Connected Communities | DE FOA 0002206

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002206

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Golden Field Office, offered a funding opportunity called "Connected Communities" (Funding Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0002206) aimed at accelerating the real-world deployment of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) working together at the community scale. In DOE's definition, a Connected Community is a group of buildings equipped with flexible end-use technologies and other distributed energy resources (DERs) that can coordinate operations to improve efficiency not only inside individual buildings, but across the broader community and the electric grid. The core idea is to move beyond isolated building upgrades and instead demonstrate how multiple buildings, devices, and DERs can act as an integrated system that delivers energy savings, demand flexibility, and grid benefits.

DOE planned to fund a portfolio of projects totaling up to $65 million, intentionally spread across a wide range of climates, geographies, building types, and building vintages. The program also emphasized diversity in local conditions such as the types of DERs deployed (for example, building controls, storage, solar, or other on-site resources), as well as differing utility structures, regulatory environments, and resource availability. By supporting demonstrations under varied real-world constraints, DOE sought to identify what works technically and what works commercially, then share replicable solutions that can increase both energy efficiency and the ability of buildings to shift or shape electricity demand in response to grid needs.

Awards were planned as cooperative agreements, which generally means DOE expected substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination on milestones, reporting, and knowledge-sharing) rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal participation. The stated award ceiling was $7,000,000 per project, with an expected eight awards in total. The opportunity was categorized under Energy and noted "Opportunity Zone Benefits" as a funding activity category marker, while listing CFDA number 81.086. Eligibility was described as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full announcement.

Key dates included a creation date of October 15, 2020, and an original application deadline of March 3, 2021. Applications had to be submitted electronically through the EERE eXCHANGE portal (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov), and applicants were required to register and create an account in that system before submitting. DOE also pointed applicants to the EERE eXCHANGE user guide (available after login at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/Manuals.aspx) and instructed that questions about the announcement content or the submission process should be directed as specified in the full FOA posted on the EERE eXCHANGE site.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy, opportunity zone benefits sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Connected Communities" 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 Oct 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 03, 2021. (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 $7,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 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.

Apply for DE FOA 0002206

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