Grant Applications for Member Agencies – Now  Open

$6.5 Million in grant funding is available to member agencies for building or transportation electrification, energy resilience, or community engagement on these topics. Learn more about the open grant applications below.

Noncompetitive Member Agency Grants

The SVCE Noncompetitive Member Agency Grants provide $3 Million to support each member agency’s clean energy and climate goals. Each member agency will be awarded funding to invest in a project that supports building or transportation electrification, energy resilience, or community engagement on these topics. Projects can be located at public sites or municipal operation facilities. Each member agency will receive a baseline of $100K in grant funding, with the remaining grant funding divided based on the agencies’ percentage of SVCE electric load.

Eligibility

  • Applicant must be one of the thirteen SVCE member agencies.
  • Project must support the development of building and/or transportation electrification and/or improve energy resilience.
  • Project must be located at public sites or municipal operation facilities.
  • Project examples include, but are not limited to:
Fleet Electrification Facility Electrification Facility & Fleet Resilience Decarb Demonstration Innovative Community Engagement
Convert to electric fleet vehicles Remove gas infrastructure and replace space/water/pool heating with heat pumps Solar + battery storage Any of the examples listed (with the exception of the “Innovative Community Engagement” column) combined with an educational component Community Needs Assessment
Install L2 charging or DCFC charging Kitchen electrification Battery added to existing solar, off-grid EV chargers Resilience hub tours
Install bidirectional EV charger and purchase compatible bidirectional fleet EV Electric home tours
Induction cooktop campaigns
Rebates or incentives for electric appliances

The Grant Form provides more detailed information on project types, eligible and ineligible project costs, and parameters on stacking with other SVCE or external grants. The table above is not an exhaustive list, and SVCE will consider projects that align with our mission, reduce emissions, and engage the community.

Funding

  • Each agency will receive a $100K baseline.
  • The remaining funds will be distributed as follows:
Agency % of SVCE Load Total Allocation for Noncompetitive Grant Funding
Campbell 5% $177,644
Cupertino 5% $186,769
Gilroy 6% $196,717
Los Altos 3% $149,093
Los Altos Hills 1% $117,275
Los Gatos 4% $173,184
Milpitas 16% $372,233
Monte Sereno 0% $106,521
Morgan Hill 5% $186,529
Mountain View 14% $341,460
Saratoga 3% $146,076
Sunnyvale 29% $594,923
Unincorporated County 9% $251,577
Total 100% $3,000,000

Timeline

Activities
Date & Time
Grant Form Released
October 30, 2024
Completed Grant Form Due
December 5, 2025
Grant Agreement Established
At earliest convenience
Deadline to Spend Grant Funds for Engagement Projects
December 31, 2027
Deadline to Spend Grant Funds for Capital Projects
December 31, 2028

Submission

Submit the completed Grant Form by Friday, December 5, 2025, to jessica.cornejo@svcleanenergy.org.

  1. Please have the completed grant form approved as required by the member agency and signed by the member agency’s chief executive prior to submission.
  2. Title the email subject “[INSERT AGENCY] Noncompetitive Grant Application”
  3. SVCE staff will review and ensure the application meets the requirements prior to initiating the Grant Agreement.
  4. Upon approval of the Grant Form, the member jurisdiction will need to accept and complete SVCE’s Grant Agreement as soon as possible and prior to expending any grant funds.
    •  The completed agreement must be approved as required by the member agency, signed by the member agency’s chief executive, and sent to jessica.cornejo@svcleanenergy.org. The Grant Agreement will then be routed to SVCE’s Chief Executive Officer for final approval and signature.

Competitive Member Agency Grants

The Competitive Member Agency Grants will award $3.5 Million to the thirteen SVCE member agencies through a competitive solicitation process. Two tracks are available: 1) the Decarbonization Track and 2) the Engagement Track. The Decarbonization Track provides capital funding for building, transportation electrification, and/or energy resilience projects, that demonstrate the feasibility of all-electric technology to the community. The Engagement Track provides funding for community engagement projects that educate the community on building and transportation electrification in innovative ways. Applications received will be reviewed and selected by an SVCE-organized panel.

Eligibility

  • Applicant must be one of the thirteen SVCE member agencies.
  • Project must be located at a public site.
    • Ideal sites include but are not limited to community centers, recreational centers, senior centers city/town halls, public libraries, and parks.
  •  Project and application must include a community engagement plan to leverage the site(s) for community education, exhibition, and demonstration as well as replicability.

Eligible Projects Under the Decarbonization Track

  • Eligible project types for the Decarbonization Track include, but are not limited to:
Eligible Projects Include
Electric Vehicles & Infrastructure Building Electrification Building & EVI Energy Resilience (Optional)
EV for community use (public rideshares, bookmobiles, shuttle services) Removal of gas infrastructure and replacement with electric equipment at a public site (heat pump water heater or heating ventilation & air conditioning) Installation of solar and battery storage on a building to function as a resilience center
Public EV chargers (L2 or DCFC) Kitchen electrification Installation of battery storage to existing solar on a building to function as a resilience center
Bidirectional EV charging station and bidirectional fleet EV Electrifying a centralized heating system that serves multiple buildings at a site Mobile off-grid EV chargers for emergency charging situations
All-electric tiny homes for unhoused residents

The Grant Solicitation provides more detailed information on project types, eligible and ineligible project costs, and grant application process and requirements.

