FundOpp_DE-FOA-0003066.pdf

Department of Energy (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP)

2023 Funding Opportunity Announcement for Energy

Improvements at Nonprofits - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – Renew America’s Nonprofits

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA-0003066

FOA Type: Initial Assistance Listing Number: 81.086

Executive Summary

Timeline:

FOA Issue Date 5.24.2023 Informational Webinar Session 1: Details on Infrastructure Exchange 6.6.2023 2:00pm ET Informational Webinar Session 2: Details on Infrastructure Exchange 6.8.2023 3:00pm ET Virtual Office Hours Session 1: Details on Infrastructure Exchange 6.22.2023 1:00pm ET Submission Deadline for Letter of Intent (Not Required): 6.29.2023 5:00pm ET Virtual Office Hours Session 2: Details on Infrastructure Exchange 7.13.2023 1:00pm ET Submission Deadline for Full Applications: 8.3.2023 5:00pm ET Expected Submission Deadline for Replies to Reviewer Comments: 8.31.2023 5:00pm ET Expected Date for SCEP’s Selection Notifications: 10.6.2023 Expected Timeframe for Award Negotiations: 1.5.2024

Program Overview The Renew America’s Nonprofits program is made possible by Section 40542 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $50,000,000 to establish a grant program focused on funding energy-efficiency improvements in nonprofit buildings. DOE is using an aggregation model for this FOA that will enable the bundling of projects into portfolios while providing technical and administrative support for retrofit projects and maximizing equitable impacts.

Under this program’s aggregation model described above, “Prime recipients” and “subrecipients” must be nonprofit organizations as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code. All renovations, repairs, or installations under this provision must be performed on a building owned and operated by a nonprofit 501(c)(3).

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Proposals for this FOA will be submitted to DOE by nonprofit 501(c)(3) applicants interested in serving as “Prime recipients” and eventually assembling a portfolio of nonprofit buildings owned and operated by 501(c)(3) organizations in need of energy efficiency upgrades. Prime recipients will serve as the portfolio aggregators, recruiting eligible building projects that meet performance criteria, establishing subrecipient relationships with building owners, flowing down award terms and conditions, managing program implementation, and synthesizing the project results. Prime recipients and subrecipients must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

Prime recipients may also partner with other organization types1 that complement their capacity to reach program goals.

Prime recipients are not expected to identify the individual subrecipient buildings that comprise their portfolios in their applications, as this may be done after selection and award. However, Prime recipients should articulate performance goals for the portfolio they plan to assemble within their application and will be held accountable to these goals should they be selected.

Once portfolios are assembled and shared with DOE, selected Prime recipients will then subaward up to $200,000 to Subrecipients for individual building energy efficiency projects in their assembled portfolios. The cost share requirement for Prime recipients is 20%. The cost share requirement is required at the portfolio level and may be met by the Prime recipient independently or from an aggregation perspective by the subrecipients.

Performance-based criteria will guide the applicant review process to assist with prioritizing eligible applicants. Criteria include: Project Team and Program Plan (40%), Energy Related Impacts of Portfolios (30%), Leverage and Sustainability, (15%), and Community Benefits Plan (15%).

1 “Project Partners” may be other than nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations e.g., for-profit organizations, government, community partners…etc.

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SCEP anticipates making approximately 5-15 awards under this FOA. SCEP may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $3,000,000 and $9,000,000.

Applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by 5:00pm ET on the due date listed above. Letters of intent are not required; if applicants are unable to submit a letter of intent, they can still submit a full application.

Required System Registrations

• To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through Infrastructure eXCHANGE at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov, SCEP’s online application portal.

• Applicants must designate primary and backup points-of-contact in Infrastructure eXCHANGE with whom SCEP will communicate to conduct award negotiations. If an application is selected for award negotiations, it is not a commitment to issue an award.

It is imperative that the applicant/selectee be responsive during award negotiations and meet negotiation deadlines. Failure to do so may result in cancelation of further award negotiations and rescission of the selection.

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) - Each applicant (unless the applicant is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110) is required to: (1) Be registered in the SAM at https://www.sam.gov before submitting its application; (2) provide a valid UEI number in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. DOE may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOE is ready to make a federal award, DOE will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

NOTE: Due to the high demand of UEI requests and SAM registrations, entity legal business name and address validations are taking longer than expected to process.

