Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003020
Storage Innovations 2030: Technology Liftoff (DE-FOA-0003020) is a competitive grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Energy, administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory on behalf of DOE's Office of Electricity. It sits under the broader Storage Innovations 2030 (SI 2030) effort and is meant to push long-duration energy storage forward by funding early, pre-competitive research and development that individual companies often cannot justify doing alone. In practical terms, the program is trying to accelerate technical progress and reduce risk across the storage industry by getting the right mix of technology stakeholders and research organizations working together on shared, foundational problems.
The core purpose of the funding is to create new or strengthened R&D partnerships that can tackle one or more pre-competitive technical challenges in long-duration energy storage. The FOA emphasizes collaboration as a requirement, not an optional feature. To be responsive, a project must (a) form a research partnership that brings together at least two technology stakeholders, and (b) include a research institution as a partner to address the selected technical challenge(s). The partnership structure signals that DOE is looking for teams that span different parts of the ecosystem, such as developers, manufacturers, integrators, utilities, component suppliers, and other relevant technology players, paired with universities, national labs, or other research institutions that can contribute rigorous experimentation, modeling, characterization, validation, and related R&D capabilities.
A central technical North Star for the projects is cost and duration: proposed work must enable a long-duration-capable energy storage technology with a credible pathway to achieving a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $0.05 per kWh by 2030. That target is important because it links the program directly to grid-scale economics, not just laboratory performance. It implies that DOE expects funded efforts to focus on the kinds of underlying technical barriers that materially affect cost, lifetime, manufacturability, safety, reliability, and performance at scale, rather than incremental product tuning that would primarily benefit a single firm. The opportunity is positioned as a bridge from ideas and early prototypes toward the kind of validated technical foundation that can support broader deployment, with an explicit emphasis on long-duration capability and cost competitiveness.
Funding is provided as a grant under a discretionary program in the energy category (CFDA 81.122). DOE anticipates making about three awards, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000 per project. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply, as long as it satisfies the eligibility conditions described in the full announcement, including the partnership requirements and any clarifications in the FOA's eligibility section. The solicitation was created on July 25, 2023, and it used a two-step submission process: concept papers were due September 15, 2023, and full applications were due December 4, 2023. A key gating rule applies: applicants that did not submit a concept paper are not allowed to submit a full application, which is intended to help DOE screen project fit early and guide applicants before they invest in a full proposal.
Overall, Technology Liftoff is designed to complement the other SI 2030 pillars (Framework, Prize, and Flight Paths) by directly funding collaborative, pre-competitive R&D that can unlock long-duration storage options capable of reaching aggressive cost targets. The program is essentially a structured push to get diverse industry players and research institutions aligned around shared technical hurdles, so that progress can translate into scalable, economically viable long-duration energy storage by the end of the decade.Apply for DE FOA 0003020
- The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "STORAGE INNOVATIONS 2030: TECHNOLOGY LIFTOFF" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.122.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 25, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 04, 2023 Submission Deadline for Concept Papers September 15, 2023 Submission Deadline for Full Applications December 04, 2023 Applicants who do not submit a concept paper cannot submit a Full Application.. (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 3 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 "Storage Innovations 2030: Technology Liftoff (DE-FOA-0003020)"?
Storage Innovations 2030: Technology Liftoff (DE-FOA-0003020) is a competitive U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant opportunity that funds early, pre-competitive research and development (R&D) for long-duration energy storage. It is part of the broader Storage Innovations 2030 (SI 2030) effort and is intended to accelerate technical progress and reduce risk across the storage industry.
Which DOE offices administer or sponsor this opportunity?
The opportunity is from the U.S. Department of Energy and is administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of DOE's Office of Electricity.
What is the main goal of the funding?
The core goal is to create new or strengthened R&D partnerships that can address one or more pre-competitive technical challenges in long-duration energy storage. The focus is on shared, foundational problems that benefit the broader industry rather than incremental improvements for a single company.
What does DOE mean by "pre-competitive" R&D in this FOA?
In this FOA, "pre-competitive" refers to research and development that tackles foundational technical challenges that multiple organizations face and that individual companies often cannot justify pursuing alone. The intent is to reduce technical risk and enable industry-wide progress rather than fund product-specific tuning.
Is collaboration optional or required?
Collaboration is a requirement in this FOA. DOE emphasizes that partnership-based approaches are central to being considered responsive.
What partnership structure is required for a project to be responsive?
To be responsive, a project must: (a) form a research partnership that includes at least two technology stakeholders, and (b) include a research institution as a partner to address the selected technical challenge(s).
Who counts as a "technology stakeholder" under this opportunity?
The FOA describes technology stakeholders broadly as organizations spanning different parts of the energy storage ecosystem, such as developers, manufacturers, integrators, utilities, component suppliers, and other relevant technology players.
What counts as a "research institution" partner?
The FOA indicates that research institutions may include universities, national laboratories, or other research institutions capable of supporting activities such as experimentation, modeling, characterization, validation, and related R&D work.
What technical focus is DOE trying to advance?
The opportunity is focused on long-duration energy storage and on overcoming technical barriers that affect cost, lifetime, manufacturability, safety, reliability, and performance at scale.
Is there a cost target associated with this program?
Yes. Proposed work must enable a long-duration-capable energy storage technology with a credible pathway to achieving a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $0.05 per kWh by 2030.
Why is the $0.05/kWh by 2030 target important in this FOA?
The target ties the program to grid-scale economics, not only laboratory performance. It signals that DOE expects funded R&D to address underlying barriers that materially influence cost and deployability at scale.
Is the program aimed at prototypes, commercialization, or earlier-stage research?
The FOA is positioned to fund early, pre-competitive R&D and to serve as a bridge from ideas and early prototypes toward a validated technical foundation that can support broader deployment, with explicit emphasis on long-duration capability and cost competitiveness.
How many awards does DOE expect to make?
DOE anticipates making about three awards.
What is the maximum award amount per project?
The award ceiling is $5,000,000 per project.
What type of funding instrument is used?
Funding is provided as a grant under a discretionary program in the energy category.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 81.122.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning any type of entity may apply, as long as it satisfies the eligibility conditions described in the full announcement, including the partnership requirements and any clarifications in the FOA's eligibility section.
What is the submission process for this FOA?
The FOA used a two-step submission process: concept papers first, followed by full applications.
What were the key dates for concept papers and full applications?
The solicitation was created on July 25, 2023. Concept papers were due September 15, 2023, and full applications were due December 4, 2023.
Can an applicant submit a full application without having submitted a concept paper?
No. A gating rule applies: applicants that did not submit a concept paper are not allowed to submit a full application.
What is the purpose of the concept paper requirement?
The concept paper step is intended to help DOE screen project fit early and guide applicants before they invest the time and resources needed to prepare a full application.
How does Technology Liftoff relate to the broader Storage Innovations 2030 (SI 2030) effort?
Technology Liftoff is one component (or pillar) within the broader SI 2030 effort. It is designed to complement the other SI 2030 pillars (Framework, Prize, and Flight Paths) by directly funding collaborative, pre-competitive R&D.
What kinds of outcomes is DOE trying to achieve through these partnerships?
DOE is trying to align diverse industry players and research institutions around shared technical hurdles so that progress can translate into scalable, economically viable long-duration energy storage by 2030.
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