Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002150
The FY 2019 BETO-Wide RFI (DE-FOA-0002150) is a Request for Information issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), to gather input on research and development directions in bioenergy. The main goal is not to award grants, but to collect practical feedback from industry, universities, national labs, government agencies, and other stakeholders so BETO can refine its priorities and shape future funding strategies. In other words, it is an intelligence-gathering step meant to confirm which research areas are most relevant, timely, and appropriate for federal investment, and how those areas should be framed to align with Administration priorities.
This RFI focuses on four major topic areas that reflect BETO interest in improving the economics, scalability, and real-world deployment of biofuels and bioproducts. First, BETO is looking at how to leverage existing first-generation corn-starch ethanol facilities by adding advanced processes and retrofits that could enable co-production of cellulosic biofuels and additional products. This topic is essentially about upgrading the current ethanol industry footprint rather than building entirely new infrastructure, with the idea that existing plants could become platforms for next-generation, higher-value, or lower-carbon products through bolt-on technologies, process integration, and new conversion pathways.
Second, BETO is requesting information on systems to handle commingled food waste streams, with an emphasis on using waste food to produce fuels and chemicals. This topic recognizes that real-world food waste is messy and variable (often mixed with packaging, contaminants, and varying moisture and composition), so BETO is seeking insights into the collection, preprocessing, sorting, decontamination, logistics, and conversion challenges that must be solved to make food-waste-to-products pathways reliable and cost-effective. Stakeholder input here would help identify where technology gaps, infrastructure constraints, and operational risks are preventing broader adoption.
Third, BETO is exploring the idea of bridging industry and government to collect, curate, and publish existing high-impact bioenergy data that is currently under-used or economically stranded. The intent is to surface datasets that already exist but are not accessible, standardized, or widely shared due to proprietary barriers, lack of resources for curation, inconsistent formats, or limited incentives to publish. BETO is effectively asking where there are opportunities to unlock value and accelerate innovation by making certain datasets available, whether those datasets relate to feedstock supply, conversion performance, techno-economic assumptions, life-cycle analysis parameters, or operational lessons learned.
Fourth, the RFI seeks information on algal biomass feedstock quality and the interface between feedstock characteristics and conversion performance for biofuels and bioproducts. This topic centers on how algae quality metrics (such as composition, variability, and contaminants) affect downstream processing and product yields, and what research is needed to better connect cultivation and harvesting conditions with conversion outcomes. By focusing on the feedstock-quality-to-conversion interface, BETO is signaling interest in reducing uncertainty and improving predictability across the algae value chain so that algal-based fuels and products can move closer to commercial viability.
Administratively, this opportunity is categorized as a discretionary DOE action listed under CFDA 81.087, administered through the DOE Golden Field Office, with the RFI posted on EERE Exchange. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could submit information, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full RFI text. Importantly, the notice lists no expected awards and does not function as a Funding Opportunity Announcement; it is purely a request for stakeholder responses and does not accept funding applications. The RFI opened on August 6, 2019, and responses were due by September 6, 2019, with full details available via the EERE Exchange listing for DE-FOA-0002150.Apply for DE FOA 0002150
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019 BETO-Wide RFI" 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 Aug 06, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 06, 2019. (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.
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FY 2019 BETO-Wide RFI (DE-FOA-0002150) FAQs
1) What is the FY 2019 BETO-Wide RFI (DE-FOA-0002150)?
It is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The RFI is used to gather stakeholder input on research and development directions in bioenergy.
2) Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. This notice is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and it does not award grants. The listing states no expected awards. It is strictly a request for stakeholder responses and does not accept funding applications.
3) What is BETO trying to accomplish with this RFI?
BETO is collecting practical feedback to refine its priorities and shape future funding strategies. The RFI is intended to confirm which research areas are relevant, timely, and appropriate for federal investment and how those areas should be framed to align with Administration priorities.
4) Who is the issuing agency and office?
The issuing agency is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The office is EERE (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), specifically the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).
5) Who can submit information in response to this RFI?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity could submit information, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full RFI text.
