This FOA supports administration goals to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by demonstrating that several business-as-usual products can be replaced or supplemented with alternatives that are derived from the utilization of anthropogenic carbon oxides. These grants will show that more sustainable alternatives are viable and will support a market through grants to eligible entities to procure and use commercial or industrial carbon conversion products. Public procurement incentives for carbon conversion products can support a nascent market for building materials, fuels, chemicals, and other carbon conversion products that have verified lower life-cycle CO2 emissions than conventional products. Lifecycle emissions under the UPGrants Program are calculated on a cradle to gate basis, which begins with the utilization process (cradle) and truncates at the point of functional equivalence (gate) with an incumbent product.

States, units of local governments, and public utilities and agencies have significant procurement activities, and federal funding can encourage recipients to institute procurement preferences to advance key policy objectives. The scope and scale of public procurement makes it one of the most effective mechanisms available to drive emissions reductions. For example, the Federal Buy Clean Initiative is for the first time prioritizing the use of American-made, lower-carbon construction materials in Federal procurement and Federally funded projects. Furthermore, the Federal-State Buy Clean Partnership is engaging a dozen states who are committing to collaborate with each other and the Federal government to enhance adoption, implementation, and harmonization of Buy Clean policies. Executive Order policies prioritizing sustainable procurement (E.O. 14030 and 14057) demonstrate that public procurement dollars can work to achieve net-zero emissions while supporting environmental benefits and increasing the sustainability of supply chains.

This FOA seeks applications to address a programmatic desire to show that carbon conversion products can complement or replace incumbent products while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Funded activities will support eligible entities that are pursuing greenhouse gas emissions reductions; provide a ready market for manufacturers of carbon conversion products; and provide data concerning the technical viability, customer experience, and environmental benefits of these products.