NOTICE: The Funding Opportunity Announcement has been amended as of April 26, 2010. Please download the amended FOA below.

IMPORTANT: New Q&As posted at Weekly E-RIC Questions and Answers (pdf - 178kb)

The Obama Administration has announced a multi-agency funding opportunity to support an Energy Regional Innovation Cluster (E-RIC).  This pilot initiative will spur regional economic growth while developing innovative energy efficient building technologies, designs, and systems.  Seven federal agencies released a combined E-RIC Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) making up to $129.7 million available over five years to support the cluster.  The FOA has been amended as of April 26, 2010.  Both the amended FOA and the previously posted FOA are available by clicking on the following links:

• Funding Opportunity Announcement - Amended April 26, 2010 (pdf - 726 kb)
• Prior Version of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (pdf - 1.11 MB)

The April 14, 2010, Energy Efficient Building Systems Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative: Funding Opportunity Announcement Information Session II Webcast is now posted. Please click"How to Apply" on the upper left portion of this page. The links are in the table under Information Session II.

The goal of this funding opportunity is to support an E-RIC that will accomplish the following objectives:

• Develop and demonstrate sustainable and efficient models for attaining national strategic objectives, with a focus on (i) developing, expanding, and commercializing innovative energy efficient building systems technologies, designs, and best practices for national and international distribution and (ii) reducing the carbon footprint of the United States;
• Create and retain Good Jobs (as defined in the FOA);
• Eliminate gaps between the supply and demand for skilled workers in the E-RIC through training and education;
• Increase regional gross domestic product (GDP);
• Promote innovation in science and technology generally and, with respect to the Hub, promote energy efficient building systems, designs and best practices; and
• Enhance the economic, technological, and commercial competitiveness of the United States on the global stage.

Due to the critical roles that basic and applied energy research have in two key national strategic objectives-attaining U.S. energy security and reducing the carbon footprint of the United States-the Administration has selected Energy Efficient Building Systems Design as the topical focus of the pilot project.  Because buildings account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption and carbon emissions, improvements in building efficiency will provide significant benefits - reducing energy use, lowering utility bills and decreasing carbon emissions.

Anchored around a DOE-funded Energy Innovation Hub that will focus on developing systems-based approaches to designing, building, and operating commercial and residential buildings, the E-RIC will integrate this Hub into a broader regional economic development initiative by linking the Hub with complementary federal and non-federal investments in business development and support, public infrastructure, workforce development, and education. 

The agencies involved in this effort are making available up to $129.7 million over 5 years for this pilot project:

• Department of Energy:  Up to $22 million in the first year of the award (with additional amounts of up to $25 million per year for four additional years, subject to availability of appropriations), for an Energy Innovation Hub based at a university, DOE national laboratory, nonprofit organization, or private firm, partnering closely with local or state government officials;
• Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration:  Up to
  $3 million in Public Works and Economic Development funds and up to $2 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance funds for a single award over a period of performance not to exceed 5 years;
• Department of Commerce/National Institute of Standards and Technology (Manufacturing Extension Partnership): Up to $500,000 for a one-year award, with the possibility of adding additional amounts of up to $500,000 per year for up to two additional years, made available to an existing DOC-funded NIST/MEP Center that will use the additional funds to provide services dedicated to the Consortium's effort to support the E-RIC and transition technology to industry; and
• Small Business Administration:  Up to $300,000 in the first year, with three one-year options for renewal grants up to $300,000 per year, made available to an existing SBA-funded Small Business Development Center that will use the additional funds to provide services dedicated to the Consortium's effort to grow the E-RIC. 

In addition, DOL, ED, and NSF are committed to supporting collaboration between the Consortium and recipients of funding under complementary, existing programs at DOL, ED, and NSF.  DOL encourages workforce investment boards to become E-RIC Partners that will actively participate in the fostering of the E-RIC and can leverage Workforce Investment Act and other appropriate funds to recruit, train and place workers in good jobs created within the E-RIC. 

The Department of Labor will engage local and regional networks of Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career centers to ensure that workers reap the maximum benefit from this initiative. This alignment of federal agency resources will allow an even greater positive impact along the full economic spectrum.  It will also help reduce the energy costs of buildings while spurring the creation of new jobs in green and energy efficient industries.

ED encourages state eligible agencies, and local and regional secondary and postsecondary educational agencies and institutions receiving funding under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to act as E-RIC Partners and to support allowable career and technical education projects and activities that eliminate gaps between the supply and demand for workers in specialized fields within the E-RIC.  ED will provide technical assistance as appropriate to help these E-RIC Partners determine how to facilitate the Consortium's objectives through the allowable use of funds under the E-RIC Partners' existing formula grants or subgrants. 

Finally, if existing NSF award recipients are also Co-applicants or E-RIC Partners of the winning Consortium, these NSF recipients may be eligible for supplemental funding from NSF. 

Only one Consortium Proposal will be selected for funding under this joint FOA.  For more details on the composition of the Consortium and the entities that are eligible for form a Consortium, please see the full text of the FOA.

To learn more about Regional Innovation Clusters, visit the Economic Development Administration's website.