NOVEL METHODS FOR MAKING PRODUCTS FROM CARBON DIOXIDE OR COAL | DE FOA 0001849

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0001849

The Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released a discretionary funding opportunity called "NOVEL METHODS FOR MAKING PRODUCTS FROM CARBON DIOXIDE OR COAL" (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0001849). The goal of this announcement is to push forward practical, scalable ways to convert either carbon dioxide (CO2) or coal into higher-value products, using advanced chemical approaches. In plain terms, the government is looking to fund technologies that treat CO2 and coal not only as environmental or legacy energy concerns, but also as feedstocks that can be transformed into useful materials, fuels, or chemicals.

This FOA sits at the intersection of two DOE/NETL program areas: Carbon Use and Reuse, and Coal Beneficiation. While those programs are distinct, they share a common technical foundation, especially around catalysis and related chemical conversion methods. The FOA emphasizes those shared platforms, encouraging applicants to develop novel conversion pathways that can efficiently and selectively turn CO2 or coal into products with meaningful economic value. The underlying idea is that improvements in catalysts, reaction systems, and process designs could open up new markets for carbon-derived products, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and potentially reduce the net climate impact of industrial carbon emissions by turning captured CO2 into something saleable.

Awards under this opportunity were planned to be made as cooperative agreements, which typically means DOE expects substantial involvement during the project rather than simply issuing a grant and stepping back. Projects funded under cooperative agreements often include defined milestones, regular technical reporting, and active coordination with the agency to guide progress, manage risk, and keep work aligned with program objectives. The funding activity category is Energy, and the relevant CFDA number listed is 81.089.

On the funding side, the FOA listed an award ceiling of $2,500,000 per award, with an expectation of up to 11 awards. That structure suggests DOE intended to support a portfolio of projects rather than a single large effort, likely spanning multiple technical approaches (for example, different catalyst systems, different target products, or different conversion routes for CO2 versus coal). The announcement was created on May 21, 2018, and the original closing date was June 25, 2018, indicating a relatively tight application window typical of many federal research and development solicitations.

Eligibility was described as "unrestricted," meaning it was open to any type of entity, subject to any further clarification that would have been provided in the FOA text under additional eligibility information. In practice, this kind of DOE opportunity commonly attracts universities, national lab partners, private companies (including startups and established industrial firms), nonprofit research organizations, and consortia that combine technology development with commercialization experience.

Overall, this FOA can be read as an applied R&D push to expand the toolkit for carbon conversion: leveraging catalysis and chemical processing to create valuable products from CO2 or coal, while building a set of demonstrable technologies that could ultimately be scaled, integrated into industrial settings, or commercialized in carbon management and advanced manufacturing markets.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NOVEL METHODS FOR MAKING PRODUCTS FROM CARBON DIOXIDE OR COAL" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 25, 2018. (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 $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 11 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.

Apply for DE FOA 0001849

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