The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Office of Grants Management (OGM) are soliciting grant applications for the County’s 2024 Healthy, Efficient, Electrified, Climate-Adapted Pilot (HEECAP) Homes Grants Program, which aims to retrofit income-eligible houses for energy efficiency, a healthy indoor environment, climate resilience and all-electric appliances.
Donor Name: Montgomery County Office of Grants Management
State: Maryland
County: Montgomery County (MD)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/08/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
This grant opportunity aligns with Montgomery County’s Climate Action Plan, which identifies the top climate hazards faced by County residents, as well as actions that will address the County’s declared climate emergency. Through the HEECAP Homes Grants Program, the County seeks to pilot new ideas on the best strategies to help Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) residents ensure their homes are resilient to climate change, safe, healthy, and efficient—in a broader effort to preserve and protect housing for vulnerable residents. This grant program seeks to fund projects and initiatives that meet that intent, specifically:
- Retrofit projects that remove fossil-fuel systems from homes and replace them with efficient electric systems, add batteries to onsite renewable energy systems, or perform other climate-resiliency measures not already funded through existing programs.
- Home improvement projects that are not currently funded by existing income eligible weatherization and/or energy efficiency programs that improve the safety and health of residents.
- Leveraging County grant funding from this program to fix home problems that prevent LMI residents’ increased participation in existing weatherization and/or energy efficiency programs.
Funding Priorities
- This program seeks to fill gaps not covered by existing federal, state and County programs, as well as to pilot approaches that may be scaled up into more established, large-scale County programs in the future, with the goals of maximizing emission reduction and adapting to climate change. Nonprofits that are already working with LMI residents to improve household energy efficiency are best positioned to be awarded funding under this program.
- Montgomery County seeks proposals that apply a racial equity lens, demonstrate cultural proficiency, and inclusivity of the LGBTQIA+ community members.
Funding Information
Montgomery County Government anticipates awarding $1,500,000 through approximately one to five grant awards. It is anticipated that each grant award may range between $100,000 and $1,500,000.
Grant Period
The duration of any grant award under this solicitation is expected to be 12, 18 or 24 months contingent on satisfactory performance and funds availability.
Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses under this grants program include both capital and operating costs. Capital expenses are one-time costs $5,000 or more in value that cover the purchase or significant improvement of a fixed asset. Operating costs are defined as costs that support ongoing expenditures associated with projects.
Target Populations
The target population for this grants program is LMI residents (i.e., households that have an income at or below 85% of the Area Media Income for Montgomery County). The grant recipient must outline in their application how eligibility will be verified.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all the following conditions:
- The organization must have a federal 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status or be a collaboration between two or more entities with at least one having this status.
- The organization must be registered to perform home upgrade work in the state of Maryland (i.e., MHIC licensed contractors) AND/OR have the capacity to procure MHIC licensed subcontractors prior to performing upgrade work.
- The organization must be currently registered and in Good Standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT);
- Recipients of home upgrades funded by this grant program must be located in Montgomery County, MD
- Current Montgomery County contract or grant award winners must be current on all reporting obligations for other awards and those reports must reflect substantial progress towards the goals of their awards;
- Proposed expenses must be for a new activity, expansion of existing activities, or a combination of both. County funding cannot be used to supplant other funding for already planned activities;
- Applicants may only submit one application per organization under this NOFO.
For more information, visit MCOGM.
