Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002336
The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), released this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to push water and wastewater systems beyond conventional treatment and into full-scale water resource recovery. The central idea is that many utilities are already shifting from simply cleaning wastewater to managing it as a source of value, sometimes even renaming themselves water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). This FOA is designed to accelerate that shift by funding technology innovations that reduce energy use, recover energy and other resources embedded in wastewater, and support the development of next-generation systems that can approach net-zero energy operation or even become net energy producers in favorable cases.
A major driver behind the opportunity is cost and system pressure. Energy is commonly the second-largest operating cost for water and wastewater utilities after labor, and industry surveys cited in the announcement indicate that energy can represent well over 10 percent of total operating costs for most utilities, with some exceeding 30 percent. At the same time, tighter contaminant regulations are pushing facilities toward more advanced (and often more energy-intensive) treatment processes. DOE notes that overall energy use for these systems could rise by as much as 20 percent over coming decades due to stricter standards and growing demand tied to population increases. Compounding the challenge, much of the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure is aging and nearing the end of its expected service life, creating a time-sensitive opportunity to replace or upgrade assets using more modern, integrated designs rather than rebuilding outdated approaches.
The FOA frames wastewater and the broader “energy-water nexus” as an underused energy and resource reservoir. Beyond efficiency upgrades that can reportedly cut facility energy needs significantly (retrofit energy savings are cited as reaching up to 50 percent), wastewater itself contains substantial recoverable energy, described here as roughly five times more energy than what is typically required to treat it. DOE also points to recoverable chemical, thermal, and hydrodynamic energy across water and wastewater streams in many sectors, not just municipal systems. The announcement emphasizes cross-sector potential in municipal, industrial, agricultural, utility, and oil and gas contexts, encouraging applicants to think about interconnected opportunities where water treatment, reuse, and energy recovery can be designed together rather than treated as separate problems.
Funding is organized around two topic areas aligned to technology readiness levels (TRLs) and a clear commercialization pathway. Topic Area 1 supports moving transformative concepts beyond early research into “pilot-ready” status, targeting TRL 4 through 6. In practical terms, this means taking promising lab-validated ideas and advancing them through engineering development, integration, and validation so they are ready for real-world pilot demonstrations. Topic Area 2 focuses on technologies that are already pilot-ready (roughly TRL 6 to 7) and funds design, build, and operational testing under industrially relevant conditions to reduce risk and enable commercialization. This structure signals that DOE is looking both for new breakthrough approaches that need development work and for more mature solutions that can be proven at scale and prepared for market adoption.
This FOA is issued under the broader Water Security Grand Challenge (WSGC), a White House-initiated and DOE-led framework aimed at transformational water technology progress by 2030. The WSGC goals referenced in the announcement include launching cost-competitive desalination, turning produced water in the energy sector from a waste into a resource, achieving near-zero water impact for new thermoelectric power plants while reducing freshwater intensity in the existing fleet, doubling resource recovery from municipal wastewater, and developing small modular energy-water systems for applications such as rural and tribal communities, national security needs, and disaster response. The FOA also positions itself as complementary to other DOE efforts, including a $1 million Water Resource Recovery Prize intended to accelerate municipal wastewater resource recovery, and DOE’s selection of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) to lead the Energy-Water Desalination Hub focused on early-stage desalination R&D. In other words, DOE is trying to build a pipeline where prizes, hubs, and applied funding each push technologies closer to deployment.
Administratively, the opportunity is listed as FOA number DE-FOA-0002336 and is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning DOE expects substantial involvement during the project rather than a hands-off grant. The activity category is energy (CFDA 81.086). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning it is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full FOA. The issuing office is the DOE Golden Field Office. The FOA was created June 30, 2020, with an original closing date of October 6, 2020. The expected number of awards is about 10, and the award ceiling is listed as 2 (as provided in the source data). Application and question submission details are handled through the EERE Exchange portal at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov, with the full FOA providing the specific points of contact and instructions for technical questions and submission support.Apply for DE FOA 0002336
- The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Research and Development for Advanced Water Resource Recovery Systems" 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 Jun 30, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 06, 2020. (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.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the purpose of this DOE funding opportunity?
