Innovation Onramp
Are you working on a solution to a key technical, market and/or policy barrier to deep decarbonization? Innovation Onramp provides funding for promising solutions to specific barriers. Learn more about the current cycle and apply below.
Innovation Onramp Fall 2024 Cycle
The Innovation Onramp program is launching its fall 2024 cycle to provide up to $150,000 for piloting decarbonization solutions in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) invites applications from Electric Vehicle Service Equipment providers, non-profits, and businesses for projects that will deploy and demonstrate innovative solutions addressing key market barriers to achieving affordable EV charging at multifamily (MF) properties.
Solutions sought include those that navigate the challenges of typical MF property charging installations, such as high up-front installation costs, complex stakeholder coordination, and the need for fair electricity billing for residents using the chargers. The goal of these pilot projects is to offer scalable solutions to reduce the gap in charging costs between MF and single-family (SF) dwellings.
Goals and Objectives
The theme of the fall 2024 funding is equitable multifamily EV charging.
While SVCE’s efforts to expand electric vehicle charging access for MF residents progresses, significant equity challenges remain. MF residents often face higher charging costs than SF residents due to the need to recover high installation expenses, ongoing maintenance fees, networking and billing fees, and electricity usage, resulting in higher prices for EV charging at these properties. These higher costs are typically in the form of markup fees per kWh and/or through monthly membership fees to enable billing.
Providing affordable EV charging at MF properties is difficult due to several factors: the diverse nature of MF buildings, high installation costs, complex stakeholder coordination, and the need for fair electricity billing. It’s important that the cost of installing EV chargers is not unfairly distributed to non-EV drivers and that demand charges are managed effectively to lower charging costs.
SVCE’s goals are two-fold:
- Address key market barriers to cost-effective EV charging installations at multifamily properties.
- Demonstrate a scalable solution to reduce the disparity in charging costs between multifamily and single-family residents.

Application Information
The application period for the Innovation Onramp fall 2024 cycle is open. Grant applications are due on December 13, 2024 by 5:00 P.M. Pacific Time.
Application Resources:
Timeline
SVCE has allocated a total of $1,000,000 in funding for this program and anticipates awarding 3-5 grants depending on the number and scope of the applications received. Applicants can request up to $150,000 for a given project and may only apply for a single project. Exceptions can be made for higher amounts depending on the project scope. Grant funds will be disbursed in milestone payments: 50% after installation and operational testing of the EVSE, and 50% upon project completion and submission of the final report. The expected timeline is:
Activities |
Date & Time |
---|---|
Grant Solicitation Released |
October 15, 2024 |
Pre-Application Grant Webinar |
October 31, 2024 at 11:00am |
Pre-Application Questions Due |
November 5, 2024 by 5:00pm |
Grant Applications Due |
December 13, 2024 by 5:00pm |
Anticipated Award Announcement |
January 15, 2025 by 5:00 pm |
Anticipated Grant Agreement Established |
March 14, 2025 |
Deadline to Spend Grant Funds |
12 months from grant award date (exceptions may be provided depending on the scope of the project). |
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:
Experience (25 points)
- Key staff working on the project, partner organization description and role, organization’s relevant experience, expertise, and qualifications, number of EVI installations/applications and dates of completion.
Project (10 points)
- Solution previously implemented/awarded by the applicant, location secured, property manager approval. (Eligible sites include Multifamily properties with 5 or more units; or curbsides, parking lots or garages service multifamily residents (<0.5 mile of an existing multifamily property.)
Project Summary (10 points)
- Project background, approach, timeline, outcomes.
Project Budget (5 points)
- Funds provided by the applicant, funds secured from other sources.
Project Focus Area (30 points)
- Residents impacted (# of MF units), price comparison to single-family home or DCFC charging rates, cost effectiveness per port, non-residents/other customers impacted (# of customers).
Innovation (10 points)
- Solution previously implemented by any company.
Scalable & Transferrable (5 points)
- Scalability and adaptability within SVCE territory.
Customer Privacy (5 points)
- Customer data privacy and security.
Eligibility
To be eligible, the following must apply:
- Your project must address affordability of EV charging at multifamily properties.
- Your project must be scalable.
- Your project must involve an on-site demonstration or pilot implementation. Your project idea should not have been previously selected for an Innovation Onramp grant.
- The project needs to be located at a site served by SVCE.
- Your company needs to have been in business for a minimum of two years.
- You must have implemented an EV infrastructure solution in the past three years.
- You must be OK with the results of your project being shared publicly by SVCE.
- You must agree to comply with all permitting and inspection rules and regulations for the installation set by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction.
- You must comply with the list of terms and conditions as set forth in the Standard Contract Agreement with SVCE. Any modifications to the Standard Contract Agreement must be uploaded with the application and agreed to by SVCE prior to grant award.
- Project site must be implemented on an existing property, not a future development.
Co-funding for the project is encouraged but the project may not be contingent on that funding if it is not secured already.
Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to:
- Leveraging PG&E’s virtual submetering protocol with an approved EV charging original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
- Installing submeters on EV chargers, measure electricity usage for EV charging, assign costs directly to the resident, and ensure precise and fair billing.
- Direct wiring of EV charging equipment to an individual EV driver’s meter, leveraging load management devices.
- Providing residents of multifamily properties with access to comparable low-cost tariffs to match off-peak fees at public charging stations.
- There may be other solutions to this market problem and all ideas are welcome! Solutions can use hardware, software or programmatic processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA)? How does it differ from a typical utility (e.g. PG&E)?
