FY22 Carbon Utilization Technology: Improving Efficient Systems for Algae | DE FOA 0002654

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002654

The FY22 Carbon Utilization Technology: Improving Efficient Systems for Algae funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002654) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant program aimed at making algae-based production of fuels and other products cheaper and more climate-beneficial by improving how efficiently algae growth systems use carbon dioxide (CO2). It is run through DOE's Golden Field Office and supports research, development, and demonstration efforts that strengthen the performance of algae cultivation systems, with a clear emphasis on increasing carbon utilization efficiency. In practical terms, the FOA is focused on getting more algal biomass (and therefore more usable fuel or product output) per unit of CO2 input, while also improving the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits that algae-based technologies can deliver at scale.

The opportunity is rooted in the mission of DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), which develops technologies that convert domestic biomass and waste resources into fuels, products, and power to support affordable energy, economic growth, and innovation in renewable chemicals and energy. This FOA narrows that broader mission to algae cultivation, emphasizing that better carbon utilization in algal systems can reduce the cost of algal feedstocks and improve their net climate impact. The FOA is structured around two topic areas that reflect distinct CO2 sourcing pathways and align with congressional appropriations language and each participating office's strategic plans. While the FOA is presented as a single opportunity, the two topic areas are funded separately by two different DOE offices: the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) through BETO, and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) through its Carbon Utilization Program (CUP).

Topic Area 1 targets improvements in carbon utilization efficiency when the CO2 is derived from biomass-based sources or atmospheric-based sources. This area is essentially about enabling algae systems to effectively use CO2 that is biogenic or captured from the air, which typically connects to pathways intended to be low-carbon or potentially carbon-negative depending on the full life cycle. Topic Area 2 focuses on algae-based technology that can use anthropogenic CO2 coming from utility and industrial sources, meaning captured emissions from power plants or industrial facilities. This topic aligns with the idea of turning waste CO2 streams into a resource and improving the economics and climate outcomes of carbon capture and utilization by pairing it with algae cultivation.

Awards are expected to be made as cooperative agreements, which generally means DOE anticipates substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordinated milestones, go/no-go decisions, or active project management). The award ceiling listed is $3,000,000 per award, and DOE anticipated making about 9 awards under this opportunity. The funding activity category is Energy, and the CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 81.087.

Eligibility is broad and includes most common applicant types across government, academia, nonprofits, and industry. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding universities where specified), for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses), small businesses, and even individuals. This wide eligibility suggests DOE was aiming to attract both traditional R and D performers (universities and national-lab partners via subawards) and deployment-oriented teams that can demonstrate algae cultivation systems in relevant operating environments.

The FOA timeline listed a creation date of February 11, 2022, with an original closing date of May 27, 2022. DOE also scheduled an informational webinar for February 17, 2022 at 3:00 PM Eastern, emphasizing that participation was voluntary and would not influence application evaluation. Interested parties were directed to the BETO funding opportunities page for webinar registration information. For applicant questions, DOE provided a dedicated email inbox: FY22CarbonUtilizationFOA@ee.doe.gov.

Overall, the grant opportunity is best understood as a targeted push to move algae cultivation closer to commercial viability by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of CO2 use in algal growth systems, whether that CO2 is sourced from biogenic/atmospheric pathways or captured from industrial and utility emissions. The intended outcome is a combination of lower-cost algal feedstocks, better process performance, and stronger GHG benefits, which together would support broader deployment of algae-based fuels and products as part of DOE's clean energy and carbon management goals.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY22 Carbon Utilization Technology: Improving Efficient Systems for Algae" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 11, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 27, 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 $3,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 9 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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.

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