Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001669
Supporting Clean Energy Startups: Industry and Investment Partnerships for Scaling Innovation (DE-FOA-0001669) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Technology-to-Market (T2M) Request for Information (RFI) that was issued to collect feedback from the public, not to award grant funding. The central goal is to gather practical, on-the-ground input about how DOE can make the U.S. clean energy innovation ecosystem work better, especially by building on and improving prior DOE initiatives and investments rather than starting from scratch. In other words, DOE is asking innovators, investors, and industry partners to describe what is still not working for early-stage clean energy companies and what kinds of ecosystem-level interventions would most effectively help new technologies reach real markets.
A key theme of the RFI is that traditional commercialization pathways are particularly difficult for disruptive, non-software clean energy technologies. Unlike many software startups, these companies often need significant capital to build prototypes and pilot projects, face long engineering and validation timelines, and must integrate into complex physical systems like the electric grid, buildings, industrial plants, transportation infrastructure, and established manufacturing and supply chains. They also tend to enter commodity-like markets where pricing pressure is intense and incumbents are already optimized for scale. On top of that, they have to navigate evolving regulations, permitting requirements, interconnection rules, safety standards, and other policy factors that can change the time and cost required to bring a product to market. DOE is signaling that these realities create predictable bottlenecks and that it wants clearer direction on where the ecosystem fails early-stage firms and how federal programs can reduce friction.
The RFI defines the "innovation ecosystem" broadly as the full set of stakeholders that collectively enable commercialization, including universities, entrepreneurs and startups, large businesses and industry partners, national labs and shared facilities, and capital providers such as venture investors and other sources of finance. Through EERE's Office of Strategic Programs (OSP) and the T2M program, DOE is specifically seeking insight into the challenges startups face when launching and scaling products and businesses, as well as what roles investors and corporate/industry partners can play in moving technologies out of the lab and into widespread deployment. The intent is to use the responses to shape future scope and priorities for T2M efforts, strengthening connections among these players and improving the efficiency of the pathway from innovation to market adoption.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary DOE effort associated with EERE and the Golden Field Office, and it appears in systems like EERE Exchange under the FOA/RFI identifier DE-FOA-0001669. Although the listing includes fields commonly associated with funding opportunities (such as a funding instrument type and an award ceiling), the RFI itself clearly states that no applications are being accepted and no funding is available through this particular notice. It is purely an information-gathering action, meant to inform future program design rather than to make awards now. Responses were required to be submitted through EERE Exchange by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on November 14, 2016, and the full text of the RFI was provided via the EERE Exchange portal and the T2M program webpage.Apply for DE FOA 0001669
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Supporting Clean Energy Startups: Industry and Investment Partnerships for Scaling Innovation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 19, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 14, 2016. (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 $2.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) Is DE-FOA-0001669 a grant or funding opportunity?
No. DE-FOA-0001669 is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Technology-to-Market (T2M) program. It was issued to collect feedback from the public and is not an announcement for awarding grant funding.
2) Does this notice accept applications for funding?
No. The RFI explicitly states that no applications are being accepted and no funding is available through this particular notice. It is information-gathering only.
3) What is the purpose of this RFI?
The purpose is to gather practical, on-the-ground input about how DOE can improve the U.S. clean energy innovation ecosystem. DOE is looking for feedback on what is still not working for early-stage clean energy companies and what ecosystem-level interventions would most effectively help new technologies reach real markets.
4) What does DOE mean by "innovation ecosystem" in this RFI?
The RFI uses a broad definition of the innovation ecosystem, including universities, entrepreneurs and startups, large businesses and industry partners, national laboratories and shared facilities, and capital providers such as venture investors and other sources of finance.
5) Why is DOE focusing on early-stage clean energy startups?
DOE highlights that early-stage clean energy startups, especially those developing disruptive non-software technologies, face predictable commercialization bottlenecks. The RFI seeks clearer direction on where the ecosystem fails these firms and how federal programs could reduce friction along the path to market adoption.
6) What types of technologies are emphasized as particularly challenging to commercialize?
The RFI emphasizes disruptive, non-software clean energy technologies. These companies often require significant capital for prototypes and pilot projects, have long engineering and validation timelines, and must integrate into complex physical systems.
7) What commercialization barriers does DOE describe for non-software clean energy companies?
DOE points to several recurring barriers, including the need for large amounts of capital to build prototypes and pilots, long development and validation timelines, integration with complex infrastructure (like the electric grid, buildings, industry, transportation, and supply chains), intense pricing pressure in commodity-like markets, and challenges competing with incumbents optimized for scale.
8) What policy or regulatory issues are mentioned as affecting time and cost to market?
The RFI notes that startups may need to navigate evolving regulations, permitting requirements, interconnection rules, safety standards, and other policy factors that can change the timeline and cost required to bring a product to market.
9) What kind of input is DOE trying to collect through this RFI?
DOE is asking innovators, investors, and industry partners to describe what is not working for early-stage clean energy companies and to suggest ecosystem-level interventions that would help technologies move from innovation into real markets.
10) Which DOE offices or programs are associated with this RFI?
This RFI is associated with EERE, specifically EERE's Office of Strategic Programs (OSP) and the Technology-to-Market (T2M) program.
11) How will DOE use the responses submitted to this RFI?
DOE intends to use the responses to shape future scope and priorities for T2M efforts. The goal is to strengthen connections among ecosystem stakeholders and improve the efficiency of moving innovations from the lab to market adoption.
12) Is DOE looking to start brand-new initiatives, or build on existing work?
A central theme is building on and improving prior DOE initiatives and investments rather than starting from scratch. The RFI seeks feedback aligned with making existing pathways work better.
13) Who is the intended audience for providing responses?
The RFI is aimed at members of the clean energy innovation ecosystem, including innovators and entrepreneurs, startups, investors and other capital providers, and industry or corporate partners, as well as other stakeholders such as universities and national labs.
14) Where was this opportunity listed and identified?
It appears in systems such as EERE Exchange under the FOA/RFI identifier DE-FOA-0001669 and is associated with EERE and the Golden Field Office.
15) Why does the listing look like a funding opportunity if no funding is available?
The listing includes fields commonly associated with funding opportunities (for example, a funding instrument type and an award ceiling), but the RFI text itself states that no funding is available and no applications are being accepted under this notice.
16) What was the submission method for responses?
Responses were required to be submitted through EERE Exchange.
17) What was the deadline for submitting responses?
The deadline was 5:00 pm Eastern Time on November 14, 2016.
18) Where could respondents find the full text of the RFI?
The full text was provided via the EERE Exchange portal and the T2M program webpage.
19) Does this RFI make awards now or commit DOE to future awards?
This notice is described as purely an information-gathering action meant to inform future program design. It does not make awards now, and no current funding is available through this specific RFI.
20) What is the overall goal DOE is trying to achieve through the T2M-related RFI?
The overall goal is to make the U.S. clean energy innovation ecosystem work better by reducing friction in commercialization pathways, strengthening stakeholder connections, and improving the pathway from innovation to market adoption for early-stage clean energy technologies.
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