Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002715
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) - Request for Information on Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities (DE-FOA-0002715) is a Department of Energy (DOE) solicitation for feedback, not a grant application opportunity. Issued through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and administered by the Golden Field Office, the RFI is meant to collect practical input from the people and organizations who would likely interact with or be affected by a future program tied to BIL Section 40541, which focuses on energy improvements in public school facilities. In other words, DOE is using this RFI to shape how a potential future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) could be designed, implemented, and evaluated.
The RFI invites responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including Local Education Agencies (LEAs), school staff and administrators, state and local governments, energy service companies, unions, utilities, service providers, researchers, community partners, and manufacturers. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted for purposes of submitting information, meaning any relevant entity can provide feedback as long as it aligns with any clarifications in the announcement text. The topic area is energy (CFDA 81.086), but the key point is that there is no funding being awarded under this notice, no awards expected, and no applications being accepted.
DOE is specifically seeking input across five program design areas that would influence how funding might later be distributed and what kinds of projects and applicants could be prioritized. First, DOE wants to understand capacity development and technical assistance needs, such as what kinds of support schools and their partners would need to successfully plan, apply for, and manage energy improvement projects. Second, DOE is asking for ideas on how to define and use applicant needs assessments, including what should be included in a needs assessment, how DOE could help applicants complete them, and how needs assessments can be leveraged to identify high-impact projects. Third, DOE is requesting early thoughts on evaluation approaches, including potential methodologies for determining which applicants should receive priority consideration and what metrics should be used to score or measure awards and outcomes. Fourth, DOE is looking for partnership structures and models that can help deliver results at scale, such as collaborations among school districts, state energy offices, utilities, energy service companies, labor organizations, and community-based partners. Fifth, DOE wants input on how federal investments could be combined with other funding sources to expand the number of facilities reached and increase the depth of savings and benefits, including greater energy and cost savings as well as improved health outcomes.
Submission instructions are straightforward and procedural. Responses had to be submitted by email to SchoolsRFI@ee.doe.gov as a Microsoft Word attachment, with a deadline of 5:00 PM Eastern Time on May 18, 2022. The notice emphasizes multiple times that this is solely a request for information and should not be interpreted as a Funding Opportunity Announcement. Anyone looking for the official notice and full text was directed to the EERE Exchange website at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.Apply for DE FOA 0002715
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) - Request for Information on Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 04, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 2022 This is a request for information - no applications are due. (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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FAQs: BIL Request for Information on Energy Improvements at Public School Facilities (DE-FOA-0002715)
1) What is DE-FOA-0002715?
DE-FOA-0002715 is a Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) focused on energy improvements at public school facilities. It was issued to gather feedback and practical input, not to solicit grant applications.
2) Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. This notice is explicitly an RFI and should not be treated as a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). DOE stated there is no funding being awarded under this notice, no awards expected, and no applications being accepted.
3) Why did DOE release this RFI?
DOE released the RFI to collect input from stakeholders who would interact with or be affected by a potential future program tied to BIL Section 40541 (energy improvements in public school facilities). The goal is to help DOE shape how a future FOA could be designed, implemented, and evaluated.
4) Which DOE office issued and administered the RFI?
The RFI was issued through DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and administered by the Golden Field Office.
5) What law or statutory section is this connected to?
The RFI is tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), specifically Section 40541, which focuses on energy improvements in public school facilities.
6) What is the topic area and CFDA listing mentioned?
The topic area is energy, and the CFDA listing referenced is 81.086.
7) Who was DOE looking to hear from?
DOE invited responses from a broad set of stakeholders, including Local Education Agencies (LEAs), school staff and administrators, state and local governments, energy service companies, unions, utilities, service providers, researchers, community partners, and manufacturers.
8) Who was eligible to submit an RFI response?
Eligibility to submit information was described as unrestricted for purposes of responding, meaning any relevant entity could provide feedback, as long as it aligned with any clarifications in the announcement text.
9) What kinds of input was DOE requesting?
DOE requested input across five program design areas that could influence how future funding might be distributed and what projects and applicants might be prioritized.
10) What were the five program design areas DOE asked about?
The RFI sought feedback on:
- Capacity development and technical assistance needs
- Applicant needs assessments (how to define and use them)
- Evaluation approaches (including scoring, metrics, and prioritization)
- Partnership structures and models to deliver results at scale
- Combining federal investments with other funding sources to expand reach and benefits
11) What does DOE mean by capacity development and technical assistance in this RFI?
DOE was looking for input on what support schools and their partners would need to plan, apply for, and manage energy improvement projects successfully. This includes practical technical assistance and capacity-building needs.
12) What is meant by an applicant needs assessment in this context?
DOE asked for ideas on what should be included in a needs assessment, how DOE could help applicants complete needs assessments, and how these assessments could be used to identify high-impact projects.
13) What evaluation topics was DOE asking about?
DOE requested early thoughts on evaluation approaches, including methodologies for determining which applicants might receive priority consideration, along with potential metrics that could be used to score awards and measure outcomes.
14) What partnership models was DOE interested in?
DOE sought input on partnership structures that could deliver results at scale, including collaborations among school districts, state energy offices, utilities, energy service companies, labor organizations, and community-based partners.
15) Why did DOE ask about combining federal investments with other funding sources?
DOE was interested in ways federal investments could be combined with other funding sources to reach more facilities and increase the depth of savings and benefits, including greater energy and cost savings as well as improved health outcomes.
16) How were responses required to be submitted?
Responses were required to be submitted by email to SchoolsRFI@ee.doe.gov as a Microsoft Word attachment.
17) What was the deadline for submitting feedback?
The deadline stated in the notice was 5:00 PM Eastern Time on May 18, 2022.
18) Where could respondents find the official notice and full text?
DOE directed interested parties to the EERE Exchange website for the official notice and full text: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
19) Does submitting a response result in an award or funding?
No. DOE emphasized that this notice was solely a request for information. There were no awards expected and no funding being awarded under this notice.
20) Does this RFI accept applications for school energy improvement projects?
No. DOE stated that no applications were being accepted under this RFI. The purpose was to gather feedback to inform a potential future FOA.
21) What is the main takeaway for schools and partners reading this notice?
The key point is that this is a feedback-gathering process meant to inform DOE's program design for a potential future funding opportunity related to BIL Section 40541. It is not an open grant competition.
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