease advise.","Your Concept Paper was received.  Emails were sent to all applicants of February 6, 2024 for encourage or discourage of their concept paper."]
["We hope this message finds you well.\nThank you for your mail and the Encouragement notification. Great news and we are very excited to hear that!\n\nAs was advised on the Q&A, the \"Apply\" button will appear under \"My Submissions\" in front of the FA in the portal once the encourage/discourage notice is sent out.\nHowever, as we checked, there is nothing yet available in the portal, and also it states: The decision is not yet available.\n \n\nCan you please advise when we will be able to initiate in the portal the FA submission?","Decisions are not captured in Exchange and the \"Apply\" button should be available.   "]
["Thank you for your sharing the evaluation result of our concept paper (control number 3099-1702). \n\nI was wondering why three bullets are “X” marked under “Discouraged” category, as we think all of those are described enough in our concept paper.\n\nMay I ask you to share a detailed debrief related to this evaluation? We would like to confirm it. I understand we could submit the full paper, and if the reviewers felt those marked areas are weak, we would like to reflect them to our full paper by enforcing the gaps.\n\nThank you for your understanding and helps in advance.","Your Concept Paper was received.  Emails were sent to all applicants of February 6, 2024 for encourage or discourage of their concept paper."]
["Thanks for letting us know DOE’s position with respect the potential for our grant application to be approved.  ","Applicants may submit a Full Application even if they receive a notification of discouragement."]
[]
["Is it possible to submit a Full Application for our proposed project under Area of Interest 1a if our Concept Paper was submitted under Area of Interest 3?  The Discourage notification indicated to “Review applicability of proposed project under Topic Area 1a.”  ","DOE will not be conducting independent calls for those who submitted concept papers. Some concept papers received a discouragement with the language stating \"review applicability of this project under Area of Interest [X]\" were given the comment to evaluate the applicability under a different AOI that appeared to be better suited for the project topic than the AOI it was submitted to. Any applicants that received a discouragement for their concept paper can submit a full application. And the area of interest for submission can be changed between concept paper and full application. If an applicant feels the initial AOI they submitted under is most appropriate, the change in AOI does not need to be made. "]
["P.45 of the FOA (“Technical Qualifications and Resources”) requires “Deliverables” to describe relevant qualifications, capabilities, and other resources. What does DOE consider as “deliverables” in this context since additional attachments are not allowable? \n\nCan the response to this section be in narrative format—including cross-referencing other sections where the same information is required—or are actual deliverables required as part of the application?","Please refer to FOA section IV. D. ii."]
["If we submitted one concept paper, can we submit one application (same project) under a different Area of Interest (AOI), or does the AOI have to be the same as the concept paper?","Yes.  Applicants who submitted a compliant Concept Paper under one AOI can submit a Full Application under a different AOI."]
["Greetings – Could you share how many Concept Papers were submitted along with a breakdown of how many of those papers were encouraged and how many discouraged?","Information related to the number of Concept Papers submitted and a breakdown of encouraged/discouraged will not be released."]
["If an applicant who submitted a concept paper for this round of funding and received an “encouraged” notification decided to wait until the second round of funding mentioned in the FOA to submit a full application, would the applicant have to resubmit the same concept paper for round two, or could they skip resubmitting the same concept paper and just submit the full application by the round 2 due date? \n\nStated more simply, could an “encourage” concept paper in round one be the basis of a full application submittal in round two or do we have to resubmit the concept paper. ","If DOE issues a future round, applicants will be required to submit a new Concept Paper.  "]
["I was wondering why three bullets are “X” marked under “Discouraged” category, as we think all of those are described clearly in our concept paper.\n\nMay I ask you to share a detailed debrief related to this evaluation? We would like to confirm it. I understand we could submit the full paper, and if the reviewers felt those marked areas are weak, we would like to reflect them to our full paper by enforcing the gaps.\n\nThank you for your understanding and helps in advance.","The DOE does not conduct individual evalutions.  Discouraged applicants can still apply but would be well-served by a careful review of the rationale for discouragement."]
["Can you please define \"multiple-organizational project\" as related to the Multi-Organizational Projects requirements of the Technical Qualifications and Resources section of the Technical Volume? This term is not defined in the NOFO. We need to know what qualifies as a \"multiple-organizational project\" for this particular announcement in terms of partners, subrecipients, and vendors.","A \"multi-organizational Project\" is one that has more than just a Prime recipient."]
["There appears to be a discrepancy between the requested content of the Technical Volume and the evaluation criteria for the Volume sections. The full application Review Criterion 1 lists several supply chain criteria (Supply chain security, Supply chain strength, Supply chain coverage, Supply chain analysis); however, these elements are requested to be included in the Market Viability - Upstream Supply Chain Security and Reliability section in the Technical Volume. There are different information requests regarding supply chain in the B. Technical Description, Innovation, and Impact section. Should the supply chain criteria referenced in Criterion 1 be discussed in the B. Technical Description, Innovation, and Impact section or in the Market Viability subsection of the C. Business Development, Market Viability, Management, and Financial Plan section?","Applicants should follow the Technical Volume format contained in Section IV. D. ii. of FOA 3099."]
["In the FOA III.B, there is no mention whether or not revenues from operations during the project period can contribute to the cost share. We expect our operations to be cash flow positive within the first few months of the project -- can these earnings count towards our cost share?","See 2CFR200.307.(e) Use of Program Income.  Specific instances where program income is anticipated will be discussed during negotiations.  "]
["We have a few questions regarding the Community Benefits Plan (CBP). \n\n1.\tUnder #4 page 58 of the FOA, it states that “an increase in access to low-cost capital” is one of the applicable benefits under the Justice40 initiative. Our questions are: does the low-cost capital have to be green energy related? Could it be for a revolving loan fund that supports small businesses in the surrounding area of the facility but not be green energy related loans to those small businesses? \n2.\tUnder #3 on page 57, it states that one of the potential DEIA actions is to “commit to partnering with Minority Business Enterprises, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and veteran-owned businesses for contractor support needs.” If, for example, there are minority-owned small businesses that are food trucks on site of the facility to provide food to employees or maintenance to the facility, can a partner organization (nonprofit, CDFI, etc.) provide guidance to these businesses in the form of coaching, technical assistance, or access to capital to fulfill this objective of the CBP? Would that capital or technical assistance also have to be green energy related?\n\nWe appreciate your quick response on this matter as we work to meet the March 19 deadline.","Please refer to the Webinar for additional guidance regarding the Community Benefits Plan.  Refer to question 156."]
