Opportunity Information: Apply for DE FOA 0003014

The Regional Initiative for Technical Assistance Partnerships (RITAP) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number DE-FOA-0003014) is a National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funding program focused on speeding up the responsible, large-scale buildout of carbon transport and geologic storage projects by tackling challenges at the level where they often show up in real life: the geologic basin or sub-basin. Instead of treating each carbon capture and storage (CCS) project as a standalone effort, RITAP is designed to support regional partnerships that look across multiple storage-based carbon management projects within the same basin. The idea is that many of the hardest issues (pipeline and CO2 transport planning, storage site characterization, permitting pathways, monitoring expectations, pore space and unitization questions, business models, and community concerns) are basin-wide problems that benefit from coordinated solutions rather than piecemeal, project-by-project approaches.

At its core, this opportunity funds the creation of partnerships made up of stakeholders who already have deep technical, managerial, regulatory, and business expertise specifically related to carbon transport and storage. These partnerships are expected to provide technical assistance and coordination that helps developers and communities navigate the practical realities of deploying multiple CCS projects in the same region. That can include aligning approaches to storage site development, helping interpret or streamline regulatory requirements, improving readiness around transport networks, and clarifying best practices for environmental safeguards and long-term stewardship. A major emphasis is also placed on community engagement, with the goal of ensuring deployment is not only faster but also more socially equitable and environmentally responsible.

A key deliverable from the RITAP partnerships is the production of information and outputs that are useful beyond the immediate team, serving as a public-facing resource for future project developers and other stakeholders. In other words, RITAP is meant to generate reusable playbooks, lessons learned, basin-level analyses, and shared frameworks that reduce uncertainty and friction for the next wave of projects. By making those resources publicly available, the program aims to accelerate broader CCS deployment while improving consistency in how projects approach safety, environmental performance, and community impacts.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement, which typically means substantial federal involvement during the period of performance (for example, collaboration on milestones, reviews, and coordination to ensure program goals are met). The activity category is Energy and Environment, under CFDA number 81.089. The eligible applicant category is listed as Unrestricted, but the announcement notes that full eligibility requirements are detailed in Section III.B of the funding opportunity announcement, so applicants are expected to verify specifics there rather than relying only on the summary line.

In terms of funding scale and competitiveness, the award ceiling is $40,000,000, and the program anticipated making around 10 awards. The opportunity was created on 2023-12-01, and the original closing date was 2024-02-13. Overall, RITAP is structured as a basin-scale capacity-building and coordination effort: it funds expert-driven regional partnerships to reduce technical and non-technical barriers, improve community engagement practices, and create shared public resources that help carbon transport and storage projects move from planning to deployment in a way that is faster, more consistent, and more accountable to environmental and community outcomes.

  • The National Energy Technology Laboratory in the energy, environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Initiative for Technical Assistance Partnerships (RITAP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 81.089.
  • This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-01.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-02-13. (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 $40,000,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
Apply for DE FOA 0003014

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RITAP Grant (DE-FOA-0003014) FAQ

What is the RITAP grant opportunity?

The Regional Initiative for Technical Assistance Partnerships (RITAP) is a National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funding program designed to speed up responsible, large-scale buildout of carbon transport and geologic storage projects. It focuses on solving issues that tend to appear at the geologic basin or sub-basin level rather than treating each carbon capture and storage (CCS) project as a standalone effort.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA) for RITAP?

The Funding Opportunity Number is DE-FOA-0003014.

Who is running or sponsoring this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is a National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) funding program.

What is the main goal of RITAP?

The main goal is to accelerate deployment of carbon transport and geologic storage by supporting regional partnerships that coordinate solutions across multiple storage-based carbon management projects within the same geologic basin or sub-basin. The intent is faster, more consistent, and more environmentally and socially responsible deployment.

How is RITAP different from funding a single CCS project?

RITAP is basin-scale and coordination-focused. Instead of funding a single project in isolation, it supports partnerships that look across multiple projects in a basin to address shared, basin-wide challenges (for example, transport planning, permitting pathways, monitoring expectations, and pore space questions) in a coordinated way.

