FY22 BETO Waste Feedstocks and Conversion R&D | DE FOA 0002636

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002636

The FY22 BETO Waste Feedstocks and Conversion R&D funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002636) is a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) solicitation focused on advancing bioenergy research that turns difficult, often costly waste streams into useful fuels and products, while also improving the reliability of the biological and catalytic conversion technologies needed to scale these pathways. Issued by DOE's Golden Field Office as a discretionary funding opportunity, the FOA uses cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, through technical direction, milestones, and active project management), rather than a hands-off grant structure.

A major emphasis of the FOA is waste-to-energy and waste-to-products strategies that recover energy and resources from waste streams such as municipal solid waste, animal manure, wastewater residuals, and other organic wastes. BETO frames these feedstocks not just as an untapped resource, but as a real environmental and public health challenge today. Many of these wastes contribute to fugitive methane emissions (a potent greenhouse gas), degrade air and water quality, and generate odors. The FOA also explicitly points out the environmental justice dimension: waste handling and waste facilities are often concentrated near disadvantaged communities, which can lead to disproportionate health and quality-of-life impacts. At the same time, communities and utilities spend significant money managing these materials through treatment, hauling, and disposal or tipping fees. BETO highlights that this cost burden can make waste streams a cost-advantaged feedstock for producing biofuels and bioproducts, because the "negative value" associated with disposal can help the economics of conversion if the technology can reliably process the material.

The second major emphasis targets the conversion side of the bioeconomy, specifically improving microorganisms and inorganic catalysts so that real-world processes remain stable and productive as they scale. BETO identifies "process robustness" as a core barrier that must be solved before moving from laboratory and pilot work to commercial scale. In practice, robustness issues show up when engineered microbes lose productivity, fail under variable feed composition, or struggle with inhibitors and contaminants; similarly, catalysts can deactivate, become poisoned, or lose selectivity when exposed to impurities common in bio-derived streams. The FOA structures this need into conversion-focused topic areas. Topic Area 2 (including subtopics 2a and 2b) seeks R&D that improves the economic viability of microbial production by increasing productivity and strengthening the robustness of engineered microorganisms, aiming for strains and processes that can tolerate realistic operating conditions and feed variability. Topic Area 3 focuses on inorganic catalyst development, including studying catalyst durability and strategies to mitigate performance losses caused by impurities in bio-derived intermediates and process streams.

Taken together, the waste feedstock work and the conversion robustness work are positioned as enabling steps toward BETO's longer-term cost and deployment targets. The FOA ties these R&D efforts to an overall goal of driving sustainable biofuels toward cost levels under $2.50 per gallon by 2030 and expanding the range of viable processes capable of producing sustainable aviation fuel. It also links this direction to federal climate priorities, including the White House goal of reducing aviation emissions by 20% by 2030, emphasizing that improved conversion performance and tolerance to real-world feedstocks can directly affect whether sustainable aviation fuel pathways are scalable and competitive.

In terms of logistics and eligibility, the opportunity was posted March 22, 2022, with an original closing date of June 7, 2022. The expected number of awards was 27, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award. Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, industry, and civil society: state, county, and municipal governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses); and even individuals, with a note to consult the FOA text for any additional clarifications. The CFDA number is 81.087, and the activity category is Energy. Questions about the FOA were directed to FY22FeedstockConversionFOA@ee.doe.gov.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY22 BETO Waste Feedstocks and Conversion R&D" 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 Mar 22, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 07, 2022. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 27 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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