["I am the Dir of Operations for a large industrial lithium battery energy storage system manufacturer and I am inquiring to see if you allow late concept submissions, \n\nI would appreciate any assistance you can give me. ","DOE will not accept late submission of Concept Papers.  Please refer to Section I. B. for more information regarding the anticipated FOA cycle for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40207 (b) and (c)."]
["Hello. For letters of commitment from partners, is it allowable for the partners’ letterhead to be within the top 1” margin? Or do partners’ letterhead need to be adjusted to fit within 1” margins all around?","Please follow the instructions in Section IV. A. Letterhead within the margin is acceptable."]
["I am working with a company who wishes to apply for funding under DE-FOA-0003099. If you could answer the following question, it would be greatly appreciated:\n\nThe CBP template provided is over the page length limitations in the solicitation. Even when the instruction boxes are removed, the template form provided is 15 pages long without any applicant content entered. The solicitation only allows for a 12-page Community Benefits Plan. How is the applicant to provide a compliant document when the amount of content required exceeds the page limitations set by the DOE?","The requirement to keep the CBP at 12 pages is in error and should have been changed to \"N/A\".  This will be remedied in a future amendment to the FOA.  Applicants should prepare their CBP utilizing the template and need not attempt to adhere to a page limitation."]
["We were in the process of developing internal plans for the construction of a new plant when we decided to apply for FOA-0003099. However, since we believe that receiving a DOE Grant would make it possible to proceed with the project, we have not yet started the Basic Design for the new plant. In this situation, would it be possible to submit the Budget Justification with only our own Assumption amounts, as it may be difficult to receive Vendor Quotes for Equipment, Supply, and Contractual costs?","It is not required that applications have finalized vendors, plant design and budgets during submission. Budget justifications will be finalized during contract negotiations. And vendors can be changed or added during lifetime of project. That said, the absence of specific project design segments during full application submission can impact applicant information towards several review pieces, including  total project costs and budget feasibility, among others ."]
["Your website is not allowing for access to the Application for Federal Assistance (SF424) via Adobe. May I kindly ask you to send a copy directly to me?","Please try either using a different web browser to open/download the document or download the document to your computer and then use the Adobe software on your computer to open the file locally.  All Standard Forms such as the SF 424 are also located on the grants.gov website.\n"]
["We would like to get your definition of expanded facility.\nWe are planning to apply under AOI 8 and have the option\nof \"modifying and enlarging\" an existing building or building a new\nstand-alone manufacturing building on land all on the same campus owned by our company\nwith other production facilities we operate. The necessary infrastructure is largely in place. \nAn entirely new building would be the better choice in the long run for this project.\n\nPlease advise.","Please refer to Question #75"]
["We are proposing an expansion of our current manufacturing facility, and as part of that expansion, we intend to move a portion of the current operations to a separate location in an existing building. Line 28 of your Q&A spreadsheet has a similar question, and I’m looking for clarification on your response.  Can we indeed lease or purchase a second existing building in our proposal provided it is entirely funded through our cost share?","The cost of a leases could potentially be considered an allowable cost.  However, purchases cannot be included in the project scope of the FOA or budget (Federal share or cost share).  "]
["Hope you’re well. I am managing the full grant application, and I have a question re: resumes. Am I correct in assuming they are all saved as the one document (PDF) with three pages maximum PER resume? Or is the three page maximum for ALL resumes in the document? I can’t locate the FAQ’s from the webinar link for some reason – is it possible to send me a link to that page for any future queries?","Please refer to Section IV. D. iii. Resumes.  Three pages per resume saved in one file."]
["DOE Grant and Cost Share Program are aimed at establishing a Battery Supply Chain in the United States and creating high-quality jobs and contributing to local communities. \n\nHowever, due to the high market volatility compared to the initial investment in all categories of AOI on the AOI list, it is difficult to make investment decisions (especially AOI1 & AOI2), and our company is currently planning to apply for the DOE Grant Program after completing Lab Test and plan to construct a pilot plant. \n\nIn this situation, we expect to be able to enter the US market if we are selected as a recipient of the DOE Grant Program. However, if detailed information is required in the submission materials according to FOA, our company, which has been hesitant to invest due to high investment costs, can only submit based on estimated values. \n\nFor example, \n\nCould we exclude certain Documents and submit them without detailed information, such as using estimated values for specific numerical data in the Budget Justification Workbook?","Based on the circumstances, excluding documents and/or submitting documents with less detailed information might sometimes be necessary.  Estimated values should be based on the best understanding at the time of the application preparation.  However, as previously answered, absence of specifics could adversely impact an application.  See also Question 179."]
["In addition to the one page maximum per letter for the Letters of Commitment and Offtake Letters, is there also a  requirement of nothing smaller than 12pt font, or can the letters be in 10pt font?  Thanks. ","Please refer to Section IV. A. for Application and Submission Information. The only alloawble piece for 10 pt font is within footnotes or tables. "]
["If you have already submitted a Concept Paper for AOI Section 2b, it is possible to change to Section 2a in the Full Application. However, in this case, you must meet the requirements of AOI Section 2a and obtain approval from DOE in advance with the reason for the change. Additionally, you may need additional information or materials to meet the requirements of the changed AOI Section 2a, so preparation for this is also necessary.","Please refer to Question 193. Applicants who submit a compliant Concept Paper under one Area of Interest may submit a full application under a different Area of Interest if the Applicant thinks it more appropriate."]
