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Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second Life Applications - FY 2023

Agency: U.S. Department of Energy
CFDA: 81.086
Federal FON: DE-FOA-0003120
Office: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO)
Multipart Grant: No
Next Due: 04/19/2024 (Multiple)
Solicitation Date: 12/18/2023
   
Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $37,000,000 (Estimated)
Summary:

The purpose of this program is to reduce the costs associated with transportation, dismantling, and preprocessing of end-of-life electric drive vehicle batteries for recycling, as well as recycling of plastic and polymer electric drive vehicle battery accessory components through research, development, and demonstration projects. Program funding will support innovative technologies and processes that reduce the cost of battery recycling to achieve scale-up and profitability. Projects under the following topic areas will be supported:

  • Topic Area 1 - improving the economics of transportation, dismantling, and preprocessing of electric drive vehicle batteries: Projects will improve the economics of lithium-Ion electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling to ensure an economically profitable EV battery recycling ecosystem. This topic area is specifically aimed at reducing the costs associated with transportation and dismantling prior to the chemical and metal separation processes at recycling facilities. Technologies and processes that can interface at the point of collection, such as those performed at or with auto recyclers, dealerships, or automobile mechanic shops, are of particular interest. Also of interest are technologies or product designs that lower the costs and improve safety associated with the transport and disassembly of electric drive vehicle batteries, including:
    • Technologies and processes that improve the safety of end-of-life (EOL) EV battery transportation
    • Product designs that decrease the cost and improve the safety of EOL EV battery packaging or transportation
    • Technologies, processes, or logistics solutions that combine storage with transportation to allow full truck load (FTL) shipping
    • Unique approaches that reduce the cost of transporting EOL EV batteries to a recycling facility
    • Technologies and processes that reliably detect whether an EV battery should be designated as damaged or defective in a safe, convenient, and cost-effective manner
  • Topic Area 2 - recycling of electric drive vehicle battery accessory components: Projects will develop and demonstrate technologies and processes for recycling and disposal of plastics and polymer composites used in casings and enclosures of EV batteries. Approaches of interest include:
    • Processes or technologies that reduce the cost and/or improve the economics of recycling plastic and polymer composites from EV battery packs
    • Novel technologies for separating accessory components
    • Methods to ensure complete removal of battery active materials from plastic and polymer composite components
    • Methods to ensure safe disposal of waste materials and components recovered during the recycling process
    • Development of novel use cases for incorporating recycling accessory component materials in new EV battery packs

Refer to pages 13-17 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding eligible activities and requirements for each topic area.

Meaningful engagement and participation of workforce organizations, including labor unions, as well as underserved communities and under-represented groups, including Indian tribes, in projects is encouraged.

Last Updated: April 05, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are:

  • Institutions of higher education
  • For-profit entities
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • State and local governmental entities
  • U.S. territories
  • Indian tribes
  • Consortia of any of the above entities

Prime recipients and subrecipients must be domestic entities. For the purposes of this program, domestic entities are defined as those that are organized, chartered, or incorporated or otherwise formed under the laws of a particular state, territory, or tribe of the United States; have majority domestic ownership and control; and have a physical place of business in the United States.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate partnering commitments from key stakeholder organizations, including those at electric vehicle (EV) collection points, battery recyclers, battery manufacturers, relevant government agencies, trade associations, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), nonprofit organizations, and retailers, as applicable.

Applicants may submit more than one concept paper and full application, provided each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project.

Only new applications will be accepted.

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is ineligible to apply as a prime recipient or subrecipient on another entity’s application.

The following entities are ineligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient, but may participate as a subrecipient:

  • U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)
  • Non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs
  • Federal agencies and instrumentalities, other than the funding agency

The following entities are ineligible:

  • Nonprofit organizations described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engaged in lobbying activities after December 31, 1995
  • Entities banned from doing business with the U.S. government, such as entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participating in federal programs
Eligible Applicants:
Local Government
Academic Institutions
Consortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
Private Sector
State Government
Application Notes:

Mandatory concept papers must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on February 7, 2024.

Concept papers must be submitted online at eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov.

Concept papers must include:

  • Cover page (1 page max)
  • Technology description (3 pages max)
  • Research and development (R&D) community benefits plan (1 page max)

Concept papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Clear description of the proposed technology, how the technology is unique and innovative, and how the technology will advance the current state-of-the-art
  • Identified risks and challenges of the technology, regulatory, and financial aspects of the proposal, including possible mitigation strategies, and impact that funding and the proposed project would have on the relevant field and application
  • Applicant qualifications, experience, capabilities, and other resources necessary to complete the proposed project
  • Proposed work, if successfully accomplished, would clearly meet the program objectives

Applicants will be encouraged to or discouraged from submitting a full application. Discouraged applicants may still submit a full application.

