[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 50 (Monday, March 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 12149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-5752]



[[Page 12149]]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Inventions and Innovation Funding Opportunity Announcement

AGENCY: Golden Field Office, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Issuance of Inventions and Innovation (I&I) funding 
opportunity announcement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is announcing its intention to 
fund a competitive grant program entitled the Inventions and Innovation 
(I&I) Program. The goals of the I&I Program are to improve energy 
efficiency through the promotion of innovative ideas and inventions 
that have a significant, potential energy impact and a potential, 
future commercial market. Innovative technologies that fit within the 
scope of the EERE mission and programs are of particular interest to 
I&I. EERE offices include: (1) Biomass Program; (2) Building 
Technologies Program; (3) Distributed Energy & Electric Reliability 
Program; (4) FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program; (5) Geothermal 
Technologies Program; (6) Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, & Infrastructure 
Technologies Program; (7) Industrial Technologies Program; (8) Solar 
Energy Technology Program; (9) Weatherization & Intergovernmental 
Program; and (10) Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program.
    DOE will provide financial assistance of up to $50,000 for Category 
1 projects, up to $250,000 for Category 2 projects, and up to $500,000 
for up to one Category 3 project. Category 1, 2, and 3 projects fall 
within the ``conceptual,'' ``developmental,'' and ``demonstration'' 
stages of development, respectively. Grant awards cover a project 
period of up to one year for Category 1, two years for Category 2, and 
three years for Category 3.
    Up to $1.6 million dollars in funding is available for Fiscal Year 
2004. DOE reserves the right to fund in whole or in part any, all, or 
none of the proposals submitted in response to this notice.

DATES: The Funding Opportunity Announcement is expected to be issued on 
or about March 5, 2004. The pre-application period is expected to open 
on or about March 5, 2004 and close on or about March 25, 2004. The 
full application period is expected to open on or about May 25, 2004 
and close on or about June 21, 2004.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the Announcement, interested parties 
should access the DOE Golden Field Office Home Page at http://www.go.doe.gov/funding.html, click on the word ``access.'' The link 
will open the Industry Interactive Procurement System (IIPS) Web site 
and provide instructions on using IIPS. The Announcement can also be 
obtained directly through IIPS at http://e-center.doe.gov by browsing 
opportunities by Contract Activity, for those Announcements issued by 
the Golden Field Office. DOE will not issue paper copies of the 
Announcement.
    IIPS provides the medium for disseminating Announcements, receiving 
financial assistance applications, and evaluating the applications in a 
paperless environment. The application may be submitted in IIPS by the 
applicant or a designated representative that receives authorization 
from the applicant; however, the application documentation must reflect 
the name and title of the representative authorized to enter the 
applicant into a legally binding contract or agreement. The applicant 
or the designated representative must first register in IIPS, entering 
their first name and last name, and then entering the company name/
address of the applicant. For questions regarding the operation of 
IIPS, contact the IIPS Help Desk at center.doe.gov">IIPS_HelpDesk@e-center.doe.gov or 
at (800) 683-0751.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Wise, DOE Golden Field Office, 
1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393 or via facsimile to Melissa 
Wise at (303) 275-4788 or electronically to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Eligibility for this assistance is 
restricted to applications from the following: (1) Individuals that are 
either native-born or naturalized U.S. citizens or (2) small businesses 
(as defined by the Small Business Administration) that are incorporated 
and operating in the U.S. and that conduct at least 50% of the effort. 
National Laboratories are not eligible to submit applications for grant 
funding but may perform part of the work on a Category 3 project only. 
National Laboratories may not perform more than 49% of the work and 
payment to the labs must come from the applicants' portion of cost 
share, not from federal funds.
    Individual inventors and very small businesses (15 or fewer 
employees) are especially encouraged to apply for funding.
    To be considered for a Category 2 award, a bench-scale model and/or 
other preliminary investigations must be complete. Only Category 1 and 
2 projects that conclude in a technological stage of development that 
meets the requirements of a Category 3, ``Production-Scale Commercial 
Demonstration'' project will be considered. The goal of the Category 3 
grant is the completion of a full production-scale commercial 
demonstration of a completed Category 1 or 2 I&I project within the 
United States. To be eligible for this grant, it must be a prior 
Category 1 or 2 award recipient and all research and development 
activities must already be completed with successful test results. DOE 
anticipates the Category 3 award may cover a project period of up to 
three years. The demonstration must be conducted long enough to gather 
sufficient data to determine the energy and economic impacts. At the 
end of the project, the technology or process must be demonstrated and 
ready for commercialization.
    More than one application may be submitted by an applicant for 
different innovations. However, funding will be limited to one award 
per applicant, per cycle. Also more than one organization may be 
involved in an application as long as the lead organization and lead 
financial assistance management responsibilities are defined. The 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number assigned to the I&I 
Program is 81.036. Cost sharing by applicants and/or cooperating 
participants is not required for Category 1 or 2 awards but is highly 
encouraged. Category 3 projects carry a 50% cost share requirement. In 
addition to direct financial contributions, cost sharing can include 
beneficial services or items such as manpower, equipment, consultants, 
and computer time that are allowable in accordance with applicable cost 
principles.

    Issued in Golden, Colorado, on March 5, 2004.
Jerry L. Zimmer,
Director, Office of Acquisition and Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 04-5752 Filed 3-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P