["We received a letter of encouragement for our concept paper. Our project will start construction before the negotiation period. In this scenario, do we need to obtain written authorization for construction before the start? \n\nReferencing Pg. 66 of the FOA: \"Recipients are required to obtain written authorization from the Contracting Officer before incurring any major construction costs.\" How do we handle this if we are already going to be under construction?\n\nFurthermore, this project would be most likely under construction by the time we receive an award agreement. How will that affect NEPA compliance?\n\nWe've been compliant thus far but the DOE will not have the opportunity to review this or have a notice to proceed from the contracting officer before starting construction. ","Until a project is selected, a grant is awarded, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approval for construction is granted, DOE will not issue written authorization for any construction.  If an applicant undertakes construction activities that are not authorized for Federal funding and approved under NEPA, the applicant does so at risk.  See Section IV.I.ii.1. regarding "]
["\nI’m looking to understand the definition of DOE Technical Targets in the context of the Battery Materials Grant FOA. Would like to make sure we address the specific targets. \n\nReference: \n\nRelevance and Outcomes: This section should describe the relevance of the proposed project to the goals and objectives of this FOA, including the potential to meet specific DOE technical targets, BIL policy priorities, or other relevant performance targets. The applicant should clearly specify the expected outcomes of the project. The applicant should address the impact the project will have in bolstering the relevant domestic supply chain, including analysis of how the project will impact or improve the current baseline by increasing domestic capacity to meet current or projected demand and/or by onshoring capacity to enhance national security, resilience, and economic competitiveness. (Page 37). \n\n\nRelevance and Outcomes: The applicant should provide a detailed description of the technology to be produced and the unique characteristics that drive the product’s value proposition. This section should describe key innovations that drive production efficiency and innovation such as relevant patents, processes, flow diagrams, etc. and the relevance of the proposed project to the goals and objectives of the FOA, including the potential to meet specific DOE technical targets, BIL policy Priorities, or other relevant performance targets. The applicant should clearly specify the expected outcomes of the project. (Page 43). ","Please refer to Section I of the FOA, Funding Opportunity Description.\t"]
["How should applicants fill in column A (SOPO Task #) in the budget spreadsheet for community benefit costs? We’re asking per the FOA instructions and Q&A response about not including community benefit tasks in the SOPO.","Since Community Benefit Tasks are not included in the SOPO, column A (SOPO task #) in the Community Benefits Budget Justification can be left blank."]
["On pg.36 of the FOA, it mentions that projects should demonstrate \"potential to meet specific DOE technical targets.\" Where can we find additional clarification on what the DOE technical targets are?","Please refer to Section I of the FOA, Funding Opportunity Description.\t"]
["Please clarify the rules or policy for Foreign Equipment acquisition under grants by DE-FOA-0003099 or send links to the relevant documents.\n\nIn some cases, certain equipment may: \n1)\tnot be available for purchase from United States companies or \n2)\tfabrication of the equipment in the United States may be much more expensive\n\nDoes Foreign equipment acquisition need prior approval under grants by DE-FOA-0003099?","Please refer to Appendix C of the FOA.  A waiver may be required."]
["This is an additional question regarding the 97th line of the Q&A. \n\nWe have already applied for the Concept Paper for AOI Section 2b. Is it possible to change to Section 2a in the Full Application?","Yes.  Applicants who submitted a compliant Concept Paper under one AOI can submit a Full Application under a different AOI."]
[" I am a small business owner and developer. I want to know how to get into your partnership program. ","See Teaming Partner List TPL-0000004 in Infrastructure Exchange.  Applicants can use the Teaming Partner List to share information and look for potential partners."]
["We are having difficulty addressing each item in the 21 page Community Benefits Plan template in 12 pages.  The revised template has altered the Summary Table such that in your blank version, it alone occupies 3 pages.  Is the table included in the page count, and if yes, can the page count be expanded to 15 pages?  We have eliminated everything we can and are still three pages over.  Please advise, and thank you!","The requirement to keep the CBP at 12 pages is in error and should have been changed to \"N/A\".  This will be remedied in a future amendment to the FOA.  Applicants should prepare their CBP utilizing the template and need not attempt to adhere to a page limitation.  "]
["Do the Environmental Volume and Environmental Questionnaire need to be in Calibri 12 pt font? The templates are in smaller font","No.  Applicants should use the template as it is presented."]
["I work with a company applying for 3099 which is a long-standing domestic entity and with a majority stockholder who is not a American citizen but a Canadian citizen. Based on the FOA the formal public QA question for answer and publication (please keep this intro out of the Q&A):\n\n“If a company applying is domestic, with no parent company domestic or foreign, and its majority stockholder is a foreign national, what elements, if any, of waiver per Appendix B should be submitted in the application as the entity does not meet the strict definition of a domestic entity but it is definitively not a foreign entity?”","DOE will not make determinations regarding domestic/foreign entities at this time.  If the applicant believes they do not qualify as a domestic entity, a waiver request should be submitted with the Full Application."]
[" It is not clear as to what a foreign corporation is.\n\nMy client is and always has been a California incorporated company with operations only in California for over 15 years.\n\nThe majority owner is a Canadian who has always had a E-2 work visa to reside in the U.S. where he has filed taxes for 15 years.\n\nCan you clarify the status of a domestic company controlled by non American visa holders and do they require a waiver?","DOE will not make determinations regarding domestic/foreign entities at this time.  If the applicant believes they do not qualify as a domestic entity, a waiver request should be submitted with the Full Application."]
["We have a question about project funds committed vs project funds spent and if guidance differs for an entity considered a “small business.” \n\nWe commit funds for a piece of equipment when we issue a PO. Typically included in that PO is a description of staggered payments. For example, 40% payment up-front, 40% when the equipment is shipped, and 20% once the equipment passes site acceptance testing. So, we are committed at the time of PO, but the funds to not leave our hands until certain milestones are achieved. Assuming a 50% cost share, would we invoice the DOE for 50% of the funds once we physically issue payment to the equipment supplier? Are the guidelines different for an entity considered a “small business?” ","Refer to 2 CFR 910.354 regarding the payments for For-Profit Entities. The guidelines are not different for a “small business”. "]
["Do you know how the 40207 program works as to 50% financing if it is approved? My reading is that it is a grant for 50% up to $50m or $100m depending on category. Does that mean though that for a project cost the grant will be for 50% and is that released in cash straight away? Or is it held as a a credit against the project for example so that only a portion of the balance 50% would need to be financed by the company through equity and debt of its own but it would be held as a charge against the asset / company until fully delivered?","Projects selected under this FOA will result in cost-reimbursable grants.  During the course of the project, grant recipients will submit invoices and supporting documentation (see Section IV.I.xi.) that reflect all costs (both federal share and cost share) incurred during the invoice period.  After review by DOE, grant recipients will be reimbursed the federal share of the invoiced costs."]
["Are applicant gifts/sponsorships to community organizations allowable CBP activities/budget items?","Estimated items of cost must be necessary for completion of the proejct scope.  The specific allowability of items such as these will be assessed as part of the negotiation process."]
["We have read through all of the DE-FOA documentations, read through the FAQ’s, and it is still not clear to us if the FOA is specific to university research grants (the vast majority of the awards are to Universities, that is why I ask), or if there are grants available for improving manufacturing for preexisting TRL-9 commercial products like our batteries.  Before we extend the considerable resources to submit an application for funding we would like to know if this FOA is appropriate.  Can you please offer some insight, other than providing a link to more documentation we have likely already read?","Refer to Section III. ii. for Eligibility Information, Section IV. A. for Application Process, and Section I. B. for more information about Areas of Interest in FOA 3099."]
