Vouchers - FAQs

I am interested in applying…

What is the role of ENERGYWERX?

ENERGYWERX is a neutral facilitator as a result of a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with the Department of Energy. ENERGYWERX will be coordinating the collection of applications, disbursement of funds, and voucher management for the Voucher Program.

What is the role of DOE?

DOE is funding the effort, performing the review and down selection of applicants, matching selected Voucher Recipients with selected Voucher Providers based on needs and capabilities, and providing technical oversight for the duration of the projects.

What is the value of a "voucher"?

The voucher amount is established by DOE based on the information submitted in provider capability statement. The “voucher” amount will be different for each capability and is set when Voucher Providers/capabilities are selected. It is paid to the Voucher Providers as they complete work with the Voucher Recipient.

Does the Voucher Recipient receive funding?

The Voucher Recipient does not receive any funding from DOE nor from the Voucher Provider. Instead, the Voucher Recipient receives the capability they applied for from the Voucher Providers at no cost.

How do I know if I'm eligible?

Each opportunity posting will detail what entities are eligible to provide or receive that support being offered in the opportunity.

Are the OTC/TCF, ENERGYWERX and American Made Challenge voucher programs one and the same?

No, they are not. Details on DOE ENERGYWERX Voucher Opportunities can be found at https://www.energywerx.org/vouchers/ and details on the DOE American Made Open Voucher call can be found here: https://www.americanmadechallenges.org/challenges/open-voucher-call.

Who was selected in the recent round?

DOE announced selections for the seven voucher opportunities in October 2024. Click here to view the full list of selectees.

I am applying as a Voucher Provider…

Can I apply to multiple Voucher Provider Opportunities?

Yes, you can apply to multiple voucher opportunities, provided you meet the eligibility criteria of each of the opportunities you are interested in.

Are National Labs eligible to be Voucher Providers?

National Lab staff are eligible to submit capabilities for consideration to become Voucher Providers. Note that there are more voucher work coming in FY24 as part of DOE's Technology Commercialization Fund Base Annual Appropriations Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness (CLIMR) through the "Open Voucher Call" project. These vouchers will exclusively focus on national lab voucher Voucher Providers. See selection announcement.

For National Lab providers, would the voucher be paid after work is completed, or would it be front funded?

If selected, the mechanism for national lab providers will be different than with private sector Voucher Providers. Most notably, the labs would receive funding for voucher work directly from DOE via their M&O contract, not via ENERGYWERX.

How do I know I'm being matched with an appropriate recipient?

To ensure you are matched with an appropriate recipient, be sure to describe your capability clearly and include specific details as appropriate because capability descriptions will be used by DOE when selecting Voucher Providers as well as by potential recipients during their preference selections. As appropriate, capability descriptions could mention the technology readiness levels that would be a good fit for the proposed capability and/or note whether the capability is intended for early-stage or later-stage companies. Similarly, these capability descriptions should note any restrictions that would not be a good fit (for example, geographic limits). Potential recipients should be able to self-assess their compatibility with provided capabilities based on the provided information. Finally, selected Voucher Providers are not required to accept any matches. After the matching process, providers will have an opportunity to confirm or decline their proposed matches.

Why are Voucher Providers selected before Voucher Recipients?

Voucher Providers are selected first in order to provide a list of capabilities for potential recipients to review and select from. DOE will review and approve matches based on the recipients’ needs and capability preferences.

What, if any, compliance and audit requirements (e.g. FAR requirements) are associated with an award to provide vouchers through this program?

The specifics will be defined in the Statement of Effort (SOE) and related documentation that will be customized for each provider based on their capabilities and the specific match for the opportunity. SOEs are not FAR-based contracts and not financial assistance agreements. SOEs are distributed after selection and terms are agreed upon in the business-to-business agreement between ENERGYWERX and the Voucher Provider – there will be opportunities for thorough review and discussion of overall requirements and specific tasks. In case of additional questions, ENERGYWERX recommends interested entities to consult with their respective legal counsel on appropriate procedures.

Can a Voucher Provider request to be matched with a specific Voucher Recipient?

No. Recipients can select the Provider and capability they would like to be matched with. If the recipient is selected and the match is approved by DOE, then providers will have an opportunity to decide whether or not to accept that match.

Will the catalog of selected Voucher Providers be made available publicly (i.e. to other Voucher Providers)?

Yes. The list of selected providers (along with some information from your capability submissions) will be made public. Please see Voucher Provider submission form for details on what information will be made publicly available.

Can a Voucher Provider be matched with a recipient they have worked with under previous contracts? What if the provider & recipient have an ongoing contract?

Yes. A Voucher Provider can be matched with a recipient they have previously worked with. However, potential recipients are required to disclose at the time of application any previous or current engagements with any of the Voucher Providers that they wish to be matched with.

What is DOE's involvement after matches are made?

DOE works with ENERGYWERX to oversee all the voucher projects. Involvement includes monitoring for execution of the work agreement, tracking milestones, and processing invoices. Inquiries and direct communication should be directed to ENERGYWERX through info@energywerx.org.

Will voucher providers work with recipients in the same state or geographic area?

This is possible but not required. If your company has any geographic constraints, then those should be described in your application.

Is it possible for an organization or service provider to concurrently participate in more than one match?

Yes. In your provider application, please list the number of concurrent voucher projects you can work on for each capability. This is called “capability throughput” in the application form.

How are travel and expenses calculated in relation to the cost? That will vary based on location and affect the cost of the service.

When submitting your capability, DOE asks for a fixed price for those capabilities that is not dependent on any specific recipient. If travel costs can be a significant issue, then consider restricting the geographic region you can support.

Are all the chosen providers going to be paired with a recipient?

No. A selected Voucher Provider capability will be pre-approved, but that does not mean that there will be a recipient who prefers to be matched with that capability. After evaluating Voucher Recipient needs request submissions, DOE approve matches according to Voucher Recipient preferences.

I am applying as a Voucher Recipient…

What kind of support can I receive?

The capabilities provided in each opportunity define the applicable technologies, scope of work, deliverables for the service provided, and other relevant information. These capabilities are reviewed and approved by DOE and are not subject to customization or expansion beyond the defined support.

Can current Voucher Recipients apply to be recipients in a different/new voucher opportunity?

The specific eligibility will depend on the language in each voucher opportunity, but it is expected that current and previous Voucher Recipients will likely be eligible to apply to be recipients in a different/new voucher opportunity. That said, DOE is particularly interested in supporting new entities through its partnership with ENERGYWERX, so preference will be given to entities that have not received prior voucher support.

If my company won another DOE funding award, are we eligible to apply to become a voucher recipient?

The voucher project may complement any active/ongoing research, development and demonstration (RD&D) projects. However, use of federal funds for duplicative work is considered fraud.

I am a selected Voucher Provider…

How does contracting work for the selected and matched Provider?

Performers receive a formal Business-to-Business (B2B) Research and Development Agreement (RDA) and Statement of Effort (SOE) as a sub-award (15 U.S. Code, Section 3715) from ENERGYWERX.

What evidence do I need to submit when invoicing to ensure I get paid?

Please see the resource “Invoicing & Supporting Documentation for ENERGYWERX Voucher Opportunities” for additional information.

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