Ramsay Test Mechanical & Electrical Questions with Answers

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Below are 12 Ramsay Test sample practice questions from a number of prevalent Electrical and Mechanical test topics, that help understand the Ramsay test questions, level, and appearance.

Every Ramsay Maintainance test is constructed based on a combination of topics (ranging from 7-25). 

Examples are the Ramsay MultiCraft Test, Amazon Maintenance Technician Test, NOCTI Electronics Technician, UPS Maintenance Mechanic Test, Walmart Maintenance Test, etc.

All practice questions are adapted from actual Ramsay Corporation tests. See our full preparations for the Ramsay Mechanical Test, the Ramsay Maintainance Test, and the Ramsay Electrical Test.

Are applicants required to include a Table of Contents prior to Section 1? If a Table of Contents is included in the Concept Paper, will it count towards the page count of the Concept Paper?

Consistent with Section IV.C. of the FOA, applicants are not required to include a Table of Contents prior to Section 1. If a Table of Contents is included in the Concept Paper, it will count towards the page count of the Concept Paper.

Confirming if &#;Community and Labor Partnership documentation&#; can be submitted for the Concept Paper or is just intended for the Full Application?

Consistent with Section IV.C. of the FOA, the Community Benefits Plan component of the Concept Paper content and form requirements does not include formal documentation. Community and Labor Partnership documentation is intended for the Full Application, as per Section IV.D. of the FOA. 

For a qualifying applicant to submit their previous year's EIA Form 861, does the form need to be converted to PDF format or can it be included in the concept paper submittal as an Excel file?

As described in Section IV.D.xix, applicants must save the&#;EIA Form 861 in a single PDF file for submission of the full application.&#; DOE expects this process to also be followed for submission of the &#;EIA Form 861 with the&#;concept paper. 

On Page 52 of the FOA, paragraph iii. Project/Performance Site Locations, it reads as if there is a fillable PDF but we cannot find anything that resembles this form.  Where is it located?

Consistent with Section IV.D of the FOA document, applicants must complete the application forms found on the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/ in accordance with the instructions.  Please be sure to read the full FOA document for registration requirements.

42 USC §(c)(5) requires 30% of total funding to be set aside for small utilities. The FOA defines that threshold to be no more than 4,000,000 MWh of electricity sales per year. The FOA further states that eligibility must be demonstrated through EIA Form 861 data showing, &#;total retail electricity sales to ultimate customers.&#; Line 11 in EIA Form 861 appears to match the FOA description. Please confirm if sales reported on line 11 for individual EIA Form 861 respondents will be the sole line used to confirm eligibility for the small utility set aside.

Sales to customers reported on line 11 for individual EIA Form 861 respondents will be the sole line used to confirm eligibility for the small utility set aside.

Should the concept papers include the budget amount for the project? And if so, in what section should that be included?

Consistent with Section IV.C. of the FOA document, budgetary information is not required at the Concept Paper submission phase of the application process. Consistent with Section IV.D. of the FOA document, applicants are required at the Full Application phase to submit more detailed information on their proposed budget, as outlined in the discussion around the Budget Justification Workbook and, if applicable, the Subrecipient Budget Justification Workbook. For additional information, see Sections IV.D.ix. and IV.D.xii. of the FOA document.

Letters of commitment/support are not required for concept paper, but are they welcome/encouraged?

Documentation demonstrating support for the project, including from potential partners, are permitted, but not required.  All applications will be reviewed consistent with the merit review process.

In the FOA document - Section IV. D. iii. (Project/Performance Site Location(s)) - the discussion is related to project/performance site locations for the full application. However, the Concept Paper cover page also asks for project location(s). Are congressional district designations all that is needed, or do applicants need to include all impacted counties, cities, or other location designations for individual aspects of the proposed project? For example, a smart grid project that covers a utility's full electric service area could include many substation or other device locations, etc. Would the applicant need to include each and every device location anticipated to be included as part of the proposed project or, can they simply provide the congressional district designation(s) that encompass the proposed areas of impact?

For the concept paper, Applicants should indicate the location of the Prime Applicant.

The Community Partnership Documentations has a page limitation of 10 pages. Are Memorandum of Understanding or similar agreements also to be one page? If these documents are to be one page, what if we exceed 10 community partnerships?

In support of the Community Benefits Plan, applicants may submit documentation to demonstrate existing or planned partnerships with community entities. In total, the partnership documentation must not exceed 10 pages. The partnership documentation could be in the form of a letter on the partner&#;s letterhead outlining the planned partnership signed by an officer of the entity, a Memorandum of Understanding, or other similar agreement. If the applicant intends to enter into Workforce and Community Agreements as part of the Community Benefits Plan, please include letters from proposed partners as appropriate. Each letter must not exceed 1 page. See Section IV.d.vii. of the FOA document for additional information.

On page 51, in the Applications Components section, Locations of Work is listed. What does this mean? Is it different from the Project/Performance Site Location(s) component? Is there a template for the Locations of Work component that could be provided?

These are two separate documents. The Project Performance Site Location is a form which is a part of the application package posted on Grants.gov. Please refer to Package detail in grants.gov to access that form. The Location of Work document is an Excel Spreadsheet which identifies and summarizes the locations where work will be performed.  No template for this spreadsheet has been provided.

Please confirm that the Appendix F PDAD is only required for small entities applying under Topic Area 1. Also, should the document be uploaded as a separate file or as part of the technical document.

Consistent with Section IV.D.xx. of the FOA document, applicants for all three topic areas must complete and submit the PDAD. Note that there are requirements specific to Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 3, for which the applicant will respond and certify responses via the PDAD, as described in Section I.B. Applicants shall prepare the PDAD in the format provided in Appendix G of the FOA. The PDAD must be signed by the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) on behalf of the organization and be submitted in PDF format. Save the PDAD in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;PDAD.pdf&#;.

The Locations of Work section does not have component description listed on page 51 of the FOA. Can you provide a description? Will the DOE provide a template for the Locations of Work component?

The Location of Work document is an Excel Spreadsheet which identifies and summarizes the locations where work will be performed.  No template for this spreadsheet has been provided.

There are several SF-424 forms. Can you clarify which form should be used for full application submission and provide a link to the form?

The application forms to be submitted consist of those documents listed in the Grants.Gov portal under the package forms details. Additionally, you will be required to submit with an application all l documents identified on page 51 of the FOA.

FedConnect.net Amendment 001 issued a link to the Budget Justification Workbook year 1-5. The originally issued form Budget Justification Workbook has nuance differences. Grants.gov does not have any budget justification workbook in the package forms provided. Can you please advise which one we should be using?

