U.S. Department of Energy BUILT Nonprofits Grant
Summary
The Building Upgrades Inspiring Local Transformation (BUILT Nonprofits) funding opportunity will support nonprofit building improvement projects that reduce energy use, lower carbon emissions, and generate short and long-term energy cost saving so that operational dollars can be redirected toward mission-critical work. Eligible nonprofit participants are 501(c)(3) organizations who own and operate their own buildings. BUILT Nonprofits will provide awards of up to $100k each. The program requires a 20% cost-share.
Information
Description
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Renew America's Nonprofits Program — made possible through the Biden Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — is a $50 million program created to...
- Reduce energy use & energy costs in nonprofit buildings, generating sustainable savings that can amplify nonprofits' impacts on the communities they serve.
- Lower nonprofit emissions, reducing community exposure to pollutants & putting America on a path to a net-zero energy economy by 2050.
Following overwhelming demand for the 2023 Renew America's Nonprofits Grant, the program is launching a new funding opportunity for nonprofits:
The Building Upgrades Inspiring Local Transformation (BUILT Nonprofits) opportunity will provide a total of $2 million for energy efficiency upgrades in community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Funds will support improvement projects that reduce energy use, lower carbon emissions, and generate short and long-term energy cost saving so that operational dollars can be redirected toward mission-critical work.
BUILT Nonprofits is managed by TechWerx in partnership with DOE, a collaboration made possible through an innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement established by the DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. This agreement enables TechWerx to broaden DOE's engagement with innovative organizations and non-traditional partners, facilitating the rapid development, scaling, and deployment of clean energy solutions.
Objective
Are you a nonprofit looking for energy efficiency upgrades? Through BUILT Nonprofits, DOE will provide up to $100,000 to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits for energy efficiency equipment and installation to reduce operational costs by improving efficiency.
This grant funds equipment and installation for energy efficiency improvements such as: HVAC equipment, water heater equipment, weatherization materials, and efficient lighting sources. A more comprehensive list is provided below.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
- Own and operate its own building
- Submit all required documents
- Be a domestic entity
- Propose only eligible projects listed below
- Be able to provide the required 20% cost share (monetary and/or in-kind)
The following documents will be required to apply:
- Proof of building ownership: deed, property title, or equivalent
- 501(c)(3) verification: IRS tax exempt letter, Form 990
Applications should:
- Provide a clear plan for energy upgrades with high energy savings, cost savings, and emissions reductions.
- Include sufficient justification for the proposed upgrade, including an energy audit, generating a BETTER report, or equivalent.
- Outline how energy savings will translate to enhanced community benefits, including describing the community served, alignment with the Justice40 Initiative, and the anticipated reinvestment of cost savings into the nonprofit mission and its stakeholders.
DOE anticipates projects will be completed within 12 months, with the option to request a 6 months no-cost extension.
Contractors will have to adhere to Davis-Bacon wage requirements. Learn more here: Davis-Bacon Act Requirements for Recipients of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding | Department of Energy.
Recipients without a historic preservation programmatic agreement (PA), including Guam and tribal organization), or recipients completing projects on tribal properties, must adhere to additional restrictions. DOE's historic preservation programmatic agreements can be found here. The NEPA determination (the DOE form that documents DOE's NEPA review of a project or activities) is included in each recipients' award documents and must be followed.
NOTE – Activities funded through the BUILT Nonprofits program may require SHPO consultation on buildings 45 years or older, as applicable per each states' Historic Preservation Programmatic Agreement (PA). Awardees must review their PA to understand their responsibilities for SHPO consultation.
How to Participate
- Review details on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and how to apply:
Download a copy of the opportunity information Download a copy of the application information - View the recording of the informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session on October 9, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
- Attend the Office Hours on October 30, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
- Complete the submission and upload here:
Submit by November 12, 2024 11:59 PM ET
For any questions about this opportunity, please submit them via the Contact Us form.
Important Dates
Opportunity Announcement
October 1, 2024
Objective Strategic Session
Informational “Office Hours” Session(s)
October 30, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
Submission Deadline(s)
November 12, 2024 by 11:59 PM ET
Process Details
Timeline(s)
Phase 1) Submissions Open from October 1, 2024 - November 12, 2024
- Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session on October 9, 2024: DOE will provide additional details about this opportunity and how potential applicants can gain a better understanding of the scope, scale, and intent of the opportunity. Applicants will be able to ask questions during the webinar.
- Informational Office Hours on October 30, 2024: DOE will answer any remaining questions from potential applicants before the submission deadline.
Phase 2) DOE Selection is expected by mid-December: DOE will review submissions based on relevance to the program objectives, evaluate applications based on set criteria, and notify selected entities for next steps in the awarding process. Note that DOE may choose to meet with submitters or ask additional clarifying questions prior to selection.
Phase 3) Negotiations will occur for approximately 2 months after selections have been made: Selected organizations will meet with TechWerx to negotiate work, budget, timing and impact constraints.
Eligibility & Review Criteria
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Propose upgrades only to buildings which they own and operate
- Submit all required documents
- Be a domestic entity
- Propose only eligible projects listed below
- Be able to provide the required 20% cost share (monetary and/or in-kind)
Eligible energy improvements are limited to:
- Insulation
- Energy efficient lighting
- HVAC upgrades to existing systems, may include installation of a 10 square foot pad for an HVAC system adjacent to a building foundation
- Weather sealing and duct sealing
- Energy/water-efficient residential and commercial appliances and equipment
- Including, but not limited to, grid-interactive building technologies, energy or water monitoring and control systems, thermostats, heat pumps, furnaces, air conditioners, and related software).
- Windows and doors retrofit and replacement.
- Electric appliances
- Including replacement of appliances that utilize fossil fuels with electric appliances, such as heat pumps for water heating, air heating/cooling, electric dryers, and stoves.
- Energy-efficient commercial kitchen equipment, such as efficient refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, ice makers, fryers, ovens, and stoves.
- Roof repair or replacement- including, replacing decking material and roof, and/or changing roof material (e.g., shingles to metal).
- Electrical system upgrades required to enable energy efficient/clean energy. Measures limited to electric panel upgrades, updated wiring and conduit, grounding, and arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) and ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers.
Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:
Criterion 1: Energy Related Impacts of Upgrade (40%)
- Energy Savings
- Energy Cost Savings
- Emission Reductions
- Plan to Measure Energy Impacts
- Specifications or Rationale for Proposed Upgrade
Criterion 2: Organizational Capacity and Need (30%)
- Project Team Composition
- Timeline
- Statement of Need
Criterion 3: Community Related Impacts (30%)
- Justice40 Community Benefits
- Reinvestment to Mission