6) What kinds of stakeholders is BETO looking to hear from?
The RFI is aimed at collecting input from industry, universities, national laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders involved in bioenergy and related fields.
7) What are the main topic areas covered by this RFI?
The RFI focuses on four major topic areas:
- Leveraging existing first-generation corn-starch ethanol facilities through advanced processes and retrofits
- Systems for handling commingled food waste streams to produce fuels and chemicals
- Bridging industry and government to collect, curate, and publish high-impact bioenergy datasets that are under-used or economically stranded
- Algal biomass feedstock quality and the interface between feedstock characteristics and conversion performance
8) What does BETO mean by leveraging existing corn-starch ethanol facilities?
This topic is about upgrading the current ethanol industry footprint rather than building entirely new infrastructure. BETO is looking for input on bolt-on technologies, process integration, retrofits, and new conversion pathways that could enable co-production of cellulosic biofuels and additional products at existing facilities.
9) Is the goal to build new plants or modify existing ones under the ethanol facility topic?
The emphasis described is on using existing first-generation corn-starch ethanol plants as platforms and adding advanced processes and retrofits, rather than relying on entirely new infrastructure.
10) What is meant by commingled food waste streams?
The RFI uses this term to reflect real-world food waste that is messy and variable, often mixed with packaging, contaminants, and differing moisture levels and composition. BETO is seeking insight into the practical challenges this creates.
11) What challenges is BETO interested in for food-waste-to-fuels and chemicals?
BETO is seeking input on collection, preprocessing, sorting, decontamination, logistics, and conversion challenges. The RFI highlights the need to identify technology gaps, infrastructure constraints, and operational risks that prevent broader adoption of reliable and cost-effective pathways.
12) What is the data-focused topic about?
BETO is exploring opportunities to bridge industry and government to collect, curate, and publish existing high-impact bioenergy data that is currently under-used or economically stranded. The goal is to unlock value and accelerate innovation by making certain datasets accessible and usable.
13) Why are some bioenergy datasets described as under-used or economically stranded?
The RFI notes that datasets may exist but are not accessible, standardized, or widely shared due to proprietary barriers, lack of resources for curation, inconsistent formats, or limited incentives to publish.
14) What types of bioenergy data does BETO mention as potentially valuable to publish?
Examples mentioned include datasets related to feedstock supply, conversion performance, techno-economic assumptions, life-cycle analysis parameters, and operational lessons learned.
15) What is the algae topic focusing on?
The algae topic focuses on algal biomass feedstock quality and the interface between feedstock characteristics and conversion performance for biofuels and bioproducts.
16) What does BETO mean by the feedstock-quality-to-conversion interface for algae?
It refers to how algae quality metrics such as composition, variability, and contaminants affect downstream processing and product yields, and what research is needed to better connect cultivation and harvesting conditions with conversion outcomes.
17) What is BETO ultimately trying to improve in the algae value chain?
BETO signals interest in reducing uncertainty and improving predictability across the algae value chain so that algal-based fuels and products can move closer to commercial viability.
18) Where was this RFI posted?
The RFI was posted on EERE Exchange under the identifier DE-FOA-0002150.
19) What is the CFDA number associated with this notice?
The notice is listed under CFDA 81.087.
20) Which DOE office administers this RFI?
It is administered through the DOE Golden Field Office.
21) What type of DOE action is this categorized as?
It is categorized as a discretionary DOE action.
22) When did the RFI open and when were responses due?
The RFI opened on August 6, 2019, and responses were due by September 6, 2019.
23) Does this RFI accept project proposals or applications for funding?
No. The notice states it does not function as a Funding Opportunity Announcement and does not accept funding applications. It is solely for submitting information and feedback to BETO.
24) How does BETO plan to use the information submitted?
The information is intended to help BETO refine research and development priorities and shape future funding strategies by identifying which areas are most relevant and how they should be framed for federal investment.
25) Where can someone find the full details and official listing?
Full details are available through the EERE Exchange listing for DE-FOA-0002150.
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