ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA is partnering with the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) to offer market-building funding and technical support to help communities — cities, towns, counties, and Tribal Nations and their partner not-for-profit organizations — to develop and finance clean energy projects and pursue CGC’s Municipal Investment Fund and CGC’s Open Solicitation, targeting projects that can accelerate U.S. clean power projects, create jobs, lower energy costs, and improve the quality of life for all Americans.
This opportunity provides technical assistance and up to $500,000 in funding for up to 100 communities (target of two communities per state) for market-building activities necessary to develop and finance National Clean Investment Fund-qualified projects. While up to ten communities will ultimately join CGC’s Municipal Investment Fund’s inaugural cohort, all 100 participating communities will benefit from the market building, planning, and proposal-submission process.
About the Municipal Investment Fund
The Coalition for Green Capital has a mission to use public-private investments to accelerate the transition “from carbon to clean” cheaply and quickly. CGC’s vision is to build an American clean power platform by, for, and with communities. Through the Municipal Investment Fund, CGC is seeking proposals from qualifying cities, towns, counties, and Tribal Nations, and their partner non-for-profit organizations to develop and finance clean energy projects. Proposals are due March 3, 2025.
Through a combination of investment and grants, CGC will select an inaugural cohort of up to ten communities to provide wrap-around support for the development and financing of qualified projects including:
- Direct investment opportunities in qualified projects of $50 million and above
- Co-investment opportunities for qualified projects between $10 to 50 million
- Technical assistance from CGC staff and network
- Up to $1 million in pre-development grants and fundraising support
- Promotional and marketing to get the project in front of national financiers
The fund is seeking projects that can be submitted to CGC’s Open Solicitation, targeting projects that can accelerate U.S. clean power projects, create jobs, lower energy costs, and improve the quality of life for all Americans.
Apply for ICLEI USA’s Funding & Technical Support for the CGC Municipal Investment Fund
To qualify for this opportunity, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Population Size: Cities, towns, counties, and Tribal Nations must have a population of fewer than 750,000 residents.
- LIDAC Designation: Applications must include at least one census tract designated as a Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community (LIDAC) as defined by the White House Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool or an equivalent definition under the U.S. EPA NCIF program.
- Whole Community Approach: Ability to pull together a coalition that includes community organizations, labor, businesses, utilities, renewable energy developers, and state and local lenders.
- Partnership Requirement: The opportunity is available to all not-for-profit non-federal entities. Applicants are encouraged to partner with a not-for-profit organization, which will be the entity that will have a grant agreement with ICLEI USA. The preferred partner is a local or state Green Bank. If the applicant does not have access to a green lender, the applicant may select a qualifying not-for-profit organization OR ICLEI USA can serve as the default organization. In all cases, the partner non-for-profits must have:
- A Subrecipient Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and
- Registration in the federal System for Award Management (SAM).
To express your interest, complete the application form using this link. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis to ensure equitable distribution of funds and compliance with minimum qualifications.