Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002131
The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) issued this notice as a Request for Information (RFI) focused on "Enabling Technologies for a Commercially Viable Fusion Power Plant" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002131). It is not a funding opportunity announcement and it is not accepting applications for financial assistance. The point of the RFI is to collect technical input that ARPA-E can use for internal program planning and to help shape potential future funding programs, if ARPA-E decides to launch them later.
The core goal is to identify technological solutions and innovation pathways that could make fusion power plants commercially viable, especially under constraints that may be more realistic for early market entry. ARPA-E highlights that prior fusion power plant studies often assume very large, utility-scale plants on the order of 1 gigawatt electric (1 GWe) and total construction costs greater than $5 billion (in 2019 dollars). ARPA-E is signaling that, over the next few decades, fusion may need to reach the market at smaller nameplate capacities and lower total capital costs than those historical assumptions. In other words, the agency is explicitly asking for ideas that enable fusion systems that are cheaper and potentially smaller than the traditional "big plant" model.
A major emphasis is on enabling technologies rather than simply incremental improvements to existing fusion concepts. ARPA-E is looking for "transformational" research and development opportunities that could materially change the cost, size, manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, or overall economics of fusion plants. Just as importantly, ARPA-E states it is particularly interested in opportunities that are not already being pursued, or not already included, in the roadmaps of ongoing DOE fusion programs. That is a clear invitation to contributors from outside the mainstream fusion R&D community, including adjacent fields and industries that might bring new materials, manufacturing methods, power electronics, controls, advanced computing, high-field magnet approaches, heat management strategies, neutron-tolerant components, modular construction concepts, or other cross-cutting technologies that could remove bottlenecks to practical plants.
In terms of who can respond, eligibility is essentially unrestricted, meaning ARPA-E wants input from any type of entity (companies, universities, national labs, nonprofits, individuals, and organizations from related technical areas), subject to any clarifications that might have existed in the full RFI text. The activity category is science and technology and other research and development, and the listing is associated with CFDA number 81.135. The RFI was created May 3, 2019, with an original closing date of June 5, 2019.
Although the posting includes fields like "FundingInstrumentType: Cooperative Agreement, Grant" and even placeholder-like entries such as an award ceiling and expected awards, those do not change the substance of this notice: ARPA-E is not offering awards through this RFI. The document is strictly an information-gathering step meant to help ARPA-E understand what enabling technologies could plausibly unlock lower-cost, lower-capacity fusion power plants and where high-impact, underexplored R&D might justify a future program.Apply for DE FOA 0002131
- The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI on Enabling Technologies for a Commercially Viable Fusion Power Plant" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2019 This is a Request for Information only. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance. THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA). NO FOA EXISTS AT THIS TIME.. (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 $1.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is DE-FOA-0002131?
DE-FOA-0002131 is a Department of Energy ARPA-E notice issued as a Request for Information (RFI) titled "Enabling Technologies for a Commercially Viable Fusion Power Plant." It is intended to gather technical input for ARPA-E internal program planning and to inform potential future funding programs.
Is this a funding opportunity announcement (FOA)?
No. This notice is an RFI, not a funding opportunity announcement. ARPA-E is not offering funding through this RFI.
Are applications for financial assistance being accepted?
No. The RFI is not accepting applications for grants or cooperative agreements. It is only collecting information and technical input.
Why is ARPA-E issuing this RFI?
The purpose is to collect technical input that ARPA-E can use for internal program planning and to help shape possible future fusion-related funding programs, if ARPA-E decides to launch them later.
What is the main technical focus of the RFI?
The RFI focuses on enabling technologies and innovation pathways that could make fusion power plants commercially viable, particularly under more realistic constraints for early market entry (for example, smaller plant sizes and lower total capital costs than traditional assumptions).
What kind of fusion plant assumptions is ARPA-E challenging?
ARPA-E notes that many prior fusion power plant studies assume very large, utility-scale plants around 1 gigawatt electric (1 GWe) with total construction costs greater than $5 billion (2019 dollars). The RFI signals interest in approaches that could enable smaller nameplate capacities and lower capital costs than those historical assumptions.
Does ARPA-E want incremental improvements to existing fusion concepts?
The emphasis is on enabling technologies and transformational R&D opportunities rather than incremental improvements. ARPA-E is looking for ideas that could materially change the cost, size, manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, or overall economics of fusion plants.
What does ARPA-E mean by "enabling technologies" in this context?
Based on the information provided, "enabling technologies" refers to cross-cutting technological solutions that remove key bottlenecks to practical fusion power plants, potentially improving economics, manufacturability, reliability, maintainability, or reducing size and cost.
Is ARPA-E specifically looking for ideas outside current DOE fusion roadmaps?
Yes. ARPA-E states it is particularly interested in opportunities that are not already being pursued, or not already included, in the roadmaps of ongoing DOE fusion programs.
Who is encouraged to respond to the RFI?
Eligibility is essentially unrestricted. ARPA-E wants input from any type of entity, including companies, universities, national laboratories, nonprofits, individuals, and organizations from related technical areas, subject to any clarifications that might exist in the full RFI text.
Are contributors required to be part of the mainstream fusion R&D community?
No. The RFI explicitly invites contributors from outside the mainstream fusion R&D community, including adjacent fields and industries that may have relevant technologies.
What examples of relevant adjacent technologies are mentioned?
The notice highlights potential contributions from areas such as materials, manufacturing methods, power electronics, controls, advanced computing, high-field magnet approaches, heat management strategies, neutron-tolerant components, and modular construction concepts.
What is ARPA-E trying to learn from respondents?
ARPA-E is seeking technical input on what enabling technologies could plausibly unlock lower-cost, lower-capacity fusion power plants, and where high-impact, underexplored R&D might justify a future program.
Does this RFI guarantee that ARPA-E will release a future funding program?
No. The RFI is an information-gathering step intended to support internal planning. Any future funding program would be a separate action that ARPA-E may or may not decide to pursue.
The posting lists "Cooperative Agreement" and "Grant" as funding instrument types. Does that mean awards will be made under this notice?
No. Even though the posting includes fields such as "FundingInstrumentType: Cooperative Agreement, Grant" and other placeholder-like entries, the substance of the notice is that this is strictly an RFI and ARPA-E is not offering awards through it.
What is the activity category associated with this notice?
The activity category is "Science and Technology and other Research and Development."
What CFDA number is associated with this listing?
The listing is associated with CFDA number 81.135.
When was the RFI created and when did it close?
The RFI was created on May 3, 2019, with an original closing date of June 5, 2019.
What outcomes does ARPA-E ultimately care about for commercialization?
The RFI emphasizes commercialization-related outcomes such as lowering total capital cost, enabling smaller early-market plants, and improving manufacturability, reliability, and maintainability in ways that improve overall fusion plant economics.
Does this notice describe a specific fusion concept to pursue?
No specific fusion concept is identified in the information provided. The focus is on enabling technologies that could help make fusion power plants commercially viable across potential approaches.
Is the RFI focused on technical input only, or also program planning considerations?
It is focused on technical input intended to support ARPA-E internal program planning and to help shape potential future funding programs.
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