Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003045
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Fixed Award Grant Program (DE-FOA-0003045) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Through this law, DOE has authority to invest up to $1 billion overall in energy improvements for rural or remote areas. This particular funding opportunity is managed by DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) under the broader ERA Program, which is intended to move practical clean energy demonstrations and solutions into communities that often face higher energy costs, limited options for reliable service, and unique geographic or infrastructure constraints.
At its core, the ERA Program is aimed at community-benefiting clean energy projects, with three main outcomes DOE is trying to drive. First, projects should deliver measurable benefits to energy customers in rural or remote areas, especially by lowering energy costs, improving access and reliability/resilience, and/or reducing environmental harm. Second, DOE wants to encourage new models for rural or remote energy systems, including climate-resilient technologies, business and ownership structures that support local economic resilience, creative financing approaches, and stronger community engagement practices. Third, the program is meant to build local knowledge, capacity, and long-term self-reliance around clean energy in rural America, so communities are better positioned to maintain systems, replicate successes, and pursue future development without depending entirely on outside expertise.
This specific FOA sets aside $50 million in federal funding and focuses on smaller, community-driven projects. Individual awards are expected to request between $500,000 and $5 million in federal funds, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000. The funding instrument is a grant, and the FOA uses a fixed-amount grant approach, meaning award payments are tied to completing agreed-upon work rather than tracking and reimbursing every cost line-item the way many federal awards do. The point of this structure is to reduce the financial reporting burden that typically comes with larger DOE awards, while still holding recipients accountable for delivering the proposed scope of work and outcomes.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of organizations that commonly lead local infrastructure and energy projects. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including small businesses as well as other for-profit entities that are not small businesses). The program is listed under CFDA number 81.255 and is categorized under the energy funding activity area.
A key feature of the opportunity is that DOE makes technical assistance available through its national laboratories for eligible applicants. This support is geared toward helping applicants develop stronger submissions, particularly during the pre-application stage, and is offered through office hours as well as limited one-on-one sessions. Details on eligibility and how to request this support are provided through NREL's ERA technical assistance page (https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/era-technical-assistance.html). For applicants in rural or remote areas who may not have dedicated grant-writing teams or deep technical bench strength, this lab-backed assistance is designed to help level the playing field.
The application process is intentionally staged and simplified. Applicants must first submit a pre-application by the stated deadline (noted in the announcement as due by 5:00 pm Eastern Time on the due date). DOE then reviews pre-applications and only invites successful pre-applicants to submit a full application. All materials must be submitted through the OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange (https://oced-exchange.energy.gov/Default.aspx), which is the official portal for this program.
Finally, this FOA sits alongside other ERA-related funding tracks that cover different project sizes and stages. DOE references another FOA (DE-FOA-0002970) aimed at larger community and demonstration projects with federal funding requests ranging from $5 million to $100 million, intended for region-specific energy challenges. DOE also references the Energizing Rural Communities Prize, a $15 million prize program offering cash awards up to $300,000 to help groups form partnerships and develop financing models that can accelerate clean energy project development. Together, these efforts reflect a pipeline approach: smaller fixed-award community projects under this FOA, larger demonstrations under the other FOA, and early-stage partnership/financing support through the prize program.Apply for DE FOA 0003045
- The Department of Energy, Headquarters in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Fixed Award Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.255.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 11, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 12, 2023. (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.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Applicants also applied for:
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Facilitating a Domestic Critical Minerals Future: Carbon Ore, Rare Earths and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative Apply for DE FOA 0003075 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003075 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002912 for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Section 40551: Weatherization Assistance Program Enhancement & Innovation Apply for DE FOA 0002911 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002911 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| 2023 Funding Opportunity Announcement for Energy Improvements at Nonprofits - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – Renew America’s Nonprofits Apply for DE FOA 0003066 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003066 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $9,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0003085: Critical Materials Assessment Request for Information Apply for DE FOA 0003085 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003085 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Bioenergy Technology Office Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0003107: Zero-Emission Shipping Mission (ZESM): Progression to Net-Zero Emission Fuels State of the Industry Apply for DE FOA 0003107 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003107 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection Apply for DE FOA 0002897 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002897 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $10,000,000 |
| Fiscal Year 2024 Phase II Continuation Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research Apply for DE FOA 0003039 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003039 Agency: Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,333,333 |
| Fiscal Year 2024 Distinguished Early Career Program Apply for DE FOA 0003043 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003043 Agency: Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $625,000 |
| Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) “Fiscal Year 2023 Advancing U.S. Thin-Film Solar” Apply for DE FOA 0003060 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003060 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research Apply for DE FOA 0003038 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003038 Agency: Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) related to Innovative Technologies to Eliminate Flaring from Oil & Natural Gas Production Apply for DE FOA 0003073 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003073 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Weatherization Program Assistance (WAP) Enhancement & Innovation Apply for DE FOA 0002912 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002912 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Domestic Manufacturing Conversion Grants Apply for DE FOA 0003113 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003113 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| UNDERSERVED AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY MICROGRIDS (UICM) Apply for DE FOA 0002934 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002934 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| DE-FOA-0003130 Request for Information on Access to High Performance Computing Resources at Department of Energy National Labs Apply for DE FOA 0003130 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003130 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Intent to issue Administrative and Legal Requirements Document Announcement (ALRD), titled “IRA: Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells” Apply for DE FOA 0003108 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003108 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $150,000,000 |
| Materials, Operation, and Recycling of Photovoltaics (MORE PV) - Funded in part by BIL Apply for DE FOA 0002985 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002985 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $8,000,000 |
| BIL - Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40302 Apply for DE FOA 0002829 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002829 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| 2023 Funding Opportunity Announcement for Energy Future Grants (EFG) Creating a Community-Led Energy Future Apply for DE FOA 0002870 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002870 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Energy Storage Demonstration and Validation Apply for DE FOA 0003036 Funding Number: DE FOA 0003036 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
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