Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

When will the RFPIs be announced?

Nine RFPIs were released and announced on December 10, 2025.

To view Active RFPIs, please click here.

How many contracts will be awarded?

The number of contracts depends on the number of proposals received and the available funding.

Is there a concept paper that should be submitted for these RFPIs before the full proposal stage or should all interested applicants just submit a full proposal by February 28th?

There is not a concept paper phase for these RFPIs. Interested applicants should submit their full proposal, including the Initial RFPI Proposal Forms. These forms can be accessed under the “Forms” section of the website, or by clicking the “Download Proposal Forms” button located under each RFPI.

Does USABC plan to conduct any outreach activities to provide high-level guidance on the RFPIs?

At this time, no outreach activities are currently planned. Instead, interested applicants are encouraged to review the FAQ section of the USABC website and submit any questions through the USABC Help form located under the Tools & Resources section. All questions received and answered will be posted in the FAQ section to ensure transparency and serve as a reference for other applicants.

Can individuals apply to multiple RFPIs?

As shared in the ‘How to Submit a Proposal’ located under the RFPI Process section of the website, an applicant may submit multiple Full Proposals under a single RFP, provided each proposal is for a distinct and scientifically unique project.

Additionally, applicants may submit proposals under different RFPIs and may participate as either the primary recipient or sub-recipient on separate proposals.

When applying to multiple RFPs-whether as the primary recipient, a sub-recipient, or both-this information must be disclosed on the Potentially Duplicative Funding Form submitted with each full proposal.

USABC has previously funded two programs with the same company at the same time, but there is a high bar to pass to demonstrate that the work being performed is not duplicative, and that there are sufficient resources at the company to support multiple programs.

Can we lead proposals for multiple distinct RFPIs? (eg. High Energy EV cells RFPI and Electrolytes RFPI).

Can we be a partner in multiple RFPIs in the same category (eg, 2 distinct proposals for the EV Cell RFPI) if we are not the lead for that proposal? (our efforts would not be duplicative as each cell chemistry needs a specific electrolyte formulation)

Are developers expected to use the Prototype Cell Fabricators approved by USABC through its RFPI or can a developer use their own cell fabricator?

Developers are NOT required to use the Cell Fabricators identified as part of the USABC Prototype Cell Fabricator RFPI. However, developers that do not have the in-house capability to build the required cell deliverable identified in the respective RFPI may utilize one of the identified Prototype Cell Fabricators.

If a developer uses one of the USABC-identified Prototype Cell Fabricators, does the build cost need to be budgeted in the developer’s proposal or is it covered as part of the USABC RFPI?

Any agreement between a developer and a cell fabricator, including a USABC identified fabricator, is a separate negotiation that should be included in the proposed statement of work and budget. This is an independent cost that is NOT covered by USABC as part of its Prototype Cell Fabricator RFPI.

How are proposals evaluated?

All responses will be considered by representatives of the Members and will be ranked in order of merit.

What feedback can applicants anticipate post-submission?

After submission, applicants can anticipate being notified if additional information is necessary to complete the proposal evaluation or if the application does not meet the RFPI criteria. Applicants will also be informed if their proposal is submitted for DOE Risk Review and advised of the final application documents required upon DOE acceptance. Applicants may choose to complete those forms while awaiting DOE Risk Review clearance or wait until the review is finalized. Additional follow-on conversations may occur as determined by the relevant workgroup or by the leadership team as the proposal progresses through the program approval process.

How will applicants be notified if their proposal was accepted for further consideration?

All applicants will be notified by email to indicate if a proposal is accepted or declined.

RFPI-Technology Specific Questions

Electrolytes

For the electrolyte RFPI, how much of the technology description should be about meeting the electrolyte goals vs enabling cells to reach their target goals?

The final evaluation of program success is generally done as a gap comparison to the performance targets, but it can be helpful to detail cell-level benefits as part of the narrative, especially if you believe it is not addressed in the performance targets table.

In the Electrolytes RFPIs, Appendix B (liquid electrolytes) shows only materials level performance targets and not cell level performance targets like Appendix A (solid electrolytes) has. What should the cell-level performance targets be for liquid electrolytes?

Please refer to the USABC EV Performance Targets which can be downloaded from the Goals section of the USABC website.

Table 1 showing the ‘Developer cost share requirement for each technology’ doesn’t have a line item for Mn-rich technologies (e.g. LMNO, layered-layered LMR which are nickel free) – since these types of materials are in an earlier phase of development than NMC would the cost share for those technologies be 20%?

As stated under section 3.5 of the RFPI, if you are uncertain about the required cost share, we advise using a conservative cost share of 50%. Likewise, if a proposed technology is not specifically listed in Table 1, we suggest using the same conservative cost share rate of 50%.

Prototype Cell Fabricators

Fabricators are asked to provide a minimum of 32 sample cells made using “commercially available materials.” Is the choice of materials left up to the fabricator or do they need to be approved or selected by the USABC?

As outlined in the RFPI document Section 3.2, we kindly ask the Fabricator to provide details regarding the cells they are capable of manufacturing. Based on this information, USABC will select cells within the Fabricator’s capabilities (cell chemistry, format, size, capacity, etc.) and request their fabrication. Once the cell chemistry is determined, the selection of commercially available materials may be made by the Fabricator based on prior experience; however, this can be further discussed when USABC places the cell request.