Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002220
The FLEXIBLE CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE (FLECCS) funding opportunity is a Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program aimed at pushing forward carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that can operate in a power grid increasingly dominated by variable renewable energy (VRE) like wind and solar. ARPA-E, created by Congress under the America COMPETES Acts, focuses on high-risk, high-reward energy research that is typically too early for private investors but could deliver major national benefits, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, stronger energy security, and continued US leadership in advanced energy technologies. Awards made under this opportunity follow federal assistance rules (including 2 CFR Part 200 and DOE-specific amendments under 2 CFR Part 910) and are issued as cooperative agreements, meaning the government is likely to remain actively involved in shaping and monitoring project progress.
At the heart of FLECCS is the idea that carbon capture must become more compatible with real-world grid operations. Traditional CCS systems are often designed to run best at steady output, but modern grids with high renewable penetration need generation that can ramp up and down quickly, start and stop more often, and respond to price and reliability signals. FLECCS is therefore looking for CCS approaches that let power generators remain flexible and responsive while still capturing carbon, rather than forcing plants into rigid operating modes that become uneconomic or unreliable when renewables are supplying a large share of electricity. The program explicitly includes both retrofit concepts for existing power plants and new "greenfield" systems. It also leaves room for unconventional designs by describing eligible greenfield concepts as a "black box" with a carbon-containing fuel input and electricity output, without prescribing the exact conversion pathway, which opens the door to novel thermodynamic cycles, integrated capture concepts, and other nontraditional architectures.
A notable feature of the program is how it defines success: proposals are not judged only on the standalone performance of the capture process, but on how much they improve the overall cost of a net-zero-carbon electricity system. ARPA-E frames the evaluation around system levelized cost of electricity (system LCOE) for a net-zero grid, using capacity expansion modeling to estimate how a given flexible CCS technology changes the least-cost mix of generation, storage, and other assets across the grid. In other words, the key question is whether the technology helps deliver reliable electricity at lower total system cost when the grid must meet net-zero carbon constraints. ARPA-E also makes clear that individual CCS technologies funded under FLECCS do not necessarily need to be net-zero by themselves; instead, they will be assessed as components within a broader net-zero system that may include negative emissions resources. The agency points to prior analysis suggesting that achieving a net-zero electricity system at around $75 per MWh is an aggressive but plausible target, and FLECCS projects are expected to contribute toward making that kind of outcome realistic.
From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002220) was offered as a discretionary research and development program under CFDA 81.135, with eligibility listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement). ARPA-E anticipated making around 25 awards, with an award ceiling of $10,000,000 per project. The FOA was created on November 14, 2019, and required concept papers by December 23, 2019, with applicants encouraged to submit ahead of the deadline. Overall, FLECCS is best understood as an ARPA-E push to make CCS not just lower-cost or higher-capture, but operationally flexible enough to function as a valuable grid asset in a renewables-heavy, net-zero electricity future.Apply for DE FOA 0002220
- The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FLEXIBLE CARBON CAPTURE & STORAGE (FLECCS)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 14, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 23, 2019 The deadline for Concept Papers is December 23, 2019. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications at least 48 hours in advance of the submission deadline.. (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 $10,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 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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FLECCS (Flexible Carbon Capture and Storage) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the FLECCS funding opportunity?
FLECCS (Flexible Carbon Capture and Storage) is a Department of Energy program run by ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) focused on advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that can operate effectively on an electricity grid with a growing share of variable renewable energy (VRE) such as wind and solar.
Which agency is offering FLECCS?
The opportunity is offered by ARPA-E, a DOE agency created by Congress under the America COMPETES Acts to support high-risk, high-reward energy research with potentially significant national benefits.
What problem is FLECCS trying to solve?
Traditional CCS systems often perform best at steady, continuous operation. Modern power grids with high renewable penetration increasingly require generation resources that can ramp quickly, start and stop more often, and respond to real-time price and reliability needs. FLECCS is aimed at CCS approaches that preserve (or improve) power-plant operational flexibility while still capturing carbon.
