Section 609.4 - Submission of applications(a) DOE may direct that Applications be submitted in more than one part; provided, that the parts of such Application, taken as a whole, contain such information published by DOE in guidance on the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program website pursuant to § 609.19 . In such event, subsequent parts of an Application may be filed only after DOE invites an Applicant to make an additional submission. If DOE directs that Applications be submitted in more than one part, the initial part of an Application shall contain information sufficient for DOE to determine that the project proposed by an Applicant will be, or may reasonably become, an Eligible Project, and to evaluate such project's readiness to proceed. If there have been any material amendments, modifications, or additions made to the information previously submitted by an Applicant, the Applicant shall provide a detailed description thereof, including any changes in the proposed project's financing structure or other terms, promptly upon request by DOE.(b) An Applicant may submit Applications for multiple proposed projects and for projects using different technologies; provided that an Applicant for an Innovative Energy Project or Innovative Supply Chain Project may not submit an Application or Applications for multiple Innovative Energy Projects or multiple Innovative Supply Chain Projects using the same technology. For purposes of this paragraph (b), the term "Applicant" shall include the Project Sponsor and any subsidiaries or affiliates of the Project Sponsor.(c) DOE has no obligation to evaluate an Application that is not complete, and may proceed with such evaluation, or a partial evaluation, only in its discretion. DOE will not design an Eligible Project for Applicants, but may respond, in its discretion, in general terms to specific proposals. DOE's response to questions from potential Applicants are pre-decisional and preliminary in nature.(d) Unless an Applicant requests an extension and such an extension is granted by DOE in its discretion, an Application may be rejected if it is not complete within two years from the date of submission (or date of submission of the first part thereof, in the case of Applications made in more than one part).(e) DOE shall respond, in writing, to any inquiry by an Applicant about the status of its Application within ten (10) days of receipt of such request. If an Application has been pending before DOE for 180 days or more, such response shall include: (1) A description of the current status of review of the Application;(2) A summary of any factors that are delaying a final decision on the Application, a list of what items are required in order to reach a final decision, citations to authorities stating the reasons why such items are required, and a list of actions the Applicant can take to expedite the process; and(3) An estimate of when a final decision on the Application will be made.81 FR 90703, 1/17/2017; 86 FR 3750, 1/15/2021; 88 FR 34428, 5/30/2023