TECHNICAL MILESTONES AND DELIVERABLES: INSTRUCTIONS AND

EXAMPLES
Overview: As indicated in Section IV.D.4 of the FOA, Applicants are required to submit
proposed Technical Milestones and Deliverables with their Full Applications. The
proposed Technical Milestones and Deliverables must include: (1) a statement of project
objectives, (2) a schedule of the proposed work, and (2) descriptions of the technical
Tasks, Sub-Tasks, Milestones, and Deliverables for the work proposed in the R&D Tasks
section of the Technical Volume.
The Technical Milestones and Deliverables should be a maximum of 10 pages and
combined into one PDF document. Applicants should upload the Technical Milestones
and Deliverables into ARPA-E eXCHANGE (https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/) with the other Full
Application materials identified in Section IV.D of the FOA.
Examples of both the schedule and descriptions are attached to these instructions.
Statement of Project Objectives Instructions: The Statement of Project Objectives
should provide a clear and concise statement of the project goals and expected
outcomes. When drafting the Statement of Project Objectives, please note the following:

Please provide a single paragraph discussing both (1) the overall objective(s) of the
work and (2) the objective(s) for each phase of the work described in the R&D
Tasks section of the Technical Volume.

Please summarize the effort and approach to achieve the objective(s) of the work
for each phase of the work described in the R&D Tasks section of the Technical
Volume. The Scope of Work section should not exceed one half-page. Please do
not include dollar amounts, specific dates, or names of Subrecipients.

Schedule Instructions: Applicants are required to develop a schedule that includes, at

a minimum, the following elements:
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Name (Task, Sub-Task, Milestones)
Duration of each Task, Sub-Task, Milestones/Deliverables
Start Date
End Date
Applicants may, at their discretion, also include the following elements: Dependencies,
Critical Path, and Resources.
ARPA-E recommends that Applicants use existing software packages such as Microsoft
Excel, OpenProj, or Microsoft Project to create schedules. When assigning WBS
elements, please enumerate Tasks as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, etc. and Sub-Tasks as 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.

under each Task. Please identify Milestones with an M in-front of their WBS element.
For example: M1.1, M1.2, etc.
Description Instructions: Applicants are required to provide a set of detailed
descriptions of the technical Tasks, Sub-Tasks, Milestones, and Deliverables for the work
proposed in the R&D Tasks section of the Technical Volume. The technical Tasks, SubTasks, Milestones, and Deliverables should provide a clear path to completion of the R&D
Tasks and be as quantitative and specific as possible, clearly indicating the techniques
and assumptions used to determine their achievement. ARPA-E evaluates the progress of
a project by comparing actual progress of completing Tasks and Sub-Tasks to
predetermined technical milestones and deliverables.
When drafting descriptions, please note the following:

Applicants should think about how ARPA-E will evaluate the success of the
associated higher level task. For example, Applicants should ask themselves, how
would an objective observer determine if I am successful in achieving a proposed
task?

Milestones should be concrete, objective, and quantitative. Milestones should also

be measurable, results-focused, and aggressive. Milestones should not be
aspirational, nor should they describe simple effort. For example, the following
milestone is acceptable: Identify at least one strain capable of producing xx
g/L/day of fuel at an energy density of yy MJ/L. By contrast, the following
milestone is inadequate: Complete the examination of 10 strains is inadequate.

Deliverables must be described completely in concrete terms, together with the

target of the delivery. For example, the following deliverable is acceptable: A
technoeconomic model that connects point A with point B in the supply chain, and
incorporates experimental data from Task xx, will be provided for validation by coPI zz. By contrast, the following deliverable is inadequate: A technoeconomic
model of system performance.

Reports should not be listed as technical deliverables.

Applicants should draft descriptions in Microsoft Word, or an equivalent software, and

include the following elements:
WB
S

Task Title and Description

1.0
WB
S
1.1

Sub-Task Title and Description

Milestone/Deliverable Title and Description

SCHEDULE EXAMPLES
Microsoft Excel Example:

OpenProj Example

Microsoft Project Example

DESCRIPTION TABLE FORMAT EXAMPLE

WB
S

Task Title and Description

Technology to Market

1.0

The objective of this project element is to complete a Technology-to-Market Plan, which serves as a
roadmap for planned activities to assess and advance the commercial viability of their technology.

WB
S

Sub-Task Title and Description

Milestone/Deliverable Title and Description

Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA)

1.1

The objective is to define the appropriate

economic evaluation criteria, cost drivers, and
their expected values for a fuel cell made from
microtubes. The desired result is a model that
uses cost and performance inputs, in order to
provide a quantitative output of the value
proposition that can be compared to a reference
case on a common basis. The goal is to
demonstrate the technologys lower cost
(including contributions of opex and capex) in
comparison to the competing technologies. The
team will select a common basis for making
comparisons among technologies.

M1.1

Framework of TEA accepted by ARPA-E.

M1.2

Analysis of primary market complete and

incorporated into the next approved
revision of the technology-to-market plan.

M1.3

Methods and metrics are defined.

M1.4

TEA results summary accepted by ARPA-E.

Pursue Next-Stage Development
Opportunities

1.2

M1.5
M1.6

Factors that affect the commercial viability

of the microtubular fuel cell will be
reviewed, and a path forward to the next
stage of development will be implemented.
Review partnership opportunities and
identify specific entities to target in the
technology-to-market plan.
Identify next-stage funding and resource
requirements using the TEA, and
incorporate TEA output into the next
approved revision of the technology-to-

market plan.
M1.7

First draft of pitch package is approved by

ARPA-E.

M1.8

Potential next-stage funding sources

engaged.
Sub-system development

2.0

The objective of this project element is to develop the individual sub-systems and techniques which
will be combined to create the integrated fuel cell system.
Serpentine Tube Fabrication Development

2.1

The objective of this task is to prove the concept

of scalable fabrication of serpentine micro tubes.

M2.1

Fabrication of one serpentine microtube using

scalable fabrication techniques.

M2.2

Fabrication of 100 serpentine microtubes with a

diameter within a diameter of 500 microns + 10
microns, measured at 4 points along each tube.
Catalyst Deposition Process Development

2.2

The objective of this task is to produce

catalytically active surface within microtubes for
use in the fuel cell. The team will demonstrate
deposition of the catalytic surface with even
dispersion in the microtube.

M2.3

Deposition in microtube demonstrated from at

least 4 different methods.

M2.4

Deposition technique selected, dispersion

characterization completed, target: 0.5 g/cm2 +
10%.

M2.5

Description of the tradeoffs affecting performance

completed.
Fuel Cell System Testing

3.0

The objective of this project element is to prove that the microtubular fuel cell exhibits comparable or
improved performance (W/kg and W/L) as compared to current state-of-the-art micro fuel cells.

M3.1

Initial testing completed, fuel cell operates for >5

minutes.

M3.2

Go/No-Go checkpoint: Fuel cell able to reach

50% power density (W/L) as compared to the
current state-of-the-art.

M3.3

Fuel cell able to reach 75% power density (W/L)

as compared to the current state-of-the-art
running for at least 30 minutes at a temperature
between 250o and 300oC.

M3.4

Continuous fuel cell operation for at least 1 hour,

with a power density equal to or greater than the
current state-of-the-art, an operating temperature
between 250o and 300oC, and catalyst loading no
greater than 0.5 g/cm2.