Financial Opportunities: FAQs

Question 1: Are concept papers or full applications published?
Answer 1: Generally, EERE does not publish concept papers or full applications. EERE may publish the “Summary for Public Release” that accompanies full applications. EERE may publish or release additional information, as required by law or as appropriate. To safeguard your trade secret, privileged, and confidential information, we strongly encourage you to comply with the marking requirements of Section IX of the funding opportunity announcement.

Question 2: Where Can I find a a Guide to Submitting Concept Paper and Full Applications?
Answer 2:

Click Here for the Guide to Submitting Concept Papers and Full Applications.

Question 3: How do I know if I was successful in uploading my concept paper or full application?
Answer 3: All applicants will receive an automated response when their concept paper or full application is successfully uploaded. This automated response serves as a confirmation of receipt by EERE. Please retain this automated response for your records.

Question 4: How do I submit a concept paper or full application?
Answer 4: All applicants are required to submit their concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE system. On EERE's website, click "Apply" next to the funding opportunity to which you wish to apply. Click "login," and follow the instructions for the submission of concept papers and full applications.

Question 5: How long does it take to upload a concept paper or full application?
Answer 5: The time required to upload a concept paper or full application will vary, depending on the applicant’s internet connection, internet and data server traffic, and other factors. EERE strongly recommends that applicants upload their concept paper or full application at least 5 hours before the final deadline. EERE encourages applicants to submit their concept papers and full applications as soon as possible. Applicants should not wait until the last day or the last hour before the deadline to submit their concept paper or full application. Internet and data server traffic can be heavy on the ultimate due dates, and especially in the last several hours. Applicants should allow sufficient time to resolve any technical difficulties or seek assistance from EERE with uploading their application (EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov).

Question 6: I did not submit a concept paper prior to the deadline. Can I still submit a Full Application?
Answer 6: Parties who failed to submit a timely and responsive Concept Paper during the Concept Paper phase of the funding opportunity are not allowed to submit Full Applications. EERE will not accept or consider such Full Applications.

Question 7: If a team includes a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), are the costs incurred by the FFRDC included in the team’s share of total project costs?
Answer 7: No. The value of a FFRDC’s contributions typically are considered to be part of the government’s share of the total project costs, rather than part of the recipient’s cost share.

Question 8: If I am to upload an SF-424A for each budget year and one for the total, with the same level of detail for all subawardees with an award value of greater than $100,000, how can I upload this information when I am only able to upload one file to the portal?
Answer 8: Create a separate tab for each year and total within the SF-424A Excel file, and upload this one file to the eXCHANGE system.

Question 10: If I have questions relating to the submission of concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE system, who do I contact?
Answer 10: For questions relating to the submission of concept papers and full applications through EERE's eXCHANGE portal, please contact us at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Question 11: Is there a way I can respond to comments received on our Concept Paper?
Answer 11: At present, EERE does not accept or consider responses to reviewer comments on Concept Papers. Please note that EERE considers reviewer comments within the context of the merit review process, but reviewer comments are not determinative of EERE's selection of Concept Papers or Full Applications.

Question 12: Is there someone at EERE I can talk to about my concept paper or full application?
Answer 12: No. Once EERE publishes its funding opportunity, EERE staff may not answer questions relating to the funding opportunity. All questions must be directed to the applicable FOA email address.

Question 13: May an applicant submit two proposals that are interrelated?
Answer 13: Yes. However, applicants should understand that the proposals will be evaluated independently of one another.

Question 14: Our Concept Paper was discouraged, can we still submit a Full Application?
Answer 14: Applicants that are discouraged during the Concept Paper phase may submit a Full Application, which will be evaluated through a merit review process. The purpose of the Concept Paper phase is to save applicants the time and expense of preparing a Full Application for technologies that are unlikely to be selected for award. Should you decide to submit a Full Application, please be aware that your Full Application is unlikely to be selected for award.

Question 15: What wage rates should be used in the proposal?
Answer 15: Generally, salaries should be in line with industry standards. However, "wage rates" for laborers and mechanics performing construction, alteration and repair work must comply with the requirements set forth in Davis-Bacon Act. Please contact us at the applicable FOA email address if you have any questions relating to the requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act.

Question 16: Please advise on how we submit our application through the EERE Exchange as this is not a familiar process.
Answer 16:

All application submissions are to be made via the EERE eXCHANGE at https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214214214/http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange. To gain access to the EERE eXCHANGE, the applicant must first register and create an account on the main EERE eXCHANGE site. This account will then allow the user to register for any open EERE FOAs that are currently in eXCHANGE. It is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, utilize one account as the appropriate contact information for each submission.

