Notice of Intent to Issue DE-FOA-0002400 | DE FOA 0002461

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002461

This notice is a heads-up from the U.S. Department of Energy, through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), that it intended to release a future funding opportunity announcement (FOA) related to hydrogen. It is explicitly not an open solicitation: DOE was not accepting applications at the time of the notice, was not asking for public comments, and warned that all details could change before any actual FOA was issued. In other words, the document functions as advance information for potential applicants and stakeholders rather than a call for proposals.

The planned FOA (if released) was titled "Fossil Energy Based Production, Storage, Transport and Utilization of Hydrogen Toward Negative Carbon Emissions." The core focus is technology development across the hydrogen value chain, specifically where hydrogen is produced from fossil energy resources, and then stored, transported, and used in ways that move the overall system toward negative carbon emissions. The opportunity is framed around pairing fossil-based hydrogen pathways with decarbonization approaches, with an emphasis on achieving deep emissions reductions and, ultimately, net-negative outcomes where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere or otherwise offset beyond zero. The notice also signals a strategic objective: to "reinvigorate" or repurpose the United States' large existing fossil-fuel and power infrastructure so it can support decarbonized energy and commodity production, rather than being stranded or phased out without replacement.

From an administrative and eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with the funding activity area listed as energy. The CFDA number provided is 81.089, which corresponds to DOE fossil energy-related assistance programs. Eligibility is listed as "unrestricted," suggesting the eventual FOA could have been open to a broad range of applicants (for example, companies, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations), although the specific eligibility rules would only be confirmed in the final FOA. The funding instrument type is labeled "other," indicating it may not have fit neatly into standard grant/cooperative agreement labels in the summary record, or that the final instrument would be clarified later.

The public record fields included an original closing date of January 31, 2021, but because this was only a notice of intent and not an active solicitation, that date should be interpreted cautiously as a placeholder or planning marker rather than a real application deadline. The listing also shows an award ceiling of 2 (as posted), and the number of expected awards is not specified in the provided data. The notice was created on December 23, 2020, and the issuing organization is NETL under DOE.

In practical terms, the main takeaway is that DOE/NETL was signaling forthcoming interest in R&D and demonstration efforts that make fossil-derived hydrogen compatible with aggressive climate goals. That includes innovation not only in hydrogen production methods, but also in the infrastructure and end-use technologies needed to move hydrogen at scale and use it in industrial, power, or commodity contexts while driving carbon emissions toward zero or below zero. However, because the notice states the information can change and no applications were being accepted, any organization interested in the topic would have needed to monitor DOE/NETL for the actual FOA release and its definitive requirements, scope, funding levels, and submission instructions.

• The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent to Issue DE-FOA-0002400" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-12-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-01-31. (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.

Apply for DE FOA 0002461

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