DE-FOA-0003371 FY24 Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries | DE FOA 0003371

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003371

DE-FOA-0003371, titled "FY24 Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries," is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) funding opportunity designed to push higher-risk bioenergy and bioproduct technologies out of the lab and into real-world, integrated operations at larger scales. The central purpose is to reduce technical and scale-up uncertainty by supporting cost-shared research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects that design, build, operate, and validate engineering-scale integrated biorefineries. In practical terms, DOE is looking for projects that can prove new feedstock and conversion combinations, show repeatable performance at pilot or demonstration scale, and generate the kind of operating data that financiers, offtakers, and regulators typically want before a technology is considered truly commercial-ready.

This FOA is directly tied to two major national goals. First, it supports the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge target of reaching 35 billion gallons per year of SAF production by 2050 by helping promising SAF pathways move through the hardest part of development: scaling from smaller integrated systems to larger, continuously operated facilities. Second, it supports the Clean Fuels and Products Shot vision of meeting around 50 percent of projected 2050 demand for certain hard-to-decarbonize markets, including maritime, rail, and off-road fuels, as well as renewable, carbon-based chemicals. The overall theme is decarbonization through biomass and waste-derived carbon, with an emphasis on integrated biorefineries that can demonstrate viable pathways for producing drop-in fuels and/or valuable chemicals at meaningful scale.

The announcement is structured around three topic areas, each focused on a different scale-up step or end product. Topic Area 1 targets biofuel technologies that are at pre-pilot scale, generally described as Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, and supports projects that will scale these systems to pilot scale (TRL 6). That typically means moving from a relevant-environment, integrated pilot-like setup to a true pilot operation with higher throughput, improved integration, and more robust control and reliability. Topic Area 2 is for biofuel technologies already proven at pilot scale (TRL 6) and aims to scale them to demonstration scale (TRL 7-8), where longer-duration operation, larger equipment, tighter integration, and more commercial-like performance expectations come into play. Topic Area 3 shifts the focus from fuels to organic chemicals made from renewable biomass and waste feedstocks that could displace petroleum-derived chemicals. This topic supports scale-up of biochemical pathways from TRL 5-6 up to pilot and demonstration scales (TRL 6-8), again emphasizing integrated, validated operations that reduce risk for commercialization.

Awards under this FOA are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which usually means DOE will have substantial involvement during the project (for example, through technical reviews, go/no-go milestones, and active project management). The work is intended to be cost-shared and collaborative, with partnerships spanning industry, academia, and the National Laboratories. The overarching intent is not just to fund research, but to fund the engineering and operational proof that a pathway can perform at scale, including the ability to handle feedstock variability, maintain stable conversion performance, and demonstrate product quality and yields that align with eventual market use.

Key administrative details matter here because the process is deadline-driven and submission is strictly controlled through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system. A required concept paper is due November 7, 2024 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, and full applications are due January 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The eXCHANGE portal enforces hard cutoffs by disabling submission functions at the deadline, so applicants need to plan for internal reviews, uploads, and potential last-minute technical issues. If technical problems occur before the deadline, applicants are instructed to contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk (exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov). If a technical problem causes a late submission, DOE states it will only consider accepting a late application if the issue was beyond the applicant's control, the applicant contacted the helpdesk for assistance, and the application is submitted through eXCHANGE within 24 hours after the posted deadline, with the system administrators able to assist in finalizing submission with the applicant's concurrence.

From an eligibility standpoint, the FOA is broad and includes many applicant types, such as state and local governments, special districts, public and private institutions of higher education, tribal governments and tribal organizations, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), individuals, for-profit entities (including small businesses and other than small businesses), and other eligible entities. The issuing agency is the DOE Golden Field Office, the program is categorized under energy (CFDA 81.087), and the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding. The stated award ceiling is $3,000,000, with an expectation of around 12 awards, indicating competitive selection and a portfolio approach rather than a single large buildout. DOE/NNSA and non-DOE/NNSA Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) cannot apply as the prime recipient, but they can participate as subrecipients, with a cap that the aggregate FFRDC effort may not exceed 50 percent of the total estimated project cost.

For applicants looking for the full requirements, templates, merit review criteria, and detailed topic scope, DOE directs everyone to the EERE eXCHANGE posting for DE-FOA-0003371 at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov. Questions are routed to FY24BETOScaleUp@ee.doe.gov, which is the official point of contact for clarifications tied to this specific funding opportunity. Overall, the FOA is best understood as a scale-up and de-risking program: it is meant to help integrated biorefinery pathways prove performance at pilot and demonstration scale so they can credibly move into first-of-a-kind commercial deployment and contribute to long-term national SAF and clean fuels/renewable chemicals supply goals.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0003371 FY24 Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-09-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for DE FOA 0003371

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