SERDP FAQs

General FAQs
  1. If I need to revise my uploaded proposal, how do I do that?

    Proposals may be revised up to the submittal deadline. Follow the onscreen instructions in SEMS to upload the revised proposal file. Update all proposal details to match the contents of the proposal.

  2. Are there any opportunities to learn more about the SERDP solicitations other than what is available in the instructions?

    SERDP hosted a webinar entitled SERDP Solicitation Webinar on November 10, 2021. Participants asked questions about the funding process, the current SERDP solicitations, and the proposal submission process. The presentation and recording can be found here.

  3. Is ESTCP issuing an FY 2023 solicitation this winter?

    Yes. ESTCP plans to release a solicitation in early January 2023 for proposals for FY 2023 funding. This solicitation will include topics related to Environmental and Installation Energy and Water Technologies.

  4. Is SERDP issuing a SEED solicitation for FY 2023?

    Yes. SERDP issued a FY 2023 SERDP Exploratory Development (SEED) solicitation on October 28, 2021. The SEED solicitation is a means for researchers to test proof of concept with a limited amount of funding (not to exceed $250,000) in a project approximately one year in duration. Successful SEED projects may lead to more extensive follow-on efforts. Proposals are sought for FY 2022 funding in response to Statements of Need (SON) in the Munitions Response and Weapons Systems and Platforms program areas. Proposals submitted in response to the SEED solicitation are due March 10, 2022.

  5. Can a Limited Scope Proposal be submitted against a Core SON?

    Yes. Limited Scope proposals may be submitted in response to any Core SON. Proposers with innovative approaches to a SON that entail high technical risk and/or have minimal supporting data may submit a Limited Scope proposal for a limited amount of funding (up to $250,000) for projects approximately one year in duration, to develop the data necessary to provide for risk reduction and/or proof of concept. Proposers should submit these Limited Scope proposals in accordance with the Core solicitation instructions and deadlines. Such proposals may be eligible for follow-on funding if they result in a successful initial project.

  6. Can I contact the SERDP Office to discuss exactly what you are looking for in the Statements of Need?

    Due to the competitive nature of the solicitation process, we do not discuss the SONs with individuals. However, from time to time a SON needs clarification. If you find a SON to be confusing or unclear, send an e-mail asking for clarification to the contact person noted at the end of that SON. If we agree that the SON requires clarification, we will issue an amendment to the solicitation so that all may have equal access to the clarification.

  7. Are SERDP projects required to have a field work component?

    No. There is no such requirement. While some projects would not be complete without some field work, many SERDP projects do not have a field component.

  8. How does SERDP deal with intellectual property rights?

    SERDP follows standard DoD procedures concerning intellectual property rights in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations. The creator will control commercial rights but the government reserves the right to use and develop the technology for its own purposes.

  9. Our proposal will include proprietary information. Will this information be protected when we submit our proposal?

    Yes. All proprietary information in proposals is protected. Everyone who handles proposals has signed a non-disclosure agreement or is bound to non-disclosure under the terms of their employment.

  10. I submitted a proposal last year that was not selected for funding. I would like to resubmit this year. How can I do this?

    If the proposal is responsive to a current SON, please feel free to submit a pre-proposal. Proposal submissions that do not address a current SON will not be considered.

Proposal Submittal FAQs
  1. The solicitation instructions do not mention a cover page being required for submission as in previous years. Is this correct?

    Yes. The cover page that had been part of proposals in previous years is no longer required. The information that had been included on the cover page is entered into SEMS prior to submission of the proposal.

  2. In previous years, a signature was required for all pre-proposals. Is this no longer required?

    There is no requirement for a signature to bind the lead organization at the pre-proposal stage. However, a signature of an individual with the authority to bind the lead organization is still required for all SEED proposals and SERDP Full proposals. Refer to the proposal submittal instructions on the solicitation's page and SEMS for more information on how to upload this signature.

  3. I am from a company or an academic institution and want to partner with a government lab to submit a proposal. How do I submit the proposal?

    There are two submission routes to SERDP for proposals that have a Federal partner and a private sector partner. If the private sector partner is designated as the lead on the project, then the pre-proposal is submitted through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). If the Federal organization is the lead on the project, then the pre-proposal is submitted through the Federal Call for Proposals.

  4. Is it true that proposals submitted in response to SERDP solicitations are required to have a DoD partner?

    No. Proposals do not require a DoD partner.

  5. Can foreign organizations submit proposals to SERDP?

    Yes. SERDP is currently funding efforts in both Canada and Europe.

  6. Is it possible to have an international partner on a SERDP project and can Federal dollars be allocated to an international institution?

