RPF: Repurposing Closed Wood Products Facilities for Bioenergy Development

Proposal and Review Timeline:

• June 15, 2026 | RFP Posted
• July 17, 2026 | Questions Due
• July 24, 2026 | Responses Posted
• August 6, 2026 | Proposals Due by 5:00 PM EST
• September 2026 | Contracting and Project Initiation

Overview/Purpose:

Across the United States, numerous wood products manufacturing facilities—including pulp and paper mills—have ceased operations, leaving behind industrial infrastructure, utility connections, transportation assets, and skilled workforce capacity. At the same time, many forest-dependent regions face increasing challenges associated with declining markets for low-value wood fiber, and the need for new economic development opportunities.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (“The Endowment”) seeks proposals to evaluate the technical, economic, and community feasibility of repurposing closed wood products manufacturing facilities for bioenergy. Through this project, the Endowment aims to generate high-quality feasibility data that can inform future investment decisions and determine whether industrial site reuse can serve as a scalable model for biomass utilization, renewable energy production, and rural economic revitalization.

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), the Endowment seeks to support one or two projects that will conduct comprehensive pre-development assessments of closed wood products facilities that can lead to redevelopment as biopower generation or biofuel production facilities.

Project Goal:

The primary goal of this initiative is to determine the feasibility of reusing closed wood products manufacturing sites for biopower generation or biofuel production.

Successful projects will produce analyses that address:

• Site-level due diligence findings
• Engineering and technical feasibility
• Economic and financial viability
• Project risks and mitigation strategies
• Community and workforce considerations
• Infrastructure requirements and constraints
• Financing structures and investment readiness
  

These outcomes will inform both project-specific investment decisions and broader understanding of whether this approach can be replicated across additional sites and regions.

Project and Funding Details:

Eligibility: Eligible applicants include U.S.-based private companies or other organizations with demonstrated experience and a strong track record in energy project development, wood products manufacturing, data center development, or closely related infrastructure projects of similar scale and complexity.

Project Expectations: Selected projects will conduct a comprehensive pre-development assessment equivalent to a Front-End Loading Level 2 (FEL-2) analysis or comparable industry-standard feasibility study.

Projects should provide sufficient technical, economic, and market information to support future investment and development decisions.

The Endowment will work collaboratively with selected projects to establish final scopes of work, milestones, and reporting requirements.

Funding Available: The Endowment is making available up to $500,000 for this initiative.

The Endowment anticipates supporting:

• One project of up to $500,000; or
• Two projects of approximately $250,000 each

Funding will be provided as a Program Related Investment (PRI) or grant — repayable upon
the project proceeding to construction financing or forgiven as a grant if the project does
not advance.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• I. Site Control and Access
  • a. Applicants must demonstrate:
    • i. Ownership of the site;
    • ii. Long-term leasehold interest;
    • iii. Purchase option; or
    • iv. Written authorization to conduct the proposed analysis.
  • b. Preference may be given to projects that demonstrate a clear path toward future site redevelopment.
• II. Team Capability and Experience
  • a. Applicants should demonstrate:
    • i. Relevant project development experience,
    • ii. Technical expertise related to biomass utilization and energy systems,
    • iii. Experience with industrial facility redevelopment,
    • iv. Qualifications of key team members and consultants.
  • b. Applicants should identify all major project partners and their roles.

• III. Financial Readiness and Project Advancement Potential
  • a. Preference will be given to projects that demonstrate:
    • i. Existing development efforts,
    • ii. Funding commitments or matching funds,
    • iii. Offtake agreements or letters of intent,
    • iv. Utility engagement,
    • v. Strategic partnership,
    • vi. A realistic pathway toward implementation.

• IV. Community Alignment
  • a. Applicants should demonstrate alignment with:
    • i. Local economic development priorities,
    • ii. Community redevelopment goals,
    • iii. Workforce development opportunities,
    • iv. Regional forest industry strategies,
    • v. Community willingness, and
    • vi. Proposals should describe anticipated community benefits, potential impacts to land use and stakeholder engagement plans.

Data Access and Publication Rights

Awardees will be required to:

• Provide the Endowment with confidential access to all reports, studies, models,
  analyses, and supporting materials developed through grant funding,
• Participate in periodic project review and site visit meetings,
• Provide final electronic copies of all deliverables.

The Endowment reserves the right to synthesize and publish aggregated findings, lessons learned, case studies, and implementation guidance developed through this initiative. The Endowment will work with project teams to ensure that proprietary business information, trade secrets, and other confidential information are appropriately protected.

Future Investment Considerations

Participation in this initiative does not guarantee future funding. However, projects demonstrating strong technical and economic potential may receive priority consideration for future engagement with the Endowment.

Application Instructions:

Proposals must be submitted via Endowment’s online application portal at https://usendowment.my.site.com/grants. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The proposal narrative should not exceed five pages and should focus on the following elements:

Project Description

Provide a concise description of:

• The facility and its operating history
• Current site conditions and ownership status
• The proposed biopower redevelopment concept
• Why the site is a strong candidate for development

Site Control and Access

Describe the applicant’s relationship to the site and provide evidence of:

• Ownership,
• Leasehold interest,
• Purchase option, or
• Authorization to access and evaluate the facility.

Must disclose any pending or recent litigation related to the site, current or former owners, occupants or any other entity affiliated with the project.

Proposed Approach and Methodology

Describe:

• The scope of work to be completed
• Key technical, financial, and market questions to be addressed
• Proposed consultants or project partners
• Major deliverables
• Project schedule and milestones

Supporting Information and Data Room Access

Applicants are encouraged to provide access to a secure electronic data room containing supporting information relevant to the proposed site and project.
Examples of supporting materials may include:

Site Information

• Site maps
• Property descriptions
• Facility layouts
• Existing engineering drawings
• Equipment inventories
• Utility information

Environmental and Regulatory Information

• Environmental reports
• Permitting documentation
• Previous assessments or studies
• Regulatory correspondence

Technical and Development Information

• Feasibility studies
• Engineering evaluations
• Resource assessments
• Interconnection studies
• Infrastructure assessments

Commercial and Financial Information

• Project budgets
• Financial analyses
• Market studies
• Offtake agreements
• Letters of intent
• Partnership agreements
• Funding commitments

Community and Economic Development Information

• Community support letters
• Economic development plans
• Workforce assessments
• Stakeholder engagement materials

Applicants may provide either:

• A secure data room link; or
• Individual electronic files uploaded through the application portal. If using the portal please upload these in the proposal narrative upload field.

The Endowment recognizes that some materials may contain confidential or proprietary information. All information submitted will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law and consistent with the terms of the application process.

Selection Process

Following proposal review, the Endowment may request additional information, interviews, or access to supplemental materials before making final award decisions.

The Endowment reserves the right to conduct follow-up due diligence with applicants and project partners as part of the evaluation process.

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For any portal/application issues please contact subawards@usendowment.org.
For proposal technical questions please contact Matt Krumenauer at matt@usendowment.org

To view or complete the application go to the Endowment’s grantee portal and click “Log in” at the top left corner: https://usendowment.my.site.com/grants. If you already have an account on the portal from a previous Endowment project, please use those login credentials.

If you are a new user, please click on “Not a member?” and follow the instructions to create an account. Once logged in, click on the “Opportunities for Funding” tab to view this RFP and apply.

See our guide “How to Complete a Competitive (RFP) Application” for step-by-step instructions on submitting a competitive application in our grantee portal.

Please use this budget template, also available in the portal. Match is not required for this RFP.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.