Workforce, Community & Diversity Programs

Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program

The RCP Program aims to advance and support reconnection of communities divided by transportation infrastructure – with a priority on helping disadvantaged communities improve access to daily needs (jobs, schools, healthcare, grocery stores, and recreation). Funds for the fiscal years (FY) 2024, 2025, and 2026 RCP grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to support planning and capital construction activities that aim to restore community connectivity through the removal, retrofit, mitigation or replacement of highways, roadways, or other infrastructure facilities that create barriers to mobility, access or economic development.

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ENERGYWERX Intertribal Organization Opportunity: Support for Tribal Clean Energy Communication and Engagement

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) is seeking collaboration with up to four regional nonprofit intertribal organizations as a pilot program to coordinate, collaborate, and partner with the Office of Indian Energy. The purpose of this opportunity (or project) is to help federally recognized Tribes navigate and access DOE clean energy funding and technical assistance opportunities by amplifying DOE messaging and creating effective engagement opportunities for member Tribes. Funding will support communication, internal organizational capacity-building, and engagement activities, with the goal of building long-lasting effective working relationships with Tribal elected leaders and, key staff, and DOE.

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ENERGYWERX Voucher Opportunity 8: Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Community Development (Recipients)

Are you a community interested in demonstrating or deploying a long duration energy storage (LDES) technology? This voucher opportunity seeks to provide communities who wish to benefit from the decarbonization, resilience, affordability, and workforce benefits of energy storage and are interested in innovative, first-time long-duration energy storage (LDES) deployments. These communities will receive services such as siting/permitting support, storage project road mapping, regional modeling, energy use analysis, technical feasibility studies, technology solution decision-making, or community engagement. While there are no restrictions on eligible communities, supporting disadvantaged communities (DACs) is an important goal of this opportunity. Providers may include national labs, consulting firms, or nonprofits.

Vouchers will be distributed as in-kind support, meaning that ENERGYWERX will directly reimburse the voucher provider for the work they have completed on behalf of the voucher recipients. The value of each voucher will depend on the services defined in the Providers’ capability statements, with estimated values of support services per recipient ranging from $50k to $150k.

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Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce – Round 2

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.

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FY25 Brownfields Job Training Grant

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.

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Northern Border Regional Commission – Catalyst Program (ME, NH, NY, VT)

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.

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Elective Pay – Blueprints for Communities

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.

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Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative

Regional Innovation Cluster Initiative supports geographically concentrated groups of organizations that work together to support the growth of small businesses and their related industry. The fiscal year (FY) 2024 solicitation for the Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) Initiative is currently open.
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Community Workforce Readiness Accelerator for Major Projects (RAMP) Fellowship

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.

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WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER (WBC) – INITIAL PHASE GRANTS

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.

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Accelerating Contractors of Color in Energy for Sustainable Success (ACCESS)

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.

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Women’s Business Center Application Readiness and Procurement Assistance

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.

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