DE-FOA-0003064 Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002954: WETO Offshore Wind 2023 Centers of Excellence | DE FOA 0003064

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003064

DE-FOA-0003064 is a Notice of Intent from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), issued on behalf of the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), signaling that DOE planned to release a related Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "WETO Offshore Wind 2023 Centers of Excellence" (referenced as DE-FOA-0002954). In practical terms, this notice is an early heads-up to universities, industry, and other stakeholders that DOE was preparing a competitive funding opportunity focused on building U.S. leadership in offshore wind by strengthening the national pipeline of research, education, partnerships, and workforce development.

The core purpose of the planned FOA was to "seed" one to three university-led Centers of Excellence. These centers were envisioned as hubs that bring together education and training, applied research, and coordinated partnerships to address key needs for offshore wind in the United States. The emphasis is not only on technology improvement, but also on deployment challenges (how projects actually get built and operated at scale) and workforce needs (developing and training people who can design, manufacture, install, operate, and maintain offshore wind systems over the long term). DOE framed these centers as a way to accelerate and improve the effectiveness, reliability, and sustainability of offshore wind deployment and operations nationwide.

A major feature of the opportunity is the expectation of strong, multi-organization collaboration. While the centers would be led by universities, DOE explicitly highlighted partnerships with offshore wind project developers, turbine and component manufacturers, other colleges and universities, and additional research organizations including national laboratories. The notice also calls out participation from non-governmental organizations, Tribes, and state and local governments, reflecting a push to build regionally grounded coalitions that can tackle real-world constraints such as permitting, port infrastructure, supply chain development, environmental considerations, and community engagement. The intended outcome is a broader ecosystem where academic work, industry needs, and public-sector priorities reinforce each other, rather than operating in separate lanes.

DOE also signaled what it considered an ideal lead institution. Beyond technical credentials and relevant experience, the notice stresses robust diversity and inclusion strategies and expansive regional partnerships. That language implies DOE wanted centers that could attract and support a wide range of students and early-career professionals, connect them to internships and jobs, and help build an offshore wind workforce that reflects the communities involved. The overall theme is that the centers should not be isolated research programs; they should actively "excite and supercharge" the next generation of renewable energy workers through training pathways, industry engagement, and visible regional impact.

From an administrative standpoint, this document is only a Notice of Intent, meaning it was not the FOA itself and did not contain final rules, requirements, or evaluation criteria. DOE explicitly stated that all information in the notice could change and that the agency would not respond to questions about the notice. Questions would only be accepted after the actual FOA was released, along with an official process for submitting them. DOE indicated the FOA was planned for release in April 2023 and that it would be posted and managed through the EERE eXCHANGE platform (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). Applicants were advised to register in eXCHANGE to receive official updates, and DOE noted that applications would be accepted only through that system once the FOA opened.

The source details tied to the notice place it within DOE's discretionary funding portfolio under the Energy activity category, with CFDA number 81.087, and it is associated with DOE's Golden Field Office. Eligibility is listed as "Unrestricted," which generally suggests a broad applicant pool, though the substance of the notice makes clear that the primary targets were university-led teams capable of convening large partnerships. The record shows a creation date of April 7, 2023, and an original closing date listed as June 30, 2023, reflecting the anticipated timeline around the planned FOA. In short, the opportunity was designed to launch a small number of flagship university-led offshore wind centers that could serve as regional anchors for research, workforce development, and industry-aligned collaboration to speed up high-quality offshore wind deployment in the United States.

• The Golden Field Office in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "DE-FOA-0003064 Notice of Intent to Issue Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002954: WETO Offshore Wind 2023 Centers of Excellence" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.087.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-30. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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