DOE Issues Notice Of Intent to Fund Industrial Partnerships across the Bioenergy and Bioproducts Value Chain

July 24, 2024

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(U.S. Department of Energy/SAF Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office's Feedstock- Conversion Interface Consortium intends to issue an industrial partnership call (IPC) to allow collaboration between industry stakeholders and FCIC researchers. These partnerships will address the cost and risk impacts of feedstock and process variability across the bioenergy and bioproducts value chain.

Research areas may include biomass supply, handling, transport, storage, preprocessing, and initial chemical conversion. To maximize the likelihood of near-term impact for industrial partners, the FCIC seeks to fund projects that leverage existing capabilities and facilities and do not require novel model or tool development.

The intended IPC will have three topic areas to allow for a range of FCIC partnership potential:

Topic Area 1: Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Partnerships
CRADA partnerships are targeted toward projects that partner industry stakeholders with one or more national laboratories associated with the FCIC. The CRADA will identify background intellectual property (IP) for all involved parties and will protect any IP developed during the project. Project areas may include feedstock supply, handling, transport, storage, preprocessing, and initial conversion to target bioproducts. The applicant must commit a minimum of 20% cost share to the project, which can include in-kind or cash. Projects are targeted to last up to 36 months.
Topic Area 2: Technical Assistance Projects
Technical assistance projects are intended to provide industry stakeholders with rapid technical assistance from one national laboratory associated with the FCIC. Projects will not generate IP, and therefore, neither a CRADA nor cost share is required. Projects are targeted to launch quickly and last up to six months.
Topic Area 3: Biorefinery Technical Assistance Projects
This Topic Area is intended to support current biorefineries with rapid process design or operational troubleshooting from one or more national laboratories associated with the FCIC. This opportunity is available to pilot, demonstration, or commercial scale biorefineries in the planning, design, or operating phases. Projects will not generate IP and therefore, do not require a CRADA. Applicants must provide substantiable involvement and commit a minimum of 50% in-kind cost share to the project. Projects are targeted to last up to 24 months.

Topic Area	Estimated Maximum Duration (months)	Minimum Cost Share	CRADA Required?
CRADA Partnerships	36	20% (in-kind or cash)	Yes
Technical Assistance	6	None	No
Biorefinery Technical Assistance	24	50% (in-kind)	No

Proposals should clearly identify how the work addresses an aspect of BETO’s goals to 1) decarbonize the transportation sector by producing cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel and other strategic fuels, 2) produce cost-effective sustainable bioproducts to decarbonize the industrial sector, and 3) decarbonize the agricultural sector and other carbon drawdown technologies. All DOE funding will go directly to the national laboratories to execute the scope of the project.

The intended IPC is expected to be released in September 2024. If applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from the FCIC regarding this IPC, they should subscribe to FCIC updates via the form on the FCIC website. If the IPC is released, applications will be accepted only via fcic@nrel.gov.

A Notice of Intent (NOI) is issued so that interested parties are aware of the FCIC’s intention to issue this IPC in the near term. All the information contained in this NOI is subject to change. The FCIC will not respond to questions concerning this NOI. If the IPC is released, the FCIC will provide avenues for potential applicants to submit questions and discuss scope and associated FCIC capabilities.

Learn more about FCIC and visit Bioenergy Technologies Office Funding Opportunities for other upcoming funding opportunities.

This is a Notice of Intent only. The FCIC may issue an IPC as described herein, may issue an IPC that is significantly different than the IPC described herein, or may not issue an IPC at all.

The FCIC is funded by BETO and is a collaboration of industry advisors and researchers at nine DOE national laboratories. FCIC national laboratory partners include Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories. READ MORE