The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is issuing, on behalf of the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Awards made under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act1, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy through enhancing U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of quality jobs, and ensuring stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for disadvantaged communities (DACs). The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE)2 to invest in American manufacturing and workers; expand access to energy efficiency; deliver reliable, clean and affordable power to more Americans; and deploy the technologies of tomorrow through clean energy demonstrations.
As part of and in addition to upgrading and modernizing infrastructure, DOE’s BIL investments will address the climate crisis and support efforts to build a clean and equitable energy economy that achieves zero carbon electricity by 2035, and put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050 to benefit all Americans.
This FOA supports the administration goals laid out above by supporting the development of workforce programs and partnerships that will facilitate the continued deployment of solar energy technologies, while supporting an inclusive workforce with opportunities for career advancement, including through union membership.
This FOA will support multi-stakeholder high-road workforce development partnerships that help accelerate the deployment of solar energy while advancing the Administration’s priorities around worker empowerment, quality jobs with a free and fair choice for workers to join a union, and Energy and Environmental Justice (EJ) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the clean energy workforce.
Deadlines:
The proposed prime recipient and subrecipient(s) must be domestic entities. The following types of domestic entities are eligible to participate as a prime recipient or subrecipient of this FOA: 1. Institutions of higher education; 2. For-profit entities; 3. Non-profit entities; and 4. State and local governmental entities, and Tribal Nations.
An entity may submit more than one Concept Paper and Full Application to this FOA, provided that each application describes a unique, scientifically distinct project and provided that an eligible Concept Paper was submitted for each Full Application
DOE expects to make a total of approximately $10,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. DOE anticipates making approximately 8-16 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $250,000 and $1,500,000.