Entities should start the UEI and SAM registration process as soon as possible. If entities have technical difficulties with the UEI validation or SAM registration process they should utilize the HELP feature on SAM.gov. SAM.gov will work entity service tickets in the order in which they are received and asks that entities not create multiple service tickets for the same request or technical issue. Additional entity validation resources can be found here: GSAFSD Tier 0 Knowledge Base - Validating your Entity.

mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=1b5f22581b2115102fe5ed7ae54bcb4e&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=1b5f22581b2115102fe5ed7ae54bcb4e&spa=1

Questions about this FOA? NonprofitsFOA@hq.doe.gov

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i

Table of Contents

Table of Contents.................................................................................................................................................... i

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

i. Program Purpose

B. Topic Area

i. Teaming Partner List

C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest D. Community Benefits Plan E. Authorizing Statutes F. Notice of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-Specific Requirements

II. Award Information

A. Award Overview

i. Estimated Funding

ii. Period of Performance

iii. New Applications Only

B. SCEP Funding Agreements

i. Cooperative Agreements

ii. Funding Agreements with Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDCs)

III. Application and Submission Information

A. Application Process

i. Additional Information on Infrastructure eXCHANGE

B. Application Forms and Templates C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent D. Content and Form of the Full Application

Full Application Content Requirements

i. Project Narrative

i. Resumes

ii. Letters of Commitment

iii. 990 Form Applicants must submit a current 990 Form – providing financial information about their nonprofit organization

iv. SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

v. Budget Justification Workbook

vi. Summary Slide

vii. Community Benefits Plan

viii. Community Partnership Documentation

ix. Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)

x. Authorization for non-DOE/NNSA or DOE/NNSA FFRDCs (if applicable)

xi. SF-LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (required)

xii. Foreign Entity Waiver Requests (if applicable)

xiii. Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice

E. Content and Form of Replies to Reviewers Comments F. Post Selection Information Requests G. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) H. Submission Dates and Times I. Intergovernmental Review

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ii

J. Funding Restrictions

i. Allowable Costs

ii. Pre-Award Costs

iii. Performance of Work in the United States (Foreign Work Waiver)

iv. Construction

v. Foreign Travel

vi. Equipment and Supplies

vii. Buy America Requirements for Infrastructure Projects

viii. Davis-Bacon Act Requirements

ix. Lobbying

x. Risk Assessment

xi. Invoice Review and Approval

xii. Prohibition related to Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Programs

xiii. Affirmative Action and Pay Transparency Requirements

xiv. Foreign Collaboration Considerations

IV. Application Review Information

A. Technical Review Criteria

i. Full Applications

ii. Criteria for Replies to Reviewer Comments

B. Standards for Application Evaluation C. Other Selection Factors

i. Program Policy Factors D. Evaluation and Selection Process

i. Overview

ii. Pre-Selection Interviews

iii. Pre-Selection Clarification

iv. Recipient Responsibility and Qualifications

v. Selection

E. Anticipated Notice of Selection and Award Negotiation Dates

V. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

i. Domestic Entities

ii. Foreign Entities

iii. Incorporated Consortia

iv. Unincorporated Consortia

B. Cost Sharing

i. Legal Responsibility

ii. Cost Share Allocation

iii. Cost Share Types and Allowability

iv. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs

v. Cost Share Verification

vi. Cost Share Payment

C. Compliance Criteria D. Responsiveness Criteria E. Other Eligibility Requirements

i. Requirements for DOE/NNSA and non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs Included as a subrecipient F. Limitation on Number of Letters of Intent and Full Applications Eligible for Review G. Questions Regarding Eligibility

