Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI 2.0) | S21AS00165

Opportunity Information: Apply for S21AS00165

Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI 2.0) is a Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) funding opportunity to support the continued operation of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute over a five-year project period. The federal government is making up to $40 million available under a cooperative agreement, meaning the awardee would not simply receive funds and operate independently; instead, BSEE and the Department of Energy (DOE) would be actively involved in shaping and overseeing key elements of the work. The overall purpose is to run and maintain an institute that advances research, development, and related activities aimed at improving safety and environmental protection across offshore energy sectors, including offshore oil and gas, offshore wind, and marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies.

The institute is framed as a collaborative hub that brings together government, universities, and scientific experts. The selected recipient would be responsible for managing OESI as an institution, helping define and refine yearly objectives, carrying out portions of the technical work needed to meet those objectives, and serving as a central convening point for collaboration across the issues covered by OESI's mandate. While OESI is expected to operate independently in an organizational sense, BSEE and DOE will be deeply engaged through a Joint Steering Committee (JSC). That JSC includes agency representatives with relevant expertise spanning oil and gas, offshore wind, and MHK, and it plays an approval and review role over major direction-setting products. In practical terms, the JSC provides input on OESI technology roadmaps and annual plans and is positioned to review and approve major deliverables, creating an ongoing governance structure that keeps the institute aligned with federal priorities and needs.

Eligibility is limited and the announcement emphasizes that it is not an open solicitation. It describes a specific project that may be awarded to the universities or eligible groups identified, and any award depends on submission of an acceptable proposal. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and state agencies authorized by the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as long as they are located in a state affected by offshore energy operations. The principal investigator must be an employee of the applying organization, and the applicant must demonstrate credible expertise across all three technical domains highlighted in the announcement: offshore oil and gas, wind energy, and MHK. Beyond simply listing capabilities, applicants are expected to show they have the breadth and depth to execute all aspects of operating OESI as described, including management, coordination, and delivery of the institute's work products. Partnerships are encouraged, including collaborations with other universities, state agencies, non-profits, and similar organizations, to ensure the institute can cover the full scope of needed expertise and activities.

Cost sharing is not described as strictly mandatory in the text provided, but it is characterized as "very strongly encouraged." Applicants are urged to bring matching support in the form of cash and/or in-kind contributions such as staff time, equipment, or other resources. The guidance notes that if instrumentation or equipment is offered as match, its value should be prorated to reflect the period of use during the project rather than its full life-cycle value. Matching funds cannot come from other federal sources, and the announcement points applicants to the federal cost sharing framework at 2 CFR 200.306 for additional rules and definitions.

Administratively, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding with an activity category tied to environment, using a cooperative agreement instrument. The Funding Opportunity Number is S21AS00165, the CFDA number is 15.441, and the issuing agency is BSEE. The original closing date shown is December 28, 2020, and the maximum award ceiling is $40,000,000. The announcement also instructs that questions, including those about eligibility, should be directed only to the specific point of contact identified in the Program Announcement (referenced as being in Section G), reinforcing that this program is tightly managed and likely targeted to a defined set of potential applicants.

• The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI 2.0)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.441.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-28.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-12-28. (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.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for S21AS00165

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