Letters of Support, Letters of Intent/Commitment,
and Contracting Officer Letters

If you wish to work with a commercial organization, small businesses, and / or universities via one of the following mechanisms:

Broad Agency Announcements (BAA),
Small Business Initiatives Research (SBIR) Program,
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program,
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR),

you should carefully review the solicitation web page to ascertain what is required by the Federal R&D organization (ORNL). The ORNL WFO and the MST WFO PO will assist you in determining the requirements and deadlines. Typically, we will be asked to provide a letter or letters of support, intent or commitment and / or a Contracting Officer letter. Listed below are descriptions of each type of letter.

Letters of Support are prepared by the division using something like the attached template. This letter essentially indicates that the division is supportive of the research. There is no actual or implied intent or commitment to work with the interested organization under a formal contractual arrangement. The letter is signed by the division director or his/her designee.

Letters of Commitment or Intent are prepared by the division using the attached template. These letters are sent to the proposed partner and indicate that if the project is funded and if a suitable contract can be executed ORNL will perform work described in a SOW. DOE-ORO requires a WFO package be submitted for review and approval. The letter is signed by Dr. Michelle Buchanan or her designee (another level 1 manager).

A Contracting Officer Letter is a letter from DOE-ORO to a Federal agency or another DOE office noting that ORO has reviewed the proposal document and agrees that work may done at ORNL if funding and a suitable contract between the proposing organization and ORNL is executed. DOE-ORO requires a WFO package be submitted for review and approval.

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