Through this Request for Proposals, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (“MassCEC”) is offering the Students and Young Adult Equity Workforce Climate Service Corps Grants.
Donor Name: Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (MassCEC)
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/12/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Grants will help establish career pathways in clean energy with training providers to provide work based learning programming under MassCEC’s Climate Service Corps Program.
Climate Service Corps Grants will provide direct funding and technical assistance support to organizations that can build and scale career pathway programs tied to occupations in the energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling sector for young people ages 18-24 from the following targeted populations.
- Individuals from Environmental Justice (“EJ”) Neighborhoods3 or low-income communities;
- Members of federally recognized or state-acknowledged tribes;
- Members of underrepresented communities in the clean energy workforce; and
- Current or former workers from the fossil fuel industry (“Fossil Fuel Workers”).
The goals for Climate Service Corps programs include:
- Contribute to the talent pipeline for climate critical occupations in the energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling sector with careful attention to regional and local occupational labor demand.
- Ensure equity and inclusion via purposeful recruitment, sufficient wages, and effective support.
- Provide an integrated sequence of learning and service activities that constitute the start of a career pathway.
- Incorporate opportunities for participants to build social capital and develop networking skills.
- Enable a smooth transition from participation in the Climate Service Corps to related continued education, training, or career opportunities.
- Be designed to have a positive impact both on participants and community climate challenges.
- Offer young people the opportunity to tackle climate change via compensated work and service opportunities.
Funding Information
MassCEC anticipates awarding a total of 800,000.00 in funds through the one deadline being offered to Applicants, with funds available until expended. MassCEC may increase or decrease funding at its sole discretion.
- Strand A: Implementation: $120,000 – $375,000.
- One (1) to Two (2) year award.
- Strand B: Planning: $30,000 to $50,000.
- Six (6) months to one (1) year award.
Eligible Funding Uses
Applicants must use funds to implement workforce development programs that lead to careers in the clean energy sector. Grant funds shall be used for activities including, but not limited to:
- Staff time devoted to the program, including outreach and recruitment, intake and assessment, training delivery, wraparound support services, job placement services, and retention services, or to general operating activities needed to launch and continue the program, where costs related to general operating do not exceed the stated indirect rate;
- Marketing, communications, and outreach activities related to recruitment for the program, such as design costs for marketing collateral, purchasing mass media spots, and website or social media costs as long as it’s less than 10% of the total budget;
- Subcontracting with training providers for curriculum delivery or with vendors providing specific training platforms or licensure testing services;
- Purchasing and installing specialized equipment for training;
- Leasing venue space and other direct startup costs needed for training delivery;
- Training stipends for program participants;
- Subsidized wages for on-the-job training/initial placements;
- Support services to reduce barriers, including but not limited to transportation reimbursements, language support, and childcare subsidies;
- Uniforms or professional clothing, equipment, and gear subsidies.
Eligibility Criteria
- Individual organizations or partnerships are eligible to apply. If multiple parties are applying jointly, one party should take on the role of lead applicant.
- The following entities are eligible to serve as a lead applicant:
- Community-based entities (often called community-based organizations) include community action partnerships, environmental justice organizations, neighborhood revitalization organizations, advocacy groups, affordable housing providers, affordable housing developers, and non-profits
- Post-secondary educational institutions, K-12 school districts, comprehensive and vocational high schools, middle schools, and vocational schools offering a Career Technical Initiative evening program
- For-profit entities such as for-profit training companies, trade associations, unions, or other coalitions of businesses and clean energy businesses
- Federally recognized and state-acknowledged tribes
- Workforce Development Organizations, non-profit or for-profit
- Massachusetts Workforce Investment Boards and Career Centers/MassHire organizations.
Applicants may apply for one (1) or more of the following categories:
- Strand A: Implementation Grants for a career pathway workforce development program that incorporates all the MA Climate Service Corps framework’s required components and demonstrates strategic braiding or utilization of matching funds to support a robust program offering.
- Strand B: Planning Grants to prepare for full implementation of the MA Climate Service Corps program via a comprehensive planning process supported by MassCEC technical assistance.
For more information, visit MassCEC.
