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A Basic Introduction to Energy-Related

ARRA Funding Opportunities

Updated Aug 6, 2009

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Table of Contents

Introduction – Purpose & OverviewPart I - Steps You Need to Take Before

Applying for ARRA Grants and Contracts

Part II - Summary of Energy-related ARRA Funding Opportunities

Part III - Useful Links and Additional Resources Note: Web links in PowerPoint are only

active in Slide Show View. Critical links used throughout the presentation are also listed on the last slides.

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Purpose

This guide was developed to help Washington State entities learn how to navigate the ARRA* funding landscape and identify energy-related ARRA funding opportunities.

The focus of this guide is on grant and contract opportunities.

*ARRA = American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka “Recovery Act” or “Stimulus”)

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ARRA Overview• The $787 billion in Recovery Act funding is being distributed into the

economy through various means:– Formula grants (aka “block grants” or “direct grants”)– Competitive grants– Contracts– Loans and loan guarantees– Tax incentives– Bonding authorities– Discretionary allocations

• Funds began to be allocated in early 2009 and will continue through late 2010/early 2011.

• Each program differs, but most must be spent or obligated by late 2010/early 2011.

• New funding opportunities are announced on an ongoing basis, so it’s a good idea to check back regularly or subscribe to RSS feeds.

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ARRA Overview, cont.Pathways of Funding

General overview of the different paths ARRA dollars flow into our economy

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What about ARRA subgrants through State and Local governments?

• Some ARRA funds are directed to State and local agencies.

• These agencies then redistribute some of those funds through sub-grants, loans, contracts and other means.

• Grant opportunity announcements and application procedures take place through the state and local agencies.

• Different rules may apply for subgrants and local contracts.

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Part I

Steps You Need to Take Before Applying forARRA Grants and Contracts

Note: This section focuses on the steps for Federal funding opportunities. Different rules may apply for ARRA funds distributed through state and local agencies.

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What Should I Do First?

1. Request a DUNS number (takes 1 business day)2. Register in CCR (Contractor Central Registration) (can take 2 days to

2 weeks)3. Register as a vendor on FedConnect4. Register on Grants.gov (can take between 3-5 business days or as

long as two weeks) 5. Make sure you are eligible. All grants have eligibility requirements.

Don’t waste your time applying for a grant you are not eligible for!6. Pay attention to ALL deadlines. (e.g., Some grants require a Letter of

Intent (LOI) prior to submitting full applications.

There are several steps you must take before your organization can apply for any federal grant or contract:

NOTE: If you are not sure if your company/organization already has a DUNS number and CCR account, you can find out by following the instructions at the links above as you go through these steps.

**Take these steps early to avoid missing grant application deadlines!

The time between a grant posting and its deadline is on average 6-8 weeks.**

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There are two main web portals to Federal grant announcements: Grants.gov

• Lists all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) and links to application forms and instructions. You can browse by category, agency or perform an Advanced Search.

• Direct link to Recovery Act opportunities only: www.grants.gov/applicants/recovery.jsp

• Some applications can be submitted through Grants.gov.*• Grants.gov sometimes links to forms and instructions located at

FedConnect.• Use Grants.gov to browse grant opportunities and find grant reference

numbers (DE-FOA-XXXXXXX) . FedConnect.net

• Also lists all FOAs, application forms and instructions. • Use FedConnect to get forms and instructions for a particular grant

based on the reference number you found off Grants.gov.

Where Do I Look for Federal Grant Opportunities?

*Since Grants.gov is experiencing system overload due to ARRA, some application submittals will be taken through a different portal. Read on for more information.

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To Search for GRANTS: 1. Once you’ve found the grant you are interested in on Grants.gov,

copy the Reference Number (DE-FOA-XXXXXXX).2. Go to www.FedConnect.net3. Click on "Search Public Opportunities.” 4. Select "Reference Number" in the Search Criteria drop down box and

paste in the Reference Number of the funding opportunity you are interested in, followed by clicking the “Search” button.

5. Click on the appropriate link after search results are displayed. 4. On the right side of the screen, click on “BODY” under the

“Solicitation” or “Amendment” folder; if multiple amendments exist, click on the most recent award amendment.

How Do I Search for a Specific Grant?

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Where Do I Look for Federal Contract Opportunities?

To Search for CONTRACTS: 1. Go to FedBizOpps.gov- FedBizOpps provides a

comprehensive database of all major government solicitations, contract awards, subcontracting opportunities, surplus property sales and foreign business opportunities with the federal government.

2. Click on “Search for Recovery Opportunities”3. Check back often. Businesses seeking government work

should visit FedBizOpps often and register there to be notified of newly posted opportunities in their industries.

4. See FAQ for more info

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Is There An Easier Way to Find ARRA Funding Opportunities?

In some cases, the best source of up-to-date funding announcements are on specific Federal Agency Recovery websites. Some of the most relevant agencies for energy-related grants are listed below.

• US Dept of Energy (DOE) – www.energy.gov/recovery/funding.htm• US Dept of Labor (DOL) - www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm• US Dept of Interior (DOI) - recovery.doi.gov/press/doi

-funding-opportunities• US Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/recovery

Bookmark these links and check back often as more funding opportunities become available.

You can also subscribe to RSS feeds or different email lists to stay up-to-date on the latest news and information. (Grants.gov RSS feed)

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Where Can I Find Support for My Application?

• See each FOA for the specific contact person• DOE helpdesk offers initial consultations• WA Dept of Commerce (formerly CTED) has a list of

contacts for Commerce-related programs • If you are having problems with FedConnect, you can call

the support desk at 1-800-899-6665 or email support@FedConnect.net.

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Part II

Summary of

Energy-related ARRA

Funding Opportunities

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Major Funding Opportunity Lists

• Dept of Energy (DOE) Funding Opportunities • Dept of Labor (DOL) Funding Opportunities• Dept of Defense (DoD) Recovery Plans – Awards are mostly

through contracts, some grants

• WA State Dept of Commerce Opportunities (formerly CTED) • State Energy Program• Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program

• Synopsis of Energy-related Tax Incentives

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Part III

Useful Links and Additional Resources

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Recovery Websites for Bookmarking• Federal Agency Recovery Plans Overview:

www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agency-recovery-plans• DOE Funding List

www.energy.gov/recovery/funding.htm • WA Commerce Recovery Site

http://www.commerce.wa.gov/site/1164/default.aspx• DOL Recovery: www.dol.gov/recovery/ • DoD Recovery: www.defenselink.mil/recovery/• Prosperity Partnership ARRA Coordination:

www.prosperitypartnership.org/recovery• Grants.gov Recovery site

www07.grants.gov/applicants/recovery.jsp• FedConnect www.fedconnect.net • FedBizOpps www.fbo.gov

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Additional Online Resources on ARRA

Stoel Rives Stimulus Resource CenterSource: Stoel Rives

Can Your Cleantech Business Get Stimulus Funds?Source: Perkins Coie

Infrastructure Initiatives in the ARRASource: K&L Gates

Summary of Energy-Tax Provisions of 2009 Recovery Act Source: Schwabe, Wight and Williamson

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. This is provided only as an indicative selection of online resources - there are many more providing summaries and insights into ARRA. The source organizations listed have no association with PSRC/Prosperity Partnership.

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Contact

If you have any feedback or would like to add other resources we missed in this guide, please email recovery@psrc.org