The Budget Workbook included in Amendment is the workbook that should be included as instructed in FOA Amendment .

Please clarify how the form Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) [V1.0] is to be used, completed, and submitted within the GRIP grant application. The form is listed as mandatory within the grants.gov application workspace "Forms" tab. However this document is not referenced within the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA- Amendment 3 document.

The Budget Workbook included in Amendment is the workbook that should be included as instructed in FOA Amendment .

The chart provided on pages 50-51 of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA- Amendment 3 lists a component as "Locations of Work" as an excel document to be named LOW.xls/xlsx. However, a corresponding explanation does not seem to be present in Sections IV.D.ii through IV.D.xx in pages 51-69. Please provide guidance on completing and submitting the component "Locations of Work" including any available templates or excel documents

The Location of Work document is an Excel Spreadsheet which identifies and summarizes the locations where work will be performed.  No template for this spreadsheet has been provided.

Please clarify if all Topic Areas (1, 2, and 3) are required to prepare and submit the PDAD.

Please clarify if the PDAD.pdf document is to be uploaded to the application using the "Add Optional Other Attachments" button.

Please clarify Section IV.D.XX paragraph 1, sentence 3, "Applicants shall prepare the PDAD in the format provided in Appendix G of the FOA." The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: DE-FOA- Amendment 3 document ends with Appendix F - Project Description and Assurances Document Template (PDAD) pages 137-140 . Should the sentence above read "Applicants shall prepare the PDAD in the format provided in Appendix F of the FOA." where "G" is replaced with "F"?

Or is Appendix F missing and Appendix G PDAD is mislabeled? If this is the case please provide Appendix F.

Consistent with Section IV.D.xx. of the FOA document, applicants for all three topic areas must complete and submit the PDAD. Note that there are requirements specific to Topic Area 1 and Topic Area 3, for which the applicant will respond and certify responses via the PDAD, as described in Section I.B. Applicants shall prepare the PDAD in the format provided in Appendix F of the FOA. The PDAD must be signed by the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) on behalf of the organization and be submitted in PDF format. Save the PDAD in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;PDAD.pdf&#;.

Section IV.D.xx referenced an incorrect Appendix reference. The reference should have been stated as Appendix F. 

Please provide clarification on how the Community Partnership Documentation is to be uploaded to the Application. Should this pdf be uploaded using the "Add Optional Other Documents" button?

Yes.

The is contradictory information on the need to fill out the SF-LLL form. The FOA states it is required, but the grants.gov workspace shows it as an optional document.  We are a local co-op and do not participate in any lobbying activities.  Wondering if it this is necessary for us to complete as a part of the application.

As stipulated in Section IV.D.xiv (page 62) of the FOA, this form is a required document to be submitted with the applications for this announcement. 

The SF-424[V4.0] Application for Federal Assistance included in the application package forms on grants.gov for the GRIP program seems to have expired on 12/31/. Is the DOE going to upload a new form/version with an expiration date past application due dates or can applicants just move forward with the current copy available and submit that along with applications?

The document versions in the Grants.gov application package should be used with application submission. Currently that form indicates an expiration date of 11/30/.

On Grants.gov the provided Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 V4.0 and the Project/Performance Site Location V4.0 have an expiration date of 12/31/ in the upper right-hand corner and the provided forms for Application for Federal Assistance SF 424 V4.0, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities SF-LLL V2.0, and the Project/Performance Site Location V4.0 are not fillable PDFs. Would you please clarify which fillable pdfs with versions that are not expired to use and where they can be located.

The document versions in the Grants.gov application package should be used with application submission.  Forms have been recently updated and should be used, PDF forms can be edited for fill ins.

How do pilot + scale projects respond to the project performance locations and environmental questionnaires if they do not know where exactly all the site locations will be. For example &#; the pilot projects we know where the projects will be implemented but for scaling, we have interested locations but nothing definitively set.

As described in FOA Section IV.D. xiii, Applicants are required to submit an Environmental Questionnaire as part of a full application.  The Applicant must submit an environmental questionnaire providing for the work of the entire project. The Applicant is also responsible for submitting a separate environmental questionnaire for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location. A NEPA review will be conducted on the impacts the project activities may have on human health and the environment. The Environmental Questionnaire is available at https://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf.

Applicants shall prepare this Environmental Questionnaire (EQ) as accurately and completely as possible for all work locations known at the time of submittal of the Full Application.  If the Application is selected for award negotiations, the Applicant will be required to assist in the timely and effective completion of the NEPA process which would include ensuring that a separate environmental questionnaire has been submitted for each work location.  Additionally, if locations of work are added during the execution of a project, a NEPA review must be conducted prior to work starting at any new location.

Could you please provide links to the latest templates for Forms "SF-424" and "Project/Performance Site Location" that applicants should use for their full application submissions?

The document versions in the Grants.gov application package should be used with application submission.  Application forms have been recently undated in Grants.gov.

For the Community Benefits Document Appendix. The Appendix is limited to 10 pages. Can we include more than 10 community partners as long as we keep to the 10-page maximum?

As stipulated in Section IV.D.vii of the FOA,  Each letter must not exceed 1 page. In total, the partnership documentation must not exceed 10 pages. Save the partnership documentation in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LeadOrganization_Partner.pdf&#;.

Is the concept paper identification code noted in the letters of encouragement meant to be used as the control number for the full application?

The control number referenced in the Concept paper Notification Letter is meant to be stipulated and included in the Full application.

The FOA amendment 3 requires a Locations of Work section submitted in excel format.  The detail guidance in IV.D. does not provide any additional information on the required submittal. Is this similar to the Project/Performance Site Location(s) form provided in the application.

The Location of Work document is an Excel Spreadsheet which identifies and summarizes the locations where work will be performed. Refer to Amendment for template.

The Contractual Services tab of the Budget Justification Workbook states that quotes will be required for costs of $250,000 or more; some the goods or services of the project will not have been procured before the application is due, what will be sufficient documentation to include as justification for the cost estimates we will be including on the budget workbook? For instance we are expecting to procure a contractor for some of the engineering and constructions services required for our project, but bids and quotes may not be available before the deadline.

It depends. If the services are based on a quote, providing the quote at time of application would be acceptable. The budget document should stipulate the basis of estimation used for costs at time of application.

For the SF-424A, do Sections B (Budget Categories) and C (Non-Federal Resources) require budget information just for first year or for total across all five years? Is Section D (Forecasted Cash Needs) for first year only? Is Section E (Budget Estimates of Federal Funds Needed for Balance of the Project) for years 2-5 of the project?

