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Institute for ADVANCED Composites Manufacturing

INNOVATION

Request for Proposals Effective: July 29, 2016

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IACMI is part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation supported by the Department of Energy

Advanced Manufacturing Office/Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and Other Public and Private Partners

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Version Date Notes 1.0 9/4/2015 Specific language to accommodate BP2 planning

and concurrent Roadmap development

1.1 9/18/2015 Added language to clarify cost share and project types

2.0 4/25/2016 Removed exemption for membership Added instruction section at beginning of RFP Added requirement for Technology Area

Qualification Form Clarified IACMI Project model Added explanation of cash-cost share

requirements Added emphasis on cost-share and other sections

via boldface type Added emphasis on requirement for Go/No Go

decision point Added emphasis on requirement for SMART

milestone types Removed requirement for budget form SF-424-A Added allowance to identify competitive

reviewer(s) Updated review process steps

Related Template Documents

Description Version Date White Paper Short Form Template

1.0 2.0

9/4/2015 7/29/2016

White Paper Long Form Template 1.0 2.0

9/4/2015 7/29/2016

Enterprise Project Full Proposal Template 1.0 2.0

9/4/2015 7/29/2016

TAD Qualification Statement 1.0 7/29/2016

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Summary Means of Submission

White Paper and Full Proposals (required for some projects) must be submitted to IACMI at projects@iacmi.org.

Types of Funding Agreements

Project Agreements under Master Sub-Award Agreement

Review Period Rolling, open submission for White Papers to IACMI Review period 1-6 months depending on the Project Type Monthly review cycles – submit before last day of any month to ensure review in following month.

Project Total Cost

Enterprise Projects: >$600k Technical Collaborations: Up to $600k $20k-$150k (Phase I)

Period of Performance

Enterprise Projects: Up to 4 years Technical Collaborations: Up to 24 months Up to 6 months (Phase I)

Eligible Lead Applicants

IACMI Members in Good Standing (Membership Dues Paid)

Cost Share Requirement

Minimum industry cost share is required in an amount that matches IACMI funds (federal, state, and other): Enterprise Projects: Minimum 1:1 (50% being Cash to IACMI) Technical Collaborations: Minimum 1:1 (50% being Cash to IACMI for large entities) IACMI and cash cost share funds available for projects will be provided to the IACMI Technology Area(s) and used for the work that is supporting approved projects.

Submission of Multiple Proposals

Applicants may submit more than one proposal to this RFP, provided that each proposal describes a unique, scientifically distinct project.

Proposal Forms

Required forms and templates are available on the IACMI website at http://www.iacmi.org/projects/.

RFP Summary Successful projects will: address industry needs along development path to large-

scale deployment of advanced composites align with IACMI goals in cost effectiveness and energy

efficiency utilize co-investment model in which IACMI core partner

resources are effectively utilized to meet project objectives and help industry solve their challenges

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1. Summary 1.1 Proposal Preparation, Submission, Review, Selection, and Execution Overview

IACMI is interested in supporting technical projects that advance polymer composites manufacturing and help IACMI meet its DOE goals in energy efficiency and use reduction. Technical Collaboration and Enterprise Projects will address industry challenges in the large-scale implementation of advanced composites, with an emphasis on carbon-fiber reinforced polymer materials, by successfully utilizing IACMI Technology Area Facilities and Assets in collaboration with Project partners. Steps to a successful project (1) Develop Fundable

Project Concept Consider market opportunities and manufacturing

challenges that overlap with IACMI goals and develop project concept to improve large-scale deployment of advanced composites.

(2) Develop Project Concept with IACMI Technology Area Personnel

Work tasks and responsibilities by team member Source and use of funding, including in-kind and

cash cost share, as required Role of Technology Area(s) in project Expected outcomes and impact to IACMI goals

(3) Assemble Project Team, including IACMI Technology Area

Consider supply chain requirements, OEM/Tier 1 needs, and IACMI TA capabilities to identify potential Project Team Participants

Use IACMI member meetings and other member networking opportunities to assist

(4) Craft White Paper Proposal with IACMI Technology Area Personnel

Address IACMI goals and proposal scoring criteria Identify role of Technology Area(s) Clearly show source & use of funds in budget Use templates: http://www.iacmi.org/projects/

(5) Proposal Review Timing

For Proposals submitted before or on next to last Friday of a given month, the review process will begin on the 1st of the following month.

(6) Review Process Technology Area Directors score proposals Technical Advisory Board Recommends IACMI Selects with DOE concurrence IACMI Board of Directors Approves (Enterprise)

(7) Contracting Steps Project Team Participants must be Members Master Research Subaward Agreements Project Agreement

(8) Reporting Monthly reporting via templates and web meeting Final Report via template

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A summary of the process steps and corresponding items for consideration as referenced by page number in the RFP is below.