VI. Award Administration Information

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iii

A. Award Notices

i. Ineligible Submissions

ii. Full Application Notifications

iii. Successful Applicants

iv. Alternate Selection Determinations

v. Unsuccessful Applicants

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

i. Registration Requirements

ii. Award Administrative Requirements

iii. Foreign National Participation

iv. Subaward and Executive Reporting

v. National Policy Requirements

vi. Environmental Review in Accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

vii. Flood Resilience

viii. Applicant Representations and Certifications

ix. Statement of Federal Stewardship

x. Statement of Substantial Involvement

xi. Subject Invention Utilization Reporting

xii. Intellectual Property Provisions

xiii. Reporting

xiv. Go/No-Go Review

xv. Conference Spending

xvi. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Financing Statements

xvii. Implementation of Executive Order 13798, Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty

xviii. Participants and Collaborating Organizations

xix. Interim Conflict of Interest Policy for Financial Assistance

xx. Fraud, Waste and Abuse

xxi. Human Subjects Research

VII. Questions/Agency Contacts

A. FOA Modifications B. Government Right to Reject or Negotiate C. Commitment of Public Funds D. Treatment of Application Information E. Evaluation and Administration by Non-Federal Personnel F. Notice Regarding Eligible/Ineligible Activities G. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability H. Requirement for Full and Complete Disclosure I. Retention of Submissions J. Title to Subject Inventions K. Government Rights in Subject Inventions L. Rights in Technical Data M. Copyright N. Export Control O. Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment P. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Q. Annual Independent Audits R. Informational Webinar

Appendix A – Cost Share Information

Appendix B – Waiver Requests For: 1. Foreign Entity Participation; and 2. Foreign Work

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iv

Appendix C – Required Use of American Iron, Steel, Manufactured Products, and Construction Materials

Appendix D – List of Acronyms

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I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background and Context

The Office of State and Community Energy Programs is issuing this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Renew America’s Nonprofits. Awards made under this FOA will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act2, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, designed to modernize and upgrade American infrastructure to enhance United States competitiveness, drive the creation of good-paying union jobs, tackle the climate crisis, and ensure stronger access to economic, environmental, and other benefits for historically disadvantaged communities 3. The BIL appropriates more than $62 billion to the Department of Energy (DOE)4 to invest in American manufacturing and workers; expand access to energy efficiency and clean energy; deliver reliable, clean, and affordable power to more Americans; and demonstrate 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 support efforts to build a clean and equitable energy economy that achieves a zero-carbon electricity system by 2035, and to put the United

2 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law 117-58 (November 15, 2021).

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684. This FOA uses the more common name “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”.

3 Pursuant to E.O. 14008 and the Office of Management and Budget’s Interim Justice40 Implementation Guidance M-21-28, DOE has developed a definition and tools to locate and identify disadvantaged communities. These resources can be located at https://energyjustice.egs.anl.gov/. In accordance with M-23-09, DOE will also recognize disadvantaged communities as defined and identified by the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), which can be located at https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/. DOE’s Justice40 Implementation Guidance is located at https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022- 07/Final%20DOE%20Justice40%20General%20Guidance%20072522.pdf.

4 U.S. Department of Energy. November 2021. “DOE Fact Sheet: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Will Deliver For American Workers, Families and Usher in the Clean Energy Future.” https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-fact-sheet-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal-will-deliver-american-workers-families-and-0 mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684 https://energyjustice.egs.anl.gov/ https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/ https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/Final%20DOE%20Justice40%20General%20Guidance%20072522.pdf https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/Final%20DOE%20Justice40%20General%20Guidance%20072522.pdf https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-fact-sheet-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal-will-deliver-american-workers-families-and-0 https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-fact-sheet-bipartisan-infrastructure-deal-will-deliver-american-workers-families-and-0

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States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050“5 to benefit all Americans.

The activities to be funded under this FOA support BIL Section 40542 and the broader government-wide approach to invest in projects that enable innovative and sustaining partnership models, leverage funding and economies of scale, and focus on disadvantaged communities and energy communities.6

i. Program Purpose

This FOA supports the administration goals laid out above by funding projects that reduce energy use and emissions and lower utility costs in nonprofit facilities so they can redirect savings into their mission-critical work, build organizational capacity, and further serve their communities.

