An important first deadline for the REMADE Institute’s fifth Request for Proposals — now representing more than $50 million investment in the research, development and demonstration of technologies to sustain the nation’s manufacturing sector and accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy — is one week away. Letters of Intent are due by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 3. Final proposals are due July 15.
“REMADE is looking to fund a wide variety of research projects that increase the reuse, remanufacturing, recovery and recycling of metals, polymers/plastics, fibers, and electronic waste,” said REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr. “Industry-led transformational RD&D projects are especially encouraged.”
REMADE, a public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy, issued its latest RFP last month, initially representing $45 million in available funding, which has now been increased to more than $50 million. Companies, universities and organizations that have research or workforce development projects that might align with REMADE’s RFP can read the detailed RFP here.
The Institute is seeking proposals for large-scale transformational RD&D projects that are industry-led and address issues across the materials supply chain. Proposed transformational projects must address the recovery and recycling of plastics, metals, fibers, and e-waste; or address the recovery and remanufacturing of durable goods and components from key manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, heavy-duty off-road equipment, motor vehicle equipment, medical equipment, and consumer products.
REMADE is also seeking traditional R&D projects that complement the Institute’s existing portfolio. This includes proposals that focus on creating logistics models to improve materials recovery and recycling, increasing the circularity of metal alloys, identifying novel automation solutions to improve recycling economics, creating design tools that enable greater remanufacturing and recovery, utilizing recycled and cross-industry materials in manufacturing, introducing condition assessment and process technologies in remanufacturing, as well as projects that target materials with low recycling rates such as No. 3-7 plastics.
The Institute has a particular interest in R&D projects that analyze small materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and recycling volumes nationwide. Proposals that could enable cost-competitive rural, single stream recycling (targeting system throughput of 1-15 tons/hour) are encouraged. REMADE is also open to proposals that explore circularity for metalware and plastics used in healthcare settings, countering the growing single use only packaging trend. Projects that focus on battery remanufacturing would also be acceptable.
In addition, as part of this RFP, REMADE has allocated $1 million for education and workforce development. These projects must develop short courses to educate, train, and develop incumbent workers in reuse, remanufacturing, recovery, and recycling.
Efforts are ongoing worldwide to move from today’s linear economy, where we take-make-dispose, to a Circular Economy, where we make-use-reuse-remanufacture-recycle. Conserving resources, reducing energy consumption, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions are major components of that transformation. Within a five-year period, REMADE is developing solutions that are capable of:
- Saving 1 Quad of energy, which equates to the electrical use by all U.S. households per year
- A 20% decrease in U.S. manufacturing’s GHG emissions in metals, polymers/plastics, fibers and e-waste
- Increasing the supply and use of recycled materials by more than 40 million metric tons per year
- Creating up to 700,000 direct and indirect jobs, enhancing the U.S. economy and increasing the nation’s competitiveness
For more information, read the detailed RFP here. For details on the Institute’s 2020 Technology Roadmap, which is guiding the RFP, review the roadmap here. To view a replay of REMADE’s May 3 information session, register here, and to view a replay of the May 11 teaming session and sign up for our Slack community, register here.