1.2 Background

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) is the fifth Institute in the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation, and is supported by the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and the investments of industrial, state, university, and other partners. The Institute is a public-private partnership committed to increase domestic production capacity, grow manufacturing and create jobs across the US composite industry. Development efforts will focus on low-cost, energy efficient manufacturing and recycling of fiber reinforced polymer composites targeting continuous or discontinuous, primarily carbon and glass fiber composites with thermoset or thermoplastic resin materials. These composites are broadly applicable and pervasive in multiple industries and markets with potentially transformational economic impact. The innovative composites manufacturing approaches developed by IACMI partners will help US industry meet cost and production targets that not only lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but accelerate realization of life cycle energy efficiency targets for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite applications in vehicles, compressed gas storage and wind turbines. IACMI will award and coordinate deployment of technical projects to support these goals. IACMI funds (potentially a combination of federal, state, and other funds) will generally be provided only to directly support the efforts of the IACMI Technology Area Facilities as they contribute to Projects. IACMI Technology Area Facilities include Michigan State University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Dayton Research Institute, Colorado School of Mines, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Purdue University, and Vanderbilt University.

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This document describes the process used by IACMI to solicit, review and prioritize projects in order to achieve its goals. Ongoing projects will be reviewed according to stated milestones and Go/No-Go decision points for continued support. The Project Proposal Submission and Selection process enables IACMI to:

Advance projects linked to identified commercialization opportunities toward market introduction or commercial deployment

Support activities that will support Institute sustainability to deliver value to key stakeholders and drive future stakeholder investments

Encourage development of creative ideas by giving IACMI Members the opportunity to propose solutions to objectives and challenges

Efficiently select projects that balance flexibility and rigor and to maximize impact with available resources and,

Provide timely response to Members that submit proposals.

1.2 Topic Areas IACMI supports five technical thematic areas: Application Areas

Vehicles Wind Turbines Compressed Gas Storage

Cross‐cutting Design, Modeling and Simulation Composite Materials and Processes

IACMI is developing a Technology Roadmap to identify themes and topics that are of specific importance in the development of composite manufacturing solutions necessary to achieve IACMI’s goals. Outcomes from this ongoing process can be found on the IACMI website: http://iacmi.org/technology-roadmapping/, and this information may be helpful in identifying or providing supporting context for proposed work efforts. A primary objectives is to accelerate commercialization of composites manufacturing technology over the TRL range 3-7. IACMI will accomplish this objective by conducting RD&D projects aligned primarily with target markets for vehicles, wind turbines and compressed natural gas storage. IACMI will consider projects that target other markets related to clean energy or with energy productivity benefits, especially if the project should involve enabling technologies, such as recycling, modeling and simulation, etc., where deployment could benefit other clean energy markets as well. Projects must demonstrate how the proposed RD&D will advance the state of the art to achieve IACMI’s technical goals.

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IACMI 5 Year Technical Goals Reduce production cost of CF composites >25% in 5 years on path to >50% in 10

years Demonstrate production of FRP composites with cost and performance of CFRP

composites at a cost and embodied energy parity to today’s GFP in 5 years Demonstrate technologies that reduce embodied energy and Green House Gas

emissions of CF by 50% on a path to 75% reduction in 10 years Demonstrate technologies for >80% recyclability or reuse of FRP composites in 5

year on a path to >95% in 10 years

2. Award Overview IACMI and its members will establish and advance an RD&D portfolio of projects aligned with IACMI technical goals, Institute strategy and IACMI’s roadmap as it is developed. IACMI will solicit proposals and select projects through a peer-review process that will function openly and transparently. IACMI will balance the portfolio to achieve rapid commercialization, risk mitigation and alignment with Institute objectives for each of the target industry market segments: vehicles, compressed gas storage and wind turbines. IACMI reserves the option to amend this RFP, which may be modified and amended as appropriate and necessary. Updates will be communicated to the membership via the IACMI website. This RFP serves multiple project types, and White Papers can be submitted as a proposal at any time to a project type that is described in an open/active RFP. White Papers will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed in batches on a monthly schedule. The review process will begin following the 1st of each month for any Proposal received by IACMI on or before the last day of the preceding month. Timing of anticipated selection and notification for the different types of projects is discussed in Section 2.2.

2.1 Project Types Under this RFP, IACMI will support two different project types as defined by: budget, funding source, potential for commercial/economic impact, and duration. Project types in this RFP are Enterprise and Technical Collaboration, as described below and shown in Table 1. Enterprise Projects will target composite material and manufacturing process development and demonstration for clean energy applications, supporting technologies for automotive, wind and compressed gas storage such as design tools, modeling, and simulation software. Enterprise projects will be executed by a team of participants that includes an OEM or large Tier 1 supplier.