Strong, healthy communities need strong nonprofits. These organizations provide a vast array of critical services to communities across America, from health care to food distribution to youth development programs. However, nonprofits are often asked to do more with less. Many eligible nonprofit organizations have struggled under increasing pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 national survey of 2,237 eligible nonprofit organizations showed that 75% of respondents saw increased demand for their services since the pandemic began, while almost 75% had increased expenses, almost half experienced decreases in individual and corporate donations, and 45% reported a decreased ability to meet the needs of their service populations.7

Connecting energy efficiency to operational savings and increased community impact is essential to organizational health but has been a missing link for most nonprofits. Energy costs are the second highest operational expense for nonprofits after salaries.8 With over 1.4 million eligible nonprofits operating in the United States9 that employ more than

5 Executive Order (EO) 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

6 Home - Energy Communities 7 https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/thought-leadership/the-data-show-what-we-know-the-nonprofit-helpers-need-help 8 https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/why-energy-efficiency-is-important-for-nonprofits 9 The number of 501(c)(3)s was determined by applying filters to the data in the 4 CSV files (Northeast Area, Mid- Atlantic and Great Lakes Area, Gulf Coast and Pacific Coast Areas, and All Other). According to the information sheet provided, Subsection Codes “are the codes shown under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, which define the category under which an organization may be exempt.” Using this information, we applied https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/ https://energycommunities.gov/ https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/thought-leadership/the-data-show-what-we-know-the-nonprofit-helpers-need-help https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/thought-leadership/the-data-show-what-we-know-the-nonprofit-helpers-need-help https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/why-energy-efficiency-is-important-for-nonprofits https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo1.csv https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo2.csv https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo2.csv https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo3.csv https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo4.csv https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo_info.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/eo_info.pdf

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12.4 million workers10 and provide a vast array of social benefits, the potential for energy, environmental, organizational, and community impact is significant.

As part of the whole-of-government approach to advance equity and encourage worker organizing and collective bargaining,11, 12, 13 this FOA and any related activities will seek to encourage meaningful engagement and participation of workforce organizations, including labor unions, as well as underserved communities and underrepresented groups, including consultation with Tribal Nations.14, 15 Consistent with Executive Order 14008,16 this FOA is designed to help meet the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of the Administration’s investments in clean energy and climate solutions flow to disadvantaged communities, as defined by White House’s Council on Environmental Quality pursuant to the Executive Order and to drive the creation of accessible good-paying jobs with the free and fair chance for workers to join a union.

ii. Technology Space and Strategic Goals

This FOA seeks applications that address energy efficiency upgrades, which enable scalable impacts, create innovative partnerships, and leverage funding and economies of scale. Detailed technical descriptions of the specific Topic Area is provided in the sections that follow.

a filter and only counted organizations designated as Subsection 03. Excluding nonprofits that were not clearly located in the US or a territory, there were 1,463,480 nonprofits that were designated as 501(c)(3)s. The data, including each dataset and the cover sheet, can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-business-master-file-extract-eo-bmf#regions 10 https://www.bls.gov/bdm/nonprofits/tables/qcew-nonprofits-2017.xlsx 11 EO 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” (January 20, 2021).

12 EO 14025, “Worker Organizing and Empowerment,” April 26, 2021.

13 EO 14052, “Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” November 18, 2021.

14 EO 13175, November 6, 2000 “Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments”, charges all executive departments and agencies with engaging in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials in the development of federal policies that have Tribal implications.

15 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/26/memorandum-on-tribal-consultation-and strengthening-nation-to-nation-relationships/, “Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships” (January 26, 2021).

16 EO 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” January 27, 2021.

mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://www.bls.gov/bdm/nonprofits/tables/qcew-nonprofits-2017.xlsx https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/26/memorandum-on-tribal-consultation-and%20strengthening-nation-to-nation-relationships/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/26/memorandum-on-tribal-consultation-and%20strengthening-nation-to-nation-relationships/

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B. Topic Area

All work for projects selected under this FOA must be performed in the United States. See Section III.J.iii. and Appendix B.

Topic Area: High Impact Energy Efficiency Improvement Portfolios

Proposals contemplated under this FOA will be submitted by nonprofit 501(c)(3) applicants interested in serving as “Prime recipients” to assemble, post-award, a portfolio of nonprofit buildings owned and operated by 501(c)(3) organizations in need of energy efficiency upgrades. Prioritization will be given to applicants proposing to assemble portfolios that will achieve significant energy and cost savings; will reduce emissions; have an effective plan for evaluation, measurement, and verification of energy savings; demonstrate a plan for prioritizing the financial need of subrecipients; and align with the Justice40initiative goals. Applicants are encouraged to articulate a plan for recruiting building energy efficiency projects that meet or exceed the above priorities on a portfolio basis.