The figures included in the Budget documents should represent costs for the total project.   As such Section B and Section C should represent cost for the total project.  Section D represent cost for future years beyond the initial year, and need to connect to those figures from the budget documents.

Can applicants load their own versions of forms in lieu of the mandatory forms on grants.gov?

Mandatory forms should be used in the application submission.

Should the information on SF-424A match the budget justification workbook?

Yes, the budget justification form should match those figures stipulated on the SF 424A.

The NOFO says "vi. Letters of Commitment - Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LOC.pdf&#; and click on "Add Optional Other Attachment" to attach. Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired."

The second sentence "If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter)." Are these letters needed only if they are a subrecipients? Or is this letter needed if the project technology will be deployed in certain locations d=that benefit a community / load reliability.

Can communities submit letters later after the deadline? Many organizations have to have several reads to pass letters of commitment through legal procedures which can take up to several months.

Consistent with Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document, applicants are required to submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired. As described in FOA Section IV.D, applicants must submit a Full Application by the specified due date and time to be considered for funding under this FOA.  Section IV.D.i of the FOA lists the Full Application Content Requirements.

Relating to Buy America requirements, will US DOE provide either a checklist of content elements required in a manufacturer's certification or a template letter for the certification?

DOE will not provide a checklist of content elements or a template letter for certification under the Buy America waiver request requirements.

For a project with many locations (e.g. distribution line hardening over miles or smart meter installation at thousands of homes), how should the "locations of work" and "project/performance site locations" requirements be handled?

As outlined in FOA Section, IV.D.xx (Locations of Work), the applicant must complete the supplied template by listing the city, state, and zip code + 4 for each location where project work will be performed by the prime recipient or subrecipient(s).

As outlined in FOA Section, IV.D.iv (Project/Performance Site Location(s)), on the form indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.  This form captures the full addresses for the organizations conducting the project work (prime entity and other project team members); including street, city, state, county, zip code, country as well as other information.

If an applicant includes loaded rates on the "Personnel" tab of the "Budget Justification" workbook, should the "Fringe Benefits" tab be left blank? Are these considered duplicative?

A loaded rate may be comprised on more than just Fringe Benefits, as such an explanation.

What documentation is required for industry cost share?

See FOA section IV.d.vi for commitment letters to be submitted with Application, also refer to Appendix A Relative to Cost share stipulations. 

The Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) template included in the GRIP FOA (Appendix D) reads as if it is a document that will be required after an applicant is notified of a potential award. However, when mentioned in the FOA (e.g., Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO); pg. 60) it reads like it is a mandatory part of the full application. Can you please confirm whether (or not) the SOPO must be submitted with the full GRIP application (Topic Area 2; Smart Grid) or not until after an applicant has received notification of prospective award?

The Statement of Project Objectives is a required application document, and should be submitted with application as described on page 60.

Is there a sample contract available for review for Topic Area 2 so that we can understand the general contract terms?

No a sample cooperative agreement/grant award is not available.

Page 58 of the FOA states general Letters of Support are not desired or required while the Community Benefits Plan scoring rubric shows strong letters of support in 'Best Practices' column and states in the 'Score Reduction' column that none or weak Letters of Support could detract from scores. Are general Letters of Support desired from groups including members of local government, Disadvantaged Communities, and other community-based organizations, or only if they describe a specific commitment/partnership?

FOA Section IV.D.vi states that &#;Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired.&#; 

Section IV.D.vi of the FOA also states that applicants are to Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). 

Additionally, as described in Section IV.D.vii of the FOA, in support of the Community Benefits Plan, applicants may submit documentation to demonstrate existing or planned partnerships with community entities, such as, organizations that work with local stakeholders most vulnerable to or affected by the project, such as organizations that carry out workforce development programs, labor unions, Tribal organizations, and community-based organizations that work with disadvantaged communities. The partnership documentation could be in the form of a letter on the partner&#;s letterhead outlining the planned partnership signed by an officer of the entity, a Memorandum of Understanding, or other similar agreement. Such letters must state the specific nature of the partnership and must not be general letters of support. If the applicant intends to enter into Workforce and Community Agreements as part of the Community Benefits Plan, please include letters from proposed partners as appropriate. Each letter must not exceed 1 page. In total, the partnership documentation must not exceed 10 pages. Save the partnership documentation in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LeadOrganization_Partner.pdf&#;.

In instances where an applicant is partnering with labor unions and community based organizations, when should we be seeking Letters of Commitment vs Community Partnership Documentation?

It is recommended that applicants request the Letters of Commitment or Community Partnership Documentation as early as practicable to ensure they are available for submission as part of the Full Application submission by the applicable deadline noted on the FOA Cover Page. 

Can Letters of Support and Letters of Commitment be sent to the DOE after the application deadline, and will these "late" letters be accepted as part of the review process?

No, as described in FOA Section IV.D, applicants must submit a Full Application by the specified due date and time to be considered for funding under this FOA.  Section IV.D.i of the FOA lists the Full Application Content Requirements. 

There is significant overlap in the requirements within the various sections of the Workplan in the Technical Volume and the SOPO. Please clarify the differences in format and/or level of detail expected in the WBS and Task Description Summary, the Project Schedule, and the Statement of Project Objectives. Can a single Project Schedule Gantt chart satisfy requirements for the "WBS and Task Description Summary", the "Milestone Summary", and "Go/No-Go Decision Points"?

The Work Breakout Schedule (WBS) is a deliverable-oriented grouping of project elements that organizes and defines the total scope of the project.  Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work.  The WBS should be based on a logical breakdown of the overall project effort into WBS elements. This may be based on a decomposition of the program work activities, deliverables, and products that will be produced by the project, or a combination of all.  

Since the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) organizes the work to be done into tasks and subtasks, for example, then the WBS elements can be modeled in the same way (i.e., each subtask would constitute an individual WBS work element). The goal is to progressively divide the work to the point of individual elements that can be assigned to an organizational unit or to an individual. 

The Applicant shall provide a timeline of the project broken down by each task and subtask. Additional task information may include a start date, end date, and team members participating on the task. The timeline should also show any interdependencies with other tasks and note the milestones identified in the Milestone Log. It is highly recommended that the Applicant consider using a commercial software package (i.e., Microsoft Project) to generate the timeline as a Gantt chart or other applicable format. 

It is conceivable that a single Gantt chart could capture the various elements (e.g. WBS, Task Description Summary, Interdependencies, Milestones and Decision Points) but it is at the applicant&#;s discretion as to how best document the required elements. 

The Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) establishes fundamental objectives and success criteria for the proposed project and provides a detailed, concise, and understandable description of the tasks and subtasks by which the overall project scope will be achieved.   