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) from the Department of Energy (DOE) aims to move water and wastewater systems beyond conventional treatment and toward full-scale water resource recovery. The goal is to accelerate technology innovations that reduce energy use, recover energy and other valuable resources embedded in wastewater, and support next-generation systems that can approach net-zero energy operation or, in favorable cases, become net energy producers.
2) Which DOE office is sponsoring this FOA?
The FOA is released by DOE through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), specifically the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO).
3) What is the FOA number for this opportunity?
The FOA number is DE-FOA-0002336.
4) What type of funding instrument will be used?
The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, which means DOE expects substantial involvement in the project during performance rather than a fully hands-off grant relationship.
5) What is the activity category and CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The activity category is energy, and the CFDA number is 81.086.
6) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications that may be stated in the full FOA.
7) Which DOE office is issuing or administering this FOA?
The issuing office listed is the DOE Golden Field Office.
8) What problem is DOE trying to solve with this FOA?
The FOA highlights growing cost and operational pressure on water and wastewater utilities. Energy is commonly the second-largest operating cost after labor, and surveys cited indicate energy can exceed 10% of total operating costs for most utilities, with some exceeding 30%. At the same time, tighter contaminant regulations are pushing facilities toward more advanced (and often more energy-intensive) processes, and aging infrastructure is nearing end-of-life, creating a time-sensitive window for modernization.
9) Why is wastewater considered a resource in this FOA?
DOE frames wastewater and the broader energy-water nexus as an underused reservoir of energy and recoverable resources. The FOA states that wastewater contains substantial recoverable energy, described as roughly five times more energy than what is typically required to treat it. The FOA also points to recoverable chemical, thermal, and hydrodynamic energy across water and wastewater streams.
10) Does this FOA focus only on municipal wastewater systems?
No. While municipal utilities and water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are a major emphasis, the FOA encourages cross-sector thinking and notes potential across municipal, industrial, agricultural, utility, and oil and gas contexts.
11) What is meant by shifting from wastewater treatment to water resource recovery?
The FOA explains that many utilities are already shifting from simply cleaning wastewater to managing it as a source of value, sometimes renaming themselves water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). This FOA is intended to accelerate that shift by funding innovations that integrate treatment with energy and resource recovery.
12) What role does energy efficiency play in this opportunity?
Energy efficiency is a central theme. The FOA cites that retrofit energy savings can reach up to 50% in some cases, and it emphasizes reducing energy use while also recovering energy and other resources.
13) How is the funding organized (topic areas)?
Funding is organized into two topic areas aligned to technology readiness levels (TRLs) and a commercialization pathway: Topic Area 1 supports moving transformative concepts toward pilot-ready status (TRL 4 through 6), while Topic Area 2 supports technologies that are already pilot-ready (roughly TRL 6 to 7) and funds design, build, and operational testing under industrially relevant conditions.
14) What is Topic Area 1 intended to support?
Topic Area 1 targets TRL 4 through 6 and is intended to move transformative concepts beyond early research and into pilot-ready status. Practically, that includes engineering development, integration, and validation of lab-validated ideas so they are prepared for real-world pilot demonstrations.
15) What is Topic Area 2 intended to support?
Topic Area 2 targets technologies around TRL 6 to 7 that are already pilot-ready. It funds design, build, and operational testing under industrially relevant conditions to reduce risk and support commercialization.
16) Does the FOA emphasize commercialization?
Yes. The FOA structure explicitly aligns topic areas to TRLs and a clear commercialization pathway, signaling interest in both developing breakthrough approaches and proving more mature solutions at scale to enable market adoption.
17) How does this FOA relate to the Water Security Grand Challenge (WSGC)?
This FOA is issued under the broader Water Security Grand Challenge (WSGC), a White House-initiated and DOE-led framework aimed at transformational water technology progress by 2030.
18) What WSGC goals are referenced in connection with this FOA?
The referenced WSGC goals include launching cost-competitive desalination, turning produced water in the energy sector from a waste into a resource, achieving near-zero water impact for new thermoelectric power plants while reducing freshwater intensity in the existing fleet, doubling resource recovery from municipal wastewater, and developing small modular energy-water systems for applications such as rural and tribal communities, national security needs, and disaster response.
19) Are there related DOE efforts mentioned that complement this FOA?
