Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001637
DE-FOA-0001637 is the Fiscal Year 2017 Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The central purpose of the opportunity is to strengthen U.S. energy independence by accelerating research, development, and demonstration efforts that expand domestic bioenergy feedstocks, biofuels, and biobased products. In practical terms, BRDI is intended to move biomass-based technologies and supply chains forward in ways that make them more competitive, more scalable, and more sustainable, while also helping diversify the nation’s overall energy portfolio.
The program is rooted in federal authorities that specifically encourage the growth of a U.S. biomass-based industry, including the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The FOA emphasizes that funded projects should contribute to economically viable and environmentally responsible renewable biomass solutions. That includes improving how biomass is produced and harvested, increasing the availability and performance of renewable fuels and biobased products, and generating the analytical understanding needed to support sound investment and deployment decisions.
For FY 2017, USDA and DOE announced up to $9 million in total funding available through BRDI, with awards made as cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements generally signal an expectation of substantial federal involvement during the period of performance, such as technical collaboration, regular reporting, and active project stewardship, rather than a hands-off grant structure. DOE’s portion of funding is explicitly subject to annual congressional appropriations, which is a standard caveat for federal funding that can affect final award amounts or timing.
Applicants are allowed to propose work in any or all of three legislatively mandated technical areas. Area A, feedstocks development, focuses on the front end of the bioeconomy: developing or improving sustainable biomass supplies (for example, crop residues, energy crops, forest resources, algae, or other renewable biomass sources), along with practices that address yield, logistics, cost, environmental impacts, and reliability of supply. Area B, biofuels and biobased products development, targets the conversion and product side of the pipeline, supporting technologies and processes that turn biomass into fuels and non-fuel biobased products, including work that improves efficiency, reduces costs, increases product quality, or enables new pathways. Area C, biofuels development analysis, supports analytical efforts that help evaluate biofuels development, such as techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, sustainability and market analysis, and other decision-support studies that clarify tradeoffs and identify the most promising options for deployment.
Eligibility is broadly open, with the FOA indicating an unrestricted applicant pool subject to any clarifications in the full announcement. The agencies specifically invite participation from for-profit companies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories, reflecting BRDI’s emphasis on cross-sector collaboration and applied outcomes. The administering office listed is the Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, and the funding activity category spans agriculture and energy, consistent with the joint USDA-DOE structure.
In terms of expected award size and volume, individual awards were anticipated to range from $500,000 to $2,000,000, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000. DOE anticipated making roughly 1 to 6 awards, while USDA anticipated about 3 to 14 awards, indicating that multiple projects could be supported across different parts of the biomass-to-products value chain. The FOA number is associated with CFDA 81.087, aligning it with DOE assistance listings.
The application process was managed entirely through DOE’s EERE eXCHANGE system. Applicants had to register and create an account in that portal and submit materials there in order to be considered. The FOA used a two-step timeline with a concept paper deadline of July 7, 2017 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, followed by a full application deadline of September 22, 2017 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, which was also the original closing date. The FOA directed applicants to the EERE eXCHANGE website for the full announcement text, detailed submission instructions, and guidance on where to send questions about the opportunity’s technical content versus questions about the mechanics of submission.Apply for DE FOA 0001637
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the agriculture, energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0001637: Fiscal Year 2017 BIOMASS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (BRDI)" 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 Jun 05, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 22, 2017 Submission Deadline for Concept Papers 07/07/2017 500pm ET Submission Deadline for Full Applications 09/22/2017 500pm ET. (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 $2,000,000.00 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) - DE-FOA-0001637 (FY 2017 BRDI)
What is DE-FOA-0001637?
DE-FOA-0001637 is the Fiscal Year 2017 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
What is the purpose of the BRDI funding opportunity?
The purpose is to strengthen U.S. energy independence by accelerating research, development, and demonstration that expands domestic bioenergy feedstocks, biofuels, and biobased products. The FOA emphasizes moving biomass-based technologies and supply chains forward so they become more competitive, scalable, and sustainable, while helping diversify the nation's energy portfolio.
Which federal agencies are involved in this FOA?
This opportunity is a joint USDA-DOE program. The administering office listed for the FOA is the Department of Energy (DOE), Golden Field Office.
What laws or authorities is BRDI based on?
The FOA references federal authorities supporting the growth of a U.S. biomass-based industry, including the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
How much total funding was available under FY 2017 BRDI?
For FY 2017, USDA and DOE announced up to $9 million in total funding available through BRDI.
What type of award instrument was used?
Awards were made as cooperative agreements. This generally indicates substantial federal involvement during the period of performance (for example, technical collaboration, regular reporting, and active project stewardship), rather than a more hands-off grant structure.
Is all DOE funding guaranteed?
No. DOE's portion of funding was explicitly stated to be subject to annual congressional appropriations, which can affect final award amounts or timing.
What technical areas could applicants propose under this FOA?
Applicants could propose work in any or all of three legislatively mandated technical areas: (A) Feedstocks Development, (B) Biofuels and Biobased Products Development, and (C) Biofuels Development Analysis.
What is Area A: Feedstocks Development?
Area A focuses on developing or improving sustainable biomass supplies and related practices. Examples of renewable biomass sources mentioned include crop residues, energy crops, forest resources, algae, or other renewable biomass sources. The FOA highlights considerations such as yield, logistics, cost, environmental impacts, and reliability of supply.
What is Area B: Biofuels and Biobased Products Development?
Area B targets technologies and processes that convert biomass into fuels and non-fuel biobased products. The FOA describes improvements such as increasing efficiency, reducing costs, increasing product quality, or enabling new conversion pathways.
What is Area C: Biofuels Development Analysis?
Area C supports analytical efforts to evaluate biofuels development and inform decisions. The FOA lists examples such as techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, sustainability and market analysis, and other decision-support studies that clarify tradeoffs and identify promising deployment options.
What kinds of outcomes does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes economically viable and environmentally responsible renewable biomass solutions, including improving biomass production and harvesting, increasing the availability and performance of renewable fuels and biobased products, and generating analytical insights that support sound investment and deployment decisions.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was described as broadly open, with an unrestricted applicant pool (subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). The FOA specifically invited participation from for-profit companies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and national laboratories.
What is the expected award size for individual projects?
Individual awards were anticipated to range from $500,000 to $2,000,000, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000.
How many awards were expected to be made?
DOE anticipated making roughly 1 to 6 awards. USDA anticipated about 3 to 14 awards. This indicates multiple projects could be supported across different parts of the biomass-to-products value chain.
What is the assistance listing (CFDA) associated with this FOA?
The FOA is associated with CFDA 81.087, aligning it with DOE assistance listings.
What funding activity categories does this FOA fall under?
The funding activity category spans agriculture and energy, reflecting the joint USDA-DOE structure of BRDI.
How were applications submitted?
The application process was managed entirely through DOE's EERE eXCHANGE system. Applicants needed to register and create an account in the portal and submit required materials there.
Were concept papers required?
Yes. The FOA used a two-step timeline, with a concept paper deadline followed by a full application deadline.
What was the concept paper deadline?
The concept paper deadline was July 7, 2017 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.
What was the full application deadline (closing date)?
The full application deadline was September 22, 2017 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, which was also stated as the original closing date.
Where could applicants find the full announcement and detailed instructions?
The FOA directed applicants to the EERE eXCHANGE website for the full announcement text, detailed submission instructions, and guidance on questions related to technical content versus submission mechanics.
How were questions handled for this opportunity?
The FOA indicated there would be guidance in the full announcement on where to send questions, distinguishing between questions about the opportunity's technical content and questions about the mechanics of submission through EERE eXCHANGE.
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