As described in Appendix D of the FOA, prospective recipients of awards funded from Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA- (FOA ) must prepare/submit a detailed statement of project objectives (SOPO) that addresses how the project objectives will be met. The SOPO must contain a clear, concise description of all activities that will be completed during project performance and follow the structure/format outlined in Appendix D. Since the SOPO may be released (in whole or in part) to the public by the Department of Energy (DOE) after award, it shall not contain proprietary or confidential business information. 

The SOPO generally consists of less than five (5) pages to describe the proposed work. Prospective recipients of FOA funding (FOA Recipient) shall prepare the SOPO according to the format provided in the SOPO template and in accordance with the application content and form requirements identified in Section IV Of the FOA. 

Should applicants add detail to the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) subtasks for Project Management Plan (PMP), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance, Cybersecurity Plan (CSP), and Continuation Briefing(s) or is the text in the provided template sufficient?

As described in the Background/Instructions Section of Appendix D of the FOA, the text shown as normal font within the SOPO template is to be included in the proposed SOPO; this includes the Task 1.0: Project Management and Planning and related subtasks (i.e. Project Management Plan (PMP), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance, Cybersecurity Plan (CSP), and Continuation Briefing(s)).

No additional text is needed for Task 1.0 and related subtasks for the SOPO submitted with the full application.  If selected for negotiations leading to award, modification of the text may be required at that time.

Will DOE be providing more guidance on what information needs to be included in the locations of work document? How does that differ from the project/performance site locations form?

The Location of Work document is an Excel Spreadsheet which identifies and summarizes the locations where work will be performed.  Refer to Amendment for template.

The NOFO says "vi. Letters of Commitment - Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LOC.pdf&#; and click on "Add Optional Other Attachment" to attach. Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired." 

The second sentence "If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter)." Are these letters needed only if they are a subrecipients? Or is this letter needed if the project technology will be deployed in certain locations d=that benefit a community / load reliability.

Can communities submit letters later after the deadline? Many organizations have to have several reads to pass letters of commitment through legal procedures which can take up to several months.

As described in FOA Section IV.D, applicants must submit a Full Application by the specified due date and time to be considered for funding under this FOA.  Section IV.D.i of the FOA lists the Full Application Content Requirements. 

Letters of Commitment 

As described in Section IV.D.vi of the FOA, applicants are to Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LOC.pdf&#; and click on "Add Optional Other Attachment" to attach. 

Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired. 

Community Partnership Documentation 

Furthermore, as described in I.A.iii of the FOA , BIL-funded projects are expected to (1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; (2) invest in the American workforce; (3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and (4) contribute to the goal that 40% of the overall investments of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities (the Justice40 Initiative).    

To ensure these goals are met, applications must include a Community Benefits Plan that illustrates how the proposed project plans to incorporate the four goals stated above and are encouraged to submit Community Partnership Documentation from established labor unions, Tribal entities, and community-based organizations that demonstrate the applicant&#;s ability to achieve the above goals as outlined in the Community Benefits Plan.

The Community Benefits Plan is included as a requirement within the technical volume content of the application, and it is also listed separately as an additional application attachment requirement (pg 63 amendment 4). Should we just include a high-level overview of the plan within the technical volume content and then go into detail in the separate attachment? 

As stipulated in Section IV.D. of the FOA,  the page limit for the Technical Volume is 25 pages.  As part of the Project Overview Section of the Technical Volume (approximately 10% of the Technical Volume) must include various information including a sub-section called Community Benefits Plan:  Job Quality and Equity in which the applicant should summarize the overall anticipated benefits that will accrue to the local community and DACs (including, but not limited to, decreased duration, frequency, or impact of power disruption; increased access to clean power; and the support of minority business enterprises). The applicant should summarize a plan to attract, train, and retain a skilled labor force with strong labor standards, ensure workers&#; free and fair chance to join a union, and identify potential partners they are working with to support these objectives. 

Additionally, a separate Community Benefits Plan having a page limit of 12 pages is required.  As described in the FOA:  the &#;Community Benefits Plan: Job Quality and Equity (Community Benefits Plan or Plan) must set forth the applicant&#;s framework to ensure that federal investments in the power sector advance the following four priorities: (1) community and labor engagement; (2) investing in the American workforce; (3) advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); and (4) the Justice40 Initiative.&#;  Required content for the Community Benefits Plan is provided in the FOA.

We understand subrecipients should submit LOCs plus budgets and other docs. Should vendors submit budget justifications if over $250K, given that they're not subrecipients?

As stated on Page 60 of the FOA: &#;Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter)&#;. Please see Section IV.D.xi. of the FOA document for additional information on subrecipient budgets. 

If precise geographic locations of all project elements have not been determined at the time of application, can applicants defer completion of the Environmental Questionnaire until that information is determined during the award negotiation phase?

Consistent with Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA document, the Applicant must submit an environmental questionnaire providing for the work of the entire project during the Full Application stage of the process. The Applicant is also responsible for submitting a separate environmental questionnaire for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location. If selected for award and if a subrecipient&#;s location is not known at the time of application, a subsequent environmental questionnaire will be needed prior to them beginning work at an alternate location.

Can the Environmental Questionnaire be completed according to project technology/scope vs. a separate EQ for each physical location? For example, if an element of the proposal includes a series of pole replacements (perhaps in the hundreds) can one Environmental Questionnaire be completed for that pole replacement initiative instead of a separate Environmental Questionnaire for each individual pole?

As outlined in Section IV.D.xii. of the FOA document, the Applicant must submit an environmental questionnaire providing for the work of the entire project. The Applicant is also responsible for submitting a separate environmental questionnaire for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location. The environmental questionnaire is available at http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf. 

MLGW is working complete the full application for the GRIP Opportunity. I clicked the link in the FOA instructions to access the environmental questionnaire but received an error message. I clicked the following link: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf and received the following error message. HTTP Error 404. The requested resource is not found.

The link in Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA document and stipulated below is an active link: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf 

The link to the environmental questionnaire on page 62 of 141 is not working. Can you provide the file in FEDConnect or update link? 

The link in Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA document and stipulated below is an active link: http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf 

Can To Be Named subawards be included in the proposal budget?

Yes. However, the cost and basis of cost needs to be included in budget documents.

Please clarify if both the Location of Work Spreadsheet and PerformanceSite_4_0-V4.0 need to be submitted with the full application.

Yes, both need to be submitted.

The Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) template included in the GRIP FOA (Appendix D) reads as if it is a document that will be required after an applicant is notified of a potential award. However, when mentioned in the FOA (e.g., Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO); pg. 60) it reads like it is a mandatory part of the full application. Can you please confirm whether (or not) the SOPO must be submitted with the full GRIP application (Topic Area 2; Smart Grid) or not until after an applicant has received notification of prospective award? 

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The Statement of Project objectives is a required document to be submitted with the application. See FOA section as it relates to application documents to be submitted.

The Budget Tab in the Workspace application on Grants.gov only allows for 4 Budget Periods and we are proposing a 60-month program (5 years) with 5 Budget periods.  How should we enter our costing when we cannot alter the Workspace. We have listed 5 budget periods in the DOE provided Budget Justification Workbook and SF-424A, but we don't know what to do in the application.

Amendment included budget justification documentation which addressed and included projects with a 5-year term.

For the Project/Performance Site Location(s) form, the FOA indicates to &#;indicate the primary site where the work will be performed.  If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.&#; The form itself asks for project location addresses. Our proposed project locations do not have specific addresses because the resilience improvements to the electric grid span many miles.  

To fill in the address, should we list the zip code (like the Locations of Work spreadsheet) and say NA to the other fields, or do we need to pick a discrete address, recognizing that discrete addresses won&#;t encompass the entire project location? 

For the project as described, the primary location which must have a specific address, the usage of zip codes to identify additional project locations would be acceptable.  

When clicking on the link in the FOA to access the environmental questionnaire, I receive the following error message: Not found. HTTP Error 404. The requested resource is not found. Please advise of where or how the form can be accessed.

The link listed in the FOA for accessing the Environmental questionnaire is an active link. Please notify DOE if the link does not work.

For the Project/Performance Site Location(s) form, the FOA indicates to &#;indicate the primary site where the work will be performed.  If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.&#; The form itself asks for project location addresses. Our proposed project locations do not have specific addresses because the resilience improvements to the electric grid span many miles. To fill in the address, should we list the zip code (like the Locations of Work spreadsheet) and say NA to the other fields, or do we need to pick a discrete address, recognizing that discrete addresses won&#;t encompass the entire project location?

Please proceed as proposed given the nature of this project.

Can the Memorandum of Understanding be more than 1 page? Can we have multiple organizations sign on the same MOU? 

As stipulated in the FOA Section IV.D.vii., the following guidance is provided: "&#;. please include letters from proposed partners as appropriate. Each letter must not exceed 1 page. In total, the partnership documentation must not exceed 10 pages. Save the partnership documentation in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title 'LeadOrganization_Partner.pdf'."

The GRIP FOA instructions for the Project/Performance Site Locations reads, "Indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided. Note that the Project/Performance Site Congressional District is entered in the format of the 2-digit state code followed by a dash and a 3-digit Congressional district code, for example VA-001. Hover over this field for additional instructions." 

Our question is, for projects that will include infrastructure mounted on a large number of utility poles that are spread out through multiple counties across two states, should applicants provide the utility's primary headquarters address and congressional district? Individual poles do not have specific street addresses and including a list of Project/Performance Site Locations that includes nearly 200 individual utility pole locations seems excessive.

Consistent with Section IV.D.iii. of the FOA document, applicants are required to indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided. Note that the Project/Performance Site Congressional District is entered in the format of the 2-digit state code followed by a dash and a 3-digit Congressional district code, for example VA-001. 

Section V. Application Review Information, A. Technical Review Criteria, ii. Full Applications &#; applications will be evaluated against the technical review criteria shown below: Should the Technical Volume section of the application be organized in the order of the Criterion shown in this section that starts on Page 81 or should it be organized in the order shown in D. iv. Page 54 as shown in the table named &#;Technical Volume Content Requirements&#; with specific sections and subsections including information outlined in the table (with responses taking into consideration the weighting of the technical criterion in section V)? Some of the questions appear to be addressed in different sections when comparing the two sets of instructions.

Applications must comply with technical volume content requirements identified in Section IV of the FOA document and will be assessed on the basis of the technical review criteria in Section V of the FOA document.

Is there any possibility to increase the estimated budget requested in the Concept Paper when we submit the final application? We will absolutely assure that the proportional applicant contribution exceeds the proportion estimated in the concept paper. However, we are seeing that demand and supply chain issues are increasing prices even since our early January quotes.

Adjustments can be made from the submission of the Concept Paper until the submission of Full Applications.

Section D.iii on p.53 of the FOA "Project/Performance Site Locations" and the Locations of Work spreadsheet in Section D.xx on p.69 seem duplicative (except the former also requires congressional districts to be entered directly into the blocks online). Would DOE please clarify/confirm that both are required?

Both are required.

The nature of our projects is such that there are hundreds of locations - seems administratively burdensome to enter one at a time into the blocks of the grants.gov portal, which is why we are asking question #1 above (to make sure we are not misunderstanding).

Consistent with Section IV.D.iii. of the FOA document, applicants are required to indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided. Note that the Project/Performance Site Congressional District is entered in the format of the 2-digit state code followed by a dash and a 3-digit Congressional district code, for example VA-001.

Our project contains several separate technology deployments. When preparing the budget justification form, should our team separate the different technology deployments into separate budgets that may be easier to comprehend or have it all be a part of a one single budget justification form?

Consistent with Section IV.D.i. of the FOA document, each Full Application must be limited to a single concept or technology. Do not consolidate unrelated concepts and technologies in a single Full Application.

What documentation is required for industry cost share?

The Commitment Letter and the Cost Share tab in the Budget Justification Workbook are required for industry cost share.

Can To Be Named subawards be included in the proposal budget?

Yes, though all estimated costs need to be captured in the budget document.

To whom should letters of commitment or support be addressed?

Address to FOA , or to Whom It May Concern. File naming should be as stipulated in Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document in the discussion of letter of commitments.

Our proposed project includes 55 different site locations that include pole and line replacement, undergrounding and substation expansions. Do we need to do an Environmental Questionnaire for all 55 sites? Or is there another preferred method for reporting the required information?

As outlined in Section IV.D.xii. of the FOA document, the Applicant must submit an environmental questionnaire providing for the work of the entire project. The Applicant is also responsible for submitting a separate environmental questionnaire for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location. The environmental questionnaire is available at http://www.netl.doe.gov/File%20Library/Business/forms/451_1-1-3.pdf.

As noted on the form, Location of Activities covered by this Environmental Questionnaire are provided as: (City/Township, County, State).

In the FOA, both primes and subrecipients are being both stated as being responsible for completing a SF-LLL form. However, the SF-LLL form on the grants.gov webpage for GRIP is already partially filled out for the prime with the prime box being marked. Should subrecipients mark the sub awardee box in conjunction with the prime box?

