Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002258
The Educational Materials for Professional Organizations Working on Efficiency and Renewable Energy Developments (EMPOWERED) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002258) is a U.S. Department of Energy program run through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), coordinated across three major offices: the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), and the Building Technologies Office (BTO). It was set up to accelerate the safe, cost-effective, and widely understood adoption of distributed energy resources (DER) by funding the creation and integration of practical educational materials and training resources for professional groups that are now finding themselves face-to-face with these technologies, even though energy is not their primary discipline.
In EMPOWERED, DER is defined broadly to reflect what is showing up across communities and distribution grids: distributed solar (especially rooftop or on-site PV at homes and businesses), efficient and modern building technologies, energy storage systems, and sustainable transportation technologies such as alternative fuel vehicles and electric vehicles, including EV charging infrastructure. The core problem the program addresses is that these technologies are advancing quickly and being deployed widely, but many of the professionals who have real authority over permitting, safety, emergency response, operations, and on-site management have not traditionally been trained on how these systems work, how they should be installed and maintained, and how to interact with them safely and efficiently.
The intended audience is very specifically "front-line" professionals who influence adoption outcomes in the real world. The opportunity highlights groups such as first responders and safety officials, along with building managers, building owners, and other professionals who may not design PV systems or EV chargers themselves but still make critical decisions that affect whether projects move forward smoothly, whether they meet safety expectations, and whether costs stay manageable. The program rationale is that these roles can either remove friction from deployment (through informed standards, procedures, and best practices) or unintentionally add delays and costs when information gaps lead to conservative restrictions, inconsistent practices, or avoidable safety concerns.
Applicants are expected to develop educational and training materials and, importantly, to integrate those resources into professional organizations or established channels that can actually reach practitioners at scale. That emphasis on creation plus integration signals that DOE is not only looking for standalone documents, slide decks, or one-off trainings, but for resources that can be adopted, maintained, updated, and distributed through the organizations that train and credential these workforces. The materials may cover technologies including, but not limited to, PV systems, building efficiency technologies, energy storage, alternative fuel vehicles, EVs, and EV infrastructure, with the unifying theme being interaction with the distribution system and on-the-ground implementation considerations.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, EMPOWERED is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, meaning DOE expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, collaboration on milestones, review of materials, and coordination to ensure national applicability). The funding activity category is Energy, with CFDA number 81.117. The opportunity anticipated up to four awards, with an award ceiling of $2,250,000. The posting lists a creation date of April 6, 2020, and an original closing date of July 8, 2020, indicating this was a time-bounded solicitation during that period.
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); individuals; for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In practice, that wide eligibility aligns with the program's applied, workforce-facing goals, since the best-positioned applicants may include professional associations, standards bodies, training providers, universities, public safety training organizations, utilities or industry partners, and consortia that can combine technical expertise with credible access to the target professional communities.
Overall, EMPOWERED is aimed at smoothing the national transition to distributed solar, efficient buildings, and electrified transportation by equipping the people who approve, operate, manage, and respond to these systems with clear, consistent, and actionable training. The expected payoff is improved understanding and acceptance of new energy technologies, stronger safety outcomes, faster and more predictable deployment, and lower soft costs driven by delays, rework, and uncertainty.Apply for DE FOA 0002258
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Educational Materials for Professional Organizations Working on Efficiency and Renewable Energy Developments (EMPOWERED)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 06, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 08, 2020. (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 $2,250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Energy
Next opportunity: Incorporating Engineering With Nature® (EWN) and Landscape Architecture (LA) Designs into Existing Infrastructure Projects
Previous opportunity: GRRI CESU: Partnership to Increase Recreation Opportunitites and Access- RTCA
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DE FOA 0002258
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DE FOA 0002258) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| COAL-DERIVED MATERIALS FOR BUILDING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OTHER APPLICATIONS Apply for DE FOA 0002185 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002185 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Federal Agency Call (FAC) No. DE-FOA-0002329 entitled “Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) 2020” Apply for DE FOA 0002328 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002328 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| RFI Collaboration Opportunity Notice for Parties Interested in Partnering with NETL on FOA No. DE-FOA-0002289 Apply for DE FOA 0002341 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002341 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Integrated University Program (IUP) Nuclear Engineering Consortium for Nonproliferation Apply for DE FOA 0002264 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002264 Agency: Department of Energy, NNSA Category: Energy Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002252 Apply for DE FOA 0002349 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002349 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Energy Storage for Fossil Power Generation Apply for DE FOA 0002332 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002332 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| FY2020 AMO Critical Materials FOA: Next-Generation Technologies and Field Validation Apply for DE FOA 0002322 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002322 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $30,000,000 |
| FY20 Advanced Manufacturing Office Multi-Topic FOA Apply for DE FOA 0002252 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002252 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Small-Scale Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems and Hybrid Electrolyzer Technology Development Apply for DE FOA 0002300 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002300 Agency: Department of Energy, Headquarters Category: Energy Funding Amount: $30,000,000 |
| Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) Grant; Solicitation Apply for BIA TEDC 2020 Funding Number: BIA TEDC 2020 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Carbon Ore, Rare Earths and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative for U.S. Basins Apply for DE FOA 0002370 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002370 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s in support of Battery Critical Materials Supply Chain R&D Apply for DE FOA 0002358 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002358 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Building Technologies Proving Ground – Public Sector Field Validation Apply for DE FOA 0002324 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002324 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Research and Development for Advanced Water Resource Recovery Systems Apply for DE FOA 0002336 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002336 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| ASSISTING FEDERAL FACILITIES WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES (AFFECT) 2020 Apply for DE FOA 0002329 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002329 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Hydrogen Technologies RFI-DE-FOA-0002369 Apply for DE FOA 0002369 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002369 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Commercial Domestic Production of Moly-99 without the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium Apply for DE FOA 0002303 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002303 Agency: Department of Energy, NNSA Category: Energy Funding Amount: $35,000,000 |
| FY 2021 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0002386 Apply for DE FOA 0002386 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002386 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP) Apply for BIA EMDP 2020 Funding Number: BIA EMDP 2020 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Enabling Gasification of Blended Coal, Biomass and Plastic Wastes to Produce Hydrogen with Potential for Net Negative Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Apply for DE FOA 0002376 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002376 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DE FOA 0002258", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.