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2025-2026 Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Grant (Colorado)

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Agrivoltaics Research and Demonstration Grant applications are open now!

Donor Name: Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA)

State: Colorado

County: Selected Counties

Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement

Deadline: 05/30/2025

Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000

Grant Duration: 1 Year

Details:

The Agrivoltaics Research and Development (R&D) Grant Program supports innovation and research in the agrivoltaics industry to support agricultural producers and further Colorado’s renewable energy transition.

This grant encourages innovative projects, including demonstrations of agrivoltaics, research projects, and outreach campaigns to further agrivoltaics and Colorado’s agricultural economy.

Project Priorities

For Grant Year 2025-2026, CDA will prioritize the following project types. These projects will receive 10 points in the grant evaluation rubric.

  • Project Priority 1: Demonstration Projects Planning, Permitting, or Construction. Proposals must define what phase of project development they are in, what the final deliverables will be at the end of the grant term, and how the final project will incorporate public demonstration components. CDA recognizes that projects in Phase 1 and Phase 2 are still under development. You can stack Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects for a maximum of $100,000. However, you must explain in your narrative why you will be able to accomplish both phases in one year–in their experience this is hard to do
    • Phase 1:  Planning. Funding to engage with agrivoltaic partners (farmers, rancher, utilities and agrivoltaics developers), create a site plan and conduct feasibility study. Final deliverables may include: feasibility study, site drawings and construction design, outreach events. Maximum funding: $50,000
    • Phase 2:  Permitting. Funding for landowners to finalize site design and get appropriate permits from counties and utilities. Final deliverables could include county land use permit and other required permits, utility power purchase agreements, interconnection agreements. Maximum funding: $50,000
    • Phase 3: Construction. Funding to construct projects that are already designed and permitted, with appropriate agreements from developers, land managers, and utilities. Construction projects require a 1:1 match. Maximum funding: $150,000
  • Project Priority 2: Outreach and Research.
    • Demonstration:  Funding to host outreach event(s) on existing agrivoltaic arrays. Maximum funding: $50,000
    • Research priority questions:  Funding to answer the following research questions. Maximum funding: $100,000
      • Benefits and impacts to agricultural workers of working within agrivoltaic arrays
      • Challenges, barriers and potential opportunities of installing agrivoltaic systems with different Colorado utilities and co-ops
      • Microclimates created by solar panels and the impact to conservation objectives (e.g. ecosystem services / soil health/ biodiversity).

Funding Information

  • The total available funding is $300,000
  • The maximum grant award is $150,000
  • Grants are paid on a reimbursement basis.

Grant Period

July 2025 – June 30, 2026.

Eligible Project Types

Eligible project types include any phase(s) of an agrivoltaics demonstration project:

  • Planning and/or permitting of agrivoltaics demonstration projects
  • Construction of agrivoltaics demonstration projects
  • Expansion of existing demonstration projects of agrivoltaic systems
  • Research, monitoring and/or analysis of an agrivoltaic demonstration project
  • Outreach and communication projects promoting results found from agrivoltaics demonstration projects
  • Other projects that further the research and demonstration of agrivoltaics projects.

Eligible Expenses

Eligible expenses include but are not limited to:

  • Salaries
  • Travel expenses (aligned with the rates defined by the US General Services Administration)
  • Direct costs including, but not limited to:
    • Construction costs, including materials and labor
    • Research supplies
    • Payment or lease of needed equipment or land
    • Marketing or outreach materials
    • Permitting fees
    • Project Assessments and feasibility studies
    • Contractor payments
    • Indirect costs (maximum 5% of grant award).

Eligible Activities

This grant encourages innovative projects, including demonstrations of agrivoltaics, research projects, and outreach campaigns to further agrivoltaics and Colorado’s agricultural economy.

Geographic Priorities

  • In 2025-2026, CDA will also prioritize projects in Southeastern and Southwestern CO. This is to diversify grant project locations and create a wide variety of demonstration project types. Projects located in this area will receive 5 additional points in the Grant Evaluation Rubric. Statewide projects will not be awarded these extra points
  • Projects in the following counties are considered priority: Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Crowley, Custer, Dolores, El Paso, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Kiowa, La Plata, Las Animas, Lincoln, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Ouray, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel.

Eligibility Criteria 

  • Tribal or local government
  • Colleges, universities, or other institutions of higher education
  • Other research organizations
  • Energy providers, including electric cooperatives, utilities
  • 501(c)3s
  • For-profit entities
  • Farmers, Ranchers, other Individuals.

For more information, visit CDA.

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