The forms in the application package of grants.gov are editable PDF files.

Re the LLL form. If we are a multi-state utility with a multi-state application and we have lobbyists in multiple states, do you need to see all lobbyists in Form LLL? In the past we have used our DC-based lobbyist. Is that sufficient?

Recipients are required to submit the SF-LLL &#;to ensure that non-federal funds have not been paid and will not be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence any of the following in connection with the application&#;&#; This suggests that lobbying, paid for with non-federal funds, is prohibited. Conversely, the FOA on P. 100 states only that by accepting funds the recipient &#;agrees that none of the funds obligated on the award shall be expended&#;to influence Congressional action on any legislation or appropriation matters pending before Congress.

Submitting the grant applications involves a series of steps. We do not want to lose an opportunity because we haven't taken the steps correctly. What are your best suggestions on ensuring we take the steps correctly (in addition to carefully following the instructions in the FOA)? Is there any way to do a submission test run, or even, odd as it may sound, a YouTube video that steps through the process? May seem like an odd question, but making sure we get everything right...

No additional resources are available, relative to submission of forms or completion of the forms, please refer to Instructions on the form for assistance in completion.

The FOA specifies letters should be no more than one page and grouped into one PDF. Are you concerned about the font, font size or margins for any letters of support or commitment that we receive?

Please refer to Section IV.D. of the FOA document, as it relates to Letters of support and commitment letters, documentation, content, and format.

The table on pages 51-52 of the FOA outlines &#;full application requirements&#;. The table includes a &#;Locations of Work&#; requirement, but the FOA does not provide any additional context on what that document should include. Can you explain what information should be included and if there is a template available?

See Section IV.D.xx of the FOA document, and in particular, the template attached to Amendment of the FOA.

Would you please elaborate on the content for letters of commitment? Would it be appropriate for stakeholders to state their commitment based on the awarding of funds? In other words, can it be assumed that the project won't happen if the funds are not received?

Commitment letters are to be provided by those entities whom will be providing cost share to the projects. The level of cost share required is the recipient responsibility to secure. However, if the source of commitment is from other sources, then commitment letters are required. 

As stipulated in Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document: &#;Submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter)&#;.

The new FOA specifies the project locations require zip codes to be included for each project location. There is also a part of the environmental questionnaire that asks for county information. We do not have these two pieces of information...are we allowed to submit longitude and latitude coordinates in place of this information?

Environmental questionnaires need to submit the information as requested related to the county information. County information can be obtained at Free USPS Address Verification & Address Validation Tools (smarty.com).

Please clarify if form SF424A-V1.0 needs to be submitted with the full application as it is not listed in list of forms in the RFP. If yes, would subs recipients need to submit this form as well?

Refer to Page 52 of the FOA for required forms for submission. Budget Justification documents are required. Subrecipient Budget Justification documents are required for each subrecipient that is expected to perform work estimated to be more than $250,000 or 25% of total work effort (whichever is less). See page 62.

For Topic 3, companies may partner with state organizations to submit a grant application (where the state is submitting the application). In this case do letters of support/commitment have to be directed only to the state or can they also be directed to the company that is working with the state as well?

Consistent with Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document, applicants are required to submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LOC.pdf&#; and click on "Add Optional Other Attachment" to attach. Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired.

Relative to the Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) document:  In Task 1.0: Project Management and Planning Subtask 1.1, it states &#;The Recipient shall not proceed beyond Task 1.0 until PMP has been accepted by the FPO.&#;  Our PMP will then have the individual line and substation projects listed as Task 2, Task 3, etc. 

This would seem to conflict with the definition of Pre-award Costs noted above and then delay the start of design work beyond the Effective Date of the award and/or the execution of the Selection Statement and Analysis.

As stipulated above, pre-award cost that are approved must be necessary for efficient and timely conduct for the Statement of Project Objectives. The PMP is a planning document outlining key components of the project. It is possible that pre-award cost may be associated with the planning document. Additionally, there may be limitations of allowable pre-award cost authorizations based on possible NEPA restrictions associated with infrastructure projects. If NEPA conditions are not authorized that represents a limitation of pre-award authorizations, and therefore a restriction of those authorizations. The planning document is a preliminary document that needs to be reviewed in order to advance the project to subsequent tasks and or to address the acquisition of long lead/supply equipment items.

Are we to submit only one Budget Justification Workbook, with all the individual projects contained in that single Workbook?

The recipient is required to consolidate all budgets associated with the project to include efforts from the subrecipient. Subrecipient budgets are required to be submitted if their cost exceed the FOA stipulations and submitted separately in accordance with FOA stipulations. Each application must contain a budget which complies with the stipulations in Section II.F. of the FOA document, and relates to a unique, and scientifically distinct project.

Is it possible to submit two different budget worksheets under one application for two different scenarios? We are unsure what will be justifiable as part of the cost-share.

Consistent with Section IV.D.i. of the FOA document, each Full Application must be limited to a single concept or technology. Do not consolidate unrelated concepts and technologies in a single Full Application. Applications must conform to the content and form requirements stipulated in Section IV.D. of the FOA document.

For sub-recipient budgets (as required for sub recipients greater than $250,000), would DOE prefer that sub-recipient budget justification workbooks for each sub-recipient be uploaded as separate files, or some kind of summary workbook, or a zipped file upload?

With regards to environmental forms, would DOE prefer a combined pdf file of all the environmental forms plus map files (in this case there are around a dozen), or for them to be submitted as separate file uploads?

Yes, if the stipulations in the FOA relative to subrecipient budget justification workbooks, is applicable they need to be uploaded as subrecipient budget justification workbook for all subs whom meet the requirement stipulated in the FOA.

We understand that letters of commitment are required from all entities committed to providing cost share.  Are letters of commitment also required for customers/off-takers of electricity?  Our project involves the development of microgrids. 

As described in Section IV.D.vi of the FOA, applicants are required to submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter). Save the letters of commitment in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LOC.pdf&#; and click on "Add Optional Other Attachment" to attach. Letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired.

As described in I.A.iii of the FOA , BIL-funded projects are expected to (1) support meaningful community and labor engagement; (2) invest in the American workforce; (3) advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and (4) contribute to the goal that 40% of the overall investments of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities (the Justice40 Initiative). To ensure these goals are met, applications must include a Community Benefits Plan that illustrates how the proposed project plans to incorporate the four goals stated above and are encouraged to submit Community Partnership Documentation from established labor unions, Tribal entities, and community-based organizations that demonstrate the applicant&#;s ability to achieve the above goals as outlined in the Community Benefits Plan.