Energy efficient improvements include the installation of materials (product, equipment, or system) which results in a reduction in use of energy or fuel by a nonprofit organization. Examples include lighting upgrades, roof replacements with insulation, HVAC upgrades, and door or window replacements. Energy efficiency projects that include fuel switching may also be eligible if they result in energy savings.

Prime recipients are encouraged to look for projects that package two or more improvements to deepen energy and cost savings. Prime recipients should provide detailed strategies for how they will recruit nonprofit retrofit projects that meet their portfolio goals, provide technical assistance, manage a diverse portfolio of projects, and measure and communicate success.

Prime recipients should consider project approaches that enable scalable impacts, create innovative and sustaining partnerships, leverage funding and economies of scale, and focus on expanding benefits in disadvantaged communities. Project partners may include but are not limited to: governmental entities such as states and local governments; for-profit entities such as utilities and companies that provide energy services or manufacture energy systems; and non-governmental organizations such as community-based organizations, national associations, labor unions, workforce training providers, and energy-focused groups.

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Performance-based criteria discussed in Section IV.A.i of this FOA will guide the applicant review process to assist with prioritizing eligible applicants.

Considerations in the application review will include the strength of the project team and program plan, including measurement and verification approach;

energy related impacts of portfolios including energy and cost savings, emissions reductions, and cost effectiveness; leverage and sustainability impacts; and community benefits, including financial need of subrecipients.

Example Program Partnership Scenarios:

A 501(c)(3) clean energy organization, as the Prime recipient, partners with an organization working to end hunger across the Northeast region to assemble a portfolio of 20 nonprofit buildings in need of efficiency improvements. The portfolio of projects represents food pantries serving over 90% disadvantaged communities, aligning with Justice40 goals, and has an average energy savings of 25% across projects. The clean energy organization engages donors within their existing network to secure cost share funds. The clean energy organization works with building owners and contractors to conduct energy assessments, benchmark energy use, develop scopes of work, and collect bids. By aggregating the demand for retrofits, the clean energy organization can help bring down the per-building retrofit cost. The clean energy organization troubleshoots issues with its portfolio of projects, provides measurement and verification assistance, and collects insights gained to share with DOE. The partner organization works with leadership from the portfolio organizations to support marketing and administrative efforts and qualitative program measurement. The 20 participating nonprofit building owners experience reduced energy spend which is reprogrammed to mission-critical work supporting food security their communities.

A 501(c)(3) college with a robust sustainability department engages community foundations supporting nonprofits located in high need regions of their state as well as investor-owned utilities that provide rebates for energy efficiency upgrades. The college works with the community foundations to identify a diverse portfolio of 35 501(c)(3) nonprofits in their network that own and operate their buildings, show the need for building improvements, and have the capacity to manage upgrade implementation. College faculty and graduate students conduct American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 2.0 level building audits and provide each organization with a report and prioritized list of high impact efficiency upgrades.

College faculty and graduate students estimate energy reductions of the

Problems with Infrastructure eXCHANGE? Email InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov Include FOA name portfolio to average 30% and greenhouse gas reductions to average 35%. They work with building owners and contractors to benchmark, develop scopes of work, and collect and review bids. The community foundations work with utilities and staff from portfolio nonprofits to apply for utility rebate programs.

The cost share requirement is met through a combination of in-kind personnel costs (building assessments) and building owner contributions. The community foundations support administrative efforts and market the program outcomes to communities across the state. As a result of significant operational savings from the upgrades, the 35 nonprofit participants expand mission-critical services and staff.

i. Teaming Partner List

DOE will continue to gather information for the “Teaming Partner List,” first presented in the Notice of Intent (DE-FOA-0003065), to facilitate the formation of new project teams for this FOA. The Teaming Partner List allows organizations who may wish to participate on an application to express their interest to other applicants and to explore potential partnerships.

Updates to the Teaming Partner List will be available in the Infrastructure eXCHANGE website under this funding opportunity. The Teaming Partner List will be regularly updated to reflect new teaming partners who provide their organization’s information.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Any organization that would like to be included on the “Teaming Partner List” should fill out this Microsoft form (also located at: https://www.energy.gov/scep/renew-americas-nonprofits) or email the information to Nonprofits@hq.doe.gov with the subject line “Teaming Partner Information.”