["Question – is it must to have active SAM registration at the time of Final Proposal submission on or before 3/19/2024?  Will we be able to submit Final Proposal, with our active UEI, if the registration is deleted on 3/3/2024?","Each applicant must maintain an active SAM registration with current information when the applicant has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant."]
["Quick question: can we use revenue generated from the project (not beyond the project period) as cost share?\n\nI appreciate any clarification/insight you can provide.","See 2 CFR 200.307(e) Use of Program Income.  Specific instances where \"revenue generated from the project\", or program income, is anticipated will be discussed during negotiations.   "]
["Since DOE prohibits federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) from lobbying to influence federal officials in connection with the awarding of grants or contracts, are FFRDCs still required to provide a signed SF-LLL when there is nothing to report?","Yes. Refer to Section IV. D. xvii. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required)."]
["According to Appendix C of the FOA, Buy America Requirements must be complied with for construction materials and infrastructure. \nHowever, for projects that produce critical materials through battery recycling in AOI2, equipment purchases do not fall under construction materials or infrastructure. \nIn such cases, is it correct that no waivers are required?\n\nIf equipment must be purchased in the United States (according to our company's current understanding, there are no companies in the United States that produce/supply the equipment), and it is determined that it is difficult to use the equipment without verification of its performance, would a waiver be required?\nIf foreign equipment is purchased and essential components for the equipment are procured in the United States, would a waiver be required for this situation?","Any Applicant who feels their project meets the requirement to use American iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials for infrastructure projects should thoroughly read Appendix C to determine if requesting a waiver is appropriate.                                                   Outside of the Buy American requirements outlined in Appendix C, a non-domestic equipment purchase should include a sound and quantifiable rationale for use of a non-domestic source.                                                                               "]
["Please will DOE make the recording of the Webinar held on January 24, 2024 available to applicants, in addition to the slide deck? If yes, please kindly provide instructions to access this recording at your earliest convenience. Thank ","Refer to Question #156"]
["Does the new CBP template table format (section F), which occupies a significant portion of the 12-page limit, qualify for exclusion from this page count?","Refer to Question #219"]
["Given the delay in Concept Paper encourage/discourage notifications, would the DOE consider extending the full application deadline?","At this time, no extension to the submission deadlines are planned by DOE. Please refer to page 1 of the FOA for submission timelines."]
["Can an organization listed as an applicant on a Concept Paper that has been encouraged to apply, add an additional organization as a co-applicant? I could not find guidance on whether this change is permissible after the Concept Paper acceptance. \n\nAdditionally, does DOE have an Offtake Agreement Letter of Comment you could provide?","There is no prohibition to changing the members of the project team between the Concept Paper and Full Application stages.  There are no samples or templates for Offtake Agreement Letters of Commitment."]
["Section 0.0 of the SOPO says \"The content, organization, and requirements for revision of the PMP are identified in the Federal Assistance Reporting Checklist and Instructions, which can be found in the award attachments.”  I have searched the FOA and can find nothing.  Is this something that we'd only receive after an award?  If not, can you explain where to find it?  Thank you! ","Details regarding the PMP will be provided to applicants upon selection."]
["I am reaching out again regarding the extension of the full application deadline. \n\nGiven the delay in concept paper encouragement notifications, will the DOE please consider extending the full application deadline by 1 week or more?","At this time, no extension to the submission deadlines are planned by DOE. Please refer to page 1 of the FOA for submission timelines."]
["On page 37 of the FOA, the section Supply Chain Impacts of Project has the text \"The applicant should supply any existing offtake agreements.\"  \nHow should these offtake agreements be submitted?","Please refer to Section IV.D.v.vOff-Take Agreement Letters of Commitment.  \n\nSubmit Offtake Agreement/ Letters of Commitment from state, local, and/or private companies/organizations (contractors, utilities, retail, and/or otherwise) (one-page maximum per letter). Save the Offtake Agreement Letters of Commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_OffTake”. \n\nOfftake Agreement Letters of Commitment have a one-page limit. "]
["If an Area of Interest (AOI) includes “cell manufacturing,” are there limitations on what can be included?  More specifically, can manufacturing electrodes (cathode, anode, or both) be included as part of “cell manufacturing” for projects outside of AOI 4?  ","Topic area 6 is focused on cell manufacturing capacitization. Applications focused on cell manufacturing, that may or may not include upstream production to feed cell manufacturing, may be within scope of AOI 6. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application to the AOI that feels most applicable to the focus of the facility."]
["FOA Section IV.D.xviii states \"For projects selected under this FOA, all recipients and subrecipients must qualify as domestic entities. To request a waiver of this requirement, the applicant must submit an explicit waiver request in the Full Application.” My question is, does this extend to vendors or suppliers who do not rise to the level of subrecipients?  Tech Volume Section 3.2 of our proposal details our supplier locations and justifies the need for foreign suppliers in the near term. Do we need waivers for our vendors and suppliers?  ","Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult Appendix C of this FOA to determine whether their project may have to apply this requirement, both to make an early determination as to the need of a waiver, as well as to determine what impact, if any, this requirement may have on the proposed project’s budget."]
["Seeking more clarity on the foreign work waivers. Our project may have up to three senior/key persons who live/work in a foreign country. Our company, however, is a US based / owned company. \n\nThis leads us to two questions regarding the foreign work waivers (not foreign entity waivers):\n(1) If an applicant is paying senior / key persons who live in another country with non-federal cost share and not the grant, is a foreign work waiver still needed?\n(2) Can foreign work waivers be submitted after award selections?","As per Section IV.I.iii. of the FOA, all work under the proposed project must be performed in the United States.  This requirement applies to the total project scope regardless of whether the work is paid for by federal funds or cost share funds.   Applicants who plan to execute work outside of the United States must submit a waiver request with their Full Application.  Absent an approved waiver request foreign work will not be permitted in the project. See Appendix C for details on the waiver request.   "]
["I am working with a company who wishes to apply for funding under DE-FOA-0003099. If you could answer the following question, it would be greatly appreciated:\n\nIf a subcontractor performs $250K or more work, must the applicant submit a sub-recipient budget and classify them as one?","A budget justification is required for any subrecipient (not vendor/contractor) whose proposed budget is at least $250,000.  Please refer to 2 CFR § 200.330 regarding criteria to be used in making subrecipient and contractor determinations."]
["To whom it may concern – the Budget Justification Workbook cells are locked. I.e. rows are able to be added (per the instruction sheet) but formulas cannot be carried through/formulas cannot be added to link the logic between cells and sheets. Can the owner of this document please provide a password to ‘unlock’ this file? See below and attached. ","An updated Budget Justification form was placed on the Exchange website."]
