Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Industrial Decarbonization through Electrification of Process Heating | DE FOA 0002737

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002737

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Golden Field Office, issued Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002737 titled "Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Industrial Decarbonization through Electrification of Process Heating." The opportunity is designed to stand up a single new Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on one of the hardest pieces of industrial decarbonization: process heat. In many manufacturing sectors, heat is traditionally generated by burning fossil fuels on-site (for example, in furnaces, boilers, kilns, and other thermal systems). This FOA targets the development and scale-up of electrified alternatives so industrial facilities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining performance, throughput, and product quality.

The core goal is to create an institute that functions as a national hub for applied innovation, technology maturation, and deployment support for electrified industrial heating processes. DOE is looking for a consortium-based institute rather than a single organization working alone. The envisioned consortium brings together industry partners (who can define real-world requirements and host demonstrations), universities (who can advance foundational and applied research), non-governmental organizations (who can support stakeholder engagement and workforce efforts), national laboratories (who can contribute high-end testing, modeling, and technical expertise), and other relevant stakeholders across the manufacturing ecosystem. The institute is expected to coordinate these groups in a structured, sustained way so that promising electrified heating technologies can move from concept to pilot to broader adoption.

From a technical standpoint, the FOA emphasizes developing electrified process heating solutions that industry can realistically implement. This includes not only the heating hardware itself (electrified furnaces, induction, resistance heating, microwave/RF heating, heat pumps for applicable temperature ranges, and other electric thermal approaches), but also the practical engineering needed to integrate these systems into existing manufacturing lines. A major theme is reducing the barriers that slow adoption, such as uncertainty about costs, energy performance, controllability, maintenance, reliability, and impacts on production. Because industrial plants are complex systems with tight operational constraints, DOE also highlights the need to address how electrified heat interacts with the rest of the facility (utilities, controls, scheduling, and sometimes on-site power systems).

To help manufacturers plan and implement electrification, the institute is expected to create modeling and optimization tools that support integration of electrified processes into manufacturing plants. In practice, that means tools and methods that can help facilities evaluate where electrification makes the most sense, estimate energy and emissions impacts, and optimize operating strategies. These tools can also help plant operators manage issues like peak electrical demand, coordination with variable electricity prices, and the potential value of flexibility (for example, shifting certain heating operations in time where feasible). The institute is also expected to develop technology evaluation tools and methodologies, which suggests standardized ways to assess performance, cost, emissions, and readiness levels so technologies can be compared consistently and decision-makers can trust the results.

Workforce development is a central deliverable rather than a side activity. DOE explicitly calls for educating and developing the manufacturing workforce needed to implement electrified process heating. That can include training technicians, engineers, operators, and maintenance staff to safely install, operate, troubleshoot, and optimize new electrified thermal systems. It also implies building curricula, credentialing pathways, and hands-on training opportunities that match the realities of industrial sites. The workforce component matters because even the best technology can stall if plants cannot hire or train people with the right skills to deploy and sustain it.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity and the funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement during project execution (for example, close collaboration with DOE on technical direction, milestones, and oversight). The program falls under the Energy activity category, with CFDA number 81.086. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to many entity types, subject to any additional clarifications included in the FOA text. DOE anticipated making one award, effectively selecting a single institute to lead this national effort.

In terms of scale and timing, the FOA listed an award ceiling of $70,000,000 and expected one award, indicating a major, institute-level investment rather than a small research grant. The FOA was created on June 23, 2022, with an original closing date of October 25, 2022. Overall, the opportunity is structured to create an enduring, collaborative institute that can accelerate industrial decarbonization by advancing electrified process heating technologies, delivering credible analysis and decision tools for manufacturers, and building the skilled workforce required for wide-scale adoption.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Industrial Decarbonization through Electrification of Process Heating" 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 23, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 25, 2022. (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 $70,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 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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