DISCLAIMER: By submitting a request to be included on the Teaming Partner List, the requesting organization consents to the publication of the above-referenced information. By facilitating the Teaming Partner List, DOE is not endorsing, sponsoring, or otherwise evaluating the qualifications of the individuals and organizations that are self-identifying themselves for placement on this Teaming Partner List. DOE will not pay for the provision of any information, nor will it compensate any applicants or requesting organizations for the development of such information.

https://www.energy.gov/scep/renew-americas-nonprofits https://www.energy.gov/scep/renew-americas-nonprofits mailto:Nonprofits@hq.doe.gov

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C. Applications Specifically Not of Interest

The following types of applications will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be reviewed or considered (See Section V.D. of the FOA):

• Applications that fall outside the technical parameters specified in Section V of the FOA;

• Applications that do not include an “energy efficiency improvement” as defined in Section 40542(a)(2) of the BIL;

• Applications not led by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization(s);

• Applications where energy efficiency upgrades are made in buildings not owned and operated by an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code as stated under Section 40542(a)(3) of the BIL; and

• Applications for proposed technologies that are not based on sound scientific principles (e.g., violates the laws of thermodynamics).

D. Community Benefits Plan

To support the goal of building a clean and equitable energy economy, the BIL-funded projects are expected to (1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; (2) invest in America’s workforce; (3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and (4) contribute to the President’s goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities (the Justice40 Initiative)17. To ensure these goals are met, applications must include a Community Benefits Plan that describes how the proposed project would incorporate the four objectives stated above.

Applicants are encouraged to submit Community and Labor Partnership Documentation from established labor and community-based organizations that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to achieve the above goals as outlined in the Community Benefits Plan. Within the Community Benefits Plan, the applicant is encouraged to provide specific detail on how to ensure the delivery of measurable community and jobs benefits, ideally through the use of negotiated

17 The Justice40 initiative, established by E.O. 14008, sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The Justice40 Interim Guidance provides a broad definition of disadvantaged communities (Page 2): https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf. In accordance with M-23-09, DOE will also recognize disadvantaged communities as defined and identified by the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), which can be located at https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/.

mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/

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E. Authorizing Statutes

The programmatic authorizing statute is Section 40542 of Public Law 117-58.

Awards made under this announcement will fall under the purview of 2 CFR Part 200 as amended by 2 CFR Part 910.

F. Notice of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-Specific Requirements

Be advised that special terms and conditions apply to projects funded by the BIL relating to:

• Reporting, tracking, and segregation of incurred costs;

• Reporting on job creation and preservation;

• Publication of information on the Internet;

• Access to records by Inspectors General and the Government Accountability

Office;

• Requiring all of the iron, steel, manufactured goods, and construction materials used in the infrastructure activities of applicable projects are produced in the United States;

• Ensuring laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors on BIL-funded projects are paid wages equivalent to prevailing wages on similar projects in the area;

• Protecting whistleblowers and requiring prompt referral of evidence of a false claim to an appropriate inspector general; and

• Certification and Registration.

Recipients of funding appropriated by the BIL must comply with requirements of all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, DOE policy and guidance, and instructions in this FOA. Recipients must flow down the requirements to subrecipients to ensure the recipient’s compliance with the requirements.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684/text

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II. Award Information

A. Award Overview

i. Estimated Funding SCEP expects to make a total of approximately $45,000,000 of federal funding available for new awards under this FOA, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. SCEP anticipates making approximately 5-15 awards under this FOA. SCEP may issue one, multiple, or no awards. Individual awards may vary between $3,000,000 and $9,000,000.

Topic Area Title

Anticipated Number of

Awards

Anticipated Minimum

Award Size for Any One Individual

Award (Fed Share)

Anticipated Maximum Award Size for Any One Individual

Award (Fed Share)

Approximate Total

Federal Funding

Available for All Awards

Anticipated Period of

Performance (months)

High Impact Energy Efficiency Improvement Portfolios

5 - 15

$3,000,000

$9,000,000

$45,000,000

36 - 48

SCEP may establish more than one budget period for each award and fund only the initial budget period(s). Funding for all budget periods, including the initial budget period, is not guaranteed.

ii. Period of Performance

SCEP anticipates making awards that will run from 36 months up to 48 months in length, comprised of multiple budget periods. Project continuation will be contingent upon several elements, including satisfactory performance and DOE’s Go/No-Go decision. For a complete list and more information on the Go/No-Go review, see Section VI.B.xiv.

iii. New Applications Only

SCEP will accept only new applications under this FOA. SCEP will not consider applications for renewals of existing SCEP-funded awards through this FOA.