["Does the Community Benefit Plan budget justification workbook get populated on Tab f. of the prime applicant’s budget justification workbook as a “sub-recipient”. Or do the Community Benefit Plan costs get populated throughout the prime applicant’s budget justification workbook?","The estimated costs for the Community Benefits Plan should be populated across the applicable budget categories in the prime applicant’s budget justification. The separate Community Benefits Plan budget justification is a subset of the prime applicant's budget justification that serves to clearly distinguish costs for Community Benefits activities."]
["I have an MBE interested in participating in the FOA-0003099 for battery manufacturing. Wondering if they did not submit a concept paper if they are still able to submit a full application before 3/19?","See section IV.A of the FOA.  “Only eligible Concept Paper submissions may result in a Full Application.” Entities that do not submit a Concept Paper are not eligible to submit a Full Application."]
["Hi there—I asked a question a few days ago and haven’t seen and answer, so will ask it differently:\n\nDoes DOE consider necessary foreign vendors and/or material suppliers as “subcontractors or subrecipients” who would then require a waiver?","DOE does not provide determinations regarding subrecipients or contracts absent a full application.  Please review 2 CFR 200.330 regarding subrecipient and contractor determinations. The foreign work requirement applies to work performed by the prime recipient, subrecipient, and contractors that perform services.  The requirement does not apply vendors that provide products such as production equipment.  Products purchased outside the United States must be supported by a justification."]
["Hi, I’m working with an applicant who has a project partner that wishes to upload their budget justification form directly to DoE. They are not the prime recipient of funds. Due to sensitive cost information in the document, they want to upload the form directly without sending it to the prime.\n\nI know NSF allows for this, and I am pretty sure that DoE does as well, I just don’t know how.\n\nI believe there is a mechanism to achieve this— can you tell me how to do it?","The prime recipient is responsible for the entire project to include compliance with the award terms and conditions.  The application must be submitted by the prime applicant.  The project partner could remove cost information considered sensitive and provide it directly to DOE should the project be selected for negotiations leads to award."]
["To track the required files, I have added a sequence number aligned with the order in the FOA “Full Application Content Requirements” which is also the order on submission Upload Tab.\nDo I need to strip off the sequence number in the file name before I upload?\n\nie\nControlNumber_LeadOrganization-01_ TechnicalVolume  to ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_ TechnicalVolume\nControlNumber_LeadOrganization-02_ Resumes              to ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_ Resumes\nEtc","See section IV.D.i of the FOA.  Please conform to the file naming convention identified in the FOA and delete the sequence number."]
["If there is no lobbying activity does one still submit this form?\n\nThe link https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-individual-family.html is broken and goes to PAGE NOT FOUND.\nShould be https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-individual-family ","All applicants must submit this form.  Thank you for pointing out the broken link in Section IV.D.xvii; we will get this corrected in a future amendment to the FOA."]
["We are thinking of modifying our project title. Is this allowed (what we will be doing for the project is the same)?","It is acceptable to modify the project title."]
["On the Environmental Questionnaire form, it says \"To be completed on-line only at: https://www.eere-pmc.energy.gov/NEPA.aspx\nunless you are instructed otherwise by EERE.\"\n\nShould applicants look to directly fill out the questionnaire in the Word document or go online to complete the questionnaire?","See section IV.D.i of the FOA. The table instructs applicants to use the template provided in Exchange."]
["Do we need to complete the following in Section I of the Environmental Questionnaire? \n•\tNEPA Control Number\n•\tAward Number\n•\tDOE Technology Office Point of Contact\n•\tDOE Grants Management Specialist","No. This information will become available after selection for negotiations."]
["Per section B.i. In most cases partnering FFRDCs will be funded independently of the project team. Given FFRDCs will be funded independently of the remainder of the project team, is a Subrecipient Budget Justification required for a DOE FFRDC National Lab who is performing a portion of the work, in addition to the DOE WP and DOE Authorization Letter?\n \nOur understanding from previous responses from DOE is that the Subrecipient Budget Justification is not needed for FFRDCs regardless of the size of their budget.","See section IV.D.xiii regarding the requirement for FFRDC submission of a subrecipient budget justifications under the award. If the criterion in this section is attained, then the budget justification would be required in addition to the other requirements set forth in the FOA."]
["The project we are assisting with has six budget periods. However, the Budget Justification Template instructions state “If your project contains more than five budget periods, consult your EERE contact before adding additional budget period rows or columns.” May we proceed to add additional rows/columns where applicable in order to accommodate the project’s six-period budget? And is there an EERE contact we may reach out to aside from this Q&A email?","See section II.A.ii of the FOA.  DOE does not anticipate awards that exceed 60 months (5 years). Additionally, see section IV.D.ii of the FOA (Technical Volume), budget periods are anticipated to range from 12-18 months. Please use the current Budget Justification with 5 budget periods in developing the application.  "]
["For our project proposal we would like to lease an existing building for 5 years\nand we also need to construct a new building to make the project work.\nCan we add the lease as a budget item? After the five years, if the market\nwarrants it we would further extend the site with additional facilities and then move\nthe work from the leased facility into a future building that we would then own.","See appendix A regarding cost share information and rental value of space. The DOE will not make determinations regarding project costs absent a full application.  The project approach and decision whether to apply in response to this FOA lies solely with the applicant."]
["This question pertains to the budget periods and obligation of funds allocated during specific periods. \n\nCan a company request/receive funds during a budget period that will be used/spent during a later budget period for a specific engineering process that is begins early in the grant cycle but does not end until later in a different budget period, so long as the funds are allocated/assigned to said process during the initial budget period? ","A selectee received funds on a reimbursement basis.  It is possible that a task that begins in one budget period but does not conclude until a later budget period."]
["Regarding the 24-60 month period of performance outlined in the FOA, is an operational component of the project required within the period of performance, or can the scope of the award be solely the construction phase of the project. Thank you","No, an operational component is not required.  Refer to Section I. B. regarding areas of interest for applicants.  All applications must address the creation of domestic manufacturing capacity."]
