Cybersecurity, Physical Security and Supply Chain Risk Management for the Energy Sector Request for Information | DE FOA 0003104

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003104

The Department of Energy (DOE), through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), released a Request for Information (RFI) tied to an upcoming Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) numbered DE-FOA-0003104, titled "Cybersecurity, Physical Security and Supply Chain Risk Management for the Energy Sector." This is not the final grant solicitation itself, but a pre-solicitation market and stakeholder feedback step where DOE is gathering input to shape the final FOA design, priorities, requirements, and evaluation approach. The RFI was created on September 6, 2023 (with the note that it was intended to post on September 5, but a system issue delayed the Grants.gov posting to September 6). Responses to the RFI are due by October 11, 2023, and DOE points responders to FedConnect for the official instructions and submission details at: https://www.fedconnect.net/fedconnect/docDE-FOA-0003104ampagencyDOE.

At a high level, the opportunity signals DOE interest in strengthening the security and resilience of the energy sector across three tightly related risk areas: cybersecurity (protecting operational technology and information technology from digital threats), physical security (protecting facilities, assets, and personnel from physical threats and disruptions), and supply chain risk management (reducing risks introduced through vendors, components, software, services, and dependencies). The framing suggests DOE is looking for practical, sector-relevant ideas that can help energy organizations anticipate, withstand, respond to, and recover from both malicious attacks and broader disruptions that can affect critical infrastructure. Because this is an RFI, the immediate "deliverable" is information: concepts, recommendations, and perspectives that can inform how DOE structures the eventual competitive grant program.

The funding mechanism associated with the eventual FOA is expected to be a discretionary grant. The activity areas listed for the opportunity include Business and Commerce, Energy, and Environment, and the CFDA/Assistance Listing number is 81.008, which is commonly associated with DOE research, development, and demonstration-type assistance. Eligibility is described as "unrestricted," meaning it is broadly open to any type of entity, though DOE notes that final eligibility conditions may be clarified in the full text under "Additional Information on Eligibility." In practice, DOE energy security and resilience programs often attract a wide range of potential participants, including private companies, utilities, universities, national laboratories and research organizations, state and local governments, and nonprofits, as well as multi-party teams combining technology developers with end users.

While the RFI itself is simply requesting input, the record includes several data points that hint at the scale DOE is considering for the eventual grant awards. The posting lists an expected number of awards of 20, and it includes an "award ceiling" value of 2 (the listing does not specify the unit, but ceilings in these postings typically refer to a maximum amount per award and are often expressed in millions of dollars). Those figures should be treated as preliminary planning signals rather than firm commitments until the final FOA is released, because RFIs are commonly used to refine budgets, topic areas, and the number and size of awards based on stakeholder feedback and program priorities.

For anyone considering engagement, the key action is to review the RFI instructions on FedConnect and submit a response by October 11, 2023. RFIs typically ask respondents to comment on needs and gaps in the field, propose technical or programmatic approaches, identify barriers to adoption and deployment, suggest metrics for success, and recommend how DOE can structure the funding opportunity to produce usable outcomes for industry. In this case, relevant input would likely include perspectives on securing energy-sector operational environments, improving the resilience of critical infrastructure to cyber and physical threats, and strengthening supply chain assurance practices that reduce vulnerabilities introduced by third parties. The overall takeaway is that DOE is preparing a competitive grant program focused on improving the energy sector's security posture and resilience, and it is using this RFI window to gather practical feedback before finalizing the FOA.

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the business and commerce, energy, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cybersecurity, Physical Security and Supply Chain Risk Management for the Energy Sector Request for Information" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.008.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 06, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 11, 2023 Posted date from STRIPES and to Fedconnect was 9/5/2023 but a system error did not allow posting on grants.gov until 9/6/2023.. (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 $2.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 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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