Also, is there a limit to number of total pages we can attach as letters of commitment?

Consistent with Section IV.D.i. of the FOA document, Letters of Commitment are limited to 1 page each.

Can letters of support from elected official be included? If yes, where should they be attached within the application?

Consistent with Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document, letters of support or endorsement for the project from entities that do not have a substantive role in the project are not required nor desired.

If the project is focused on vegetation management and the project work will be conducted throughout the entire service area - should all cities and counties in the service area be added for the the Locations of Work. If so what address would be used as this is work along lines and not fixed addresses?

As outlined in FOA Section, IV.D.xx (Locations of Work), the applicant must complete the supplied template by listing the city, state, and zip code + 4 for each location where project work will be performed by the prime recipient or subrecipient(s).

Should we repeat the same information in the Project/Performance Site Locations Form in grants.gov and the locations of work excel?

There are differences in information contained within each document. As such, both documents need to be submitted based on document content.

We plan to submit two excel sheets for the budget justification form.

One version will be titled "Confidential" and all cells containing confidential information will be highlighted in yellow, headers and footers for the specific excel sheet tabs will have the recommended confidential language/warning.

The other one will be titled "Non-Confidential" and the confidential information will be deleted. However, section totals will be hard-coded to ensure each tab ties back to the total project cost.

Please confirm that this approach is acceptable.

The approach described above is not prohibited. See Section IV.D.ix. of the FOA document for additional information on the Budget Justification Workbook. Consistent with Section VIII.D. of the FOA document, relating to Treatment of Application Information, if an application includes business sensitive, trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, it is furnished to the Federal Government (Government) in confidence with the understanding that the information shall be used or disclosed only for evaluation of the application. Such information will be withheld from public disclosure to the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of Information Act. Without assuming any liability for inadvertent disclosure, DOE will seek to limit disclosure of such information to its employees and to outside reviewers when necessary for merit review of the application or as otherwise authorized by law. This restriction does not limit the Government&#;s right to use the information if it is obtained from another source. If an applicant chooses to submit business sensitive, trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information, the applicant must provide two copies of the submission (e.g., Concept Paper, Full Application). The first copy should be marked, &#;non-confidential&#; with the information believed to be confidential deleted. The second copy should be marked &#;confidential&#; and must clearly and conspicuously identify the business sensitive, trade secrets, proprietary, or otherwise confidential information and must be marked as described below. Failure to comply with these marking requirements may result in the disclosure of the unmarked information under the Freedom of Information Act or otherwise. The Government is not liable for the disclosure or use of unmarked information and may use or disclose such information for any purpose.

The FOA says that "Applications may submit documentation" under D.vii. Can you confirm whether this is required or optional?

Community Partnership Documentation is required to support the application.

The Budget Justification workbook states that for situations where the project has more that 5 budget periods, that we should contact DOE first before adjusting (See Attached).

The Budget justification workbook and 424a document are all built on a 5 year plan. In the case of topic 3 transmission applications, this might stretch to the maximum of 96 months. Please advise on how we should proceed with data input for these two items (i.e. should we adjust the workbook, should we use another workbook, how do we deal with the SF424a webform which is capped at 5 budget periods...etc).

Applicants will have to use more than one budget document in order to achieve the 96 month maximum period under Topic Area 3, included with their Full Application.

If the project period performance is 60 months, should each budget period in the budget justification workbook cover 12 months?

Yes, 60 months represents a term of 5 years in 12-month increments.

To whom should letters of commitment or support be addressed?

Address to FOA , or to Whom It May Concern. See Section IV.D.vi of the FOA document for further information relative to letters of commitment.

Our proposed project includes 55 different site locations that include pole and line replacement, undergrounding and substation expansions. Do we need to do an Environmental Questionnaire for all 55 sites? Or is there another preferred method for reporting the required information?

Consistent with Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA document, the Applicant must submit an environmental questionnaire providing for the work of the entire project. The Applicant is also responsible for submitting a separate environmental questionnaire for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location.

Re the LLL form. If we are a multi-state utility with a multi-state application and we have lobbyists in multiple states, do you need to see all lobbyists in Form LLL? In the past we have used our DC-based lobbyist. Is that sufficient?

Consistent with section IV.C of the FOA document, applicants are required to submit all team member organizations for the proposed project in the cover page of the concept paper.

Submitting the grant applications involves a series of steps. We do not want to lose an opportunity because we haven't taken the steps correctly. What are your best suggestions on ensuring we take the steps correctly (in addition to carefully following the instructions in the FOA)? Is there any way to do a submission test run, or even, odd as it may sound, a YouTube video that steps through the process? May seem like an odd question, but making sure we get everything right...

All applicants that submitted a Concept Paper received information through an instructional webinar to assist with the full application process and a link to register for the webinar within their Concept Paper Encourage/Discourage Determination Letter. A recording of this webinar is available on the GRIP portal.

The FOA specifies letters should be no more than one page and grouped into one PDF. Are you concerned about the font, font size or margins for any letters of support or commitment that we receive?

There are no additional formatting requirements beyond what is stated in the FOA. Please refer to the discussion of Letters of Commitment in Section IV.D.vi. of the FOA document.

The table on pages 51-52 of the FOA outlines &#;full application requirements&#;. The table includes a &#;Locations of Work&#; requirement, but the FOA does not provide any additional context on what that document should include. Can you explain what information should be included and if there is a template available?

See the Locations of Work discussion in Section IV.D.xx of the FOA document.

Would you please elaborate on the content for letters of commitment? Would it be appropriate for stakeholders to state their commitment based on the awarding of funds? In other words, can it be assumed that the project won't happen if the funds are not received?

Letters of commitment are to be provided by those entities which will be providing cost share to the projects. The level of cost share required is the recipient responsibility to secure and commitment from other sources must be substantiated through letters of commitment. Consistent with Section IV.D.vi of the FOA document, applicants are required to submit letters of commitment from all subrecipient and third-party cost share providers. If applicable, also include any letters of commitment from suppliers/partners/end users/future customers/labor unions/community-based organizations (one-page maximum per letter).

The new FOA specifies the project locations require zip codes to be included for each project location. There is also a part of the environmental questionnaire that asks for county information. We do not have these two pieces of information ... are allowed to submit longitude and latitude coordinates in place of this information.

Environmental questionnaires need to contain the information as requested related to the county information. County information can be obtained at Free USPS Address Verification & Address Validation Tools (smarty.com).

Can To Be Named subawards be included in the proposal budget?

Yes. However, the cost and basis of cost needs to be included in budget documents.