["   I would like to converse with you, about our upcoming Application for our EV Battery manufacture, These programs are run through DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, and their details on these types of funding opportunities can be found here: https://www.energy.gov/mesc/funding\n\n1) Could you please tell me when is the absolute deadline in order to apply for these programs and be able to receive federal Grant support similar to what other companies have received ? \n\n2) What is your telephone number so that we can speak and get some ideas of support for our \nparticular EV Manufacturing and EV battery network deployment plans ? ","The schedule for applications is located on the cover page of the funding opportunity announcement.  The schedule for applications is located on the cover page of the funding opportunity announcement. The funding opportunity announcement is part of a competitive process, as a result, DOE cannot have discussions or calls with individual applicants. "]
["I would be most appreciative of an answer to the following question for the subject solicitation:\n\nThe solicitation requests applicants to submit a separate application with confidential information removed if they submit an application containing marked confidential information.  What is the purpose of the separate application which has confidential information removed?  Will that application version be subject to public release?","Please refer to section VIII.D of the FOA regarding treatment of application information."]
["Understand that the Concept deadline has passed but we are ready with a full application in the remaining two weeks. ","See section IV.A of the FOA.  “Only eligible Concept Paper submissions may result in a Full Application.” Entities that do not submit an eligible Concept Paper are not eligible to submit a Full Application."]
["With reference to the Buy America requirements for this FOA, does the requirement extend to battery manufacturing equipment (i.e., electrode coating equipment, battery cell winders, etc.) or just the supporting infrastructure (i.e., building shell and foundation, HVAC equipment)? Will a waiver be required if the battery manufacturing equipment is being manufactured in a foreign country?","Please refer to appendix C of the FOA regarding Buy American Requirements for Infrastructure Projects.  In the event that the Buy American requirements outlined in Appendix C do not apply to the equipment purchase, the application must include a justification for a non-domestic equipment purchase.                                                                               "]
["I have two questions relating to this application: \n\n1)\tFor the Data Management Plan Template, if the proposed project does not involve R&D, is there another template that should be used for this application?  The “Standard IP Provisions for Financial Assistance Awards” webpage does not have a “grant only” and “non-R&D” option. \n\n2)\tFor the application’s content requirements, if certain components are not applicable, do we prepare/submit a document that states “not applicable” or do we just not submit a corresponding form.","1. See section IV.D.xiv of the FOA regarding requirements for the proposed project’s data management plan.  For the purposes of intellectual property protection, projects resulting from this FOA are considered applied research and development. As a result, applicants are encouraged to consider use of the data management plan template language included within the FOA.  Otherwise, applicants are also encouraged to create their own data management plan.   2. See section IV.D regarding the required content of the full application.  All documents must be submitted with the full application, unless it is a document identified as \"if applicable\".  "]
["\nInterested in asking about changing business structure after the final application is submitted.  We are looking at a potential JV to run the business with another domestic manufacturing company.  We are not able to make a decision on this before we submit the final application. Will this disqualify us if we are awarded funds? ","See section III.A of the FOA regarding eligible applicants.  The DOE cannot make eligibility determinations absent a full application.                                                                                                                  "]
["We completed the concept paper for DE-FOA-0003099 and received notification  “recommended to apply”. The owner has asked that we apply anyway so I am looking for assistance to ensure we are closing the necessary gaps in the proposal and ensure that we have all the paperwork properly completed. Can someone assist me with this?","The funding opportunity announcement is part of a competitive process, as a result, DOE cannot have discussions or calls with individual applicants in order to assist with the application development process. "]
["Please see below for our two questions: \n\nQuestion 1: If a foreign work wavier is denied, will an applicant have a chance to revise their application to address the foreign concern and look for domestic alternative, acknowledging that the foreign wavier review is a non-appealable decision?\n\nQuestion 2: Is the Cost of Capital considered an allowable/reimbursable expense?","!. The DOE cannot provide a determination regarding foreign work waivers absent a full application. Additionally, the DOE cannot predict approaches for resolution of future determinations. The development and submission of an application is the sole responsibility of the applicant and should represent the applicant’s best approach to achieve project objectives.  2. Cost of Capital is typically defined as a minimum rate of return a company must earn in order to justify an investment.  Given the definition, cost of capital is part of an analysis that informs a company’s decision process to proceed with an investment and would not be associated with project costs. However, “Capital Expenditures (CapEx)” are allowable to extent that they align with the approved project objectives."]
["Based on the lobbying restrictions in the FOA, how should applicants complete Question 10 in the SF-LLL?  More specifically,  Question 10(a) asks for the name of the lobbying registrant, and Question 10(b) requires the names of the individuals that are performing services. If lobbying is not allowed in relation to this application, how should applicants complete these required fields? ","See section IV.D.xiv regarding the requirement for disclosure of lobbying activities. Section IV.I.ix Lobbying contains two prohibitions: (1) a prohibition on using federal money for lobbying activities; (2) a prohibition on using any money for lobbying activities related to an applicant’s application under this FOA.  Applicants must submit SF-LLL to demonstrate compliance with this second prohibition. Consistent with the FOA language, the requirement applies to all Federal funds as well as non-Federal funds now and in the future."]
["Could you please advise us when is the next round of this program opening up for Concept papers and Applications ? ","Refer to the Anticipated FOA Cycle Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40207 (b) and (c) starting on page 12 of the FOA."]
["\nI am sending an email to ask whether there is a chance to apply Department of Energy's funding program, \"Battery Manufacturing and Recyling Grants\", in other name \"DE-FOA-0003099: BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW (BIL) BATTERY MATERIALS PROCESSING AND BATTERY MANUFACTURING GRANTS\" even though we have missed the concept paper deadline. Would it be possible to submit with full application together? \n\nIf the application submission is closed, may I ask if there would be an additional funding round in the near future? ","See section IV.A of the FOA.  “Only eligible Concept Paper submissions may result in a Full Application.” Entities that do not submit an eligible Concept Paper are not eligible to submit a Full Application.  Refer to the Anticipated FOA Cycle Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40207 (b) and (c) starting on page 12 of the FOA."]
