RFI - Understanding the Commercialization of Transformational Energy Technologies through Private Capital | DE FOA 0001695

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001695

The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) issued this notice as a Request for Information (RFI) focused on how transformational energy technologies move from government-funded research into the marketplace through private capital. It is explicitly not a funding opportunity and is not accepting applications for financial assistance, incentives, or grants. Instead, ARPA-E is collecting real-world input to help shape future thinking, potential program designs, and community discussion around financing pathways for early-stage energy innovations.

At the core of the RFI is ARPA-E's recognition that while it funds high-risk, high-impact energy R&D and helps awardees progress toward commercialization, most technologies that succeed technically still need private investment to reach market scale. ARPA-E notes that traditional venture capital for early-stage clean energy has fallen sharply (over 50 percent over roughly five years at the time of the notice), even though there is still substantial private capital in the broader U.S. economy that could potentially support energy technology commercialization. The agency is essentially trying to understand why that capital is not consistently reaching early-stage energy ventures and what practical mechanisms, incentives, or structures might close that gap.

ARPA-E is asking stakeholders to share factual experiences in three main areas: first, what drives investors to invest or decline to invest in early-stage energy companies; second, what helps energy startups succeed or fail in raising private capital after early technical progress; and third, how government grant-based funding (including ARPA-E style support) can either help or hinder the ability to attract follow-on private investment. The emphasis is on lessons learned from actual investment decisions and fundraising outcomes, rather than theoretical views. ARPA-E intends to use the feedback on a non-attribution basis, meaning it plans to synthesize insights without publicly linking them to specific respondents.

The RFI also explains how ARPA-E expects to use the information it gathers. Responses will inform planning and execution of a future public workshop focused on private capital financing mechanisms (including venture, corporate, and other forms of funding). ARPA-E may also disseminate summarized insights to the broader energy entrepreneurship community and use the findings to strengthen or design future ARPA-E initiatives intended to improve the flow of private investment into emerging energy technologies. Importantly, ARPA-E states it will not publish a public compendium of every response, but it may release an aggregated summary for public use.

The agency particularly encourages responses from two groups with direct experience: for-profit investors and energy technology companies seeking post-grant funding from for-profit sources. The investor group is defined broadly to include angels, venture capital firms, corporations, family offices, multilaterals, and development institutions that have recently invested or are considering investing in early-stage energy technologies and companies. On the company side, ARPA-E is interested in firms that have moved beyond grant-funded R&D and are trying to raise private capital to continue development, demonstrate their technology at larger scale, or enter the market.

Administratively, this opportunity is listed under DOE with ARPA-E as the issuing office, identified as Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001695, categorized as discretionary and aligned with science and technology / R&D activity (CFDA 81.135). Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning any entity may submit input, subject to any clarifications in the full notice. Responses were requested to be submitted by email in Word format to ARPA-E-RFI@hq.doe.gov. The RFI was created on November 2, 2016, with an original closing date of December 2, 2016.

Several standard government disclaimers are central to the notice. ARPA-E will not fund or compensate anyone for providing information, and submitting a response does not create any obligation on either side. Materials submitted will not be returned, ARPA-E is not required to respond to commenters, and the notice does not represent a promise that a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will be issued. The document underscores this point repeatedly: this is an information-gathering exercise intended to help ARPA-E understand private capital barriers and opportunities around transformational energy technology commercialization, not a solicitation for grant proposals.

• The Department of Energy, Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RFI - Understanding the Commercialization of Transformational Energy Technologies through Private Capital" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.135.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 02, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 02, 2016 This is a Request for Information only. This RFI is not accepting applications for financial assistance. Responses to this RFI should be submitted in Word format by e-mail only to ARPA-E-RFI@hq.doe.gov.. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• 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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