The applicant will receive an automated response when the preliminary or full application is received; this will serve as a confirmation of EERE receipt – please do not reply to the automated response. The applicant will have the opportunity to re-submit a revised preliminary or full application for any reason as long as the relevant submission is submitted by the specified deadline. A “User Guide” for the EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE website https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214214214/http://eere.energy.gov/financing/exchange/Manuals.aspx after logging into the system.

Questions related to use of the EERE eXCHANGE website should be submitted to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

Questions related to the Funding Opportunity Announcement should be submitted to the applicable FOA email address and should be submitted not later than 3 calendar days prior to the preliminary application or full application due date. Questions submitted after that date may not allow the Government sufficient time to respond. Answers to questions will be posted on the Exchange website under this FOA. Applicants are encouraged to review the posted questions and answers daily.

Question 17: I've tried 6 times to fill out your funding page Titled General after logging in and get this error message every time. Please let me know whats going wrong and help me correct this problem so I may complete your application for funding.
Answer 17:

Please submit questions related to the use of the EERE eXCHANGE website to: EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov

Question 18: Does the terminology “the maximum amount for the individual award” mean the value of the DOE cost share that may be provided apart from the recipient cost share proposed? That is, can the total proposed project value be up to a DOE cost share up to $2.5M per year plus the appropriate recipient cost share (20% for Phase 1 and 50% for Phase 2)?
Answer 18: The term 'maximum amount for the individual award' only refers to the cost share contributed by the Department of Energy.

Question 19: Will we be accepting email submissions of LOIs if the Exchange website is having technical problems? Will we require some evidence that they have contacted Exchange support?
Answer 19: All Letters of Intent must be submitted using the eXCHANGE system. In the event that an applicant encounters an error submitting a Letter of Intent to the eXCHANGE system, such as the one described, and they are unable to successfully complete their submission prior to the closing, the applicant should immediately submit their application via e-mail to the FOA mailbox. Along with the required submission documents, the applicant should provide a detailed description of the error encountered, including screen shots showing the error, as appropriate. DOE will evaluate acceptance of the application on a case-by-case basis.

Question 20: Is an electronic signature acceptable for documents?
Answer 20: The documents, that require a signature, must be signed by an Authorized Representative of the organization.

Question 21: Since some of our partners do not lobby, should the SF LLL be submitted or not?
Answer 21: If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the grant/cooperative agreement, the organization must complete and submit Standard Form - LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying.”

Question 22: For an industry/university led proposal, is there restrictions on how much can National Lab get?
Answer 22:

There can be only one lead (prime Applicant). The FOA does not specify any percentage limitation for budget and/or work distribution among the team members that are eligible applicants. It is the Prime's responsibility to determine proper distribution of work and budget and justify it.

Question 23: Are industry participants allowed to use DOD labs (vs. DOE FFRDC’s) as subcontractors under this solicitation? If so, will the DOD lab receive their funding directly from DOE, as is the case with DOE FFRDCs?
Answer 23:

While the eligibility language does not explicitly list Laboratories of Federal agencies other than DOE as eligible entities, DOE's intent is to have the funding opportunity announcement open to all types of entities, including other Federal agency Laboratories. While non-DOE Laboratories are not excluded from eligibility, the Laboratory must establish that it is authorized to carry out the activities under the proposed project and accept funds from another agency. If a non-DOE Laboratory applies as a lead applicant, the Federal agency sponsoring the Laboratory must authorize in writing the use of the Laboratory on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the application. The following wording is acceptable for this authorization: “Authorization is granted for the _____________ Laboratory to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the laboratory is consistent with or complementary to the missions of the laboratory and will not adversely impact execution of the DOE assigned programs at the laboratory. THIS LABORATORY IS AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM THE WORK PROPOSED IN THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED UNDER DOE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT # DE-FOA-0000560 BY THE FOLLOWING STATUTORY AUTHORITY [insert Statute name, citation, and section]____________.” DOE reserves the right to contact the applicant to further clarify whether the applicant has the necessary authority.

DOE will fund the Laboratory through an interagency agreement with the agency.

Question 24: I am working on the SF-424 application and cannot seem to find the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this announcement. Can you please let me know what the number is?
Answer 24:

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number for this announcement is: 81.087

Frequently Asked Questions