The GRIP FOA instructions for the Project/Performance Site Locations reads, "Indicate the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided. Note that the Project/Performance Site Congressional District is entered in the format of the 2-digit state code followed by a dash and a 3-digit Congressional district code, for example VA-001. Hover over this field for additional instructions."

Our question is, for projects that will include infrastructure mounted on a large number of utility poles that are spread out through multiple counties across two states, should applicants provide the utility's primary headquarters address and congressional district? Individual poles do not have specific street addresses and including a list of Project/Performance Site Locations that includes nearly 200 individual utility pole locations seems excessive.

As outlined in the Project/Performance Site Location discussion in IV.D.iv. of the FOA document, indicate on the form the primary site where the work will be performed. If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.  This form captures the full addresses for the organizations conducting the project work (prime entity and other project team members); including street, city, state, county, zip code, country as well as other information.

This should include the location of all project-related work including pole management.

Section V. Application Review Information, A. Technical Review Criteria, ii. Full Applications &#; applications will be evaluated against the technical review criteria shown below: Should the Technical Volume section of the application be organized in the order of the Criterion shown in this section that starts on Page 81 or should it be organized in the order shown in D. iv. Page 54 as shown in the table named &#;Technical Volume Content Requirements&#; with specific sections and subsections including information outlined in the table (with responses taking into consideration the weighting of the technical criterion in section V)? Some of the questions appear to be addressed in different sections when comparing the two sets of instructions.

Applicants should ensure that their proposals include all of the required content consistent with Section IV.D.iv of the FOA document. Additionally, applicants should also review the full criteria in Section V.A of the FOA document. The order of the information in the proposal is not as important as making sure the information is provided.

Our project contains several separate technology deployments. When preparing the budget justification form, should our team separate the different technology deployments into separate budgets that may be easier to comprehend or have it all be a part of a one single budget justification form?

Consistent with Section IV.D.i. of the FOA document, each Full Application must be limited to a single concept or technology. Do not consolidate unrelated concepts and technologies in a single Full Application.

Is Statement of Project Objectives required for initial (full) application? The Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO) template included in the GRIP FOA (Appendix D) reads as if it is a document that will be required after an applicant is notified of a potential award. However, when mentioned in the FOA (e.g., Statement of Project Objectives (SOPO); pg. 60) it reads like it is a mandatory part of the full application. Can you please confirm whether (or not) the SOPO must be submitted with the full GRIP application (Topic Area 2; Smart Grid) or not until after an applicant has received notification of prospective award?

The Statement of Project objectives is a required document to be submitted with the application, see FOA section as it relates to application documents to be submitted.

The FOA contains requirements for listing a one project manager, including on the summary slide and summary/abstract for public release. If a prime recipient is designating a subrecipient to complete most of the project implementation activities, can the project manager be a representative of the subrecipient or does a prime applicant project manager need to be listed on the summary documents?  Can more than one project manager be listed on those documents?

Yes, multiple project managers can be identified. However, the prime recipient should identify a participant in that role.

With regards to environmental forms, would DOE prefer a combined pdf file of all the environmental forms plus map files (in this case there are around a dozen), or for them to be submitted as separate file uploads?

Although it is permissible for environmental questionnaire (EQ) forms be combined into a single .pdf file, DOE prefers that the separate environmental questionnaire (EQ) forms for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location be provided as separate files.

We'd like to confirm that when completing the Environmental Questionnaire for a subrecipient that "proposer" should name the prime applicant and also be signed by the prime as well ( as opposed to the subrecipient).

Consistent with Section IV.D.xiii. of the FOA document, while it is permissible that all environmental questionnaire (EQ) forms (one for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location) be prepared and signed by the prime applicant, it is recommended that each entity (prime applicant or subrecipient) complete and sign their own EQ form(s) for the work being done at their respective location(s) since that entity would be most familiar with the information needed to complete the form. DOE prefers that the separate environmental questionnaire (EQ) forms for each proposed subrecipient performing at a different location be provided as separate files.

For the Project/Performance Site Location(s) form, the FOA indicates to &#;indicate the primary site where the work will be performed.  If a portion of the project will be performed at any other site(s), identify the site location(s) in the blocks provided.&#; The form itself asks for project location addresses. Our proposed project locations do not have specific addresses because the resilience improvements to the electric grid span many miles.

To fill in the address, should we list the zip code (like the Locations of Work spreadsheet) and say NA to the other fields, or do we need to pick a discrete address, recognizing that discrete addresses won&#;t encompass the entire project location?

For the project as described, the primary location which must have a specific address, the usage of zip codes to identify additional project locations would be acceptable.

Can the Memorandum of Understanding be more than 1 page? Can we have multiple organizations sign on the same MOU?

As stated in Section IV.D.vii of the FOA document, &#;&#;. please include letters from proposed partners as appropriate. Each letter must not exceed 1 page. In total, the partnership documentation must not exceed 10 pages. Save the partnership documentation in a single PDF file using the following convention for the title &#;LeadOrganization_Partner.pdf&#;.&#;

The application for BIL Section (b) is seeking the address each work location. As all of this work will be performed inside electric sub-stations, and as such equipment locations are considered sensitive, and as we do not publish such addresses publicly, is there a mechanism available for us to meet the requirements of the grant yet keep the physical address of such facilities confidential? Could we identify the location by Congressional District, or Town or Zip code?

Mark the forms detailing locations as specifically as one can while maintaining necessary confidentiality.

Please see section VIII.D of the FOA document for information relative to the treatment of application information.

For Topic 3, companies may partner with state organizations to submit a grant application (where the state is submitting the application). In this case do letters of support/commitment have to be directed only to the state or can they also be directed to the company that is working with the state as well?

There is a distinction between a letter of commitment and a letter of collaboration/support described within the Community Benefits Plan.  Letters of commitment come from cost share contributors to the project effort as stated in Sections IV.C.vi, Additionally reference is provided as it relates to letters of support or collaboration stated in Sections IV.c. vii and xvi.  Letters of support, commitment or collaboration should be direct to the applicant submitted application in support of the project they are submitting.

Is it possible to get additional guidance on how to show solar PV costs in our budget justification workbook? We typically request bids from developers that are design/procure/construct type bids. The bids we receive do not separate the pricing into labor and equipment.  The budget justification workbook has everything split out by labor (contract and EPB) and equipment.  I&#;m not sure how to separate these for contracted solar bids.

Applicants should consult the recommendations outlined in the Budget Justification Workbook and if applicable, to the Subrecipient Budget Justification Workbook with attention to the differences required for vendors versus subrecipients. For additional information, relative to content and form of these workbooks see Sections IV.D.ix. and IV.D.xii. of the FOA document.

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