["My questions relate to Indirect costs.\n\nWhat is the definition? Can you provide the exact official DOE guidelines/document and/or within the FOA that defines and explains how to apply the indirect cost rate? This will help guide our team.\n\nWhat are the non-allowable items for the indirect cost rate? What are the allowable items?  \n\nWe have allocated our internal staff time about $5m for salaries, etc.; are those costs part of that?  \n\nDoes the 10% apply to the full spend - so if we have a $100m project cost, are we able to simply add another $10m?  \n\nThe key question for us is 10% of what - is it 10% of the total costs which are broadly categorized:\n\n1. Equipment and installation $85m\n2. Internal salaries/wages $5m\n3. Community $5m \n4. Finance costs $10m \n\n\nDoes the 10% apply to 100% of the costs or only 50% as that is the amount USV is funding?  \n\nFrom reading the instructions in the USV Budget_Justification, it seems to apply to both:\n\n“3. The indirect rate should be applied to both the Federal Share and Recipient Cost Share.”\n\nCorrect?\n\nHow do we apply the indirect cost rate?\n\nIf we apply 10% to the total that will add ~$10m to the project cost giving a total cost of around $115m. \n\nCan we use a higher than 10% indirect cost rate? What would be a “cap”? By selecting a higher than 10% indirect cost rate, would this put us at a disadvantage in the merit review process?\n\nHow do we apply the indirect cost rate to our subawardee which will be a University?\n\nWe need to confirm exactly how to apply indirect.\n\nFinally, please see our form, are we filling out this form correctly?","See 2 CFR 200.1 for definitions.  See also Negotiation Indirect Cost Rate Agreement and Indirect Rate Proposal Guidance at this link:  https://netl.doe.gov/business/business-forms/financial-assistance. DOE cannot comment on the specific allowability of items of cost and indirect costs - see 2 CFR 2000.414 for more.  The use of the 10% de minimis indirect cost is covered in 2 CFR 200.414(f).  Note that the 10% is applied against the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) which is also defined in 2 CFR 200.1."]
["Does the 10-page Community Partnership Documentation limit also include all LOCs relating to community partners? Or can these 1-page LOCs from community partners be included under the LOC category which has no total page limit?","Refer to Section IV. D. vi. Community Partnership Documentation.  The Community Partnership Documentation must include the letters of commitment and cannot exceed 10 pages."]
["Where are we supposed to input the community benefits plan budget? I do not see a separate template provided besides just the CBP template, but nothing specific to the CBP budget. I see in a previous question and answer that tab F of the Budget Justification is where the community benefits budget should go. Is that correct? Thank you. ","The estimated costs for the Community Benefits Plan (CBP) should be populated across the applicable budget categories in the prime applicant’s budget justification. The separate CBP budget justification represents the CBP budget that is included in the prime recipient budget.  Both the prime applicant's budget justification and the CBP budget justification are prepared using the same template."]
["We have a question on the FOA 3099, and would appreciate it if you could answer it.\n\nIf we are selected as the awardee for the DOE funding, does the Cargo Preference Act apply to our project, and do we have to transport more than 50% of our materials, equipment, etc. via U.S. vessels? If the Act is applicable to the project, would it be so regardless of the amount of the award? \n\nIn that case, do we have to reflect the increase in transportation costs due to the Cargo Preference Act in the “Budget Justification” to be reimbursed? Since the FOA only mentions the Build America, Buy America Act and the Davis-Bacon Act, the application of the Cargo Preference Act seems a bit unclear.","Yes. The Cargo Preference Act of 1954 (“the Act”) requires federal agencies to ship at least 50 percent of the gross tonnage of the equipment, materials, or commodities that are transported by sea on privately owned U.S. commercial vessels to the extent that those vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates for such vessels.  Yes.  Provide all applicable costs in your Budget Justification."]
["I have reviewed the DOE FOA regarding Battery Materials Processing and Manufacturing, and I have some questions about how to answer the Justice40 section of the Community Benefits Plan. I’ve reviewed the template plan provided by DOE, read the FAQ page and reviewed the tutorial, but I’m still struggling with a couple of questions that I hope are straightforward.\n\n1. I understand Justice40 requires 40% of the benefits of certain covered funding (including this grant program) to flow to disadvantaged communities. Does that mean that 40% of the grant money applied for needs to be spent directly on community building projects or is the intent of this section to describe the overall benefits (both inherent like in adoption of renewable technology and direct like positions hired) flowing to DACs as a result of the project? If the latter, is there any investment quota in DAC-serving programs (dollars, percentage of grant applied for or total capital expenditure) that we should be aware of?\n\n2. I understand the Justice40 section is requesting benefits specifically related to the nine priority areas identified in the president’s executive order (decrease in energy burden, etc.) but at the end of the CBP FAQ page, it provides \"Other examples of positive long-term outcomes in DACs include wealth creation, workforce development, reduced energy or environmental burdens, and long-term development.” Would community-building projects like the donation of a new gym or community center or an endowment for teacher salaries in the DAC count for this section, or do they need to be more closely related to the nine policy objectives?","The applicant is encouraged to review the FOA webinar available on Infrastructure Exchange that was a focused deep dive on Community Benefits Plans from DOE's Energy Justice Team. https://youtu.be/w16rGF6MTXU"]
["If an applicant is requesting a foreign work waiver for a small percentage of work to be performed outside the United States, should the non-domestic locations be included on the locations of work excel document? ","Yes, the locations of work file must include all proposed project work locations.  "]
["This email, along with its attachment, addresses the recent notification indicating that our preliminary submission was unsuccessful, leading to the recommendation to refrain from advancing to a full submission. \n\nWe appreciate your time and request your active and urgent consideration to move forward with an initial meeting.  Please do not hesitate to reach out using the contact details provided in the attached document. ","Receiving a discourage letter does not prevent an applicant providing a full application. The funding opportunity announcement is part of a competitive process, as a result, DOE cannot have discussions or calls with individual applicants. "]
["The FOA does not specify how it is preferred that a subrecipient LLL be uploaded and named – only the subrecipient budget justification. Could you please advise if you want subrecipient LLL uploaded by prime and the naming convention preferred per FOA Section D, xvii (page 53).","Please refer to section IV.D.xviii of the FOA regarding submission of the SF-LLL.  The prime must upload the form for subrecipients and should use the following naming convention, “ControlNumber_SubOrganization_SF-LLL”"]
["With a critical subrecipient as part of project – should biography of subrecipient lead be included in lead organization resumes when the head of the subrecipient is a lead advisor to prime (lead org) and actively involved in project?","Please refer to section IV.D.iii of the FOA.   Applicants must submit the required information for each project manager and Senior/Key Personnel for the project.  This requirement spans the Prime and subrecipients."]
["I have a question re your recent FEOC webinar slide. Why do you consider Australia as controlled by a covered nation?","The DOE will not respond to questions regarding deliberative processes.  Please refer to the DOE’s Foreign Entity of Concern website: Foreign Entity of Concern Interpretive Guidance | Department of Energy. DOE within their FEOC guidance is not considering any other countries to be covered nations aside from those designated so within 10 U.S. Code § 2533c - Renumbered § 4872, which includes North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia. In DOE’s proposed guidance, companies located outside these covered nations can be designated as Foreign entities of concern if they meet certain criteria."]
