Frequently Asked Questions

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question: 

As described in Executive Summary (page 1) and Section I.B. (page 8) of the FOA, applications are being solicited for:

1) Tribal Clean Energy Planning (Topic Area 1); or 2) Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment (Topic Area 2); or,

3) Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects (Topic Area 3).

Further, for the purposes of this FOA, the term “Clean Energy Technology” includes only: (1) clean energy generating system(s), (2) energy efficiency measures, or (3) integrated energy system(s), and (4) may include energy infrastructure. “Clean Energy Generating System(s)” for the purposes of this FOA include: (1) renewable energy system(s), or (2) combined heat and power system(s) using renewable fuels such as biomass, biogas, renewable natural gas, or renewable hydrogen.  Per Appendix A of the FOA (page 89), “Renewable energy systems (s),” include systems for : (1) electric power generation; and/or (2) heating or cooling systems. [Emphasis Added]

Finally, for the purposes of this FOA, the technology must be “commercially-proven,” meaning it must be at least a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 9, where TRL 9 is “Commercial-Scale Production/Application” and represents an in-service application of the technology in its final form and under mission condition; and at TRL 9, the actual, commercial-scale system is proven through successful mission operations, whereby it is fielded and being used in commercial application. Information relative to the technology and its TRL should be provided as part of the application. For more on TRL, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level. FOA Section I.C., Applications Specifically Not of Interest, also states that “[a]pplications proposing the evaluation of product marketing opportunities, assessment of manufacturing opportunities, research, product development”, will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered.

If your tubal-algalculture technology does not meet the definitions above or the scope of one of the three Topic Areas, it would not be an eligible technology. 

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) can be found on IE-Exchange at https://ie-exchange.energy.gov. The FOA document contains all the requirements associated with this opportunity. Further, an audio recording and information webinar slides will be made available after the October 24, 2024, informational webinar at https://ie-exchange.energy.gov.  This webinar will provide information on who is eligible to apply, what an application needs to include, cost share and other requirements, how to ask questions, and how applications will be selected for funding.  You may register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8004378022050315095 .

Eligibility under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DE-FOA-0003401, as prescribed under Section III.A. “is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; (2) Intertribal Organization; or (3) Tribal Energy Development Organization; and (4) on whose Tribal Lands the future project(s) will be located." Definitions of those eligible entities are provided in the FOA. [Emphasis added]

More specifically, to qualify as an eligible Indian Tribe under the FOA (Section III.A), an applicant must meet the definition in section 4 of the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304): “any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [ 43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians."

Unless an applicant meets those FOA eligibility requirements, it is not eligible to submit an application. Please review the FOA to ensure the eligibility of the planned project, the applicant, and Tribal Lands.

Per pages 4 and 38 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): “All Applicants are required to submit a Commitment and Cost Sharing File, which must include a statement of commitment and cost sharing on the Applicants letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant.”  Therefore, a Tribal Council Resolution is not required under this FOA, but rather a statement of commitment and cost sharing on the Applicant’s letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant. You may include a copy of your constitution as an attachment to the Eligibility Statements and Evidence File, if you so choose, as evidence of the authority of the representative to submit the application. Please note that if the Nation itself is submitting an application as an eligible Indian tribe (rather than a submission by a Tribal Organization) evidence to submit on behalf of an eligible Indian Tribe would not be required. See Section IV.C.6. for the required elements of the statement of commitment and cost share must include.

You may wish to consider registering and attending the informational webinar on October 24, 2024, at 3:00 Eastern Time. The webinar will provide information on the FOA to potential applicants. In addition to describing the FOA, information will be provided on who is eligible to apply, what an application needs to include, cost share and other requirements, how to ask questions, and how applications will be selected for funding. If you are unable to attend the webinar, it will be recorded and posted for later viewing.

1. Per page 9 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “Projects selected under Topic Area 3 (Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects) are intended to result in projects ready for deployment (final design, installation, commissioning and monitoring) of clean energy technology on Tribal Buildings or Tribal Lands. It is intended that the proposed development activities are the result of a comprehensive feasibility and viability assessment (see Topic Area 2).” [Emphasis Added]  Further, relative to Topic Area 2 (Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment) page 15 of the FOA states, “[i]t is anticipated that the proposed Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment, as a minimum, is based on a completed energy options analysis (see Topic Area 1).” [Emphasis Added]

Therefore, to be eligible under Topic Area 3, a Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment is required. That assessment is expected to be based on an Energy Options Analysis; however, the Energy Options Analysis is not required to be submitted as part of an application for Topic Area 3. An Energy Options Analysis File, however, is required to submit an application under Topic Area 2.

