ICLEI USA & the Coalition for Green Capital Collaboration
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 tribes and their partner not-for-profit organizations — to develop public-private partnership plans that can accelerate the deployment and financing of clean energy projects. Selected communities will be qualified to pursue CGC’s Municipal Investment Fund.
Timeline
Communities will apply to receive technical assistance and up to $250,000 in grant funding to develop public-private partnership plans that can accelerate the deployment and financing of National Clean Investment Fund-qualified projects. CGC and ICLEI USA will select 100 communities (a target of two per state) and 2 tribes for this opportunity. Out of the plans submitted, CGC will select up to 10 communities to join CGC’s Municipal Investment Fund inaugural cohort, receive up to $2 million in grants, and become the target of millions of dollars of public-private investment. While up to 10 communities will ultimately join the cohort, all 102 participating communities will benefit from the technical assistance and planning process.
- January 6th, 2025: Municipal Investment Fund Call for Proposals
- February 5th, 2025: Applications due to ICLEI USA to Become a Qualifying Community
- March 2025: Selected Communities announced (awards up to $250,000 for up to 102 communities)
- June 2025: Municipal Investment Fund Plans due to CGC
- August 2025: Municipal Investment Fund cohort announced (awards up to $2 million for up to 10 communities
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 tribes, and their partner not-for-profit organizations to develop and finance clean energy projects. 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 NCIF-qualified projects including:
- Direct investment opportunities in NCIF-qualified projects of $50 million and above
- Co-investment opportunities for NCIF-qualified projects between $10 to 50 million
- Technical assistance from CGC staff and network
- Up to $2 million in pre-development and market-building grants
- Promotional and marketing to get the project in front of national financiers
This opportunity will support communities as they pursue CGC’s Request for Proposals No. 1, targeting projects that can accelerate U.S. clean power projects, create jobs, lower energy costs, and improve the quality of life for all Americans as well as other opportunities associated with the U.S. EPA greenhouse gas reduction fund.
Apply for Market-Building Funding & Technical Support for the CGC Municipal Investment Fund
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for this opportunity, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Population Size: Communities must have a population of between 10,000 and 750,000 residents. Tribes are exempt from this requirement.
- 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 can include entities such as community organizations, labor, businesses, utilities, renewable energy developers, and state and local lenders.
- Partnership Requirement: Applicants are encouraged to partner with a 501(c)(3) 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 501(c)3 organization. In all cases, the partner non-profit must have:
- A Subrecipient Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and
- Registration in the federal System for Award Management (SAM).
What’s Included
- Technical Assistance: Applicants will receive expert guidance throughout the Municipal Investment Fund application process.
- Market-Building Support: Communities will receive grant funding to develop public-private partnership plans that can accelerate the deployment of capital to NCIF qualified projects
Funding Scope
Funding is available to support market-building activities, as defined by the U.S. EPA as:
- Building the market for financeable qualified projects.
- Are not tied directly to Qualified Projects the Recipient intends to finance.
- Are necessary and reasonable for the deployment of Financial Assistance to Qualified Projects.
How to Apply
ICLEI USA expects to post the application on this webpage on January 6th, 2025. To express your interest and be notified of program updates, complete the form using this link. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis.
Be sure to register for CGC and ICLEI USA’s January 6th, 2025 webinar for more information. Register Here!
If you have questions about this program, reach out to your membership advisor or iclei-usa@iclei.org for non-members.