["I was wondering if we identify as a foreign entity could you share any waiver examples that we could use as referrals?","The DOE does not provide examples.  Applicants must use the information contained in the Appendix B of the FOA when developing the foreign work waiver."]
["We are preparing our biosketches, and have used what used to be the standard format:  Education and Training, Professional Experience, Publications and Patents, Awards and Honors, and Synergistic Activities.  The link in the FOA to the required format doesn’t work, but after searching the site, the new NSF format appears to be this: https://new.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/23-1/ch-2-proposal-preparation#2D2hi  Notably, it requires a signature as certification on each bio.  Is it acceptable to use the prior standard or do we need to follow the structure provided in the link above? ","You are correct, the link no longer works and the FOA needs to be updated.  Yes. The use of a format required by another agency is intended to reduce the administrative burden by promoting the use of common formats.  The template is not mandated."]
["What is the required SMART milestone frequency? There is a discrepancy between the FOA and the SOPO template. The FOA specifies one milestone per quarter of any type, and one SMART milestone per year (Workplan > Milestone Summary, pp. 43-44). The SOPO specifies one SMART milestone every quarter. ","The section of note states, “unless otherwise specified in the FOA, …\".  The SOPO template provides the requirements that should be followed."]
["•\tPages 106-107 requests two (2) copies of the full application documents to be uploaded – one marked nonconfidential with confidential information deleted.   We tested the Clean Energy Infrastructure (S3) Exchange at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/,  and this online application portal allows two copies of the Technical Volume to be uploaded, but only allows one document to be uploaded for other documents required to be uploaded with the full application.  How do we provide nonconfidential copies of these other documents by the filing deadline?","Applicants may only submit a non-confidential and confidential technical volume. Other application documents should not include confidential information."]
["p 38 of the FOA details requirements for risk analysis and mitigation:\n\"The applicant should provide a comprehensive Risk Management Plan (RMP) that is accompanied by a corresponding risk register for logging, tracking, assigning, and describing risks and the accompanying risk mitigation plans to be used for ongoing risk management\"\n\nQuestion: Our full risk register is far too large to include in the technical volume. Should we include an example of an entry in the risk register, or a list of the top 5 risks? Or is there a section to submit the full risk register?","The DOE cannot provide additional guidance or direction regarding the application process.  The applicant must determine the appropriate content for the application while adhering to page limitations. "]
["Will the NEPA review start when awards are made, or when contract negotiation is complete? We are allocating 9 months in our schedule for the NEPA review ahead of construction, but not sure when the clock should start.","Per section IV.ii of the FOA, “the schedule must allocate approximately nine months before the initiation of construction activities for environmental approvals.”  The directions in the technical volume are sufficient for development of the integrated project schedule (IPS)."]
["In the Budget Justification Template, it mentions submitting an Indirect Rate Proposal for the fringe and overhead rates, if not previously negotiated. Is this to be submitted during award negotiations or in the application due March 19th?","Per section IV of the FOA, applicants must provide each of the FOA components.  Applicants should follow directions in each of these components. If applicable and consistent with directions, the Indirect Rate Proposal should be submitted with the application."]
["The application portal only allows for submission of one file for each element of the application, except for the SF-LLL, which allows for two files to be uploaded.  There is also no option to upload additional files to the application more generally.  Where should applicants upload the non-confidential version of their application files?  We would request that the option to upload two versions of every element of the application be permitted.","Applicants may only submit a non-confidential and confidential technical volume. Other application documents should not include confidential information."]
["Hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to follow up with my submission for a concept paper for our organization, an alternative material for lithium. I would like to check if you could consider an extension for the deadline on 03/19/2024 for a full application since I have missed a confirmation of my concept paper acceptance. I have received an invite to join the webinar on Monday 11th and the deadline is tight to complete the full application I’d appreciate your help. I appreciate the opportunity and I am looking forward to hearing back from you.  ","The FOA cover page includes all deadlines for submission of application information. DOE does not currently plan to extend the application submission deadline. "]
["Per responses to questions 173 and 189 in the Q&A log, “The requirement to keep the CBP at 12 pages is in error and should have been changed to \"N/A\".  This will be remedied in a future amendment to the FOA.  Applicants should prepare their CBP utilizing the template and need not attempt to adhere to a page limitation.”\n\nThe most recent amendment to the FOA (Amendment 000003 posted on 1/30/2024) still lists a 12 page limit for the CBP on page 34. \n\nWill DOE please post an amendment that documents the lack of a page limit for the CBP? We plan to submit our application tomorrow and want to be sure our CBP over 12 pages is compliant with published guidelines.","Please refer to Amendment 4 for FOA 3099."]
["Does the Q&A log supersede the FOA if an FOA amendment referenced in a Q&A isn’t published prior to the deadline?\n\nI’m asking this as a follow-up to a prior question that hasn’t been addressed yet. We plan to submit our application tomorrow and want to be sure our 27 page Community Benefits Plan (CBP) narrative is compliant since an amended FOA removing the CBP page limit hasn’t been published yet.","Please refer to Amendment 4 for FOA 3099."]
["We were only able to upload 2 copies (a confidential version and a non-confidential version) of our Technical Volume in the Infrastructure Exchange Portal. We need to do the same for Offtake Letters of Commitment, and Community Partnership Documentation because these letters contain confidential business information/trade secrets necessary to convey the status of our project and meet the scoring criteria. We will attach the confidential version, clearly marked. Who can we send our non-confidential versions to should you need to distribute?","Applicants may only submit a non-confidential and confidential technical volume. Other application documents should not include confidential information. Non-Confidential offtake agreements (sanitized) may be submitted to the FOA."]
["We need to add a line to the budget tab d. Equipment in the budget period, but the file is protected and will not allow us to add an additional line to list equipment in the first budget period. Can you please advise on how to add the equipment to the spreadsheet? Do we add it to budget period 2 with an explanation regarding the issue of the spreadsheet?","Please combine the additional information in an existing row and note accordingly."]
["Would you be so kind as to help with he downloading of the lobbying actively form. We have tried using several  browsers but have had no luck each time we get this message box.","Please use the link in the infrastructure exchange to access this form."]
["In attempting to upload the FFRDC WP (Budget) on the Exchange site, I noticed the required format shows as \".xls, .xlsx.\" Per the FOA, the WP should be uploaded as a PDF as is standard for DOE submissions. Could you confirm if this is intentional, if not, please correct the Exchange to correctly display \"PDF\" as the WP upload requirement. ","Submittal as an Excel as required by Exchange is acceptable.  "]

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