    You may have international partners. Their costs must be indicated in U.S. Dollars. Contracts must be handled by the lead institution including the exchange of funds to the partner's currency. These subcontracts will not be handled through SERDP's contracting office.

  7. Can I submit more than one proposal?

    Yes. There is no limit to the number of pre-proposals that organizations can submit. You will need to submit each proposal individually to the appropriate SON.

  8. Can I submit a proposal by e-mail?

    No. Proposals will not be accepted if received via e-mail. You must submit your proposal in accordance with the instructions for the solicitation to which you are responding. Detailed instructions may be found on the solicitation's page under the Working with Us section.

  9. Can I get an extension on the deadline for proposal submittal?

    No. The deadlines cannot be waived.

  10. How do I verify that my proposal has been submitted? Will I receive an e-mail?

    You will receive an e-mail and an on screen message in SEMS stating that your proposal was successfully submitted.

  11. Can I submit a full proposal in response to the Core solicitation if I did not submit a pre-proposal?

    No. You must submit a pre-proposal and subsequently be asked to submit a full proposal.

  12. For the pre-proposal, does the 5-page limit include references?

    No. The 5-page limit does not include references.

  13. What font and size should be used in the proposals?

    The minimum acceptable font size is 11. We do not specify a font, but whatever you opt to use must be readable.

  14. Where do I get the DUNS CAGE number?

    This number is available from your organization's contracting office. If you do not have one, this section can be left blank.

Cost and Funding FAQs
  1. As a foreign proposer, should I cost the proposal in U.S. dollars or in my local currency?

    Proposals must reflect U.S. dollars.

  2. There is no specific annual funding or total funding limit identified in the Core solicitation. How do I determine financial needs?

    It is true that there are no funding limits specified for most Core SONs. Occasionally, SERDP will release SONs with prescribed cost and duration requirements. Specific cost and duration requirements, if applicable, are found in each SERDP SON. For the majority of SONs, cost and duration are not prescribed and you should determine how much money you will require to adequately fund the work you have proposed. SERDP funds projects ranging in size from under $250 thousand to about $1 million per year. Typical projects range from $200-$600 thousand per year for three to five years.

  3. If my proposal is selected for funding, when can I expect to receive funding?

    For planning purposes, Federal performers can expect to receive their funds in the January-February timeframe and contractors in the May timeframe.

SON-Specific FAQs
  1. For Environmental Restoration SON C1 (ERSON-23-C1), is there a preference given to Limited Scope Proposals over Standard Proposals?

    No, there is not a preference for Limited Scope Proposals for this SON. The language in the SON document that suggested this has been removed. The type of proposal submitted should be determined by the level of risk and overall maturity of the proposed solution as outlined in the SON.

ESTCP FAQs

GENERAL FAQs
  1. Can I contact the ESTCP office to determine if you are interested in my idea?

    No. The purpose of the pre-proposal is to allow investigators to see if ESTCP wishes to see a full proposal. However, if you have questions regarding the solicitation process, please feel free to contact the ESTCP office.

  2. How do you deal with intellectual property rights?

    We follow standard DoD procedures concerning intellectual property rights in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations. The creator will control commercial rights but the government reserves the right to use and develop the technology for its own purposes.

  3. Our proposal will include proprietary information. Will this information be protected when we submit our proposal?

    All proprietary information in proposals is protected. Everyone who handles proposals has signed a non-disclosure agreement or is bound to non-disclosure as terms of their employment.

  4. Is there a separate solicitation for Installation and Energy topics in FY 2023?

    All ESTCP FY 2023 solicitation topics related to both environmental and installation energy technologies were released on January 6, 2022. There are no additional solicitations planned at this time.

Proposal and Electronic Submittal FAQs
  1. I am from a state government. To which solicitation should I respond?

    State government-led proposals should submit via the Broad Agency Announcement, entering “business” as the organization type.

  2. Is there an advantage to having a proposal submitted through a Federal or private sector partner?

    No, there is no advantage to having the proposal submitted by either a Federal organization or a private firm. Each proposal receives an evaluation based on merit, regardless of the source.

  3. Can foreign organizations submit proposals to ESTCP?

    Yes. On most topics we are able to fund work outside the United States.

  4. Can I submit more than one proposal?

    There is no limit to the number of proposals that an organization or individual can submit. Each proposal will need to be submitted individually and to the appropriate topic.

  5. Can I submit a proposal by e-mail?

    No, proposals will not be accepted if received via e-mail. All proposals must be submitted electronically via the SERDP and ESTCP Management System (SEMS) at https://sems2.serdp-estcp.org in accordance with the instructions for the solicitation to which you are responding. Detailed instructions may be found on the solicitation's page under the Working with Us section.