2. An applicant is not required to have been funded under Topic Area 2 to complete the Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment required Topic Area 3. However, the Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment should include the items identified on pages 15 and 16 of the FOA. If an Energy Options Analysis or other precursor studies have been completed, that information can be uploaded under the Supplemental information File and will be considered in the review of the application.  

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question: 

Eligibility under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DE-FOA-0003401, as prescribed under Section III.A. “is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; (2) Intertribal Organization; or (3) Tribal Energy Development Organization; and (4) on whose Tribal Lands the future project(s) will be located." [Emphasis Added] Definitions of those eligible entities are provided in the FOA.

Unless an applicant meets those FOA eligibility requirements, it is not eligible to submit an application.

As described in Executive Summary (page 1) and Section I.B. (page 8) of the FOA, applications are being solicited for:

1) Tribal Clean Energy Planning (Topic Area 1); or 2) Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment (Topic Area 2); or,

3) Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects (Topic Area 3).

Further, per section I.C. page 18 of the FOA, “Application Specifically Not of Interest” include: “Applications proposing the evaluation of product marketing opportunities, assessment of manufacturing opportunities, research, product development”. [Emphasis Added]

Similar Clean Energy Technology Deployment funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) have been issued multiple times over the last 15 years. However, all future funding opportunities are uncertain as they are subject to annual Congressional appropriations and mission priorities. Additionally, due to the competitive nature of funding opportunities, we are not able to discuss them prior to release. To be notified of any future funding opportunities, join our email list on the main page of our website. https://www.energy.gov/indianenergy/office-indian-energy-policy-and-programs

There are no specific limitations on additional travel that can be proposed beyond the required travel to the annual Program Review. However, travel and all proposed project costs must be justified on the Budget Justification form and the proposed costs reasonable, allowable, and allocable.

Both statements refer to attending and presenting at the annual Program Review and including those travel costs in the budget (typically five days in duration plus travel days) for each year during the period of performance of the grant. See Program Review | Department of Energy for more information on this annual review.

There are no prohibitions against an eligible applicant working with a Department of Energy (DOE) Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), including DOE laboratories. For purposes of this response, the terms National Laboratory and FFRDC are used interchangeably.

However, project involvement of DOE FFRDCs or non-DOE/FFRDCs comes with additional requirements. The use of an FFRDC must be consistent with its authority under its federal contract. Specifically, the cognizant Contracting Officer for the FFRDC must authorize, in writing, the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the application. The following wording is acceptable for this authorization:

Authorization is granted for the (insert National Laboratory name) to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the (insert National Laboratory name) is consistent with or complementary to the missions of the (insert National Laboratory name) and will not adversely impact execution of the federally assigned programs at the (insert National Laboratory name).

Additionally, the value of and funding for the FFRDC portion of the work will normally be included in the award to a successful applicant. Rather, DOE will fund a DOE FFRDC participating as a subrecipient on a project through the DOE field work proposal process and non-DOE FFRDCs participating as a subrecipient on a project will be funded through an interagency agreement with the sponsoring agency. Regardless of these arrangements, the entity that applied as the prime recipient for the project will remain the prime recipient for the project.

Because FFRDCs are funded by the federal government, costs they incur generally may not be used to meet the FOA cost share requirement. Although the FFRDC portion of the work is usually excluded from the award to a successful applicant, the applicant's cost share requirement will be based on the total cost of the project, including the applicant's, the subrecipient's, and the FFRDCs portions of the project.

Further, the prime recipient will be the responsible authority regarding the settlement and satisfaction of all contractual and administrative issues including, but not limited to, disputes and claims arising out of any agreement between the prime recipient and the FFRDC contractor.

Thank you for bringing this discrepancy to our attention. The maximum number of pages per resume is 3-pages.

We offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

Per Section I.B.3. and Appendix A, ““Development” for purposes of this FOA refers to activities prior to hardware installation and may include, but is not limited to, design and engineering (except final design and engineering), economic analyses, environmental evaluations and studies, policy and regulatory assessment, market and interconnection studies, risk analysis and mitigation planning, operations and maintenance planning, organizational structure and financing planning. [Emphasis added]

Neither Topic Area 1 (Tribal Clean Energy Planning) nor Topic Area 2 (Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment) involve any “development” or engineering activities.  Therefore, geotechnical engineering activities are allowable only under Topic Area 3 (Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects) provided the activities meet the requirements of the that Topic Area; however, those activities may be subject to a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and approval.  

Per the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), under Section III A. Eligible Applicants (page 20), “eligibility for award under this FOA is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; (2) Intertribal Organization; or (3) Tribal Energy Development Organization; and (4) on whose Tribal Lands the project(s) will be located." [Emphasis added]

More specifically, there are no prohibitions against an eligible entity proposing multiple project sites or project sites in multiple distinct and isolated communities, provided: (1) the project as a whole and at each proposed site meets the requirements of a single particular Topic Area and the scope proposed for each site is not distinctly different; (2) the cost of the project, as a whole (cumulative of all project sites), does not exceed the maximum amount of DOE funding per individual award; (3) each proposed site meets the requirement of Tribal Lands; (4) the applicant has the ability to exercise authority, direction, and control over the project including each proposed site; and (5) the application complies with all other requirements of the FOA.  

Per section I.B. page 17 of the FOA, “Completed design and engineering (except final design and engineering) may include, but is not limited to, detailed engineering drawings, interconnection studies and/or agreements (if applicable), detailed materials and equipment list(s), hardware specifications, warranties, and any other design or engineering data necessary to deploy proposed clean energy technology. Whereas, as defined on page 17 and in Appendix A of the FOA, ““Deployment” for purposes of this FOA means the installation of clean energy technology and may include: final design and engineering, selection of contractors, obtaining permits and approvals, securing financing, procuring equipment, installation, and commissioning. Note: “Deployment” activities are not allowable activities under Topic Area 3 or any other Topic Area of this FOA.” Further, Section I.C. (Applications Specifically Not of Interest), also states that, “applications proposing final design and engineering or the purchase or installation of equipment, excluding equipment which may be needed for resource assessment”, are not of interest.

More specifically, ‘completed’ design and engineering would be any design or engineering activities necessary to deploy the proposed clean energy technology (pre-construction activities) whereas ‘final’ design and engineering would include any additional design and engineering needed to finalize equipment selections for the actual purchase and installation of the equipment (deployment activities).

Please see the Eligibility Statements and Evidence template for instructions relative to applicant and land status eligibility. Specifically relative to land status, see Question 2.

Per IV.C. Content and Form of the Application, Eligibility Statements and Evidence File (page 38) of the FOA, “All Applicants are required to submit eligibility statements that document and provide evidence of Applicant and land status eligibility to support DOE’s eligibility determination. The template is available under ‘Application Forms and Templates’ for this FOA on IE-Exchange at https://ie-exchange.energy.gov. The use of the template is not required; however, the information included within the template is required [Emphasis Added].

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the limited information provided in your question:

Tribal organizations other than federally recognized Indian tribes may be eligible applicants under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), as specified under Section III.A.

Section III.A. (page 20) of the FOA states, “In accordance with EPAct 2005 authorities and consistent with 2 CFR § 910.126(b), eligibility for award under this FOA is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; (2) Intertribal Organization; or (3) Tribal Energy Development Organization; and (4) on whose Tribal Lands the project(s) will be located." See the definitions in Section III.A. or Appendix A of the FOA. Additionally, as stated on page 21 of the FOA, “[a]pplications may also be submitted on behalf of Indian Tribe(s) by an authorized “Tribal Organization", provided evidence of that authority is included as part of the application. [Emphasis Added]"

Therefore, Tribal Organizations (as that term is defined on page 21 of the FOA) – whether non-federally recognized or federally recognized – are not directly eligible; however, they may submit an application on behalf of an eligible Indian tribe (as defined on page 21 of the FOA), provided they have evidence of authority from the eligible Indian tribe to submit an application on its behalf.

