The intent of this FOA topic is to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative manufacturing technologies to increase the competitiveness of the domestic Near Net Shape (NNS) manufacturing base and strengthen the clean energy manufacturing supply chains. The technical and economic viability of the proposed manufacturing technologies will be established by producing a full-scale component as part of the requirements. The component must be relevant to a clean energy manufacturing application and have a minimum weight of 10 tons (20,000 lbs.). Project teams are expected to represent multiple segments of the value/supply chain.

For this FOA, each application must propose a research partnership. A research partnership is a collaboration of three (3) or more entities to conduct research and development with the objective of developing solutions to a problem or a challenge common to the entities by pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. The proposed prime recipient and subrecipient(s) must be domestic entities. The following types of entities are eligible to participate in research partnerships funded under this FOA: Institutions of higher education; For-profit entities; Non-profit entities; and State and local governmental entities, and Indian tribes.