  6. Can I get an extension on the deadline for proposal submittal?

    No. The deadline cannot be waived.

  7. What font and size should be used in the proposal?

    The minimum acceptable font size is 11. We do not specify a font, but whatever you opt to use must be readable.

  8. Is the website where proposals are submitted different than previous years?

    Yes. The SERDP and ESTCP Management System (SEMS) has been replaced with an updated version. All proposals will be submitted via sems2.serdp-estcp.org. The previous version of the system is not a viable means to submit a proposal.

  9. The solicitation instructions do not mention a cover page being required for submission as in previous years. Is this correct?

    Yes. The cover page that had been part of proposals in previous years is no longer required. The information that had been included on the cover page is entered into SEMS prior to submission of the proposal.

  10. In previous years, a signature was required for all pre-proposals. Is this no longer required?

    There is no requirement for a signature to bind the lead organization at the pre-proposal stage. However, a signature of an individual with the authority to bind the lead organization is still required for all ESTCP Full proposals. Refer to the proposal submittal instructions on the solicitation's page and sems2.serdp-estcp.org for more information on how to upload this signature.

  11. Can the Authorizing Representative sign a full proposal electronically?

    An electronic signature is acceptable.

  12. Where do I get the D-U-N-S number and CAGE code?

    This number is available from your contracting office. If you do not have one, this section can be left blank.

  13. 17. For the pre-proposal, does the 5-page limit include references or curriculum vitae?

    No. This 5-page limit does not include references or curriculum vitae.

  14. Should the Gantt chart be part of the 5-page proposal or part of the three pages of supporting data?

    The Gantt chart is part of the 5-page proposal.

  15. Can I submit letters of support from installations? If so, where should I put them?

    Letters of support are not required for submitting a proposal. If you have obtained one, please place it at the end of your proposal. It will not count as one of your three pages of supporting data.

  16. How do I verify that my proposal has been submitted? Will I receive an e-mail?

    You will receive an e-mail and an on screen message in SEMS stating that your proposal was successfully submitted.

  17. If I need to revise my uploaded proposal, how do I do that?

    Proposals may be revised up to the submittal deadline. Follow the onscreen instructions in SEMS to upload the revised proposal file. Update all proposal details to match the contents of the proposal.

Cost and Funding FAQs
  1. 22. As a foreign proposer, should I cost the proposal in U.S. dollars or in my local currency?

    Proposals must be costed in U.S. dollars.

  2. 23. There is no specific annual funding or total funding limit identified in the solicitation. How do I address the financial needs?

    It is true that there are no funding limits specified. You should determine how much money you will require to adequately fund the work you have proposed.

  3. If I am selected for funding, when can I expect to receive my funds?

    Awards in response to the BAA, which will take the form of contracts, will occur on or after June 1, 2023. Funds will be available to projects led by Federal entities by March 1, 2023.

  4. Will I receive all of the funds for the entire project at one time?

    No. All projects are incrementally funded on a year-by-year basis.

FAQs Specific to the Installation Energy and Water Topics
  1. Would you clarify the definition of installations?

    Installations consist of any base, camp, post, station, yard, center, homeport facility for any ship, or other activity under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense (DoD) in the U.S. or on permanent installations overseas.

  2. Are there any exclusions to technologies developed in other countries?

    Only for photovoltaic solar technologies, in accordance with the “Buy American Act” provision in the 2011 Defense Authorization Act. There aren't restrictions for other renewable energy technologies.

  3. Will pre-proposals that seek to demonstrate advanced technologies at U.S. military housing units (either base owned barracks or privatized housing) be considered responsive to the solicitation?

    Demonstrations of energy technologies for barracks on installations are responsive to this solicitation. Demonstrations focused on privatized housing will not be accepted.

  4. Is a state-owned military installation considered a DoD installation for the purposes and intent of the Solicitation?

    Yes, a state-owned installation supported by Federal funding and subject to DoD energy goals may be suitable for an ESTCP demonstration.

  5. What kind of leveraged funding is acceptable and what proportion of the project needs can be funded by other sources?

    Leverage funding could come from the private sector in the form of Utility Energy Services Contracts, Energy Savings Performance Contracts or Power Purchase Agreements. Leveraging government funding associated with a DoD or Department of Energy (DOE) project on a military installation may also be appropriate. In these cases, the leveraged funding would address the non-demonstration elements of the project, and ESTCP would provide funding for analysis that may not normally occur.

  6. Besides the BAA, what other documents should I look at to help write my proposal?

    Section 5 of the ESTCP Demonstration Plan guidance for Installation Energy and Water projects provides insights into the proper way to set up a demonstration that creates data to determine the validity of findings published in the Final Report.