Non-federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations, other than as described in Section III.A. of the FOA, are not eligible applicants.

The Topic Areas under this FOA include: 1) Tribal Clean Energy Planning (Topic Area 1); or 2) Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment (Topic Area 2); or, 3) Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects (Topic Area 3). Per Section I.C. of the FOA (page 18), applications specifically not of interest include:

•      Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in Section I.B. of the FOA.

•      Applications proposing final design and engineering or the purchase or installation of equipment, excluding equipment which may be needed for resource assessment.

•      Applications proposing deployment activities, as that term is defined in this FOA, including applications proposing the execution of agreements (interconnect, land lease, rights-of-way, power purchase, financing), issuing requests for proposals, or entering into contracts.

•      Applications proposing the building, erecting, altering, remodeling, or repairing of a building or structure.

•      Applications proposing the evaluation of product marketing opportunities, assessment of manufacturing opportunities, research, product development.

[Emphasis added]

Further, only commercially-proven clean energy technology is eligible, where “[c]ommercially-proven” for the purposes of this FOA, means the technology must be at least a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 9, where TRL 9 is “Commercial-Scale Production/Application”. Also, see Question and Answer 1 on IE-Exchange.

If the above does not answer your question, please submit a clarified question to TribalGrants@hq.doe.gov.

Responses to questions received in the Indian Energy mailbox will be posted on IE-Exchange under the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) webpage.

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

Per Section III.A. (Eligible Applicants) on page 20 of the FOA, “Only the following types of Applicants are eligible to apply to this FOA. All Applicants will be required to provide eligibility statements and evidence (see Section IV.C.5.) to support DOE's eligibility determination. DOE will not make sufficiency determinations prior to an application being submitted. Applicants that do not meet the requirements of this subsection will be deemed ineligible and their applications will not be reviewed or considered. In accordance with EPAct 2005 authorities and consistent with 2 CFR 910.126(b), eligibility for award under this FOA is restricted to: (1) an Indian Tribe; (2) Intertribal Organization; or (3) Tribal Energy Development Organization; and (4) on whose Tribal Lands the project(s) will be located."

Further, per page 20 of the FOA, ““Indian Tribe,” for the purposes of this FOA and as defined in in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. § 5304), means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [ 43 U.S.C. § 1601, et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. For further definitions of “Alaska Native Regional Corporations” or “Alaska Native Village Corporation” see pages 20-21 of Appendix A of the FOA.

Additionally, as stated on page 21 of the FOA, “[a]pplications may also be submitted on behalf of Indian Tribe(s) by an authorized “Tribal Organization", provided evidence of that authority is included as part of the application.” [Emphasis Added] Therefore, Tribal Organizations (as that term is defined on page 21 of the FOA) are not directly eligible; however, they may submit an application on behalf of an Indian tribe (as defined on page 21 of the FOA), provided they have evidence of that authority.

Regarding applicant eligibility, private entities, in and of themselves, are not eligible applicants, unless that entity is an Indian Tribe, Intertribal Organization; or Tribal Energy Development Organization, or an eligible entity applying on behalf of an Indian Tribe or Tribes, as defined under Section III.A. (page 21 of the FOA). Note, however, those eligible Tribal entities identified above and in the FOA may partner with or contract to non-eligible entities, such as private entities.

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the limited information provided in your question:

As defined under Section I.B. and under Appendix A, ““Clean Energy Generating System(s)," for the purposes of this FOA include: (1) renewable energy system(s), or (2) combined heat and power systems(s) using renewable fuels such as biomass, biogas, renewable natural gas, or renewable hydrogen.

As defined under Appendix A,

(1)   Renewable energy system(s) for electric power generation include, but are not limited to, photovoltaic (solar electric), biomass (including waste to energy), wind power, hydropower (diversion, run-of-river, small impoundment and incremental), or other renewable energy hybrid systems for electricity power generation. Note that, for purposes of this FOA, ground or air source heat pumps are considered an energy efficiency measure, and

(2)   Heating or cooling system(s) include, but are not limited to, the use of biomass for high efficiency combustion systems (i.e., stoves and boilers), active solar thermal systems for space or water heating, wind energy for heating, direct-use hydrothermal (geothermal) resources for water and space heating, or other renewable energy hybrid systems for heating and/or cooling."

