Request for Information (RFI): Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Manufacturing: Identifying Specific Components for Manufacturing Standarization | DE FOA 0001700

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001700

This opportunity is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and its Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) within the broader Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program. The core purpose is to gather practical, experience-based input from stakeholders across industry, academia, national laboratories, government agencies, and other relevant organizations about hydrogen and fuel cell manufacturing. DOE is looking for guidance on which specific components, subcomponents, and steps in the manufacturing process are the best candidates for standardization, and how standardization could improve manufacturability, lower costs, and strengthen the supply chain for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

The RFI focuses on manufacturing standardization as a tool to accelerate commercialization. In plain terms, DOE wants to understand where common standards (for example, consistent component interfaces, form factors, testing methods, quality metrics, or manufacturing practices) could reduce complexity and variability across products and suppliers. The agency is also asking respondents to identify manufacturing pathways that can reduce cost in both the near term and long term. Alongside cost, DOE is explicitly interested in the real-world barriers that slow down manufacturability and supply chain development, such as bottlenecks in materials availability, limitations in production equipment, quality control challenges, gaps in domestic suppliers, or issues related to scaling from pilot to high-volume manufacturing.

A key point is that this is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and it is not a grant competition. DOE is not accepting applications for funding under this notice, and there are no expected awards tied to the RFI. Instead, DOE is using responses to inform internal planning, program strategy, and potential future actions. The agency notes that it may choose to issue a future FOA based on what it learns, but it also may choose not to. Responding does not create any advantage or disadvantage for any future competition, and there is no guarantee that any funding program will result. Any future award amounts, timing, or number of awards would depend on Congressional appropriations and program direction.

The information submitted in response to the RFI is intended for government use on a non-attribution basis for planning and strategy development, meaning DOE may synthesize insights without publicly tying them to a specific respondent. Submissions are treated as information only, not as proposals or abstracts, and DOE will not reimburse any costs associated with preparing a response. DOE also states it is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt or provide feedback, and responses do not obligate DOE to take any follow-on actions.

Eligibility is essentially open and unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may respond as long as they follow any clarifications included in the full RFI. Respondents can answer as many or as few questions as they choose, but DOE asks that responses be clearly organized by question or topic area when applicable so the input is easier to review and compare across submissions.

Administrative details are straightforward and fairly strict. Responses had to be submitted electronically by email to fctomanufacturing@ee.doe.gov no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time on December 30, 2016. Submissions had to be attached to the email as a Microsoft Word (.docx) document, limited to 5 pages, using 12-point font and 1-inch margins. If attachments were larger than 25MB, DOE recommended compressing them (for example, using a zip file) to improve deliverability. Only electronic submissions were accepted. The full RFI was posted on the EERE eXCHANGE website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov) under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001700, associated with CFDA 81.087, and administered through DOE’s Golden Field Office.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information (RFI): Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Manufacturing: Identifying Specific Components for Manufacturing Standarization" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 17, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 30, 2016 Responses must be submitted electronically to fctomanufacturing@ee.doe.gov no later than 500pm (ET) on December 30, 2016. Responses must be provided as attachments to an email.. (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.

Apply for DE FOA 0001700

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