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on April 19, 2024.

Applications must be submitted online at eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov.

Applications must include:

  • SF 424
  • SF LLL
  • Technical volume (30 pages max)
  • Resumes (3 pages max each)
  • Letters of commitment (1 page max each)
  • Statement of project objectives (7 pages max)
  • Budget justification workbook
  • Summary/abstract for public release (1 page max)
  • Subrecipient budget justification (if applicable)
  • Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)
  • Work proposal for FFRDC (if applicable)
  • Authorization from cognizant contracting officer for FFRDC
  • Foreign entity waiver requests and foreign work waiver requests (if applicable)
  • R&D Community Benefits Plan
  • Current and pending support
  • Location(s) of work
  • Transparency of foreign connections
  • Potentially duplicative funding notice
  • Data management plan

All submissions must be formatted to fit on standard-sized pages with at least one-inch margins. Submissions must be typed in black Calibri font of at least 12-point. References must be typed in at least 10-point font. Files are limited to 50 MB in size. Refer to pages 29 and 32-33 of the NOFA file for additional application formatting information.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

  • Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
  • SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Full applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Technical merit, innovation, and impact (45 percent)
  • Project demonstration and market transformation plan (25 percent)
  • Team and resources (15 percent)
  • R&D community benefits plan (15 percent)

Refer to the NOFA file for additional application information.

Match Required: Yes
Match Type: Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds: $37,000,000 (Estimated)
Match Notes:

Applicants must provide cash and/or in-kind matching contributions, as follows:

  • Topic Area 1: at least 20 percent of the total project costs for research and development projects
  • Topic Area 2: at least 50 percent of the total project costs for demonstration projects

Allowable in-kind contributions include the donation of volunteer time or the donation of space or use of equipment.

Matching funds must come from nonfederal sources, such as project participants, state or local governments, or other third-party financing, unless otherwise allowed by law.

Project teams may not use the same cash or in-kind contributions to meet cost share requirements for more than one project or program.

Costs incurred by federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) generally may not be used to meet the cost share requirement.

The following may not be used as a match:

  • Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period
  • Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity
  • Federal funding or property, such as federal grants or equipment owned by the federal government
  • Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate federal program
  • Fee or profit, including foregone fee or profit
  • Contributions provided by vendors/contractors
  • Partial donation of goods or services
Funding Notes:

Approximately $37 million is anticipated to be available to support awards through this program, as follows:

  • Topic Area 1: approximately $35 million to support four to nine awards ranging from $4 million to $8 million
  • Topic Area 2: approximately $2 million to support one to two awards ranging from $1 million to $2 million

The project period will last 36 months.

Award notifications are expected to be made on September 30, 2024.

Applicants must include the following costs in their travel budget:

  • Annual merit review in Washington, D.C.
  • One annual government/industry partnership meeting per year at the funding agency's request; meeting locations may include Southfield, Michigan; Detroit, Michigan; or Washington, D.C.

Funds may not be used for:

  • Fee or profit, including foregone fee or profit
  • Lobbying
  • Procuring or obtaining; extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain; or entering into a contract or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain equipment, services, or systems that use covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system, as detailed on page 92 of the NOFA file
Contacts:

Program Staff
DE-FOA-0003120@netl.doe.gov

Agency Address
U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20585

Contact Notes:

Questions must be submitted to the program staff at least three business days prior to the application deadline. Questions and answers will be posted online at eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov.

Concept papers and applications must be submitted online at eere-eXCHANGE.energy.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:
NOFA File: US17170_NOFA_FY2023.pdf (1.3 Mb)
Application File: US17170_Application_FY2023.zip (388.7 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17170_Q&A_FY2023.pdf (234.5 Kb)
File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains the required forms for submission. The Q&A file contains an updated list of questions and answers regarding this program.

April 5, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.

March 18, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.

February 23, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.

February 2, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.

January 18, 2024
The required forms for submission have been released and attached in the Application folder. In addition, a list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file.

Grant Keywords
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Grant Categories
Energy
Environment/Natural Resources
Recycling & Reuse
Solid Waste
Transportation
Science/Technology