Section Basics 

Describe available equipment and physical facilities necessary to carry out the Phase I effort.  Equipment is defined as an article of tangible, nonexpendable, personal property, including exempt property, charged directly to the grant, having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 per unit or more.  Items of equipment to be leased or purchased must be described and justified in this section. If the equipment needed is expensive - as it may be - please should contact DOE via email to secure advisement on whether it's cost is reasonable for the opportunity. Title to equipment purchased under this grant lies with the government.  It may be transferred to the grantee where such transfer would be more cost effective than recovery of the property by the government.  Grantees wishing to obtain title should contact their contract specialist prior to the project completion for the procedure to follow to make such a request  If the equipment, instrumentation, and facilities are not the property of the applicant and are not to be purchased or leased, the source must be identified and their availability and expected costs specifically confirmed in this section.  A principal organization that owns or operates the facilities/equipment must provide written verification regarding the availability and cost of facilities/equipment and any associated technician cost.  Small businesses may get credit for obtaining this equipment as an in-kind Phase II commercial contribution.  

American-made – To the extent possible in keeping with the overall purposes of the program, only American-made equipment and products should be purchased with the funds provided by the financial assistance under DOE Phase I grants. 

Section Goals 

  1. Describe the available equipment and physical facilities necessary to carry out the Phase I effort/research.  
  2. Use this section to demonstrate that you understand what resources/facilities are needed for the research and that you either have the resources or have secured access to them.  


Pro tips: 

  • The Facilities & Equipment section of the Project Narrative is critical as it is considered in the Phase I proposal review and evaluation process.  If the proposal does not include the required information or a sufficient explanation of what facilities/equipment are required to carry out the research, or where/how the applicant will access them, the proposal may not make it through the initial review.  Additionally, the merit review criteria specifically assess the proposer’s “ability to carry out the project” and the “level of adequacy of equipment and facilities” for the proposed research and development.
  • There are requirements and restrictions on equipment that can be acquired as direct costs to Phase I DOE project.  For instance, common or routine equipment such as a laptop, will not be approved as a direct cost and should not be included.   
  • As the facilities and equipment necessary to carry out the proposed research and development are essential to the project, there are numerous places throughout the application package that they should be addressed.  They should be described in detail in the Work Plan section as part of the “how” you are going to conduct the research.  They should also be addressed in the Facilities/Equipment section of the Project Narrative, as well as the Project Performance Site Location Form, and if are purchasing equipment or using facilities as direct costs, they should be included on the Budget Form and in the Budget Justification as well.   

Phase 0 Resources:

  • Phase 0 tutorial podcast: The Facilities and Equipment Section of the Project Narrative → Click Here  
  • Phase 0 tutorial pdf: The Facilities and Equipment Section of the Project Narrative → Click Here 
  • Phase 0 tutorial podcast:  Where to Place Information on Equipment & Facilities in the Application Package → Click Here 
  • Phase 0 tutorial pdf:  Where to Place Information on Equipment & Facilities in the Application Package → Click Here