Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002165
DE-FOA-0002165 is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI) focused on shaping a potential future prize competition under the Water Security Grand Challenge. The core idea behind the potential prize is to increase resource recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants across the United States, especially small-to-medium-sized facilities, and to reduce overall treatment costs by extracting more value from wastewater streams. DOE frames this as both a cost and energy-efficiency opportunity: if wastewater plants can recover more usable products (such as energy carriers or nutrients) and operate more efficiently, they may lower the long-term cost of treatment while improving system performance.
The RFI is specifically seeking public input on how DOE should design the prize competition, including its objectives, rules, success metrics, and incentives. DOE is signaling interest in novel, systems-based solutions rather than isolated technology demonstrations. The concept emphasizes multidisciplinary teams and practical implementation planning, meaning the competition would likely reward approaches that combine technology, engineering design, operational strategy, and end-use market alignment. DOE is encouraging collaborative teams that could include wastewater treatment plants, engineering and design firms, technology developers, and "resource customers" who can use recovered products (for example farmers who can use nutrients, or electric and gas utilities that could integrate recovered energy products). A key theme is holistic planning at a community scale or watershed scale, implying that strong proposals would account for local conditions, stakeholders, and pathways to actually use or sell recovered resources.
It is important that this announcement is not a funding opportunity and not a request for grant applications. DOE explicitly states it will not pay for information submitted to the RFI, and no projects will be supported as a direct result of responding. The agency also notes that it may or may not issue a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or prize competition based on what it learns through these responses. In other words, the purpose here is market research and program design: DOE is collecting perspectives to decide whether and how to run a prize, and what competition structure would best drive real-world resource recovery adoption at smaller municipal plants.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is issued by DOE (Golden Field Office) and is listed on the EERE Exchange website. The opportunity category is discretionary, the activity category is energy, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.087. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any entity type may provide input, subject to any clarifications in the full text. Submissions had to be emailed to WaterResourceRecoveryPrize@ee.doe.gov by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on October 23, 2019, with the subject line including "Water Security Grand Challenge Resource Recovery Prize." DOE required responses as email attachments in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, limited to 20 pages with 12-point font and 1-inch margins. For attachments over 25MB, compression (such as a zip file) was recommended to ensure delivery. Only electronic submissions were accepted.
Overall, DE-FOA-0002165 is best understood as an invitation to help DOE design a targeted prize competition aimed at accelerating practical, community-anchored resource recovery strategies for small and mid-sized municipal wastewater treatment systems. It is a planning and feedback mechanism, not a mechanism for awarding funds, and it serves as a step that could inform a later prize or related competitive program if DOE determines there is sufficient value and feasible design options based on stakeholder input.Apply for DE FOA 0002165
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0002165: Notice of Request for Information (RFI) on Water Security Grand Challenge Resource Recovery Prize" 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 Sep 23, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 23, 2019 Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to WaterResourceRecoveryPrize@ee.doe.gov no later than 500pm (ET) on October 23, 2019. 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - DE-FOA-0002165
What is DE-FOA-0002165?
DE-FOA-0002165 is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Request for Information (RFI). It was issued to gather public input to help DOE shape and design a potential future prize competition under the Water Security Grand Challenge.
Is this a grant or funding opportunity?
No. This announcement is not a funding opportunity, not a request for grant applications, and not a solicitation for project proposals. DOE is collecting feedback only.
What is DOE trying to accomplish through this RFI?
DOE is seeking input on how to design a prize competition that could increase resource recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants in the United States (especially small-to-medium-sized facilities) and help reduce overall wastewater treatment costs by extracting more value from wastewater streams.
What is the “potential prize competition” focused on?
The concept centers on improving resource recovery and energy/cost efficiency at municipal wastewater treatment plants. The idea is that plants could recover usable products (such as energy carriers or nutrients) and operate more efficiently, lowering long-term treatment costs while improving performance.
What kinds of solutions is DOE interested in for the potential prize?
DOE signals interest in novel, systems-based solutions rather than isolated technology demonstrations. The emphasis is on integrated approaches that combine multiple elements such as technology, engineering design, operational strategy, and end-use market alignment.
What specific input is DOE requesting in this RFI?
DOE is asking for input to inform the prize competition design, including potential objectives, rules, success metrics, and incentives that would drive real-world adoption of resource recovery at smaller municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Who is encouraged to respond to the RFI?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any entity type may provide input (subject to any clarifications in the full RFI text). DOE also encourages collaborative, multidisciplinary teams to contribute perspectives.
What types of collaborators does DOE expect could be part of a strong response?
DOE highlights the value of teams that could include wastewater treatment plants, engineering and design firms, technology developers, and “resource customers” who can use recovered products (for example farmers who can use nutrients, or electric and gas utilities that could integrate recovered energy products).
Does DOE want purely technical ideas, or implementation planning too?
DOE emphasizes practical implementation planning alongside technology and design. The concept suggests the competition would likely reward approaches that can realistically be implemented and that align with how recovered resources will be used or sold.
Is the focus only on a single facility, or broader community planning?
A key theme is holistic planning at a community scale or watershed scale. DOE suggests strong concepts would account for local conditions, stakeholders, and real pathways to utilize recovered resources.
Will DOE pay for time spent preparing or submitting an RFI response?
No. DOE explicitly states it will not pay for information submitted to the RFI.
Will any projects be funded or supported because of this RFI?
No. DOE states that no projects will be supported as a direct result of responding to this RFI.
Does responding guarantee a future prize competition or FOA?
No. DOE notes it may or may not issue a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) or prize competition based on what it learns from responses.
Who issued this opportunity?
The opportunity was issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Golden Field Office, and was listed on the EERE Exchange website.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is listed as a discretionary opportunity. The activity category is energy, and it is associated with CFDA number 81.087.
Where was the response submitted?
Responses were submitted by email to WaterResourceRecoveryPrize@ee.doe.gov.
What email subject line was required?
The subject line had to include: “Water Security Grand Challenge Resource Recovery Prize.”
What was the submission deadline?
Responses were due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on October 23, 2019.
What file format did DOE require for responses?
DOE required responses as email attachments in Microsoft Word (.docx) format.
Were there formatting or length limits for the RFI response?
Yes. DOE limited responses to 20 pages and required 12-point font with 1-inch margins.
Were paper submissions accepted?
No. Only electronic submissions were accepted.
What if the email attachments were too large?
For attachments over 25MB, DOE recommended compression (such as a zip file) to help ensure delivery.
What is the Water Security Grand Challenge connection?
The RFI is part of DOE’s Water Security Grand Challenge context and is intended to guide the design of a potential prize that advances water-related resource recovery and efficiency outcomes in municipal wastewater treatment.
What is the main takeaway for someone evaluating this listing today?
DE-FOA-0002165 is best understood as a planning and feedback mechanism (market research and program design), not a mechanism for awarding funds. It was intended to inform whether and how DOE might launch a future prize competition or related competitive program.
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