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Table 1. Overview of Project Types

Enterprise Projects will develop and transition manufacturing technologies toward higher Technology/Manufacturing Readiness (TRL/MRL) levels and show a strong path to commercialization of the technology, these are projects with a total project cost of greater than $600k and may span a period of time up to 4 years. Projects will be reviewed on an annual basis and continued funding will be contingent on meeting established project goals and milestones, and availability of funding. The projects must directly address industry member-vetted and documented commercialization opportunities, demonstrate strong connection to IACMI goals and the Technology Roadmap once finalized. Member companies in the relevant industry value chain are expected to be actively and directly engaged in the RD&D activities. A small number of value-chain members can jointly submit a proposal, and the proposals must involve team collaboration, integration of multiple shared IACMI RD&D facilities and have potential large economic and commercial impact. Continuation of multi-year projects after selection will be dependent on the successful completion and meeting of Go-No/Go milestones. Technical Collaboration Projects enable collaboration with industry and development of earlier stage concepts. Technical Collaboration Projects also allow for development of ideas that may require some level of testing or demonstration before warranting a larger scale effort by IACMI. Work will normally be executed at IACMI facilities but may be performed at a participant or sub-recipient location depending on availability of necessary resources. Performance of work is expected to be within the United States, any work outside of the U.S. needs to be justified and approved by DOE. Technical Collaboration Projects may address cross

Project Type

Project Total Cost (matched funding)

Cost Share Requirement (Industry to

IACMI)

Duration Other

Enterprise >$600k

Minimum 1:1 with 50% of IACMI match being cash

Up to 4 years

OEM or Tier 1 support Collaborative with large economic impact Two stage process with 30 page full proposal

Technical Collaboration

$20K-$600K

Minimum 1:1 (Large Entities: 50% of IACMI match being cash)

Up to 2 years

10 page proposal Cost share can exceed $600k matched amount

Technical Collaboration Phase 1

$150k

Minimum 1:1 (Large Entities: 50% of IACMI match being cash)

6 months

5 page proposal Cost share can exceed $150k matched amount

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cutting technologies that are broadly applicable to members, including technology improvements to equipment, processes or software. Technical Collaboration projects can be funded up to $600k of matched funds ($300k IACMI and $300k matching cost share) and up to 24 months duration, but the Project Team Participants can contribute additional cost share that exceeds the $600k total of matched funding. Overviews of the project co-investment models with and without required cash cost share are illustrated below, and budget examples are available on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. IACMI funds and Cash Cost Share will generally be used to support project work performed by the IACMI Technology Area Facilities. Figure 1 Funding Overview for Projects with Required Cash Cost Share

Figure 2 Funding Overview for Projects without Required Cash Cost Share

For shorter exploratory projects of smaller scope, a Technical Collaboration Phase 1 project may provide a shorter time between submission and start of work. Phase 1 projects are less than $150K total matched funding (as defined in this RFP) and maximum 6 months duration, however Project Team Participants can contribute additional cost share that exceeds the $150k total of matched funding. Phase 1 projects require a five page white paper proposal.

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2.2 Documentation and Timing

Proposals that meet eligibility requirements will be reviewed according to the processes described in Section 5.1. Table 2 summarizes the documentation requirements and targeted response times for reviewing proposals, selecting them for funding, and turning them into projects. Table 2. Documentation requirements and selection cycle for proposals.

Project Type White Paper Full Proposal

Scope; Targeted Selection

Enterprise 5 Pages If Selected, Requires Detailed Full Proposal

30 Pages 6 months

Technical Collaboration

10 pages

Not Applicable

1-3 months

Technical Collaboration Phase 1

5 Pages Not Applicable

1-2 months

3. Eligibility 3.1 IACMI Membership

The Lead Organization on the White Paper must be an IACMI Member in Good Standing at the time the White Paper is submitted. A Member is in Good Standing if they have executed a Membership Agreement and are current with their Annual dues. If the project is selected for negotiations, then all project participants must be or become an IACMI Member prior to award finalization. If all project participants are not IACMI Members at the time the White Paper is submitted, the non-Member project participants must state, on the White Paper cover page, that they will execute the Member Agreement prior to project start. For White Papers and Full Proposals including multiple organizations, all organizations must separately either already have executed the IACMI Membership Agreement or execute the IACMI Membership Agreement prior to negotiating contractual agreements. Neither IACMI nor the Government is responsible for any costs associated with any White Paper or Full Proposal submissions, review, or negotiations. Information regarding IACMI Membership can be found at www.iacmi.org.