Also as defined under Appendix A, ““Combined Heat and Power System(s)," for the purposes of this FOA include, but are not limited to, integrated systems that simultaneously generate heat and power using energy efficient turbines, reciprocating engines, micro-turbines, fuel cells, or waste heat recovery systems (capturing heat discarded by an existing process and using that heat directly or to generate power). Combined heat and power systems may be fueled by any fuel source (natural gas, landfill or sewage gas, fuel and gas oils, coal, lignite, coke, biomass or biogas, renewable natural gas, renewable hydrogen, solid waste, waste gases, or waste process heat)."

Additionally, for the purposes of this FOA, the technology must be considered “commercially-proven,” meaning the technology must be at least a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 9.  As defined in the FOA, TRL 9 is “Commercial-Scale Production/Application” and represents an in-service application of the technology in its final form and under mission conditions.  At TRL 9, the actual, commercial-scale system is proven through successful mission operations, whereby it is fielded and being used in commercial application. Information relative to the technology and its TRL should be provided as part of the application. For more on TRL, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level.

Therefore, if nuclear power does not fall under the definitions of eligible technologies identified above or any other requirements of the FOA, then it would not eligible under this FOA.

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.”

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

Per Section VI. Award Administration Information, page 77 of the FOA, “If an educational institution, nonprofit organization, Indian tribe, or state and local government is a Recipient or Subrecipient and has expended $750,000 or more of federal funds during the non-federal entity's fiscal year, then a single or program-specific audit is required. For additional information, please refer to eCFR :: 2 CFR 200.501 -- Audit requirements.”  Further, as stated in Section IV.D, if an applicant is selected for negotiation of award, DOE reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary including, among other items, a financial audit. Therefore, if you do not have a current financial audit at the time of application submission, DOE has the right to request one if you are selected for negotiation of award.

Note: Per recent updates to the Uniform Guidance, the new threshold for a single audit is now $1,000,000 as opposed to the $750,000 cited in the FOA.   

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

As stated in the Executive Summary (page 2) under Submission of Multiple Applications, and Section III.E., Limitation on the Number of Applications Eligible for Review (page 29), applicants “may submit more than one application to this FOA (including more than one application under a particular Topic Area), provided each application is for a distinctively different project and each application addresses only one Topic Area. Each application must have a distinct title, unique Control Number as assigned by IE-Exchange during the registration process, and be readily distinguishable. Each application must be limited to a single unique and distinct project; unrelated projects cannot be consolidated in a single application." [Emphasis added]

Per the Executive Summary (page 2), “[a]pplicants may submit more than one application to this FOA (including more than one application under a particular Topic Area), provided each application is for a distinctively different project and each application addresses only one Topic Area. Each application must have a distinct title, unique Control Number as assigned by IE-Exchange during the registration process, and be readily distinguishable. Each application must be limited to a single unique and distinct project; unrelated projects cannot be consolidated in a single application.” Additionally, Section I.B. states, ““Tribal Building(s),” for the purposes of this FOA, is a single or multiple buildings located on Tribal Lands, where the eligible tribal entity has or has been granted certain rights and duties, specifically the ability to exercise authority, direction, and control over the project.”

Therefore, the FOA does not preclude a single unique and distinct project at multiple sites, provided each site meets the land eligibility requirements and the requirements of the Topic Area published in the FOA. Separate Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment can be provided for each site or a single assessment may be submitted provided it addresses the feasibility and viability of the proposed project at each site as described beginning on page 17 of the FOA.

Prior deployment FOAs have required a Tribal Council Resolution; however, for this particular planning and development FOA, only a statement of commitment and cost sharing by the Applicant on the Applicant’s letterhead signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant is required. The content of that statement of commitment and cost sharing is as described under Section IV.C.6.

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

Costs for project oversight, grant management, design and engineering, such as direct personnel costs, are allowable costs under the grant. If, however, those activities were conducted by a consultant or outside firm, those costs would be considered contractual.

