Request for Information on Collection, Transportation, Sorting, Processing, and Second Life Applications for End of Life Lithium Ion Batteries | DE FOA 0002833

Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0002833

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), working through the Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Office in collaboration with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, issued this opportunity as a Request for Information (RFI) focused on the end-of-life lithium-ion battery ecosystem. The RFI asks stakeholders to share practical input on how batteries are collected, transported, sorted, processed, and potentially reused in second-life applications once they are no longer suitable for their original use (often electric vehicles, but also other lithium-ion battery uses). The goal is to gather real-world perspectives and data that can shape DOE planning and program design under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The RFI is specifically tied to three BIL provisions that aim to strengthen a domestic battery supply chain by building credible U.S. capabilities in both recycling and manufacturing support. These include Section 40207(e), the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, which is intended to spur innovation and participation through a prize-based structure; Section 40207(f), which covers Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling research, development, and demonstration grants, aimed at moving recycling technologies and processes from concept to scaled, proven operations; and Section 40208, the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery Recycling and Second-Life Program, which targets both recycling systems and the reuse of retired vehicle batteries in new roles (for example, stationary storage), when appropriate. Across all three sections, the larger policy intent is to reduce reliance on foreign sources for critical battery materials, improve material recovery and circularity, and ensure that domestic infrastructure can handle growing volumes of retired batteries as electric vehicle adoption increases.

In practical terms, DOE is using this RFI to understand the bottlenecks and opportunities across the entire end-of-life pathway. That includes upstream logistics challenges such as safe packaging, hazard classification, and cost-effective transport; operational issues like sorting batteries by chemistry and condition; processing considerations such as disassembly, shredding, hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical recovery routes, and purification; and downstream market realities, including the demand for recovered materials and the technical and economic requirements for second-life deployment. The emphasis on second-life applications reflects an interest in extracting additional value from batteries that still retain usable capacity, while recognizing that safety, performance validation, warranties, and standards will strongly influence whether reuse is viable at scale.

This RFI is not a grant competition and it is not accepting applications for funding. DOE explicitly states it will not pay for responses, and no projects will be funded as a direct result of submitting information. Instead, the submissions are meant to inform DOE decision-making, and the agency may or may not release a future Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) based on what it learns. In other words, this is an early market-sounding and program-shaping step, often used to collect evidence from industry, academia, recyclers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders before DOE finalizes the structure and priorities of any later funding programs.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0002833, associated with the Department of Energy (National Energy Technology Laboratory listed in the source data). It is categorized under energy-related discretionary activity, with assistance instruments noted as cooperative agreements and grants, even though this particular notice is only an RFI. The CFDA number provided is 81.086. The listing shows no expected awards because it is not making awards. Responses were required to be submitted electronically by email to bil-batterymanufacturing@hq.doe.gov, with a deadline of 5:00 pm Eastern Time on October 14, 2022 (the notice creation date is August 29, 2022). Eligibility is broadly described as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full text of the opportunity.

Overall, the central takeaway is that DOE was seeking detailed stakeholder input to help design and implement BIL programs that support a resilient U.S. lithium-ion battery end-of-life infrastructure, spanning recycling and second-life pathways, in service of broader national goals around supply chain security and long-term decarbonization targets (including a carbon-free electric grid by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050).

• The Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Request for Information on Collection, Transportation, Sorting, Processing, and Second Life Applications for End of Life Lithium Ion Batteries" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.086.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 29, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 14, 2022 Responses to this Request for Information must be submitted electronically to bil-batterymanufacturing@hq.doe.gov no later than 500 pm Eastern Time on 10-14-2022.. (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.
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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