3.2 Eligibility of DOE/NNSA FFRDCs

A DOE/NNSA FFRDC is eligible to be an applicant if its Contracting Officer authorizes, in writing, the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the White Paper/Full Proposal. The following wording is acceptable for this authorization: “Authorization is granted for the _________Laboratory to participate in the proposed project. The work proposed for the laboratory is consistent with or complementary to

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the missions of the laboratory, and will not adversely impact execution of the DOE assigned programs at the laboratory.”

3.3 Eligibility of non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs

The Federal agency sponsoring the FFRDC must authorize, in writing, the use of the FFRDC on the proposed project and this authorization must be submitted with the proposal. The use of a FFRDC must be consistent with its authority under its award.

3.4 Participation by Foreign Firms

Participation by Foreign-Owned Entities (a non‐U.S.incorporatedforeignorganizationorU.S.incorporatedcompanythatisownedorsubstantiallycontrolled(50percentorgreater)byaforeignentity)with or without a U.S. incorporated subsidiary will be evaluated by IACMI and reviewed with DOE to determine if the entity could provide unique and strategically valuable capabilities that are deemed to be of significant benefit to U.S. manufacturers as they develop their technology for the global advanced composites market and that adhere to the vision and mission of IACMI. Foreign organizations may be precluded from participating in any International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export-controlled projects, unless requirements are met for proper firewalls and data protection in accordance with Export Control/ITAR law. A foreign entity is eligible to be an applicant only if it meets and complies with the IACMI Foreign Participation Plan available on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. All work must be performed in US.

3.5 Cost share

Applicants must meet or exceed the cost-share requirements stated for a specific project type. Every cost share contribution must be allowable under the applicable Federal cost principles. In addition, cost share must be verifiable. Although proposal requirements define a minimum required amount of cost share, additional cost share is encouraged and is factor in proposal evaluation (see Section 5.2). Considering an industry matching dollar seeking a dollar from IACMI (federal, state, or other) to support Technology Area resources working on a project, the minimum cost share for each project is 1:1. In the model case, one dollar from industry is required to access one dollar of IACMI funding comprised of a combination of federal, committed state funds, and other sources of cost share. State-provided funds may be required as part of the make-up of IACMI funds for any given project. Projects that provide cost share greater than 1:1 will be favored over otherwise similar projects that only meet minimum cost share requirements. This additional cost-share represents a more significant level of commitment from participants, reduces project risk by increasing funds available, and helps IACMI meet its overall cost-share commitment to DOE.

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A cash cost share equivalent to 50% of the requested IACMI funding for an Enterprise Project is required. The cash may come from multiple partners or a single partner if the project team members agree to support such a proposal. Cost Share requirements for Technical Collaboration projects follow the general structure of Enterprise Projects, however, only large entities (>500 employees) participating in Technical Collaboration projects will be required to provide 50% as cash cost share. Small and medium sized entities participating in Technical Collaboration Projects do not have a 50% cash minimum requirement for their cost share commitment. The cash cost share component for all projects is strictly cash, in the form of actual dollars to IACMI. Cash and IACMI funds will collectively be provided to the Technology Areas to solely support their efforts on the Project. Project Teams may provide cost share in the form of cash or in-kind contributions, within the restrictions of required cash as described in Section 2.1. Cash contributions may be provided by any or all member(s) of the team. The cash component of Charter and Premium Member fees paid by Project Team Participants may be applied to meet project cost share requirements. 20% of minimum cash cost share (which can be provided via membership fees) will be used to cover IACMI Maintenance & Operations (M&O) costs, including the affiliated Technical Area Facilities for related state cost share. The remaining cash cost share is available on the project for work by IACMI Technology Area Facilities. Allowable in-kind contributions may include, but are not limited to: personnel costs, indirect costs, facilities and administrative costs, rental value of buildings or equipment, and the value of a service, other resource, or third party in-kind contribution. Project budget and cost share examples can be found on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. Project teams may use funding or property received from state or local governments (outside of the state funding that is part of partner state IACMI commitments) to meet the cost share requirement, so long as the funding was not provided to the state or local government by the Federal Government. The following sources may not be used to meet cost share obligations including, but not limited to: Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the

project period; Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity; Federal funding or property (e.g., Federal grants, equipment owned by the Federal

Government); or Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate Federal Technology Office.

