Industrial Decarbonization Strategy & Clean Energy Supply Analysis Round 3

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains (MESC), in collaboration with its newly established Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA), ENERGYWERX, will host an Objective Strategic Session (OSS) to identify organizations that can analyze and synthesize an industrial strategy for industrial decarbonization and clean energy technology supply chains. The total funding amount available for this program is $100k per awardee (subject to negotiation).

This program is managed by ENERGYWERX in partnership with DOE, a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) set up by the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions (OTT). This agreement enables ENERGYWERX to broaden DOE’s engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating the rapid development, scaling, and deployment of clean energy solutions.

This project will focus on strategy & analysis related to supply chain, industrial decarbonization, and related topics. MESC is looking to build an in-depth analysis that will help close the gap between existing federal funding and the strategic considerations that are necessary to bring domestic clean energy manufacturing capacity online. As part of this project, MESC is looking to bring on specialized and individualized thought leadership from subject matter experts (SME) with industry expertise. The analysis provided by these SME’s will advise senior leadership on emerging technologies and challenges, flag new opportunities, and champion partnerships and support program design and execution with external stakeholders where DOE is not the lead actor.

The specific industries that are of interest are:

Metals (with a focus on iron, steel, and aluminum)

The provided analysis will help identify supply chain and public/private financing gaps and inform commercialization strategy and coordinate industrial strategy.

How to Participate  

• Review the resources from the Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session
• Download the Capabilities Overview: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD‍
• Complete the submission and upload here: CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT (Submissions are due NLT March 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET)

Review the resources from the Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session from January 4, 2024

Submissions are due NLT March 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET

If an applicant is selected, the program will follow the timeline below, with adjustments made as needed:

Phase 1 - Identifying supply chain gaps (2 months): To understand the specific dynamics driving industrial decarbonization, the applicant will provide a slide deck or report identifying specific supply chain priorities and consolidated industry analysis/feedback will be delivered to MESC program managers. The most relevant ~5 technologies (e.g. LFP, NMC batteries) through 2030 for the sustainable development of the sector. For each technology, a detailed mapping of the value chain including: Identification of key bottlenecks / risks (e.g. lithium refining capacity) and opportunities for advantaged production across the value chains, Deep-dives on the prioritized value chain steps including global production share, major trade trends, key drivers of competitiveness, and a summary of relevant national security implications. For each step of the value chain, identify the key barriers to investment today. This may include mapping of financial, technical, trade, supply and demand barriers among other factors. Potential solutions including policy proposals or private-public engagement opportunities should be provided for each barrier.

Phase 2 - Identifying public and private financing gaps (1 month): In addition to identifying industrial decarbonization barriers, performers will identify gaps in public sector programs, funding, federal incentives and private financing. This will require engaging with and mapping relevant programs across the US government, ranging from grants, to loans, to tax credits, to potentially regulatory barriers that increase the cost of doing business. On the private sector side, performers will identify barriers to capital formation the state of private market financing for a given sector (e.g. venture capital flows, cost of capital, etc). Clear opportunities for public (up to specific DOE programs and offices) and private capital should be identified. A slide deck laying out these opportunities, down to the capital stack (e.g. venture, private equity, banks) and DOE/USG office (e.g. ARPA-E, MESC, LPO, GSA) will be delivered to MESC program managers.

Phase 3 - Execution and coordination strategy (3 months): After identifying relevant gaps, performers will outline a clear execution plan to address the barriers identified for the public sector, focused on DOE and near partners. This strategy should take the form of a 20-30 page multi-media report. Analysis products could include capital stack analysis, cost/benefit impact analysis, stakeholder mapping. Synthesizing analysis across all phases will provide an actionable plan to decarbonize an industrial subsector and enhance domestic manufacturing competitiveness. In particular, performers will provide visibility and insight into relevant funding and authorities across the US government, identify coordinating bodies for public sector activities to support a given sector and identify key private sector opportunities. In addition, performers must complete a 5-10 page report for private sector audiences to articulate where existing programs may help support investment cases for identified technologies, as well as where profitable investment is possible for private sector actors today. Additional deliverables may include senior leadership briefings, planning and facilitating industry roundtables, and stakeholder engagement meetings.

Complete the submission and upload here: CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT (Submissions are due NLT March 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET)

If you have any additional questions, please contact ENERGYWERX: info@energywerx.org