The American-Made Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce (Upskill Prize) is a $5 million prize designed to accelerate the expansion of the U.S. solar manufacturing workforce and equip workers with the skills necessary to revitalize the domestic solar manufacturing supply chain. This prize targets various facets of the U.S. solar photovoltaics (PV) module supply chain, addressing critical workforce needs.  Competing teams propose comprehensive workforce training plans that are composed of either (or both) new worker training or incumbent worker training.

Training programs funded by the Brownfields Job Training Grant provide program graduates with the opportunity to seek and obtain environmental jobs that contractors may otherwise fill from outside the affected community. EPA intends to use this grant opportunity to support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and the incorporation of strong labor standards and workforce programs. Brownfields Job Training Grants help residents take advantage of jobs across a spectrum of brownfield related activities, including the assessment, cleanup, remediation, and planning/site preparation for the revitalization of brownfields. This can involve the assessment and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste; chemical risk management; stormwater management relating to site cleanup; planning and site preparation for low impact development activities; planning and site preparation for green infrastructure installation and maintenance; and vulnerability assessment and contamination mitigation planning. Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they partner with and secure hiring commitments from local contractors and other stakeholders in communities where EPA-funded projects are located.

The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. NBRC encourages projects that take a creative approach to addressing an economic need or opportunity in the region, alleviate economic distress, and contribute to economic growth. Successful projects support a broad range of economic development initiatives such as, but not limited to, projects that modernize and expand access to public water and wastewater services, revitalize transportation infrastructure, establish workforce development programs and facilities, grow the outdoor recreation economy, and provide access to new childcare and healthcare facilities.

The Office of Policy (OP) is requesting applications from organizations working to increase community capacity to implement clean energy projects, including energy efficiency, and/or access federal funding. Organizations applying to this funding opportunity should have demonstrated experience providing educational or technical assistance services to entities within the eligibility range for elective pay, which includes state, local, tribal, and territorial governmental entities, as well as non-profit organizations. Applicants should also have or have access to demonstrated tax expertise and be able to provide generalized tax advice to a public audience.

The objective of this funding opportunity is to support the development and distribution of blueprints or other guiding reference materials, as previously described, to serve as a resource to communities, including DOE grantees, as they plan and develop projects which are eligible for clean energy tax credits through Elective Pay or the 179d energy efficient commercial building property tax deduction. Materials developed through this opportunity may be designed for the general audience of elective pay eligible entities or targeted towards specific audiences defined by geographic region (including U.S. territories), organization type, Tribal association, or other characteristics.

At the heart of the initiative is a two-year fellowship program overseen by DOE’s Office of Energy Jobs that will recruit candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to learn how to develop and implement strategic workforce partnerships in their communities.  RAMP seeks to provide opportunities to Fellows to learn how to create workforce strategies to meet the demand for skilled workers in high quality jobs on large energy projects funded in part by DOE. RAMP’s goal is to create and scale effective, inclusive workforce development strategies aimed at forging pathways for local workers, underrepresented populations, and disadvantaged communities (including justice-involved people, youth, and women). Fellows will receive professional development, technical assistance, training in effective workforce practices, and the opportunity to participate in peer learning with other community leaders and RAMP fellows across the country.

The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to provide grant funding for non-profit organizations to establish Women Business Centers (WBCs) that will provide entrepreneurial development services to women, with an emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in locations that are outside of the geographical areas of existing WBCs within the United States and its territories.

ACCESS – Accelerating Contractors of Color in Energy for Sustainable Success – is a 10-week program for aspiring clean energy (energy efficiency & renewable energy) business owners that provides business coaching, connections, mentorship, and access to capital. Through weekly virtual classes and independent assignments, ACCESS participants will learn business fundamentals including customer discovery, product-market-fit, and go-to-market strategy, as well as storytelling and presentation skills. Participants will receive follow-on support that includes capital grants, mentorship pairing and facilitation, certification assistance to demonstrate minority ownership, and access to networking events and technical workshops.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to provide grant funding for organizations to establish Women’s Business Centers (WBCs) to assist women entrepreneurs with application readiness for certification in the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Programs, procurement assistance, and entrepreneurial development.

The MSI Contract Readiness Prize is a one-phase capacity building prize that aims to boost equity across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) contracting for small, medium, and large Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). This prize builds on the successes of the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative that is working toward environmental justice for all Americans by involving MSIs as key strategic partners.

Training programs funded by the Brownfields Job Training Grant provide program graduates with the opportunity to seek and obtain environmental jobs that contractors may otherwise fill from outside the affected community. EPA intends to use this grant opportunity to support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and the incorporation of strong labor standards and workforce programs. Brownfields Job Training Grants help residents take advantage of jobs across a spectrum of brownfield related activities, including the assessment, cleanup, remediation, and planning/site preparation for the revitalization of brownfields. This can involve the assessment and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste; chemical risk management; stormwater management relating to site cleanup; planning and site preparation for low impact development activities; planning and site preparation for green infrastructure installation and maintenance; and vulnerability assessment and contamination mitigation planning. Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they partner with and secure hiring commitments from local contractors and other stakeholders in communities where EPA-funded projects are located.

The Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program provides funding to organizations to execute state/regional programs that increase the number of SBIR/STTR proposals leading to an increase in the number of SBIR/STTR awards from women, socially/economically disadvantaged individuals, and small businesses in underrepresented areas – typically rural states.

FAST awards build the SBIR/STTR ecosystem through:

Outreach: increase the pipeline of SBIR/STTR applicants through training and outreach; and build the capacity of partner organizations and individuals to support SBIR/STTR applicants and existing awardees.

Technical and business assistance: support entrepreneurs and startups through programs or services that improve proposal development and team creation; provide assistance that leads to the commercialization of technology developed through SBIR/STTR program funding; and form or encourage relevant mentoring networks to provide business advice and counseling.

Financial support: make grants or loans to applicants to pay a portion or all the cost of developing SBIR/STTR proposals (Phase 0), attending relevant conferences, and bridging gaps between phases.