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In addition, Project Teams may not use the same cash or in-kind contributions to meet cost share requirements for more than one project or program. Cost share contributions must be specified in the project budget, verifiable from the Prime Recipient’s records, and necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of the project. Applicantsareencouragedtoreferto2CFR200.306asamendedby2CFR910.130&10CFR603.525‐555foradditionalguidanceoncostsharing. Cost Share Contributions by FFRDCs Because FFRDCs are funded by the Federal Government, costs incurred by FFRDCs generally may not be used to meet the cost share requirement. FFRDCs may contribute cost share only if the contributions are paid directly from the contractor’s Management Fee or another non-Federal source. Cost Share Verification Applicants are required to provide written assurance of their proposed cost share contributions in their proposal. Upon selection for award negotiations, Applicants are required to provide additional information and documentation regarding their cost share contributions. Cost Share Payment All proposed cost share contributions must be reviewed in advance by IACMI and incorporated into the project budget before the expenditures are incurred. IACMI expects Project Team Participants to fully describe the expected schedule of cost share payments and/or contributions over the life of the project. Specifically, a Participant’s cost share for each billing period must always reflect the overall cost share ratio negotiated by the parties (i.e., the total amount of cost sharing on each invoice when considered cumulatively with previous invoices must reflect, at a minimum, the schedule of cost sharing negotiated).

3.6 Compliance

Proposals must meet all Compliance Criteria listed in Section 4 below or they will be considered noncompliant. Applicants will be notified if proposals are noncompliant and asked to submit a revision. Proposals will be deemed compliant if they comply with the content and form requirements of Section 4.3

3.7 Limitation on Number of Proposals Applicants may submit more than one proposal of any type, provided that each describes a unique, scientifically distinct project.

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4. Proposal and Submission 4.1 Process

All White Papers and Full Proposals must be submitted as a PDF document. The IACMI Project Controls Manager will oversee the collection and cataloging of proposals.

4.2 Forms

Entities considering submission of a proposal should access IACMI’s projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/ to review up-to-date program information and access any applicable forms.

4.3 Content and Format

The White Paper should provide key required information regarding the proposed project and address the key project evaluation criteria using the format described in Section 5.1. IACMI may contact an applicant to ask clarifying questions about a proposed project.

4.3.1 Format The White Paper must conform to the following requirements: Each must be submitted in Adobe PDF format. Each must be written in English All pages must be formatted with at least single line spacing to fit on 8.5 x 11 inch

paper with margins not less than one inch on every side. Use Times New Roman typeface, a black font color, and a font size of 12 point or larger (except in figures or tables, which may be 10 point font). A symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters or special characters, but the font size requirement still applies. References must be included as footnotes or endnotes in a font size of 10 or larger. Footnotes and endnotes are counted toward the maximum page requirement.

Page numbers must be included in the footer of every page. Each proposal must not exceed the specified maximum page limit, including

cover page, charts, graphs, maps, and photographs when printed using the formatting requirements set forth above and single spaced. If Applicants exceed the maximum page lengths indicated below, IACMI will not review pages in excess of the specified page limit.

Confidential or business sensitive information if included in White Paper or Full

Proposals should be marked as such by indicating the language in italics or underlining and include a footnote that the page contains confidential or business sensitive information.

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4.3.2 White Paper Content White Papers should follow the form in the templates provided on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. The short white paper form (5-pages) should be used for Phase I Technical Collaboration and initial submission of Enterprise Projects, and the long white paper form (10-pages) should be used for stand-alone full-size or Phase II Technical Collaboration Projects. The general form for each follows below, with short form page limits denoted. Technology Area Project Qualification Form (not included in page count):

Statement of qualification of and availability of resources for Proposed Project Qualifying Technology Area Director overview statement Technology Area Director statement of qualification

Title Page (not included in page count):

Project Title Project Keywords (up to five) Lead IACMI Member Applicant Organization (IACMI Member Applicants

are encouraged to identify an OEM or Major Company in the target application value chain.)

Lead IACMI Member Applicant’s Principal Investigator or Project Point of Contact and contact information

IACMI Team Member Organizations (other than IACMI Core Partners): Name and location (city, state)

IACMI Team Member SMEs (companies with < 500 employees) Project Type (See Table 1) Target Clean Energy Market(s): Vehicles, Wind Turbines, Compressed Gas

Storage, Other IACMI Technology Area resources to be engaged: MI (Vehicles), OH

(Compressed Gas Storage), CO (Wind), TN (Materials & Manufacturing Processes), IN (Modeling & Simulation)

Current TRL or MRL (TRL and MRL guidelines can be found on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/)

Expected TRL or MRL at the conclusion of the project. Identification of prior proposal(s) for related federally funded work. Statement that applicant understands the membership requirements and

understands that IACMI will only negotiate contractual agreements with IACMI Consortium Members.

