Pre-Application Process for the DOE’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program

You must be registered with the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) Funding Opportunity Exchange to submit your pre-application.

To register on OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange, go here. For help, refer to Login.gov Resources: Get Started with Login.gov and How to Change Login.gov Account/Login Settings. For the Login Guide, go to Financial Opportunities: Manuals (energy.gov). 

A: Carefully read the Funding Opportunity Press Release and the entire Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to ensure that your project is a good fit.

B: Read the entire ERA Grant Program FOA Guidance Document.

C: Read the entire ERA Grant Program Community Benefits Plan Guidance.

D: Watch the May 30, 2023, webinar recording.

E: Read the ERA Program FAQs.

F: Reach out to DOE with questions via email.

G: Get notified of new OCED funding opportunities and news by signing up for the OCED email list.

To prepare your pre-application and in preparation for a potential invitation to submit a full application, find and solidify your partners and collectively envision your proposal.

A: Sign up for the Teaming Partner List here.

B: Reach out to potential Teaming List partners and/or others.

C: Schedule a time to speak with your partners and brainstorm about proposal ideas.

A: Download the DOE’s pre-application template and create a Google Doc with the pre-application questions, as needed, that all partners can access. Answers will have to be transferred to the pre-application template before submission.

B: Begin writing answers to your pre-application questions. The pre-application must be less than 10 pages. Suggested word count is included in italics before each bracket. 

C: Access detailed instructions on how to apply through the Financial Opportunities: Manuals (energy.gov).

D: Reach out for technical assistance support if needed from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for initial development of project concepts.

C: Review your pre-application answers (ideally more than once) using Section 5.1.1 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement to ensure that all requirements have been met in each section and to give yourself the best possible opportunity to be invited to submit a full application.

Although the deadline is Thursday, July 13, plan to submit your pre-application template to DOE’s OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange, ideally by Tuesday, July 11, to give yourself time to troubleshoot if you have any difficulty submitting.

A: To submit the pre-application, go to the DOE’s OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange and upload your document.

B: For assistance with technical issues involving the OCED Funding Opportunity Exchange, email OCED-ExchangeSupport@hq.doe.gov.

C: Take …a nap! And then…

If you are not already registed, begin the process now so that you are prepared for the October 12, 2023, 5 p.m. ET deadline if invited to submit a full application, as well as for other funding opportunities. You must be registered with SAM.gov (and have your Unique Entity Identification (UEID)) to apply. Registering can take weeks (if not months).

To register on SAM.gov,* go here. For help, access the registration checklist and EPN’s SAM.gov registration webinar. 

If you need additional help, send us an email.

*To check your registration status, go here for SAM.gov.

In addition, the RFA requires registration with FedConnect. To create an organization account, your organization’s SAM MPIN is required. For more information about the SAM MPIN or other registration requirements, review the FedConnect Ready, Set, Go! Guide.