Slots: Only one slot available TOTAL across Subtopic Areas 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b. The other subtopic areas are not institutionally limited. Note, it is not one application per subtopic area but one application total from USC.
Deadlines
Internal Deadline: Contact ORIF.
LOI: July 8, 2022, 5pm ET for Concept Paper.
External Deadline: September 9, 2022, 5pm ET
Award Information
Estimated Funding: EERE expects to make a total of approximately $59,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. EERE anticipates making approximately 4 to 20 awards under this FOA. EERE may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $500,000 and $100,000,000
Who May Serve as PI: For-profit entities, educational institutions, and nonprofits that are incorporated (or otherwise formed) under the laws of a particular state or territory of the United States and have a physical location for business operations in the United States are eligible to apply for funding as a prime recipient or subrecipient.
Link to Award: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx?Search=DE-FOA-0002638
Process for Limited Submissions
PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Office of Research Application Portal: https://orif.usc.edu/oor-portal/.
Materials to submit include:
- (1) Single Page Proposal Summary (0.5” margins; single-spaced; font type: Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 1-page limit will be excluded from review.
- (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)
Note: The portal requires information about the PIs and Co-PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.
Purpose
This FOA supports high-impact technology RD&D to accelerate the bioeconomy and, in particular, the production of low-carbon fuels for the aviation, marine, rail, and long-haul trucking industries. BETO is focusing on applied RD&D to improve the performance and reduce cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing cost and technical risk, BETO can help pave the way for industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as the aviation industry. Additionally, this FOA will strengthen current first generation (Gen-1) corn ethanol production facilities by reducing their overall carbon footprint. Under the current BETO vision, these biomass feedstocks will be developed for use in the production of sustainable aviation fuel through a variety of conversion technologies. BETO is focused on developing and demonstrating technologies that are capable of producing low-carbon, cost-effective biofuels and co-products by 2030, as well as biofuel production pathways that can deliver at least 70% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum. BETO further aims to support the demonstration of 4-5 fully integrated biorefineries, thereby increasing the number of proven pathways to produce sustainable aviation fuels, as well as sustainable marine, long-haul trucking, and rail fuels, by 2030. The RD&D activities to be funded under this FOA will support BETO goals and the government-wide approach to the climate crisis by driving the innovation that can lead to the deployment of clean energy technologies, which are critical for climate protection. Specifically, this FOA will support high-impact RD&D focusing on the production of low-GHG fuels for the aviation industry, as well as the marine, long-haul trucking, and rail industries by soliciting proposals to scale-up biorefinery technologies, and the reduction of Gen-1 GHG emissions.
Subtopic Area 2a: Pilot Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries(Preliminary Design and Phased Construction)
Subtopic Area 2a is intended for projects that have all relevant prior scale data and are ready to design a biofuels pilot facility. Projects selected under Subtopic Area 2a may have an opportunity to construct and operate their designed pilot facility subject to the down-select process described in detail below. Only projects selected following the down-select process will be eligible to proceed into a final design/construction/operation phase.
Subtopic Area 2b: Pilot Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries(Final Design and Construction)
Subtopic Area 2b is intended for projects that are fully ready to build and operate a pilot scale biorefinery. Eligible Applicants must have a completed full design package, whether that design was funded through past DOE funding or not. A full design package includes items like Process Design Basis Documents, Process Flow Diagrams, Mass and Energy Balances, budgetary estimates, and schedules. A more extensive list may be found in Appendix I. Unlike Subtopic Area 2a, recipients under Subtopic Area 2b will not be subject to the down-select process. The full federal share of the award will be obligated at the time of initial award, up to $15,000,000.
Subtopic Area 3a: Demonstration Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries (Preliminary Design and Phased Construction)
Subtopic Area 3a is intended for projects that have all requisite prior scale data and are ready to design a biofuels demonstration facility. Projects selected under Subtopic Area 3a may have an opportunity to construct and operate their designed demonstration facility subject to the down-select process described in detail below. Only projects selected following the down-select process will be eligible to proceed into a final design/construction/operation phase.
Subtopic Area 3b: Demonstration Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries (Final Design and Construction)
Subtopic Area 3b is intended for projects that are fully ready to build and operate a demonstration scale biorefinery. Eligible Applicants must have a completed full design package, whether that design was funded through past DOE funding or not. A full design package includes items like Process Design Basis Documents, Process Flow Diagrams, Mass and Energy Balances, budgetary estimates, and schedules. A more extensive list may be found in Appendix I. Unlike Subtopic Area 3a, recipients under Subtopic Area 3b will not be subject to the down-select process. A partial or full federal share of the award will be obligated at the time of initial award, up to $100,000,000.
Budgetary Requirements:
Subtopic Areas 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b: The cost share must be at least 50% of the total allowable costs for demonstration projects (i.e., the sum of the government share, including FFRDC costs if applicable, and the recipient share of allowable costs equals the total allowable cost of the project) and must come from non-federal sources unless otherwise allowed by law.
Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.