Project Description (3-4 pages suggested, included in 5 page maximum) The Project Description must answer these questions:

What is the specific scientific/technical or techno-economic challenge addressed by the proposed work?

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What is the technical approach to solve the challenge? What is the numerical SMART target go/no-go decision point? What is the primary deliverable from the project work that can be made

available to IACMI membership or the public (if other than Final Report)?

The Project Description should also highlight the most important features of: Proposed technology innovation(s) and how it (they) represent advancements

versus current manufacturing practice or incumbent technology. Proposed commercialization approach including target markets, product or

manufacturing process opportunities, commercialization/technology deployment time line, US Manufacturing, barriers to market penetration, competition, legal/regulatory considerations.

Key technical and commercial risks.

The Project Description should explain how the project addresses key Project Evaluation Criteria including:

Relevance – how the project supports IACMI’s clean energy mission, targets specified market(s), and addresses metrics such as reduction of embodied energy, life cycle energy savings, lowers manufacturing cost, reduces manufacturing cycle time, includes enabling technologies such as composites recycling, modeling and simulation

Impact – how the project aligns with technology needs/challenge identified in IACMI’s composites technology roadmap, involves timely development, i.e. rationale for current TRL or MRL; generates “market pull” by aligning with an Original Equipment Supplier (OEM) or major industry value chain participant; delivers public economic benefit (US competitiveness, jobs, SME growth, workforce development, training, etc.)

Resources – Resources (public and private sector funds, facilities, equipment, staff qualifications) of the Member Project Team and IACMI Technology Areas and Facilities needed to accomplish project goals in the specified time frame.

Work Plan (1-2 pages suggested, included in 5 page maximum) The Work Plan should include a concise summary of:

Project Deliverables, i.e. what will be the tangible product, data, software, etc. through successful execution of the project

High-Level Work Breakdown Structure, i.e. brief description of each of 3-5 major tasks and responsibility for each. To the extent possible, Projects should utilize industry standards for conducting and reporting materials testing, characterization, and resulting data.

Schedule including start and end of each major task (Months from Project Start)

Major High-Level Project Milestones: key S.M.A.R.T milestones (See Table 3), i.e. 3-5 major milestones with metric of success, 1 milestone/quarter, with at least one go/no-go decision point for each project or every 12 months of Project duration

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Budget Summary (not included in page count) The budget summary should identify amounts and the source(s) of non-federal cost share (cash and In-kind) and the uses of funds (i.e. approximate annual allocations to each IACMI resource and to each high-level task). DOE Budget Form EERE 335 should be used to construct budgets. If a proposal is selected for funding, these forms will also be required Appendices for the Project Agreement. These forms are available on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. Each organization providing cost share in support of the Project must submit a Letter of commitment that describes the contribution and is signed by an authorized representative of the organization. Supporting Information (2 pages maximum, not included in page count) IACMI encourages Applicants to include supporting literature references and supporting data.

4.3.3 Full Proposal Content

Successful White Papers for Enterprise Projects will require a more detailed 30 page proposal that follows the template on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. IACMI will notify the proposers of the need for a full proposal that include more specific detail regarding objectives, work plan, and impact of outcomes. Such proposals should be submitted only upon IACMI request. Full proposals should address the same items as the White Paper, though in considerably greater detail. For example, the applicant should provide detailed information regarding the technology innovation and the commercialization approach. Discussions of key aspects of the Relevance and Impact criteria should present quantitative metrics and the assumptions and calculations of any values of the parameters such as energy savings, cost and cycle time reductions, specific product and manufacturing process opportunities and performance targets. Applicants should identify specific resources, from each Team member organization and IACMI Technology Area, which it will utilize in the project. This should include summaries of the qualifications of key project personnel. Commercialization plans should identify target markets and segments, competitors, distribution channels, barriers to market entry and penetration, product development, proliferation, marketing and distribution channels/plans, infrastructure requirements, a US manufacturing plan and legal and regulatory considerations. Applicants should present an assessment of key sources of technical and commercial risk and a plan for mitigation of the most important factors. Work plans should provide descriptions of key tasks, first-level sub-tasks, and key S.M.A.R.T milestones (See Table 3) including Go/No Go decision points. A minimum of one milestone per quarter is required for each project with at least one Go/No-Go decision point for each project or every 12 months of project duration. The budget discussion should provide an additional level of granularity including allocations to specific tasks/sub-tasks and should identify any key major resources

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that it intends to acquire. The applicant should provide key supporting documentation including Letters of Commitment of cost share to the project, from applicant organization(s). Table 3: S.M.A.R.T description

Acronym Further Clarification S = Specific

clear and focused to avoid misinterpretation. Should include measures, assumptions, and definitions and be easily interpreted.

