EPA offers two new funding opportunities

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched two Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs): the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. The National Clean Investment fund provides $14 billion to provide accessible, affordable financing for tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator provides $6 billion funding and technical assistance to public, quasi-public, not-for-profit, and nonprofit community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities

The National Clean Investment Fund will provide grants to support from two to three national clean financing institutions to partner with the private sector. At least 40% of the funds from the National Clean Investment Fund will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities, including rural communities, Tribal communities, communities with environmental justice concerns, energy communities, and persistent poverty counties.

The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make two or three awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions led by an eligible nonprofit are also eligible to apply. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO, which EPA has published on grants.gov.

The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will provide grants to support between two and seven hub nonprofit organizations. These hub nonprofits will enable hundreds of community lenders—such as community development financial institutions (including Native CDFIs), credit unions, green banks, housing finance agencies, and minority depository institutions—to finance clean technology projects. All the funds from the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will be dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The deadline to apply to this grant competition is October 12, 2023. EPA intends to make between two and seven awards under this competition. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits as defined in Section 134(c)(1) of the Clean Air Act and as further explained in the NOFO. Coalitions led by an eligible nonprofit can apply to this competition. Additional details on eligibility can be found in Section III of the NOFO, which EPA has published on grants.gov

EPA will host at least one public informational webinar for each competition:

National Clean Investment Fund webinar: July 26, 2023, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET (Register Here).

Clean Communities Investment Accelerator webinar: July 27, 2023, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm ET (Register Here).

Tools and resources for prospective applicants, including webinar information and helpful templates, can be found on EPA’s GGRF webpage.