FY20 Advanced Manufacturing Office Multi-Topic FOA | DE FOA 0002252

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002252

The FY20 Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DE-FOA-0002252, is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Golden Field Office grant opportunity aimed at advancing applied research and development in U.S. manufacturing. The core purpose is to fund early- to mid-stage projects that tackle high-impact manufacturing technology and process challenges, especially where energy use and energy cost strongly influence industrial competitiveness. AMO is focused on both foundational manufacturing processes tied to energy performance and on broadly useful platform technologies that can enable many downstream applications. In practical terms, DOE is looking for next-generation materials, information tools, and manufacturing process technologies that can measurably improve energy efficiency in energy-intensive and energy-dependent industries, while also helping move emerging clean and cost-competitive energy technologies into domestic production at scale.

This FOA is structured around AMO's larger strategy, aligning with goals described in the AMO Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The solicitation explicitly supports five strategic goals: improving productivity and energy efficiency across U.S. manufacturing; reducing lifecycle energy and resource impacts of manufactured goods; enabling manufacturing that can leverage diverse domestic energy resources while strengthening environmental stewardship; accelerating the transition of DOE-supported innovations into real U.S. manufacturing capabilities; and strengthening and advancing the U.S. manufacturing workforce. Put together, the opportunity reflects DOE's interest not only in technical breakthroughs, but also in practical pathways to deployment and adoption that improve industrial performance and resilience over time.

The funding opportunity integrates multiple AMO research needs into one consolidated FOA, and it is organized into three main topic areas with targeted subtopics. Topic Area 1, "Efficiency Improvements in Advanced Manufacturing Processes," emphasizes process-level energy and productivity gains in major industrial and advanced manufacturing applications. Subtopics include innovative iron and steelmaking processes (a major emissions- and energy-intensive sector), enhanced efficiency of industrial drying processes (often a hidden but substantial energy load in manufacturing), and the use of machine learning to increase efficiency in manufacturing large-scale, high-rate aerostructures (aimed at improving throughput, reducing scrap, and optimizing process control). It also includes integrated additive manufacturing processes for advanced wind blade production, which ties manufacturing innovation directly to scaling renewable energy technologies, and efforts to reduce the cost of producing ceramic matrix composites for high-temperature applications, which can improve performance and efficiency in harsh operating environments such as turbines and other high-heat systems.

Topic Area 2, "Efficiency Improvements in Chemical Manufacturing," targets one of the largest industrial energy-consuming segments of the economy by supporting technology and science advances that can reduce energy use and improve process performance. One subtopic funds advanced chemical manufacturing R and D, which can include intensified processes, modular approaches, electrification strategies, separations innovations, and other methods that cut energy demand or improve yields. The second subtopic, dynamic catalyst science with data analytics, highlights the growing DOE interest in combining advanced catalysis research with modern data-driven approaches, such as high-throughput experimentation, advanced sensing, and analytics or machine learning, to better understand catalyst behavior under real operating conditions and rapidly optimize catalytic systems for efficiency and durability.

Topic Area 3, "Connected, Flexible, and Efficient Manufacturing Facilities, Products, and Energy Systems," expands beyond individual unit operations into facility and energy-system integration, with an emphasis on flexibility, connectivity, and emissions reduction. Subtopic 3.1 focuses on integrating carbon capture and utilization (CCU) into industrial processes, reflecting interest in practical pathways to reduce industrial CO2 emissions by capturing carbon and turning it into valuable products or inputs. Subtopic 3.2 supports a flexible combined heat and power (CHP) demonstration in a district energy system integrated with a renewably fueled municipal generating station, signaling DOE's interest in real-world demonstrations that show how industrial and community energy systems can be integrated for higher efficiency, improved load flexibility, and better use of renewable fuels.

Administratively, this opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning awardees should expect substantial DOE involvement during the project period compared with a standard grant. The FOA lists a maximum award amount (award ceiling) of $10,000,000 and anticipates roughly 33 awards, indicating DOE intends to fund a portfolio of projects rather than only a handful of large efforts. The Assistance Listing (CFDA) number is 81.086, and the funding activity category is energy. The FOA was created May 21, 2020, with an original application closing date of August 26, 2020.

Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); small businesses; individuals; and other entity types as described in the FOA's additional eligibility language. This wide eligibility suggests DOE was seeking cross-sector teams, including industry-led consortia, university-industry partnerships, and collaborations that combine applied R and D with manufacturability and deployment planning.

Applications were required to be submitted through EERE Exchange, DOE's online portal that enforces deadlines by disabling submission buttons at the cutoff time. The FOA emphasizes planning ahead because portal traffic typically peaks right before the deadline, and late uploads due to last-minute congestion are not treated the same as documented system-level failures. For technical submission issues, applicants are directed to the EERE Exchange helpdesk at EERE-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov. DOE also maintained an official FAQ log for this FOA on EERE Exchange, which is where applicants were expected to look for clarifications and updates that could affect compliance, formatting, or interpretation of requirements.

Overall, this FOA is best understood as a DOE manufacturing efficiency and competitiveness push, centered on applied R and D that can materially reduce energy use, strengthen domestic production capability for emerging energy technologies, and accelerate commercialization-ready manufacturing innovations. The topic structure shows a deliberate balance: modernizing core heavy industries like steel and chemicals, advancing data-driven and additive manufacturing approaches that improve productivity and reduce waste, and integrating facility-level energy systems and carbon management strategies that help industry decarbonize while maintaining cost and performance advantages.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY20 Advanced Manufacturing Office Multi-Topic FOA" 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 May 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2020. (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 33 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Individuals, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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