Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003158
The Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2024 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003158) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) funding announcement issued through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The program is aimed at accelerating practical, high-impact building energy technologies and retrofit solutions that can be manufactured, installed, and scaled more easily, while also improving building performance, affordability, and resilience. Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, meaning DOE anticipates being substantially involved during the project period (for example, through technical direction, milestone review, or coordination). The total funding available is up to $30 million (subject to appropriations), and DOE anticipates making around 25 awards.
The FOA is organized around four topic areas that target persistent barriers to building decarbonization and energy savings. Topic 1 focuses on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and water heating technologies. The emphasis here is on improvements that make equipment better and easier to deploy in the real world, such as advanced materials and components, improved equipment design and engineering, lower-cost manufacturing approaches, and installation methods that reduce labor, complexity, and time on site. In practice, this topic is about moving beyond incremental gains and addressing the cost and deployment friction that often prevents high-efficiency HVAC and water heating solutions from achieving widespread adoption.
Topic 2 centers on innovative, replicable, and low-cost roof and attic retrofit technologies. DOE is looking for solutions that can be used at scale, particularly approaches that are affordable and repeatable across many building types and climates. The topic specifically calls out performance improvements tied to energy efficiency as well as building durability concerns, including air infiltration and water infiltration. This points to retrofits that do not just add insulation, but also deal with common failure points in roofs and attics that drive heat loss, moisture problems, and poor occupant comfort. The word "replicable" is key: DOE is signaling preference for packages and methods that can be broadly deployed rather than one-off custom designs.
Topic 3 addresses building resilience and capacity constraints, reflecting the growing need for buildings to stay safe and functional during grid outages and extreme weather. This topic includes novel approaches that help buildings maintain essential loads during blackouts and expand usable power capacity without requiring major utility or site infrastructure upgrades. It also highlights localized thermal management systems and thermally resilient building envelopes, with an explicit focus on maintaining cooling and preventing overheating during extreme heat events. In effect, DOE is looking for solutions that make buildings more capable under stress, whether that stress comes from outages, limited electrical capacity, or heat waves, while minimizing the need for expensive electrical service upgrades.
Topic 4 targets commercial lighting retrofit advancements, with an emphasis on low-cost, high-quality retrofit solutions for market segments that have been slower to adopt energy-efficient lighting. The FOA specifically mentions schools and certain commercial buildings as examples of lagging sectors. The intent is to encourage retrofit approaches that are easy to specify and install, meet quality expectations (light levels, color quality, glare, controls performance), and fit the budget realities of institutions that often defer lighting upgrades due to cost, disruption, or complexity.
Eligibility is broad and includes county governments; city or township governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and even individuals. The funding activity category is energy, and the assistance listing (CFDA) number associated with the opportunity is 81.086. The administering office listed is DOE's Golden Field Office.
DOE is also compiling a Teaming Partner List connected to this FOA. This is meant to help applicants form strong project teams by allowing organizations to publicly express interest in collaborating, making it easier for prime applicants and potential partners to find each other and build consortia that cover the needed technical capabilities, demonstration sites, manufacturing expertise, or deployment channels. Applicants and prospective partners are directed to the FOA's Teaming List section for the rules and process.
Applications are submitted through EERE eXCHANGE, DOE's online submission system. The FOA notes that the platform enforces deadlines automatically, meaning the "Apply" and "Submit" functions will disable at the submission cutoff. For technical issues that arise before the deadline, applicants are instructed to contact the EERE eXCHANGE helpdesk at EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov, and the helpdesk or system administrators will assist with resolving submission problems. The original closing date listed for this opportunity is March 5, 2024, and the FOA was created on November 6, 2023.Apply for DE FOA 0003158
- The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) – 2024" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-05. (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 $30,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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, Individuals, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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BENEFIT 2024 (DE-FOA-0003158) Frequently Asked Questions
1) What is the BENEFIT - 2024 funding opportunity?
The Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers and Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) - 2024 opportunity is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) funding announcement issued through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). It is identified as Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) DE-FOA-0003158.
2) What is the goal of the program?
The program aims to accelerate practical, high-impact building energy technologies and retrofit solutions that can be manufactured, installed, and scaled more easily, while improving building performance, affordability, and resilience.
3) What types of awards does DOE expect to make?
Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements. This means DOE anticipates being substantially involved during the project period, such as through technical direction, milestone reviews, or coordination.
4) How much funding is available?
Total funding available is up to $30 million, subject to appropriations.
5) How many awards does DOE anticipate making?
DOE anticipates making around 25 awards.
6) What are the topic areas in this FOA?