Eligible Projects Under the Engagement Track

  • Eligible project types for the Engagement Track include, but are not limited to:
    • In-person educational events that engage the public on the benefits of electrification. Specific events can include:
      • EV Ride & Drive
      • Cool Block Program
      • Home or Business “Carbon-Diet” Programs
  • Induction cooktop campaign, funds can be used to purchase equipment, establish reoccurring induction cooktop trainings, and celebrity chef partnership.
  • Electric bookmobile featuring resources and books on how to electrify your life and information on climate change.
  • Art installation and/or murals on climate change and electrification.
  • Children’s play area featuring an all-electric playhouse.
  • Development of a jurisdiction-specific rebate or incentive program for electric appliances.

The table and list above is not an exhaustive list, and SVCE will consider projects that align with our mission, reduce emissions, and engage the community.

Funding

The total amount of funding for Competitive Member Agency Grants is $3.5 Million.

  • $500,000 available for projects in the Engagement Track. The maximum request amount is $100,000. SVCE anticipates awarding 5-8 grants depending on the number and scope of the applications received.
  • $3 Million available for projects in the Decarbonization Track. The maximum request amount is $1 Million. SVCE anticipates awarding 3-6 grants depending on the number and scope of the applications received.

Timeline

Activities
Date & Time
Grant Solicitation Released
October 30, 2024
Pre-Application Webinar
January 31, 2025 at PST 11 a.m.
Pre-Application Questions Due
(Email questions to solicitations@svcleanenergy.org)
February 14, 2025 by PST 5:00 p.m.
Grant Applications Due
March 28, 2025 by PST 5:00 p.m.
Award Announcement
April 25, 2025
Grant Agreement Established
At earliest convenience
Deadline to Spend Grant Funds under the Engagement Project Track
December 31, 2027
Deadline to Spend Grant Funds under the Decarbonization Project Track
December 31, 2028

This is a tentative timeline and may be subject to change at any time by SVCE, in SVCE’s sole discretion.

Submission

Submit the completed proposal by Friday, March 28, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time to solicitations@svcleanenergy.org.

  • Title the email subject line “[INSERT AGENCY] Grant Application for [LIST EITHER DECARBONZATION OR ENGAGEMENT] Track: [PROJECT NAME]” and send to solicitations@svcleanenergy.org. The grant application must be sent as a single PDF document.
  • Applications for the Decarbonization Track should be no more than 10 pages. Applications for the Engagement Track should be no more than 7 pages.

Please refer to the Grant Solicitation to view the Grant Selection Criteria, Process, and Requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the stacking policy for the grants?
  • SVCE will allow stacking with the Noncompetitive Member Agency Grant and the Competitive Member Agency Grant. If an Applicant is inclined to stack these two grants for a single capital project under the Competitive Member Agency Grant Decarbonization Track, that project must be at a site that is open to the public and available for demonstration purposes. If an Applicant is inclined to stack these two grants for a single engagement project under the Competitive Member Agency Grant Engagement Track, that project must expand community education on electrification and similar topics. A separate grant application for the project must be submitted for both grant programs. Depending on the applicant pool, additional funds from the Competitive Member Agency Grant are not guaranteed.
  • SVCE will allow stacking and matching with regional, utility, state, and federal grants.
  • SVCE will not allow stacking with previous SVCE grants, such as the 2020 Community Resilience Grant and the 2022 Decarbonization Demonstration & Engagement Grant. While previous sites can be considered for this, all proposed work in this application should be a new project.
How will the Competitive Member Agency Grants be selected?
  • The Competitive Member Agency Grants list the preferred criteria under the “Grant Selection Criteria” section of the Grant Solicitation. Projects will be graded and selected by an SVCE-organized panel based on the listed criteria.
What is the reimbursement process for the grants?
  • Reimbursement is done post-project for both the Noncompetitive Member Agency Grants and Competitive Member Agency Grants. Requests for payment submitted to SVCE shall include: 1) a cover letter on the agency’s letterhead summarizing the project and requested dollar amount for reimbursement 2) an itemized list of all expenditures; and 3) supporting documentation that clearly identifies the expenditure(s) in relation to the scope of the Project. The request for reimbursement should also include the agency’s final report documenting what was learned from the project.
Our project is experiencing delays and will not be complete by the term date listed in the grant agreement. Is there a way to accommodate this?
  • We understand that projects can experience delays for numerous reasons. If the delay is reasonable, SVCE may extend the grant agreement through an amendment. The agency must request the extension and provide a new proposed timeline. If approved, the amendment must be signed by the Agency’s and SVCE’s chief executive and/or attorney.
Who is the contact for questions about the Noncompetitive Member Agency Grants and Competitive Member Agency Grants?
  • For the Noncompetitive Member Agency Grants, please contact the Program Manager, Jessica Cornejo [Jessica.Cornejo@svcleanenergy.org].
  • For the Competitive Member Agency Grants, please route all questions to the solicitation email [solicitations@svcleanenergy.org] before the deadline for the pre-application questions on February 14, 2025, by 5 p.m.
  • Once projects are selected and grant agreements are executed, all inquiries can be sent to the Program Manager, Jessica Cornejo [Jessica.Cornejo@svcleanenergy.org].

Competitive Member Agency Grants Pre-Application Webinar

SVCE will hold an optional pre-application grant webinar on January 31 at 11am to describe the grant program, application process, and answer questions. Those interested in attending the webinar can register here.

See Completed SVCE Grant Projects!

Check out how past grant recipients have used SVCE grant funds to improve local electrification and decarbonization in our communities.