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B. SCEP Funding Agreements

Through cooperative agreements and other similar agreements, SCEP provides financial and other support to projects that have the potential to realize the FOA objectives. SCEP does not use such agreements to acquire property or services for the direct benefit or use of the United States government.

i. Cooperative Agreements SCEP generally uses cooperative agreements to provide financial and other support to Prime recipients.

Through cooperative agreements, SCEP provides financial or other support to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal statute. Under cooperative agreements, the government and Prime recipients share responsibility for the direction of projects.

SCEP has substantial involvement in all projects funded via cooperative agreement. See Section VI.B.x. of the FOA for more information on what substantial involvement may involve.

ii. Funding Agreements with Federally Funded Research and

Development Center (FFRDCs)18 In most cases, FFRDCs are funded independently of the remainder of the project team. The FFRDC then executes an agreement with any non-FFRDC project team members to arrange work structure, project execution, and any other matters. Regardless of these arrangements, the entity that applied as the Prime recipient for the project will remain the Prime recipient for the project. See Section III.A.xi.

III. Application and Submission Information

A. Application Process

The application process includes a Letters of Intent and a Full Application. Letters of Intent are encouraged, but not required.

18 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) - FFRDCs are public-private partnerships which conduct research for the United States government. A listing of FFRDCs can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/.

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/

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• Each must be submitted in Adobe PDF format unless stated otherwise;

• Each must be written in English;

• All pages must be formatted to fit on 8.5” x 11” paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Calibri typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12-point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10-point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement;

• A control number will be issued when an applicant begins the Infrastructure eXCHANGE application process. The control number must be included with all application documents. Specifically, the control number must be prominently displayed on the upper right corner of the header of every page and included in the file name (i.e., Control Number_Applicant Name_Full Application);

• Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page; and

• Each submission must not exceed the specified maximum page limit, including cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth above and single spaced. If applicants exceed the maximum page lengths indicated below, SCEP will review only the authorized number of pages and disregard any additional pages.

i. Additional Information on Infrastructure eXCHANGE

Infrastructure eXCHANGE is designed to enforce the deadlines specified in this FOA. The “Apply” and “Submit” buttons will automatically disable at the defined submission deadlines. Should applicants experience problems with Infrastructure eXCHANGE, the following information may be helpful.

Applicants that experience issues with submission PRIOR to the FOA deadline: In the event that an applicant experiences technical difficulties with a submission, the applicant should contact the Infrastructure eXCHANGE helpdesk for assistance (InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov). The Infrastructure eXCHANGE helpdesk and/or the Infrastructure eXCHANGE system administrators will assist applicants in resolving issues.

B. Application Forms and Templates

The application forms and instructions are available on Infrastructure eXCHANGE. To access these materials, go to https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov and select DE-FOA-0003066.

mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov mailto:InfrastructureExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/

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Note: The maximum file size that can be uploaded to the Infrastructure eXCHANGE website is 50MB. Files in excess of 50MB cannot be uploaded, and hence cannot be submitted for review. If a file exceeds 50MB but is still within the maximum page limit specified in the FOA, it must be broken into parts and denoted to that effect. For example:

Project NarrativeTemplate_Part_1, Project Narrative Template _Part_2

SCEP will not accept late submissions that resulted from technical difficulties due to uploading files that exceed 50MB.

C. Content and Form of the Letter of Intent

Applicants are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by the specified due date and time. Letters of Intent are limited to two pages. Letters of Intent will be used by SCEP to plan for the merit review process. The letters should not contain any proprietary or sensitive business information. The letters will not be used for down-selection purposes and do not commit an applicant to submit an application.

Each applicant should provide the following information as part of the Letter of Intent:

• Project team including Prime Applicant and proposed partner organizations;

• Approach to recruiting sub-recipients building efficiency projects, including any organizational and building evaluation processes;

• Plan for providing technical and administrative assistance to sub-recipients;

• Project management approach, including measurement and verification approach for the portfolio building efficiency projects; and

• Plan to leverage funds, achieve economies of scale, and lay groundwork for enduring impact beyond the period of performance.

