Flow Battery Systems Manufacturing FOA | DE FOA 0002453

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002453

The Flow Battery Systems Manufacturing FOA (DE-FOA-0002453) is a U.S. Department of Energy funding opportunity run through the DOE Golden Field Office and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), specifically the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO). The basic intent is to move flow batteries closer to widespread, practical use by improving how they are made in the United States. AMO frames this as part of a broader manufacturing mission: boosting U.S. energy productivity and industrial competitiveness by funding research, development, and adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and practices. Within energy storage, AMO is focused on two connected goals: making emerging storage technologies easier and cheaper to manufacture at scale, and helping industrial and commercial users become more competitive by integrating storage into their operations.

This FOA zeroes in on flow batteries because they are well-suited to grid-scale storage needs and can support a more flexible, resilient, and efficient electric infrastructure. Rather than funding only laboratory research or only a finished product demonstration, DOE is asking for collaborative, multi-stage research and development projects that progress in a specific sequence. First, teams are expected to develop or improve manufacturing processes for individual flow battery components. Then, as a follow-on step, the FOA expects collaborative integration of those newly improved components into a prototype flow battery system aimed at industrial applications with a mid-sized energy capacity. The capacity range called out is about 10 to 100 kilowatt-hours, which is large enough to be meaningful for industrial use cases while still being practical for prototyping and manufacturability validation.

The outcomes DOE is trying to drive are clearly manufacturing- and supply-chain-oriented. Selected projects are expected to close gaps that currently slow commercialization by enabling cost-effective and scalable manufacturing for mid-sized flow battery systems, testing and validating manufacturability (not just performance in a lab sense), and strengthening U.S. flow battery supply chains by connecting stakeholders involved in battery and component manufacturing. In other words, the emphasis is not only on making a better battery design, but on proving that key parts can be produced reliably, affordably, and at scale, and that the domestic ecosystem of suppliers and integrators is tighter and more capable by the end of the project.

From an administrative standpoint, awards are planned as cooperative agreements, which generally means DOE anticipates substantial involvement during the project (as opposed to a more hands-off standard grant). The opportunity is listed under the Energy funding activity category with CFDA 81.087. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full FOA text. DOE anticipated making around six awards, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000 per award. The FOA was created/posting dated March 18, 2021, with an original application closing date of June 30, 2021.

Applications are submitted through the EERE eXCHANGE platform, and the FOA stresses that the system enforces deadlines automatically by disabling the Apply and Submit buttons at the deadline time. For technical issues before the deadline, applicants are directed to contact the eXCHANGE helpdesk at exchangehelp@hq.doe.gov, with support also available from system administrators at eXCHANGE@go.doe.gov. If technical problems cause a late submission, DOE indicates it will only consider accepting the late application if the problem was beyond the applicant’s control, the applicant contacted the helpdesk for assistance, and the application is submitted in eXCHANGE within 24 hours after the posted deadline (with DOE staff able to help finalize submission with the applicant’s concurrence).

DOE also scheduled an informational webinar for potential applicants on Thursday, April 1, 2021, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Eastern Time, with the access link provided on the title page of the FOA document. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a manufacturing scale-up and integration push for flow batteries, designed to turn component-level manufacturing advances into a demonstrable, mid-sized prototype while simultaneously building stronger domestic supply chain connections.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Flow Battery Systems Manufacturing FOA" 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 18, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2021. (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 $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• 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.

Apply for DE FOA 0002453

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