Assembly Bill 117 was passed in 2002 to establish Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) also known as Community Choice Energy (CCE), a new way for California communities to provide local residents and businesses with a choice of electric providers and sources of electricity. CCAs replace an Investor-Owned Utility’s electric generation services with a local, publicly controlled electric generation service. In the SVCE service area, SVCE is responsible for purchasing electricity, which PG&E then distributes to homes and businesses. PG&E continues to provide billing service, account starts and stops, resolves outages, performs power line maintenance and remains responsible for all gas services. For more information, please visit: https://svcleanenergy.org/the-agency/.
When will Innovation Onramp open for new applications?
SVCE plans to open the application process on October 15, 2024. If you’d like to be emailed when the application opens, please let us know at SVCEPrograms@smud.org.
Can Innovation Onramp funds be combined with SVCE’s Multifamily Electric Vehicle Charging Incentives Program funds?
Yes, funds can be stacked across the two programs.
Who can apply to the Innovation Onramp program?
EVSE hardware and software vendors, nonprofits, and private companies are eligible to apply for this program. Applications can be submitted by a single entity or by a team with multiple partners, with one party designated as the lead for contracting. These projects will take place at multifamily properties or publicly available sites serving multifamily residents (<0.5-mile of an existing multifamily property), and applicants are encouraged to have a specific site in mind. However, due to the technical nature of the work, property owners and managers are not expected to apply themselves, though they remain key stakeholders in the project process.
I submitted an application to Innovation Onramp previously but wasn’t selected – can I reapply?
Yes, you are welcome to reapply. You are encouraged to incorporate any feedback and insight that you may have received related to your previous application.
How do I get help tailoring my application and understanding SVCE’s priorities?
An informational webinar will be held on October 31, 2024 at 11am. You may also write to SVCEPrograms@smud.org to ask questions about questions about the program or application process.
How are Innovation Onramp projects selected?
Applications will be evaluated on how well they meet the goals of addressing affordability of EV charging at multifamily properties and how scalable they are.
Are there any priority areas of interest? Are there any topic areas that SVCE won’t fund?
SVCE is focused on funding innovative, scalable solutions that can be demonstrated through real-world scenarios to make EV charging more affordable for multifamily residents. We prioritize projects that showcase technical feasibility through the installation of EV charging infrastructure, fair billing systems, and affordable pricing strategies. Successful projects must have the potential for real-world implementation and provide valuable demonstrations that can be scaled across other sites.
SVCE will not fund any projects that cannot be physically demonstrated, such as planning documents, blueprints, designs, or other theoretical proposals. Additionally, we will not fund non-technical expenses like vendor travel, outreach efforts, or unrelated site improvements. Only projects that directly contribute to the deployment and operation of EV charging solutions will be considered.
What does SVCE consider “innovative”? Does a project need to have a technology aspect to be considered for Innovation Onramp?
SVCE takes a broad view of innovation. While some pilot projects may have a technology focus, others may employ innovative stakeholder engagement and outreach strategies, or innovative solutions to policy design and urban planning, for example. To improve your application’s chances of success, simply identify the problem you wish to address, how current solutions fall short, and how your project brings an innovative solution to the table. SVCE is also interested in deploying innovative solutions that have been piloted in other regions or contexts, to help facilitate achieving scale.
What is the maximum amount of funding I can apply for through Innovation Onramp?
SVCE will provide funding of up to $150,000 for pilot projects that effectively demonstrate real-world applications of EV charging solutions.
What costs will Innovation Onramp grant funds cover? Are there any ineligible costs?
Eligible Project Costs:
Hardware Costs
- EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) hardware
- Submetering equipment for individual tenant billing
- Telematics devices for vehicle-to-charger communication
- Direct wiring components for connecting chargers to resident meters
Installation Costs
- Labor for installing EVSE and associated hardware (subject to the payment of prevailing wage). (su
- Electrical upgrades, including wiring and panel upgrades necessary for EVSE installation
- Permitting fees related to installation
Software Development and Licensing
- Software for managing and monitoring EV charging sessions
- Telematics software for submetering EV charging costs
- Custom billing software that provides a more affordable pricing structure for tenants
- Integration with public charging networks or existing multifamily property systems
Planning, Design, and Engineering
- Site assessments and feasibility studies
- Design work for integrating EVSE into existing electrical infrastructure
- Engineering consultations for system integration and efficiency optimization
- Load management planning to minimize peak electricity demand
- System testing and operational verification of EVSE functionality
- Calibration and verification of submetering systems for tenant billing
Ineligible Project Costs:
- Any travel expenses incurred by the vendor for site visits, meetings, or installations
- Costs related to promotional activities or tenant engagement programs
- Vendor costs for marketing or public awareness campaigns
- Non-Essential Personnel
- Non-technical project management expenses not directly tied to planning or installation
- General office supplies and overhead costs
- Meals, lodging, and per diems for vendor employees
- Legal fees or other non-technical professional services not directly related to the project
- Any upgrades or improvements to the property not specifically related to EVSE installation (e.g., repaving parking lots, adding lighting, or landscaping)
How long will I have to implement my Innovation Onramp pilot project?
You have 12 months to implement your project from the time of contract execution, but SVCE will consider different proposed timelines given the considerations for the pilot.
Is there minimum power requirement for the EVSE?
SVCE is open to a range of technology options and power requirements for EVSE, allowing for innovative engineering solutions that align with the program’s goal of making EV charging more affordable for multifamily residents. However, all equipment must comply with the specifications outlined in the FutureFit Multifamily Electric Vehicle Charging Installation Incentive Program.
Innovation Onramp Intro Webinar
SVCE held an optional pre-application grant webinar on October 31 at 11am to describe the grant program, application process, and answer questions.
Check out previous innovation pilot projects we funded!
Check out the pilot projects launched with local innovators through the Innovation Onramp program. The projects address key technical, market and policy barriers to achieving deep decarbonization in our service territory & beyond.
Questions?
Please direct questions to SVCEPrograms@smud.org