M = Measurable

can be quantified and compared to other data. It should allow for meaningful statistical analysis. Avoid "yes/no" measures except in limited cases, such as start-up or systems-in-place situations.

A = Achievable attainable, reasonable, and credible under conditions expected.

R = Relevant fits into the organization's constraints and is cost-effective.

T = Timely doable within the time frame given.

5. Proposal Review Information IACMI will select projects through a peer-review process that will function openly and transparently. IACMI will balance the portfolio for potential of technology commercialization, risk and alignment with Institute objectives and industry needs and target industry market segments (vehicles, compressed gas storage and wind turbines). Proposals will be reviewed by qualified experts following conflict of interest policies to ensure fairness in the review process. Proposals will be evaluated against the published review criteria in Sections 5.1 and 5.2.

5.1 Evaluation and Selection Processes IACMI will perform a compliance review of all proposal documents to ensure that applicants meet eligibility requirements and that the proposal documents contain the required information specified in Sections 4.3 and 5.1. Reviewers will only evaluate proposals deemed compliant. The reviewers will employ the evaluation criteria, specified in Section 5.1 of this document, to score each proposal based on its own merits. In addition, the reviewers may consider other selection factors specified in Section 5.1 to rate each proposal on its individual merits. IACMI will inform each applicant of the outcome of each stage of the review process within the overall time frames stated in Table 2. For Enterprise Projects: White paper reviewers and proposal reviewers include IACMI Technology Area Directors (TAD) and IACMI’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) members and/or recognized outside technical and business subject matter experts from industry, universities or national laboratories, and/or DOE Technical personnel. The IACMI

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Board of Directors must approve Enterprise Projects that have been recommended for funding. For Technical Collaboration Projects: White paper reviewers include the IACMI Technology Area Directors (TAD), IACMI’s Technical Advisory Board (TAB) members, and/or recognized outside technical and business subject matter experts from industry, universities or national laboratories and/or DOE Technical personnel. IACMI will ensure that all participants in the project review and selection process conduct their work in compliance with IACMI’s Conflict of Interest (COI) Plan and guidance documents specifying personal and organizational COI standards. Representatives on the IACMI TAB are listed on the IACMI website (http://iacmi.org/technical-advisory-board/). Submitters can request that Industry TAB members who represent competitor businesses be excluded from the review process. Reviews will be subject to non-disclosure terms among IACMI members per the Operational Plan, and reviewers not already under IACMI non-disclosure obligations will be required to execute a Non-Disclosure Agreement. The IACMI management team will make award selection, subject to review and approval by DOE and, for Enterprise projects, the IACMI Board of Directors. IACMI anticipates that the review process may identify more qualified proposals than IACMI resources (federal funds, facilities, equipment, staff) have capacity to support. To address this situation, qualifying proposals will be prioritized for final selection for negotiations. This will help ensure that IACMI supports an effective overall RD&D project portfolio. During the review process, IACMI may work with proposers to suggest modifications to their project, including change in scope and/or resources, recommended collaboration, or other input that could result in substantive change to the project as originally proposed. This will help create projects that optimally leverage resources and work to meet IACMI goals.

5.2 Review Criteria

IACMI will utilize the following criteria to evaluate projects. Proposals must be in compliance for further consideration: Compliance: A proposed project is compliant and eligible for further

consideration if it: o meets form and content requirements o Applicants meet eligibility requirements

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Compliantproposalswillbereviewedaccordingtothefollowingevaluationcriteria: Relevance and Impact: Proposal supports IACMI’s mission and contributes

significantly to new economic development opportunities: o The degree to which the project will advance the technology forward to

achieve IACMI’s technical goals (Section 2.2) o The degree to which the project will support IACMI’s mission and

achievement of its overall objectives to save energy and increase US manufacturing competitiveness.

o Technical concept falls at relevant TRL (or MRL) range o Clearly demonstrates “market pull” in target applications, e.g. is aligned with

OEM or major value chain priorities o Demonstrates capacity for high economic and commercial impact o Engages the supply chain including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) o Delivers public benefit via commercialization of proposed concept

(workforce development, availability of data, tools, etc.) o Impacts IACMI’s achievement of energy and environmental targets

Technical Merit: The proposed technology must be technically meritorious: o The proposed work is technically viable and based on sound scientific

principles o The proposed work will advance the technology from its current TRL (or

MRL) o The degree of innovation of the proposed work

Resources: Considerations in the evaluation of the Resource criterion include: o Demonstrated support from key IACMI stakeholders (States, Charter

