Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003178
The Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels opportunity (DE-FOA-0003178) is a 2024 funding announcement from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) under its Systems Development and Integration (SDI) program. The funding originates from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, specifically IRA Section 60108(b), which set aside $10 million for new grants supporting industry work in advanced biofuels. Although Congress authorized these funds to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EPA and DOE established an interagency agreement that transfers the funds to DOE so DOE can run and administer the competitive funding opportunity, with EPA playing a substantial role in shaping and reviewing the work because of EPA's responsibilities under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
Programmatically, the FOA is designed to sit at the intersection of three federal priorities: EPA's interest in fuels that qualify under the RFS (especially the "advanced biofuel" category), DOE BETO's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge, and SDI's longer-term objective of enabling progress toward multiple demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries by 2030. In practice, that means the government is looking for projects that can realistically move advanced biofuel pathways forward toward scalable, integrated demonstration, while also fitting into the regulatory and lifecycle-emissions framework used by EPA for RFS compliance. The FOA is issued as a cooperative agreement, which usually indicates more active federal involvement during execution than a standard grant, such as DOE technical engagement, milestone review, and go/no-go decision points.
A central requirement of the application is that the proposed technology must be framed in terms of how it meets the RFS definition of an "advanced biofuel." Applicants are expected to address three core elements: the pathway must use allowable feedstocks recognized under the program, it must produce allowable fuel types, and it must achieve lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of at least 50% relative to the petroleum baseline. This requirement is not presented as a vague aspiration; it is a key eligibility and merit consideration, meaning applicants should be prepared to discuss their feedstock sourcing assumptions, conversion pathway, end fuel slate, and how lifecycle emissions would be calculated or substantiated in a way that aligns with RFS expectations. Because the FOA also aligns with the SAF Grand Challenge, applicants pursuing aviation-related fuels would typically be expected to connect their approach to aviation fuel needs and the broader objective of scaling sustainable aviation fuel production, while still meeting the RFS advanced biofuel criteria.
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including entities other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible applicant types. Even with this broad eligibility, the FOA places clear emphasis on meaningful industry participation and domestic execution. The prime recipient and any subrecipients must be domestic entities, reflecting the IRA's general intent to strengthen U.S.-based clean energy manufacturing and deployment and to keep federally funded development work within the United States.
There is also an important structural requirement regarding the role of for-profit industry partners. If the prime recipient is not itself a for-profit industry entity providing technical capability, then the project team must include one or more for-profit industry partners as subrecipients. Those industry subrecipients must collectively account for an aggregate effort equivalent to at least 20% of the total project cost. In effect, the FOA is trying to prevent purely academic or purely governmental projects that are disconnected from commercialization realities, and instead drive projects where companies with hands-on technical and development capability are materially involved in execution, decision-making, and scale-up planning.
Administratively, the issuing office is DOE's Golden Field Office, and the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding in the energy, science and technology, and other R&D area under CFDA 81.087. The original closing date listed is May 24, 2024, and the opportunity was created on February 22, 2024. The award ceiling is $9.4 million, and DOE anticipates making about five awards. Taken together, those figures signal a relatively small number of fairly substantial projects, which is consistent with a development-and-integration emphasis rather than early-stage exploratory research. The overall intent is to fund a handful of strong, industry-connected projects that can credibly advance integrated biofuel systems while meeting EPA's advanced biofuel definition and supporting national scale-up goals for low-carbon fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel.Apply for DE FOA 0003178
- The Golden Field Office in the energy, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels" 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 2024-02-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-24. (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 $9,400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), 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, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Advanced Biofuels opportunity?
This opportunity is a 2024 funding announcement (FOA DE-FOA-0003178) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) under its Systems Development and Integration (SDI) program. It uses funding set aside in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 to support industry work in advanced biofuels.
Which federal offices are involved, and why are both DOE and EPA mentioned?
DOE runs and administers the competitive funding opportunity under an interagency agreement. The funding was authorized by Congress to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under IRA Section 60108(b), but EPA and DOE arranged for the funds to be transferred to DOE so DOE can manage the awards. EPA has a substantial role in shaping and reviewing the work because of its responsibilities under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.
What is the source of funding for this FOA?
The funding originates from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, specifically IRA Section 60108(b), which set aside $10 million for new grants supporting industry work in advanced biofuels.