What kinds of technologies is FLECCS interested in funding?
FLECCS is interested in CCS technologies and system concepts that enable flexible operation compatible with renewables-heavy grids. The program explicitly includes:
- Retrofit concepts for existing power plants
- New greenfield systems (new-build concepts)
- Unconventional or nontraditional designs, including novel thermodynamic cycles and integrated capture concepts
Are retrofits to existing plants eligible, or only new systems?
Both are included. The program explicitly mentions retrofit concepts for existing power plants as well as greenfield (new-build) systems.
What does ARPA-E mean by "greenfield" and the "black box" description?
For greenfield concepts, ARPA-E describes eligible systems as a "black box" with a carbon-containing fuel input and an electricity output, without prescribing the exact conversion pathway. This is meant to keep the door open to novel architectures rather than limiting applicants to conventional plant designs.
Does a proposed CCS technology need to be net-zero on its own to be competitive?
Not necessarily. ARPA-E states that individual CCS technologies funded under FLECCS do not need to be net-zero by themselves. Instead, they are assessed as components within a broader net-zero electricity system that may also include negative-emissions resources.
How are proposals evaluated under FLECCS?
FLECCS emphasizes system-level outcomes rather than judging the capture process only in isolation. ARPA-E evaluates how a proposed flexible CCS technology improves the overall cost of delivering a net-zero-carbon electricity system, using system levelized cost of electricity (system LCOE) as the key metric.
What is "system LCOE" in the context of FLECCS?
System LCOE refers to the estimated cost of electricity for the entire grid system under net-zero carbon constraints. ARPA-E uses capacity expansion modeling to estimate how a flexible CCS technology changes the least-cost mix of generation, storage, and other grid assets needed to deliver reliable, net-zero electricity.
Why does FLECCS focus on flexibility rather than only capture rate or capture cost?
Because grid needs are changing. When wind and solar supply a large share of electricity, the remaining dispatchable resources must be able to respond quickly and operate economically under variable conditions. FLECCS is looking for CCS solutions that allow generators to remain responsive to grid conditions rather than forcing rigid operating modes that can become uneconomic or unreliable.
Is this a standard grant, or something with more government involvement?
Awards under this opportunity are issued as cooperative agreements. In a cooperative agreement, the government is likely to remain actively involved in shaping and monitoring project progress, which is different from an arrangement where the recipient operates with minimal agency involvement.
What federal rules apply to awards made under FLECCS?
Awards follow federal assistance rules including 2 CFR Part 200 and DOE-specific amendments under 2 CFR Part 910, as described in the opportunity information.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number) for FLECCS?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is DE-FOA-0002220.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 81.135.
Is eligibility restricted to certain applicant types?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to any clarifications that may have been included in the full announcement.
How many awards were anticipated under FLECCS?
ARPA-E anticipated making around 25 awards under this funding opportunity.
What is the maximum award amount per project?
The award ceiling is listed as $10,000,000 per project.
When was the FLECCS FOA created?
The FOA was created on November 14, 2019.
Was a concept paper required, and when was it due?
Yes. Concept papers were required by December 23, 2019, and applicants were encouraged to submit ahead of the deadline.
What larger policy or strategic goals does ARPA-E link to this program?
ARPA-E describes its broader mission as supporting early-stage, high-impact energy innovations that can produce major national benefits such as lower greenhouse gas emissions, stronger energy security, and continued US leadership in advanced energy technologies.
Does FLECCS have a target cost benchmark for a net-zero electricity system?
ARPA-E references prior analysis suggesting that achieving a net-zero electricity system at around $75 per MWh is an aggressive but plausible target, and indicates that FLECCS projects are expected to contribute toward making that kind of outcome realistic.
In plain terms, what would a successful FLECCS project demonstrate?
Based on the opportunity description, a successful project would show a CCS approach that helps power generation remain a valuable, flexible grid asset in a renewables-heavy system, and that reduces the overall system cost of meeting net-zero electricity constraints (not just improving a capture subsystem in isolation).
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