DOE Announces Notice of Intent to Issue Funding for Inter-Tribal Providers Network

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs announced a notice of intent (NOI) to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) in February 2016 for inter-tribal organizations to help provide tribal communities with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to implement successful strategic energy solutions.

Through this planned FOA, it is envisioned that inter-tribal organizations will structure their technical assistance to best meet the needs of their member Indian tribes and/or Alaska Native villages, resulting in clear measurable outcomes or end-products that include a plan to become financially sufficient beyond DOE’s Office of Indian Energy funding.

As part of these inter-tribal regional programs, it is envisioned that energy experts would:

1. Coordinate energy solutions among participating Indian Tribes and Alaska Native regional corporations and village corporations
2. Network with regional and national energy organizations
3. Deliver technical assistance to participating Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives within the region
4. Build the human capacity of participating Indian Tribes and Alaska Native regional and village corporations by providing information to tribal leaders and staff through workshops or webinars
5. Serve as an information clearinghouse
6. Advise DOE’s Office of Indian Energy on the energy goals and needs within the region
7. Enhance DOE’s technical assistance network across Indian Country and in Alaska.

The DOE Office of Indian Energy will only consider applications from inter-tribal organizations interested in providing energy services to their member Indian Tribes. For the purposes of this Notice, “inter-tribal organization” means any organization comprised of two or more Indian Tribes, established under congressional, state, or tribal law to act on behalf of the participating Indian Tribes. “Inter-tribal organizations” may include, but are not limited to, inter-tribal councils, regional tribal organizations or associations, Alaska Regional Development Organizations, and tribal federations. Additionally, a 10% cost share (cash or in-kind contributions) of the total project costs is anticipated.

The purpose of the NOI is to provide potential applicants advance notice about the FOA titled "DE-FOA-0001452 – Establishment of an Inter-tribal Technical Assistance Energy Providers Network." NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED THROUGH THIS NOTICE. The FOA is expected to be issued during the first quarter of 2016.

In order to be notified when an FOA is issued and to be able to submit an application, prospective applicants must first register and create an account on the EERE eXCHANGE website. A user guide for EERE eXCHANGE can be found on the EERE eXCHANGE website after logging in to the system.

For more information, see the full NOI (DE-FOA-0001452).