Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002575
The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Idaho Field Office, released a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Consent-Based Siting for Interim Storage Program -- Community Engagement Opportunities" (Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002575; CFDA 81.121). The program is centered on helping communities across the continental United States better understand and participate in discussions about consent-based siting, the management of commercial spent nuclear fuel, and the considerations involved in potentially hosting an interim storage facility. Rather than presuming a community will or should accept such a facility, the emphasis is on informed, locally grounded engagement where residents and stakeholders can learn, ask questions, surface concerns, and communicate feedback in an organized way.
The funding is offered through cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects an active partnership role during the project (as opposed to a hands-off grant). DOE planned to select multiple awardees that are geographically diverse, with an expected total of about eight awards. Individual awards could be as large as $2,000,000, indicating DOE is seeking efforts substantial enough to support sustained engagement, outreach, and administrative coordination rather than one-off events.
At its core, the opportunity is designed to resource community-driven processes that explore what it would mean if one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities for commercial spent nuclear fuel were to play a role in or near a community. Awardees are expected to foster, encourage, and support innovative community ideas and meaningful feedback. This includes creating settings where community members can engage with technical, policy, and safety information in plain language, compare perspectives, and develop locally relevant questions or priorities that should inform federal decision-making.
DOE frames the work around three broad functions. First, awardees should advance mutual learning with real public participation, meaning engagement is intended to be two-way: communities learn about interim storage and spent fuel issues, and DOE and other decision-makers receive structured community input. Second, awardees should improve ease of access to information-sharing, which may include making materials easier to find and understand, supporting translation or accessibility needs, and using outreach channels that reach beyond the usual participants. Third, awardees are expected to serve as facilitators and award administrators in ways that reduce barriers to meaningful participation, which points to practical support such as convening meetings, managing sub-awards or stipends, coordinating experts, and designing inclusive participation formats so that involvement is not limited only to those with time, money, or technical background.
Eligibility is broad and includes county governments, cities or townships, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), and small businesses. This wide eligibility suggests DOE is open to a range of capable local or regional entities that can organize community engagement efforts, including partnerships that combine local government convening power with university expertise or specialized facilitation and outreach capacity.
The opportunity was created on September 20, 2022, with an original closing date of December 19, 2022. While those dates reflect the specific application window for this solicitation, the description makes clear the underlying goal: to support communities in building the knowledge, engagement infrastructure, and practical tools needed to participate in consent-based siting discussions related to consolidated interim storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel, and to do so in a way that lowers participation barriers and strengthens the quality of community input.Apply for DE FOA 0002575
- The Department of Energy, Idaho Field Office in the energy, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Consent-Based Siting for Interim Storage Program -- Community Engagement Opportunities" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.121.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 20, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 19, 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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Consent-Based Siting for Interim Storage Program -- Community Engagement Opportunities".
2) Which agency is offering this funding?
The funding is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Idaho Field Office.
3) What are the identifying numbers for this opportunity?
This opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number DE FOA 0002575 and CFDA 81.121.
4) What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to help communities across the continental United States better understand and take part in discussions about:
- Consent-based siting
- The management of commercial spent nuclear fuel
- Considerations involved in potentially hosting an interim storage facility
5) Does this program assume a community should accept an interim storage facility?
No. The emphasis is on informed, locally grounded engagement. The program supports communities in learning, asking questions, surfacing concerns, and providing organized feedback without presuming that a community will or should host a facility.
6) What is meant by "consent-based siting" in the context of this opportunity?
Based on the description provided, consent-based siting refers to a process where communities are supported in understanding the issues and participating meaningfully in discussions and feedback related to whether an interim storage facility for commercial spent nuclear fuel could play a role in or near their community.
7) What type of funding instrument is being used?
The funding is offered through cooperative agreements.
8) What does a cooperative agreement imply about DOE's role?
A cooperative agreement typically means DOE expects an active partnership role during the project, rather than a hands-off approach.
9) How many awards did DOE expect to make?
DOE planned to select multiple awardees and expected a total of about eight awards.
10) Is DOE seeking geographic diversity among awardees?
Yes. DOE planned to select awardees that are geographically diverse.
11) What is the maximum expected award size?
Individual awards could be as large as $2,000,000.
12) What does the award size suggest about the scope of work?
The award size suggests DOE is looking for efforts that are substantial enough to support sustained engagement, outreach, and administrative coordination, rather than single, one-off events.
13) What kinds of activities is the program intended to support?
The program is intended to resource community-driven processes that explore what it would mean if one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities for commercial spent nuclear fuel were to play a role in or near a community. Activities include supporting innovative community ideas and gathering meaningful feedback through organized engagement.
14) What does DOE expect awardees to do in terms of community engagement?
Awardees are expected to create settings where community members can:
- Engage with technical, policy, and safety information in plain language
- Compare perspectives
- Develop locally relevant questions and priorities
- Communicate feedback in an organized way that can inform federal decision-making
15) What are the three broad functions DOE uses to frame the work?
DOE frames the work around three broad functions:
- Advance mutual learning with real public participation (two-way engagement and structured input)
- Improve ease of access to information-sharing (materials that are easier to find and understand, and outreach that reaches beyond the usual participants)
- Serve as facilitators and award administrators to reduce barriers (practical support that makes participation more inclusive)
16) What does "mutual learning" mean in this program?
Mutual learning is described as two-way engagement: communities learn about interim storage and spent nuclear fuel issues, while DOE and other decision-makers receive structured community input.
17) What does "improving ease of access to information-sharing" include?
It may include steps like:
- Making materials easier to find and understand
- Supporting translation needs
- Supporting accessibility needs
- Using outreach channels that reach beyond the usual participants
18) What does it mean for awardees to act as facilitators and award administrators?
It means providing practical support to reduce barriers to meaningful participation. The description points to examples such as:
- Convening meetings
- Managing sub-awards or stipends
- Coordinating experts
- Designing inclusive participation formats so involvement is not limited to people with extra time, money, or technical background
19) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes:
- County governments
- Cities or townships
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- For-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses)
- Small businesses
20) Does the opportunity encourage different types of organizations to work together?
The description suggests DOE is open to a range of capable local or regional entities and notes that partnerships may combine local government convening power with university expertise or specialized facilitation and outreach capacity.
21) What geographic area does the program focus on?
The program is centered on helping communities across the continental United States.
22) What topic area is the engagement focused on?
The engagement is focused on consent-based siting discussions related to consolidated interim storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel.
23) Is the goal to help communities participate in federal decision-making?
Yes. A key goal is to support organized community engagement that produces meaningful feedback and locally relevant questions or priorities that should inform federal decision-making.
24) What is the application timeline mentioned for this solicitation?
The opportunity was created on September 20, 2022, with an original closing date of December 19, 2022.
25) Are those dates the only important takeaway?
No. While those dates reflect the specific application window for this solicitation, the description emphasizes the underlying goal of supporting communities in building knowledge, engagement infrastructure, and tools to participate in consent-based siting discussions, while lowering barriers to participation and strengthening the quality of community input.
26) What kinds of barriers to participation is this program trying to address?
The description highlights reducing barriers so participation is not limited only to those with time, money, or technical background, implying that engagement should be designed to be inclusive and accessible.
27) What is the overall outcome DOE appears to be seeking?
Based on the description, DOE is seeking stronger, better-informed, community-driven engagement processes where residents and stakeholders can learn about the issues, express concerns and priorities, and provide structured feedback that can be used in consent-based siting discussions related to interim storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel.
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