Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003328
The Notice of Intent for the "Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation" Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), numbered DE FOA 0003328, is an early notification from the U.S. Department of Energy's Golden Field Office that a future competitive funding opportunity is planned. A Notice of Intent typically signals that a full FOA is forthcoming and gives prospective applicants a chance to start preparing, building partnerships, and aligning project concepts with the anticipated program direction before the official application requirements are released. In this case, the topic area points to investments in smart manufacturing approaches that improve how materials are developed, processed, and integrated into manufacturing workflows, with an emphasis on innovation that advances energy-related goals.
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and is expected to use a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. In practical terms, a Cooperative Agreement usually indicates that the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement during the project period, such as collaborating on technical direction, milestones, data sharing expectations, or programmatic reviews. This differs from a traditional grant where federal involvement is typically lighter after award. The funding activity category is Energy, and the associated CFDA (now commonly referred to under the Assistance Listings system) number is 81.086, which is commonly tied to DOE financial assistance activities in advanced manufacturing and related areas.
Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted," which suggests that a broad range of applicant types may be able to apply once the full FOA is released. That can include, depending on the final rules, entities such as companies, universities, national laboratories (often as partners), nonprofit organizations, and state or local government entities. However, the Notice of Intent explicitly notes that additional eligibility information will be provided in the upcoming FOA, meaning applicants should not assume specifics like cost-share requirements, restrictions on foreign participation, teaming arrangements, or applicant type limitations until the full announcement is published.
Key administrative fields in the notice provide only limited insight into eventual award size and volume. The listed award ceiling is 2, but without units or context it is not possible to interpret reliably from the Notice of Intent alone (for example, it could be a placeholder value, or it could reflect an upper limit in millions of dollars in the final FOA, but that is not stated here). The expected awards field is shown as 0, which is common in early notices and does not necessarily mean that no awards will be made; it often means the figure has not been finalized at the notice stage. The original closing date is shown as 2024-06-28, which may refer to the Notice of Intent posting window or an anticipated timeline marker, but the actual application deadline and submission instructions will be established in the full FOA.
From a technical standpoint, the title indicates a focus on smart manufacturing technologies applied to material and process innovation. In DOE manufacturing contexts, "smart manufacturing" generally implies the use of advanced sensing, data analytics, digital twins, machine learning or AI-enabled process control, high-performance computing, automation, and connected systems to optimize manufacturing processes. When paired with "material and process innovation," this often includes work that accelerates materials development cycles, improves process yield and quality, reduces energy intensity, minimizes scrap and emissions, increases throughput, and enables new manufacturing methods or product performance through better control and understanding of process-structure-property relationships. Depending on the final FOA scope, relevant projects could range from novel process monitoring and control for high-temperature or high-precision manufacturing, to integrated computational and experimental frameworks for rapid materials qualification, to factory-scale implementations that demonstrate measurable efficiency or productivity gains.
Because the published text is only a Notice of Intent, it does not yet provide the elements applicants usually need to build a compliant submission, such as specific topic areas, required technical metrics, allowable project durations, cost-share percentages (if any), merit review criteria, budget categories, data management and reporting requirements, or teaming and subcontracting rules. The Notice of Intent mainly serves as a heads-up: interested organizations should monitor for the release of the full FOA, begin outlining a project concept aligned with smart manufacturing for materials and processes, identify potential partners to cover needed expertise (manufacturing operations, materials science, controls, data systems, validation and demonstration), and prepare for the more detailed eligibility and submission guidance that will follow in the official funding opportunity announcement.Apply for DE FOA 0003328
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent: Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation Funding Opportunity Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-28. (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is this announcement (DE-FOA-0003328) actually offering right now?
This is a Notice of Intent (NOI) for the "Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation" Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), numbered DE-FOA-0003328. An NOI is an early notification that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) intends to release a future competitive funding opportunity. The NOI itself is not the full FOA and does not include the complete application requirements.
2. Who is issuing the Notice of Intent?
The notice is issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), specifically the Golden Field Office.
3. What is the overall focus of the planned funding opportunity?
The planned opportunity is focused on "smart manufacturing technologies" applied to "material and process innovation." Based on the notice, the intent is to invest in approaches that improve how materials are developed, processed, and integrated into manufacturing workflows, with an emphasis on innovations that advance energy-related goals.
4. What does DOE mean by "smart manufacturing" in this context?
The notice points toward smart manufacturing approaches that typically involve advanced sensing, data analytics, digital twins, machine learning or AI-enabled process control, high-performance computing, automation, and connected systems. The general aim is to optimize manufacturing processes and improve performance.