Yes. The FOA is positioned as complementary to a $1 million Water Resource Recovery Prize intended to accelerate municipal wastewater resource recovery, and DOE's selection of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) to lead the Energy-Water Desalination Hub focused on early-stage desalination R&D.
20) Approximately how many awards does DOE expect to make?
The expected number of awards is about 10.
21) What is the award ceiling listed for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is listed as 2 (as provided in the source data).
22) When was this FOA created and what were the key dates listed?
The FOA was created on June 30, 2020, with an original closing date of October 6, 2020.
23) Where are applications submitted?
Application submission is handled through the EERE Exchange portal at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov.
24) Where can applicants find instructions and points of contact for questions?
The FOA indicates that the full FOA provides the specific points of contact and instructions for technical questions and submission support, and that application and question submission details are handled through EERE Exchange.
25) Why does DOE describe this as a time-sensitive opportunity?
DOE notes that much of the nation's water and wastewater infrastructure is aging and nearing the end of its expected service life. This creates an opportunity to replace or upgrade assets using modern, integrated designs rather than rebuilding older approaches.
26) What trends does DOE cite that may increase future energy use in water and wastewater systems?
The FOA cites tighter contaminant regulations and growing demand tied to population increases, and notes that overall energy use for these systems could rise by as much as 20% over coming decades.
27) What kinds of recoverable energy does DOE highlight in water and wastewater streams?
The FOA highlights recoverable energy embedded in wastewater as well as recoverable chemical, thermal, and hydrodynamic energy across water and wastewater streams in multiple sectors.
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| ASSISTING FEDERAL FACILITIES WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES (AFFECT) 2020 Apply for DE FOA 0002329 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002329 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Hydrogen Technologies RFI-DE-FOA-0002369 Apply for DE FOA 0002369 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002369 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Commercial Domestic Production of Moly-99 without the Use of Highly Enriched Uranium Apply for DE FOA 0002303 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002303 Agency: Department of Energy, NNSA Category: Energy Funding Amount: $35,000,000 |
| FY 2021 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0002386 Apply for DE FOA 0002386 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002386 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Energy and Mineral Development Program (EMDP) Apply for BIA EMDP 2020 Funding Number: BIA EMDP 2020 Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Enabling Gasification of Blended Coal, Biomass and Plastic Wastes to Produce Hydrogen with Potential for Net Negative Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Apply for DE FOA 0002376 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002376 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative for United States (U.S.) Basins Apply for DE FOA 0002364 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002364 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $23,725,000 |
| Notice of Intent to issue DE-FOA-0002397 titled University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) – Focus on Hydrogen Fuels Apply for DE FOA 0002428 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002428 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Request for Information on Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Research and Development Activities & SuperTruck Initiative Apply for DE FOA 0002372 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002372 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Notice of Opportunity for Technical Assistance (NOTA): Improving Hydropower’s Value through Informed Decision Making Apply for DE FOA 0002363 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002363 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Needs Related to Enhanced Weathering as a Mechanism for Carbon Dioxide Removal Apply for DE FOA 0002427 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002427 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Integrated University Program – Scholarship and Fellowship Support Apply for DE FOA 0002265 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002265 Agency: Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $3,000,000 |
| Notice of Intent to issue DE-FOA-0002438 titled Design, R&D, Validation, and Fabrication of a Prototype Carbon-Based Building Apply for DE FOA 0002442 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002442 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) - Focus on Hydrogen Fuels Apply for DE FOA 0002397 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002397 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $800,000 |
| Vehicle Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2021 Research Funding Opportunity Announcement Apply for DE FOA 0002420 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002420 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,575,000 |
| Water Management For Thermal Power Generation Apply for DE FOA 0002399 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002399 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $1,100,000 |
| Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) FY 2021 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Apply for DE FOA 0002446 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002446 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Design, R&D, Validation, and Fabrication of a Prototype Carbon-Based Building Apply for DE FOA 0002438 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002438 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $2,250,000 |
| Advanced Processing of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals for Industrial and Manufacturing Applications Apply for DE FOA 0002404 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002404 Agency: Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory Category: Energy Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number DE-FOA-0002237: "Offshore Wind Energy Environmental Research and Instrumentation Validation" Apply for DE FOA 0002237 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002237 Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office Category: Energy Funding Amount: $7,500,000 |
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