Application Notes:

Mandatory concept papers must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on August 20, 2024.

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

Concept papers must include:

• Cover page (1 page max)
• Technology description (4 pages max)
• Addendum (2 pages max)

Concept papers must be submitted in .pdf format and must be formatted on standard-sized pages with margins no smaller than one inch on every side. Concept papers must be formatted in black Calibri font no smaller than 12-point, although figures and tables may be 10-point. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes, which will count toward the maximum page requirements, in a font no smaller than 10-point. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page. The control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name.

Concept papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The applicant clearly describes the proposed connected community project, including the technologies and approach being demonstrated, grid services provided, location, building/plant/vehicle use types, systems, business models, and all other salient information
• The applicant clearly describes how the connected community project data will be leveraged to develop methods to right-size grid investments, especially distribution grid investments, while decarbonizing and electrifying buildings, industry, and transportation, as well as to achieve power sector decarbonization
• The applicant clearly describes how the connected community project will sustain or improve customer resilience in a manner that yields reliable, replicable, and scalable frameworks, especially for utilities, regulators, and others to leverage in future planning scenarios
• The project has potential to be replicated, scaled, and validated
• The applicant clearly describes how the technology is unique and innovative, and how the technology will advance the current state of the art
• The applicant describes a strategy for community engagement and how the project addresses concerns of energy equity and community benefits more broadly
• The applicant has identified risks and challenges of the technology, regulatory, and financial aspects of the proposal including possible mitigation strategies, and has shown the impact that funding and the proposed project would have on the relevant field and application
• The applicant has the qualifications, experience, capabilities, and other resources necessary to complete the proposed project
• The proposed work, if successfully accomplished, would clearly meet the program objectives

The funding agency will encourage a subset of applicants to submit full applications; other applicants will be discouraged from submitting a full application. An applicant that receives a discouraged notification may still submit a full application; however, by discouraging the submission of a full application, the funding agency intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the proposed project in an effort to save the applicant the time and expense of preparing a full application that is unlikely to be selected for award negotiations.

Full applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. ET on October 10, 2024.

Full applications must be submitted online at eere-exchange.energy.gov.

Full applications must include:

• SF 424
• Technical volume (20 pages max)
• Resumes (3 pages max per resume)
• Letters of commitment (1 page max per letter)
• Statement of project objectives (10 pages max)
• Budget justification workbook
• Summary/abstract for public release (1 page max)
• Summary slide (1 page max)
• Subrecipient budget justification (if applicable)
• DOE work proposal for FFRDC (if applicable)
• Authorization from cognizant contracting officer for FFRDC (if applicable)
• SF LLL
• Foreign entity waiver requests and foreign work waiver requests (if applicable)
• Current and pending support
• Impacted Indian tribes documentation (if applicable)
• Transparency of foreign connections
• Potentially duplicative funding notice (if applicable)
• Technology description spreadsheet

Full applications must be formatted on standard-sized pages with margins no smaller than one inch on every side, and must be formatted in black Calibri font no smaller than 12-point, although figures and tables may be 10-point. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes, which will count toward the maximum page requirements, in a font no smaller than 10-point. Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page. The control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name. The maximum file size that may be uploaded is 50 MB. If a file exceeds 50 MB but is still within the maximum page limit, it must be broken into parts and denoted to that effect. Files must be formatted and named according to the specifications detailed on pages 45-46 of the NOFA file.

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.

An optional webinar will be held for this program as follows:

July 29, 2024
10:30 a.m. ET
Registration: events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com

Full applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Technical merit, innovation, and impact (50 percent)
• Project research and execution plan (25 percent)
• Team and resources (25 percent)

Refer to the NOFA file and Application folder for additional application information.

Match Notes:

Applicants must provide at least 50 percent of the total project costs for demonstration projects via cash or in-kind contributions.

Matching contributions may be provided by the prime recipient, subrecipients, or third parties. Vendors/contractors may not provide matching contributions, and any partial donations of goods or services is considered a discount and is not allowable.

Unless otherwise allowed by law, matching contributions may not come from federal sources.

Matching contributions may not include the same cash or in-kind contributions used to meet the matching requirements of another project or program.

Funding Notes:

Approximately $65 million is expected to be available to support approximately 8 to 20 cooperative agreements for this program overall, with approximately $15 million available to support an anticipated 4 to 6 cooperative agreements expected to range from $3 million to $6 million through this component.

Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis.

Award notifications are expected to be made in winter 2025, and award negotiations are expected to take place in spring 2025.

The project period is anticipated to run from 36 months up to 60 months, and will be comprised of one or more budget periods. Project continuation will be contingent upon several elements, including satisfactory performance and a go/no-go decision by the funding agency.

Applicants selected for award negotiations must request prior written approval to charge pre-award costs. In addition, award recipients must obtain written authorization from their contracting officer before incurring any major construction costs.

Funds will not support:

• Applications that fall outside the technical parameters of this program
• Applications for proposed technologies that are not based on sound scientific principles
• Applications that do not include elements of buildings, industrial plants, vehicles, and/or local generation or storage
• Applications that do not include energy efficiency, whether for buildings, industry, or transportation, to achieve the objectives of this program
• Applications proposing only the construction of new buildings or major grid upgrades
• Applications that lack an engaged utility partner or do not include connections to the local public utility commission (PUC)/investment decision authority/community organization
• Applications that do not have a line of sight and concrete plan for adoption and implementation such as through customer programs or through new distribution planning and analysis methodologies
• Foreign travel costs
• Lobbying

August 9, 2024
The presentation slides from the webinar held for this program have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file.