What is the overall purpose of this FOA?
The FOA is intended to move advanced biofuel pathways toward scalable, integrated demonstration while fitting into the regulatory and lifecycle-emissions framework used by EPA for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance. It also aligns with DOE BETO priorities such as the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge and SDI goals focused on enabling progress toward multiple demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries by 2030.
How does this FOA relate to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)?
A central requirement is that the proposed technology must be framed in terms of how it meets the RFS definition of an "advanced biofuel." This is not optional or merely aspirational; it is described as a key eligibility and merit consideration.
What does the FOA require for a pathway to qualify as an "advanced biofuel" under RFS?
Applicants are expected to address three core elements: (1) the pathway uses allowable feedstocks recognized under the program, (2) it produces allowable fuel types, and (3) it achieves lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of at least 50% relative to the petroleum baseline.
What kind of lifecycle GHG reduction is expected?
The application is expected to demonstrate or substantiate lifecycle GHG emissions reductions of at least 50% relative to the petroleum baseline, consistent with the RFS advanced biofuel definition.
What information should applicants include about feedstocks and fuel products?
Applicants should be prepared to discuss feedstock sourcing assumptions, the conversion pathway, the end fuel slate (the fuel types produced), and how lifecycle emissions would be calculated or substantiated in a way that aligns with EPA RFS expectations.
Is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) a focus area for this opportunity?
The FOA aligns with DOE BETO's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge. Projects pursuing aviation-related fuels would typically be expected to connect the approach to aviation fuel needs and the broader objective of scaling sustainable aviation fuel production, while still meeting the RFS advanced biofuel criteria.
What is the SDI program trying to achieve through this FOA?
Within DOE BETO, this FOA sits under Systems Development and Integration (SDI) and supports SDI's longer-term objective of enabling progress toward multiple demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries by 2030.
What type of award instrument will DOE use?
The FOA is issued as a cooperative agreement. This generally indicates more active federal involvement during project execution than a standard grant, such as DOE technical engagement, milestone reviews, and go/no-go decision points.
What does "cooperative agreement" mean for project management?
Based on the description in the opportunity summary, cooperative agreements typically involve active DOE engagement during execution, including technical involvement and formal milestone review that may include go/no-go decisions.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including entities other than small businesses); small businesses; and other eligible applicant types.
Are there any domestic entity requirements?
Yes. The FOA emphasizes domestic execution. The prime recipient and any subrecipients must be domestic entities, reflecting the IRA's intent to keep federally funded development work within the United States.
Is industry participation required?
The FOA places clear emphasis on meaningful industry participation. If the prime recipient is not itself a for-profit industry entity providing technical capability, then the project team must include one or more for-profit industry partners as subrecipients.
What is the minimum required level of effort for for-profit industry subrecipients?
If required, the for-profit industry subrecipients must collectively account for an aggregate effort equivalent to at least 20% of the total project cost.
What is the intent behind the 20% industry participation requirement?
The FOA is designed to avoid projects that are disconnected from commercialization realities (for example, purely academic or purely governmental efforts). The structure is intended to ensure companies with hands-on technical and development capability are materially involved in execution, decision-making, and scale-up planning.
Which DOE office is issuing and administering the FOA?
The issuing office is DOE's Golden Field Office.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as discretionary funding in the energy, science and technology, and other R&D area under CFDA 81.087.
What is the application deadline listed for the FOA?
The original closing date listed is May 24, 2024.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on February 22, 2024.
What is the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling is $9.4 million.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
DOE anticipates making about five awards.
What does the award size and number of awards suggest about the kind of projects DOE wants?
A relatively small number of fairly substantial awards suggests a development-and-integration emphasis rather than early-stage exploratory research. The intent described is to fund a handful of strong, industry-connected projects that can credibly advance integrated biofuel systems while meeting EPA's advanced biofuel definition.
What should a competitive application emphasize, based on the FOA description?
Based on the summary provided, competitive applications should clearly connect the proposed pathway to RFS advanced biofuel requirements (feedstocks, fuel types, and at least 50% lifecycle GHG reduction), show realistic progress toward scalable integrated demonstration, and include meaningful for-profit industry participation (including the 20% total project cost aggregate effort requirement when applicable). Applications tied to aviation fuels should also connect to the SAF Grand Challenge scaling objectives while still meeting RFS criteria.
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