D. Content and Form of the Full Application

Applicants must complete the following application forms found on the Infrastructure eXCHANGE website at https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov/

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The submission deadline for the Full Application remains the date and time stated on the FOA cover page. Applicants are encouraged to use the “Project Narrative Template” that is available as an attachment under this funding opportunity. If applicants do not use the template, the content in the “Project Narrative Template” is required and must conform to the form and content requirements, including maximum page lengths. All Full Application documents must be marked with the control number issued to the applicant.

Full Application Content Requirements Each Full Application must be limited to a single concept. Full Applications must conform to the following requirements and must not exceed the stated page limits.

Component Required/ Optional File Format Page Limit File Name

Project Narrative Required PDF 15 pages ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_ProjectNa rrative

Resumes Required PDF 3 pages each

ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Resumes

Letters of Commitment Required PDF 1 page each

ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs

990 Form Required PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_990 SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance

Required PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_App424

Budget Justification Workbook (SF-424A)

Required MS Excel n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Budget_J ustification

Summary Slide Required MS PowerPoint

1 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Slide

Community Benefits Plan Required PDF 5 ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_CBenefits Community Partnership Documentation

Optional PDF 10 pages ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_PartnerD ocs

Budget for DOE/NNSA FFRDC (if applicable)

Required (if applicable)

PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_WP

Authorization from cognizant Contracting Officer for

FFRDC

Required (if applicable)

PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_FFRDCAut h

SF-LLL Required PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_SF-LLL Foreign Entity Waiver Requests

Optional PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Waiver

Transparency of Foreign Connections

Required PDF n/a BusinessSensitive_ControlNumber_LeadOrga nization_TFC

Potentially Duplicative Funding Notice

Required PDF n/a ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_PDFN

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Note: The maximum file size that can be uploaded to the Infrastructure eXCHANGE website is 50MB. See Section III.B.

DOE provides detailed guidance on the content and form of each component below.

i. Project Narrative The Project Narrative should clearly describe and expand upon the information provided in the Letter of Intent. The content must address the technical review criteria as discussed in Section IV.A.i. and should consider the weighting of each criterion. FOA Applicants are encouraged to complete this requirement using the “Project Narrative Template” provided on Infrastructure Exchange, https://infrastructure-exchange.energy.gov, under this FOA posting. However, if applicants choose not to use the template, the content requirements as specified in the “Project Narrative Template” are still required.

Applicants must provide sufficient citations and references to the primary research literature to justify the claims and approaches made in the Project Narrative. However, DOE and reviewers are under no obligation to review cited sources.

The Project Narrative to the Full Application may not be more than [fifteen] 15 pages, including the cover page and all citations, charts, graphs, maps, photos, or other graphics. Applicants should save the Project Narrative in a single PDF file using the following naming convention for the title.

“ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_ProjectNarrative”.

i. Resumes

A resume provides information that can be used by reviewers to evaluate the individual’s relevant skills and experience of the key project personnel.

Applicants must submit a resume (limited to three pages) for each project manager and key personnel that includes the following:

1. Contact information;

2. Education: Include all academic institutions attended, major/area, degree;

3. Training: (e.g.,) certification or credential from a Registered

Apprenticeship or Labor Management Partnership;

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4. Professional experience: Beginning with the current position, list professional/academic positions in chronological order with a brief description; and

5. List all current academic, professional, or institutional appointments, foreign or domestic, at the applicant institution or elsewhere, whether or not remuneration is received, and, whether full-time, part-time, or voluntary.

Save the resumes in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_Resumes”.

ii. Letters of Commitment

Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, the letter must state that the third party is committed to providing a specific minimum dollar amount or value of in-kind contributions allocated to cost sharing. The following information for each third party contributing to cost sharing should be identified: (1) the name of the organization; (2) the proposed dollar amount to be provided; and (3) the proposed cost sharing type (e.g., cash or in-kind contributions). Each letter must not exceed 1 page. Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title “ControlNumber_LeadOrganization_LOCs”.

Letters of commitment or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not accepted.

iii. 990 Form

Applicants must submit a current 990 Form – providing financial information about their nonprofit organization.

iv. SF-424: Application for Federal Assistance Applicants must complete the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance which is…