Notice of Intent and Request for Information Regarding Establishment of Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at Trade Schools, Community Colleges, and Union Training Programs and Establishment of Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs) | DE FOA 0002887

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002887

The Department of Energy (DOE), through its Golden Field Office, issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Request for Information (RFI) under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002887 titled "Notice of Intent and Request for Information Regarding Establishment of Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at Trade Schools, Community Colleges, and Union Training Programs and Establishment of Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs)." This posting is not a standard grant solicitation with defined awards; instead, it signals DOE's interest in shaping future funding or program design and invites input from stakeholders. The topic area is energy (CFDA 81.117), and the overall focus is on expanding hands-on assessment and workforce training capacity in both industrial and building energy efficiency domains.

At a high level, the opportunity centers on two related concepts. The first is establishing or expanding Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) in settings that are not traditionally the main hosts of IAC activity, specifically trade schools, community colleges, and union training programs. IACs are commonly associated with conducting energy assessments for industrial facilities and training the next generation of practitioners who can identify and implement energy, cost, and emissions reduction measures. By targeting trade and workforce training institutions, DOE is signaling an emphasis on practical, job-aligned training pipelines and broader geographic or demographic reach beyond conventional university-based models. The second concept is the establishment of Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs), which, based on the title and context, are intended to support similar applied training and assessment capacity but focused on buildings (for example, commercial or institutional buildings), where energy performance improvements can be identified, taught, and implemented.

Because this is an NOI and RFI, the main action DOE is taking here is gathering information from the field. RFIs typically request feedback on program structure, potential host institutions, partnership models, curriculum and credentialing approaches, assessment methodologies, barriers to implementation, and strategies for reaching priority audiences. In this case, the RFI is likely intended to help DOE understand how IAC-like capabilities can be embedded in workforce-oriented institutions and how BTACs should be designed to effectively train people to assess building energy use and recommend improvements. It is also a way for DOE to assess demand, readiness, and the practical considerations involved in launching centers that combine training with real-world assessments.

The eligibility listing is broad: "Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility." In practical terms, that means DOE did not limit who could respond to the RFI, and organizations of many types could potentially provide input, including educational institutions, labor-management organizations, unions, community colleges, trade schools, industry partners, building owners, energy service providers, utilities, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Even when eventual competitive funding is not yet available, RFIs often serve as an early signal to these communities that DOE is considering future investments and wants to understand what an effective program would look like.

The posting includes an award ceiling of 2, but it also lists expected awards as 0, which reinforces that this is not a conventional grant announcement making awards at this stage. Instead, the award ceiling can appear as a placeholder field in opportunity systems even when the immediate action is informational. The original closing date was January 31, 2023, and the creation date was December 6, 2022, which indicates a defined window for submitting responses and influencing DOE's thinking before it develops a formal funding announcement or program rollout.

In terms of why DOE would pursue this, the underlying policy logic is straightforward: energy efficiency and decarbonization goals depend heavily on a skilled workforce that can evaluate facilities, identify energy-saving opportunities, and support implementation. Industrial and building sectors represent large portions of energy consumption, and both require technicians and practitioners who understand systems, controls, maintenance realities, safety requirements, and cost-effective retrofit options. Placing assessment and training centers in trade schools, community colleges, and union training programs is a direct way to connect training to real job tasks and to expand access to careers that support energy savings and emissions reductions. The BTAC concept similarly suggests an effort to create structured pathways for building-focused energy assessment skills, potentially complementing existing energy auditor training ecosystems and accelerating the scaling of building performance improvements.

Key identifiers for the opportunity are: Agency: Department of Energy, Golden Field Office; Opportunity Category: Other; Funding Instrument Type: Other; Activity Category: Energy; CFDA: 81.117; Opportunity Number: DE-FOA-0002887; Title: "Notice of Intent and Request for Information Regarding Establishment of Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at Trade Schools, Community Colleges, and Union Training Programs and Establishment of Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs)." The main takeaway is that this was an information-gathering step by DOE aimed at shaping future efforts to build capacity for industrial and building energy assessments while strengthening workforce training pipelines through hands-on, institution-based centers.

• The Department of Energy, Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Intent and Request for Information Regarding Establishment of Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at Trade Schools, Community Colleges, and Union Training Programs and Establishment of Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTACs)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.117.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 06, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 31, 2023. (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 $2.00 in funding.
• 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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