Design, R&D, Validation, and Fabrication of a Prototype Carbon-Based Building | DE FOA 0002438

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002438

The Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) released a funding opportunity focused on pushing carbon-based construction materials from concept to a real, testable prototype building. The central aim is to fund the design work, research and development, validation testing, and ultimately the fabrication of a prototype structure that can prove carbon-based building products are not just technically feasible, but also economically realistic for broader adoption. In plain terms, this opportunity is meant to help teams move beyond lab samples and small demonstrations and into a full prototype that can be evaluated as a building system.

A defining requirement of this program is the material composition target. To qualify as meeting the project objectives, the prototype building must use component building materials that are at least 70 percent carbon by weight, and at least 51 percent of that carbon content (by weight) must be derived from coal. That requirement signals the program's intent to create new, higher-value uses for coal-derived carbon in domestic manufacturing, while also demonstrating performance in a real-world building context. The prototype is expected to serve as proof that these coal-derived, carbon-rich materials can function in building applications with credible performance and cost profiles.

The funding is offered under Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) number DE-FOA-0002438 and is categorized as "Other" for the opportunity type, with a Cooperative Agreement as the funding instrument. A cooperative agreement generally indicates that DOE anticipates having substantial involvement during the project period compared to a standard grant, which often means closer technical coordination, milestone reviews, and active federal participation in shaping or monitoring project execution. The activity category is Energy, and the associated CFDA number listed is 81.089.

Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the opportunity is open to any type of entity, as long as applicants also meet any additional eligibility conditions that may be described in the full FOA text. This typically can include universities, private companies, national laboratories and partners, nonprofits, or consortia, depending on the specific rules and clarifications within the announcement.

On funding scale, the award ceiling is listed as $2,250,000 per award. The announcement also lists an expected number of awards of 50, indicating DOE envisioned supporting a relatively broad pool of projects or project teams, potentially covering different approaches to carbon-based building materials and prototype designs. The FOA was created on December 11, 2020, with an original closing date of January 29, 2021, which places it in a time-bound competitive application window rather than an open, rolling program.

In summary, this FOA is essentially about building and proving: designing and engineering a prototype building that heavily relies on carbon-rich materials, ensuring a majority share of that carbon comes specifically from coal, and then validating both performance and costs in a way that can persuade stakeholders the approach is practical. The end goal is a tangible prototype that demonstrates the technical and economic viability of coal-derived, carbon-based construction materials, helping bridge the gap between materials innovation and real deployment in the building sector.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Design, R&D, Validation, and Fabrication of a Prototype Carbon-Based Building" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 11, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 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 $2,250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 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 0002438

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