Per section I.B. page 17 of the FOA, ““Development” for purposes of this FOA refers to activities prior to hardware installation and may include, but is not limited to, design and engineering (except final design and engineering) [Emphasis Added], economic analyses, environmental evaluations and studies, policy and regulatory assessment, market and interconnection studies, risk analysis and mitigation planning, operations and maintenance planning, organizational structure and financing planning. “Deployment” for purposes of this FOA means the installation of clean energy technology and may include: final design and engineering, selection of contractors, obtaining permits and approvals, securing financing, procuring equipment, installation, and commissioning. Note: “Deployment” activities are not allowable activities under Topic Area 3 or any other Topic Area of this FOA. [Emphasis Added]

Per pages 4 and 38 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): “All Applicants are required to submit a Commitment and Cost Sharing File, which must include a statement of commitment and cost sharing on the Applicants letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant.”  Therefore, a Tribal Council Resolution is not required under this FOA.

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

​Per section I.B. page 17 of the FOA, ““Development” for purposes of this FOA refers to activities prior to hardware installation and may include, but is not limited to, design and engineering (except final design and engineering), economic analyses, environmental evaluations and studies, policy and regulatory assessment, market and interconnection studies, risk analysis and mitigation planning, operations and

maintenance planning, organizational structure and financing planning. “Deployment” for purposes of this FOA means the installation of clean energy technology and may include: final design and engineering, selection of contractors, obtaining permits and approvals, securing financing, procuring equipment, installation, and commissioning. Note: “Deployment” activities are not allowable activities under Topic Area 3 or any other Topic Area of this FOA. [Emphasis Added]

As included in Section I.B. and Appendix A of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): ““Tribal Building(s)," for the purposes of this FOA, is a single or multiple buildings located on Tribal Lands, where the eligible tribal entity has or has been granted certain rights and duties, specifically the ability to exercise authority, direction, and control over the project. Note that ownership may be private, collective, or common and some of those rights and duties may be held by different parties. Tribal Building(s) are those where the eligible tribal entity has the authority to augment or modify the building and where the building is owned by the eligible tribal entity or tribal members or tribal organization, or the eligible tribal entity has a long-term lease (as a minimum, for the useful life of the proposed project). Tribal Buildings may include, but are not limited to, tribal member homes, schools, community buildings, clinics/hospitals, tribal government buildings, fire stations, police stations, radio stations, washaterias, utility facilities (such as water/wastewater systems), or tribal businesses." [Emphasis added]

It is important to note again: “Deployment” activities are not allowable activities under Topic Area 3 or any other Topic Area of this FOA. Further, (Applications Specifically Not of Interest), states that, “applications proposing final design and engineering or the purchase or installation of equipment, excluding equipment which may be needed for resource assessment”, are not of interest. In addition,  under “Application Specifically Not of Interest include, “Applications proposing deployment activities, as that term is defined in this FOA, including applications proposing the execution of agreements (interconnect, land lease, rights-of way, power purchase, financing), issuing requests for proposals, or entering into contracts.” [Emphasis Added]

As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 29) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” 

However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following based on the information provided in your question:

No, applicants may not apply to multiple topic areas within a single application. As stated in the Executive Summary (page 2) under Submission of Multiple Applications, and Section III.E., Limitation on the Number of Applications Eligible for Review (page 29), applicants “may submit more than one application to this FOA (including more than one application under a particular Topic Area), provided each application is for a distinctively different project and each application addresses only one Topic Area. Each application must have a distinct title, unique Control Number as assigned by IE-Exchange during the registration process, and be readily distinguishable. Each application must be limited to a single unique and distinct project; unrelated projects cannot be consolidated in a single application." [Emphasis added]

The Topic Areas under this FOA include: 1) Tribal Clean Energy Planning (Topic Area 1); or 2) Comprehensive Clean Energy Feasibility and Viability Assessment (Topic Area 2); or, 3) Design and Development of Clean Energy Projects (Topic Area 3). Per Section I.C. of the FOA (page 18), applications specifically not of interest include: 

•      “Applications proposing final design and engineering or the purchase or installation of equipment, excluding equipment which may be needed for resource assessment.” or 

•      “Applications proposing deployment activities, as that term is defined in this FOA, including applications proposing the execution of agreements (interconnect, land lease, rights-of-way, power purchase, financing), issuing requests for proposals, or entering into contracts.” 