Why does RITAP focus on geologic basins or sub-basins?

Many of the toughest barriers for carbon transport and storage show up at the basin level, where multiple projects may share geologic characteristics, infrastructure constraints, regulatory considerations, and community concerns. Coordinated basin-level approaches can reduce uncertainty and avoid fragmented, project-by-project solutions.

What types of activities or challenges does RITAP aim to tackle?

Based on the opportunity description, RITAP targets practical basin-wide issues such as:

  • Pipeline and CO2 transport planning
  • Storage site characterization approaches
  • Permitting pathways and navigating regulatory requirements
  • Monitoring expectations
  • Pore space and unitization questions
  • Business model considerations
  • Community concerns and engagement practices
  • Environmental safeguards and long-term stewardship best practices

What is meant by "regional partnerships" under RITAP?

RITAP funds the creation of partnerships made up of stakeholders with deep technical, managerial, regulatory, and business expertise related to carbon transport and geologic storage. These partnerships are expected to coordinate and provide technical assistance that supports multiple projects within a basin.

What kind of expertise is RITAP expecting within a partnership?

The opportunity emphasizes stakeholders who already have deep technical, managerial, regulatory, and business expertise specifically tied to carbon transport and storage.

What does "technical assistance" mean in the context of RITAP?

In this program, technical assistance and coordination can include helping developers and communities navigate real-world deployment challenges across a region. Examples mentioned include aligning approaches to storage site development, interpreting or streamlining regulatory requirements, improving readiness around transport networks, and clarifying best practices for safeguards and stewardship.

Does RITAP emphasize community engagement?

Yes. Community engagement is a major emphasis, with the goal of ensuring deployment is not only faster, but also more socially equitable and environmentally responsible.

What are the expected deliverables or outputs from RITAP partnerships?

A key deliverable is producing information and outputs that are useful beyond the immediate team. The program is meant to generate public-facing resources such as reusable playbooks, lessons learned, basin-level analyses, and shared frameworks that reduce uncertainty and friction for future projects.

Are RITAP resources expected to be public?

Yes. The opportunity description indicates the partnerships should create public-facing resources and make those resources publicly available so they can be reused by future project developers and other stakeholders.

What outcomes is RITAP trying to improve across CCS projects?

RITAP aims to improve consistency and reduce barriers across projects, with a focus on safety, environmental performance, and community impacts, while accelerating progress from planning to deployment.

What type of funding instrument is being used?

This is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement.

What does a Cooperative Agreement imply for the award?

The description notes that a Cooperative Agreement typically involves substantial federal involvement during the period of performance, such as collaboration on milestones, reviews, and coordination to ensure program goals are met.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Energy and Environment.

What is the CFDA number for RITAP?

The CFDA number listed is 81.089.

Who is eligible to apply?

The eligible applicant category is listed as Unrestricted. However, the announcement notes that full eligibility requirements are detailed in Section III.B of the funding opportunity announcement, and applicants are expected to verify eligibility there rather than relying only on the summary line.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling is $40,000,000.

How many awards does the program expect to make?

The program anticipated making around 10 awards.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on 2023-12-01.

What was the closing date for the opportunity?

The original closing date was 2024-02-13.

Is RITAP focused more on infrastructure, regulation, or community issues?

The program is designed to address a mix of technical and non-technical barriers at the basin level. The description explicitly includes transport network planning, storage characterization, permitting and regulatory pathways, monitoring expectations, business models, and community concerns.

What does "storage-based carbon management projects" refer to in this opportunity?

Based on the description, it refers to carbon management efforts that rely on geologic storage, typically within the broader context of carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the associated CO2 transport and storage development.

Why does RITAP stress "responsible" and "environmentally responsible" deployment?

The opportunity frames success as not just moving faster, but doing so with consistent approaches to safety, environmental safeguards, long-term stewardship, and equitable community engagement across a basin.

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