5. What kinds of improvements is DOE likely interested in for materials and processes?
While the NOI does not list specific required metrics, it describes common targets in DOE manufacturing contexts, such as accelerating materials development cycles, improving process yield and quality, reducing energy intensity, minimizing scrap and emissions, increasing throughput, and enabling better manufacturing outcomes by improving control and understanding of process-structure-property relationships.
6. What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is Energy.
7. What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number associated with this notice?
The associated CFDA/Assistance Listings number is 81.086, which is commonly tied to DOE financial assistance activities in advanced manufacturing and related areas.
8. What type of funding is this (discretionary or mandatory)?
The notice categorizes this opportunity as discretionary funding.
9. What funding instrument is DOE expecting to use?
The notice indicates the funding instrument is expected to be a Cooperative Agreement.
10. What does a Cooperative Agreement mean for awardees?
A Cooperative Agreement generally means DOE expects to have substantial involvement during the project period. The notice describes involvement that can include collaboration on technical direction, milestones, data sharing expectations, and programmatic reviews. This differs from a traditional grant, where involvement after award is typically lighter.
11. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted," suggesting a broad range of applicant types may be able to apply once the full FOA is released. However, the notice also states that additional eligibility information will be provided in the upcoming FOA, so applicants should rely on the full FOA for definitive eligibility rules.
12. Does "Unrestricted" guarantee that any organization can apply?
No. The NOI indicates "Unrestricted" eligibility at a high level, but it also explicitly notes that additional eligibility information will be provided in the full FOA. That means details such as any restrictions, conditions, or specific eligibility requirements should not be assumed until the FOA is published.
13. Are companies, universities, nonprofits, or government entities expected to be eligible?
The notice suggests that, depending on final rules in the FOA, a broad range of entities could be eligible, including companies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and state or local government entities. The NOI also notes national laboratories often participate as partners, but specific participation rules will be clarified in the FOA.
14. Does the Notice of Intent mention cost share requirements?
No. The NOI specifically notes that elements like cost-share percentages (if any) will be provided in the full FOA, not in the NOI.
15. Does the Notice of Intent provide rules on foreign participation or teaming arrangements?
No. The NOI cautions that applicants should not assume specifics about restrictions on foreign participation, teaming arrangements, or applicant type limitations until the full FOA is released.
16. How much funding will be available per award?
The NOI does not provide enough information to reliably determine award size. It lists an "award ceiling" of "2," but the notice does not provide units or context, so it could be a placeholder or could represent an amount in an unspecified unit. The full FOA is expected to clarify award amounts and limits.
17. How many awards will DOE make?
The NOI shows "expected awards" as 0, which is common in early notices and does not necessarily mean no awards will be made. It often indicates the number has not been finalized at the NOI stage. The full FOA should provide the best information on anticipated award counts.
18. Is there an application deadline right now?
The NOI lists an original closing date of 2024-06-28, but the notice explains that the actual application deadline and submission instructions will be established in the full FOA. The date shown may relate to the NOI posting window or another timeline marker rather than a final application deadline.
19. Can an application be submitted based on the Notice of Intent alone?
No. The NOI is a heads-up that a full FOA is forthcoming. The elements needed to submit a compliant application (submission instructions, required forms, topic areas, evaluation criteria, etc.) are not included in the NOI.
20. What key details are missing because this is only a Notice of Intent?
According to the notice, it does not yet provide typical application-critical details such as specific topic areas, required technical metrics, allowable project durations, cost-share requirements, merit review criteria, budget categories, data management and reporting requirements, or teaming and subcontracting rules. These are expected to appear in the full FOA.
21. What types of projects might align with the described scope?
The NOI indicates that, depending on the final FOA scope, relevant projects could include novel process monitoring and control for high-temperature or high-precision manufacturing; integrated computational and experimental frameworks for rapid materials qualification; and factory-scale implementations that demonstrate measurable efficiency or productivity gains. These are examples inferred from the technical framing in the notice, not a definitive list of eligible topics.
22. What should prospective applicants do now to prepare?
The notice suggests using this early period to monitor for the full FOA release, outline a project concept aligned with smart manufacturing for materials and processes, identify potential partners to cover needed expertise (manufacturing operations, materials science, controls, data systems, validation and demonstration), and prepare for more detailed eligibility and submission guidance that will be provided in the official FOA.
23. Where will the definitive requirements be provided?
The definitive requirements will be provided in the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that DOE plans to release following this Notice of Intent.
24. Why is DOE issuing a Notice of Intent instead of the full FOA?
The NOI is intended as an early notification. It gives prospective applicants time to start preparing, building partnerships, and aligning project concepts with anticipated program direction before the official application requirements are released.
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