Members, other stakeholders) o A project’s financial viability (adequate cost share including cash) o The viability of the work plan and schedule o Quality and availability of the resources and capabilities of the team to

execute the proposed work o Use of IACMI Technology Area resources o Integration of capabilities across multiple IACMI Technology Areas o Technology Life Cycle Time Line (horizon for commercialization, full

deployment, etc.) Other Evaluation Factors: These include:

o Degree to which proposed project optimizes use of available IACMI funds to achieve the Institute objectives and aligns with national manufacturing goals

o Degree to which IACMI support is uniquely or differentially suited to meet project goals

o Portfolio Balance including: diversification of technical, market, organizational risks, investment among target applications, etc.

o Cost share above the minimum required amount and quality of the cost share 6. Award and Administration

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6.1 Anticipated Notice of Review, Selection and Award IACMI Project Controls Manager will notify the proposing organization upon final review determination of selection or non-selection for funding.

6.2 Funding Restrictions

Restrictions on use of funds will follow guidelines and requirements defined in the Master Subaward Agreement, including but not limited to: Allowable Costs, Performance of Work in the United States, Foreign Travel, American-made equipment and supplies, and Lobbying.

6.2.1 Allowable Costs All expenditures must be allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Refer to the following applicable Federal cost principles for more information: FAR Part 31 for For-Profit entities; and 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles for all other non-federal entities.

6.2.2 Performance of Work in the United States

a. Requirement. All work must be performed in the United States. This requirement does not apply to the purchase of supplies and equipment; however, the Recipient should make every effort to purchase supplies and equipment within the United States. b. Failure to Comply. If the Recipient fails to comply with the Performance of Work in the United States requirement, IACMI may deny reimbursement for the work conducted outside the United States and such costs may not be recognized as allowable Recipient cost share. The Recipient is responsible should any work under this Award be performed outside the United States, absent a waiver, regardless of if the work is performed by the Recipient, subrecipients, vendors or other project partners. c. Waiver. There may be limited circumstances where it is in the interest of the project to perform a portion of the work outside the United States. To seek a waiver of the Performance of Work in the Unites States requirement, the Recipient must submit a written waiver request to IACMI, which includes the following information: The countries in which the work is proposed to be performed; A description of the work to proposed to performed outside the U.S.; Proposed budget of work to be performed; and The rationale for performing the work outside the U.S.

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If IACMI is supportive of the waiver, the waiver request will be submitted to EERE for its consideration. Additional information may be requested by EERE as part of its evaluation process.

6.2.3 Foreign Travel If international travel is proposed for your project, please note that your organization must comply with the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 (49 USC 40118), commonly referred to as the “Fly America Act,” and implementing regulations at 41 CFR 301-10.131 through 301-10.143. The law and regulations require air transport of people or property to, from, between, or within a country other than the United States, the cost of which is supported under this award, to be performed by or under a cost-sharing arrangement with a U.S. flag carrier, if service is available.

6.2.4 Equipment and Supplies To the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available under this RFP should be American-made. This requirement does not apply to used or leased equipment. Property disposition will be required at the end of a project if the current fair market value of property exceeds $5,000. The rules for property disposition are set forth in 2 CFR 200.310 – 200.316 as amended by 2 CFR 910.360.

6.2.5 Lobbying If not already provided under IACMI award, Recipients may be required to complete and submit SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/sflllin.pdf).

7. Questions and Contacts

Questions about this RFP should be directed to IACMI at Projects@iacmi.org. 8 Other 8.1 Confidential Information

IACMI will protect proprietary information and shall not use such proprietary information for purposes other than evaluation of a proposal and subsequent project administration if a proposal should be approved and awarded. IACMI members will also use and are bound by these confidentiality provisions.

8.2 Master Subaward Agreement and Contract Documents

Proposed work will be conducted under the terms and conditions of the IACMI Master Subaward Agreement and Project Agreement. These agreements are available on the IACMI projects website http://www.iacmi.org/projects/. Organizations interested in submitting proposals should review these agreements, including flow-down terms and conditions, the IP Management Plan, and Confidentiality provisions

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to ensure they can agree to the terms. All members and project partners must comply with IACMI’s US Manufacturing Plan. The terms of the MSA are based on existing agreements among IACMI, DOE and IACMI’s Technology Area Partners, and are thus largely non-negotiable. Execution of these agreements will be expected within no later than 60 days after the Project Lead Organization has been notified that their proposal was selected for funding so that work can begin in a timely manner.

8.3 Reporting Monthly meetings and reporting among Project Team Participants and IACMI will be used to manage active projects, and a final report suitable for public dissemination via SciTech Connect (http://www.osti.gov/scitech/) will be submitted at the completion of each Project. The DOE and a member of the IACMI Technical Advisory Board may participate in monthly meetings.