Per Appendix A Definitions, and page 17 of the FOA,  ““Deployment” for purposes of this FOA means the installation of clean energy technology and may include: final design and engineering, selection of contractors, obtaining permits and approvals, securing financing, procuring equipment, installation, and commissioning.  

Note: “Deployment” activities are not allowable activities under any Topic Area of this FOA.  [Emphasis Added] 

Further, under sub-bullet “7. Construction”, p. 53 of the FOA, “For the purpose of this FOA, “construction” is defined as, but not limited to, building, erecting, altering, remodeling, or repairing a particular structure or facility. Construction does not include the installation of equipment, such as energy generating systems, energy efficiency measures, energy storage systems, integrated energy systems, energy infrastructure, or activities ancillary to those installations. Projects that include construction will not be considered under this FOA. [Emphasis Added]  

Yes. Under the Executive Summary, p. 1, the total amount to be awarded is “Approximately $25 million in federal funds. DOE anticipates making approximately 20 to 40 awards under this FOA. DOE may issue awards in one, multiple, or none of the Topic Areas.”  Further, under Section V.A. Technical Review Criteria, p. 59 of the FOA, “Applications deemed compliant, responsive, and eligible, will be comprehensively reviewed for technical merit. Applications submitted under all Topic Areas will be evaluated against the Technical Review Criteria.”  For further information on what an application is being evaluated against, please see pp. 59-62 of the FOA. 

Per the Executive Summary, “Within scope and budget, the DOE Office of Indian Energy may, upon request, provide technical assistance to eligible Applicants who apply under this FOA and whose applications are comprehensively reviewed, but not selected for negotiation.” To clarify, DOE will not advise on a pending application or provide technical assistance to applicants in advance of selections. [Emphasis Added] 

Note:  The Office of Indian Energy does provide free technical assistance year-round for federally recognized Indian Tribes, including Alaska Native regional corporations and village corporations, and Tribal entities with energy planning, energy efficiency assessments, resource assessments, project planning, and building codes and utility formation activities. To learn more about the technical assistance program, see Request Technical Assistance | Department of Energy . 

The use of contracted services is not specifically excluded for this FOA. Additionally, eligible planning activities under Topic Area 1 (p.10 of the FOA), may include Strategic energy planning and conducting energy audits to establish baseline energy use and energy efficiency options.  

Please see the definitions of Subrecipient on p. 90 of the FOA and Vendor on p. 92 of the FOA. Further, Vendors and Subrecipients must follow procurement procedures consistent with State, local, and tribal law and regulation, and must comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirement for full and open competition.  

For further details see page 78 of the FOA, sub-bullets 22-23.  

Many of the required application documents have templates, which can be downloaded from IE-Exchange (https://ie-exchange.energy.gov) under the ‘View Application Forms and Templates’ section. Further, see Section IV.C.6. of the Funding Opportunity Announcement which provides information on the content required for each application document. 

The informational FOA webinar, held October 24, 2024, provided information on the FOA to potential applicants. The required application documents and templates were discussed extensively during the webinar.  The webinar recording and slides can be found at Tribal Clean Energy Planning and Development – 2025 FOA Webinar | Department of Energy .   

Per Appendix A, Definitions, p. 88 of the FOA, a “Recipient” means the organization, individual, or other entity that receives a financial assistance award from DOE (i.e., is the signatory on the award), is financially accountable for the use of any DOE funds or property provided for the performance of the Project, and is legally responsible for carrying out the terms and condition of the award.  

Continuing, p. 90 states, a "Subrecipient" means an entity, usually but not limited to non-federal entities, that receives a Subaward (see definition) from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a federal award; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such award.  

A Subrecipient may also be a Recipient of other federal awards directly from a federal awarding agency. If an entity is designated as a Subrecipient, the terms and conditions of the award will flow down from the Recipient (see definition) to the Subrecipient.”  Additionally, for further clarification, the Budget Justification Workbook form, also available under Application Forms and Template on IE-Exchange, states a “Subrecipient is a subawardee who is providing cost share or with a vested interest in the proposed project, beyond providing goods and services to the proposed project, where subawardee is any legal entity to which a subaward is made and which is accountable to the Recipient for the use of the funds or property provided under a Financial Assistance Award.  

Note, per 2 CFR 200.400(g), Subrecipients cannot receive fee or profit. [Emphasis Added]