The FOA is organized around four topic areas: (1) HVAC and water heating technologies, (2) roof and attic retrofit technologies, (3) building resilience and capacity constraints, and (4) commercial lighting retrofit advancements.
7) What is Topic Area 1 focused on?
Topic 1 focuses on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and water heating technologies. The emphasis is on making equipment better and easier to deploy in real-world conditions, including advanced materials and components, improved design and engineering, lower-cost manufacturing approaches, and installation methods that reduce labor, complexity, and time on site.
8) What does DOE mean by reducing "deployment friction" in Topic 1?
In this FOA, deployment friction refers to the cost, labor, complexity, and practical barriers that can prevent high-efficiency HVAC and water heating solutions from being widely adopted. Topic 1 is oriented toward addressing those barriers rather than only pursuing incremental efficiency gains.
9) What is Topic Area 2 focused on?
Topic 2 centers on innovative, replicable, and low-cost roof and attic retrofit technologies. DOE is looking for solutions that can be used at scale and remain affordable and repeatable across many building types and climates.
10) What performance issues does Topic 2 specifically call out?
Topic 2 calls out performance improvements tied to energy efficiency and durability concerns, including air infiltration and water infiltration. This points to retrofit approaches that address heat loss, moisture problems, and comfort issues, not just insulation levels.
11) Why does the FOA emphasize "replicable" roof and attic retrofits?
The FOA signals a preference for packages and methods that can be broadly deployed at scale rather than one-off, custom designs that are difficult to repeat across buildings, climates, or contractors.
12) What is Topic Area 3 focused on?
Topic 3 addresses building resilience and capacity constraints. It targets solutions that help buildings stay safe and functional during grid outages and extreme weather, including approaches to maintain essential loads during blackouts and expand usable power capacity without major utility or site infrastructure upgrades.
13) What kinds of resilience needs are highlighted under Topic 3?
The FOA highlights maintaining essential loads during outages, dealing with limited electrical capacity, and improving thermal resilience. It explicitly calls out localized thermal management systems and thermally resilient building envelopes, with a focus on maintaining cooling and preventing overheating during extreme heat events.
14) What is Topic Area 4 focused on?
Topic 4 targets commercial lighting retrofit advancements, emphasizing low-cost, high-quality retrofit solutions for market segments that have been slower to adopt energy-efficient lighting.
15) Which building segments are specifically mentioned under Topic 4?
The FOA specifically mentions schools and certain commercial buildings as examples of sectors that have lagged in adopting energy-efficient lighting.
16) What does DOE mean by "high-quality" lighting retrofits in Topic 4?
The FOA ties quality expectations to factors such as light levels, color quality, glare, and controls performance, alongside ease of specification and installation and affordability for budget-constrained institutions.
17) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes county governments; city or township governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; and individuals.
18) Are for-profit companies eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations are listed as eligible, including entities other than small businesses.
19) Are individuals eligible to apply?
Yes. Individuals are explicitly listed as eligible applicants.
20) What is the assistance listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The assistance listing number associated with the opportunity is 81.086.
21) What is the funding activity category?
The funding activity category is energy.
22) Which DOE office is administering this opportunity?
The administering office listed for the opportunity is DOE's Golden Field Office.
23) What is a Teaming Partner List and why does it matter?
DOE is compiling a Teaming Partner List connected to this FOA to help applicants form strong project teams. It allows organizations to publicly express interest in collaborating so prime applicants and potential partners can find each other and build consortia that cover technical capabilities, demonstration sites, manufacturing expertise, or deployment channels.
24) Where do applicants find the rules/process for the Teaming Partner List?
Applicants and prospective partners are directed to the FOA's Teaming List section for the rules and process.
25) How do applicants submit an application?
Applications are submitted through EERE eXCHANGE, DOE's online submission system.
26) How are deadlines handled in EERE eXCHANGE?
The FOA notes that the platform enforces deadlines automatically. The "Apply" and "Submit" functions will disable at the submission cutoff.
27) What should applicants do if they have technical issues with EERE eXCHANGE?
For technical issues that arise before the deadline, applicants are instructed to contact the EERE eXCHANGE helpdesk at EERE-eXCHANGESupport@hq.doe.gov. The helpdesk or system administrators will assist with resolving submission problems.
28) What is the closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date listed for this opportunity is March 5, 2024.
29) When was the FOA created?
The FOA was created on November 6, 2023.
30) Does DOE expect projects to focus on real-world deployment and scaling?
Yes. Across the topics, the FOA emphasizes practical solutions that can be manufactured, installed, and scaled more easily, with attention to cost, repeatability, and reduced on-site labor and complexity.
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