Funding

The Tribal Climate Change Funding Guide is intended to provide up-to-date information on grants, programs and plans that may assist tribes in addressing climate change through a broad range of sectors. We will update this guide regularly, so please check back often. If you have questions or updates for this guide, email: kathy@uoregon.edu. Please note that for entries that are accepting applications continuously, the grant deadline column will list "12/31/2024" as the grant deadline. This ensures that those grants will appear immediately after those grants with a set deadline.

Title Organization Sort descending Grant Deadline Description Funding Amount Geography Website
DOE Solar Market Pathways Grant DOE

This funding opportunity seeks to support regional, state, tribal, and locally-driven efforts to develop multi-year solar deployment plans that will help provide business certainty and establish a clear path for the next five to ten years of solar deployment. Specifically, this FOA is intended to enable replicable multi-year strategies that spur significant solar deployment, drive down solar soft costs, support local economic development efforts, and address the potential challenges arising from increased solar penetration on the electrical grid. Awardees are expected to convene stakeholder processes to develop their plan, and subgroups could address specific topics such as the net benefits and costs of solar electricity (to and from the grid), and/or develop solar deployment programs including, but not limited to, commercial property assessed clean energy financing, shared solar, and/or incorporating solar within their emergency response plans. Please note that a concept paper must be submitted by 5/28/2014, but that full proposals are not due until 7/2/2014. Also note that this grant can be found at the website provided by searching for: DE-FOA-0001071.

Categories: Solar Energy, Planning

$100,000-$4,000,000 Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Commercial Building Technology Demonstrations DOE

Grant Status Unknown. Advanced building technologies and systems can contribute to the cost-effective delivery of new buildings and retrofits that significantly lower building energy consumption. DOE seeks to fund demonstration and deployment activities for technologies that are ready for market adoption but that may be underutilized due to market barriers including perception of risk, gaps in information and data on performance as well as cost. These technologies will offer a high degree of differentiation between current industry solutions, be widely replicable across the building size, sector and application and provide significant energy savings potential (as determined by market opportunity, site savings, and total potential savings at 100% penetration). Funding through this opportunity will enhance and accelerate the deployment and adoption of a broad range of competitively-solicited high impact energy saving technologies as well as new technology integratio n approaches. The technical and/or non-technical products of this funding should be deployed for scale up as a part of the award agreement and will enable investment-level decision-making by building owners, investors and operators in order to produce energy savings.

Categories: Development, Energy efficiency

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize DOE

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: Feburary 25, 2022. This prize fits into President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of climate investment benefits to disadvantaged communities and inform equitable research, development, and deployment within DOE. Specifically, this prize seeks to enable and enhance business and technology incubation, acceleration, and other community-based and university-based entrepreneurship and innovation in climate and clean energy technologies. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Climate change, clean energy, emissions, entrepreneurship, technology, research, equity, justice

$200,000, with the opportunity to compete for another $500,000 National Link
Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program DOE

The Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program is part of the DOE Office of Indian Energy effort to assist in the development of tribal renewable energy projects. Through START, Tribes in the 48 contiguous states and Alaska can apply for and are selected to receive technical assistance from DOE and national laboratory experts to move projects closer to implementation.

Categories: Renewable energy, Infrastructure

technical assistance, not funds, are provided Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska Link
Grid Innovation Program DOE

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 19, 2023. Concept papers were due January 13, 2023. The Grid Innovation Program provides $5 billion for FY 22-26 to support projects that use innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to enhance grid resilience and reliability. Projects selected under this program will include interregional transmission projects, investments that accelerate interconnection of clean energy generation, and utilization of distribution grid assets to provide backup power and reduce transmission requirements. Innovative approaches can range from use of advanced technologies to innovative partnerships to the deployment of projects identified by innovative planning processes.

Categories: energy, infrastructure, grid, BIL

Varies National Link
Energizing Rural Communities Prize DOE

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 24, 2023. The $15 million Energizing Rural Communities Prize challenges individuals and organizations to develop partnership plans or innovative financing strategies to help rural or remote communities improve their energy systems and advance clean energy demonstration projects. This prize is part of the $1 billion Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program, created by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The ERA Program supports projects that improve the resilience, reliability, safety, availability, and environmental performance of energy systems in rural or remote areas of the U.S. with populations of no more than 10,000 people.

Categories: BIL, innovation challenge, rural energy, infrastructure

up to $100,000 National Link
Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) DOE

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: April 16, 2022. ETIPP is accepting applications through April 15 and has an informational webinar on Feb 16. Competitively selected communities receive technical assistance from the ETIPP network, working collaboratively with DOE and national laboratories and regional partner organizations on strategic energy planning and analysis to investigate solutions that address their specific challenges and goals. Spark Northwest is available to support rural communities and tribal governments with their applications. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Energy resilience, energy transition, remote communities, capacity building

National Link
Regional Initiative to Accelerate CCUS Deployment DOE

Deadline Passed 06/03/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The primary objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to award projects that identify and address onshore regional storage and transport challenges facing commercial deployment of Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). Projects will focus on Addressing Key Technical Challenges; Facilitate Data Collection, Sharing, and Analysis; Evaluate Regional Infrastructure; and Promote Regional Technology Transfer.

Categories: carbon storage, utilization, energy, storage, data collection, infrastructure, technology

up to $7,000,000 Link
Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment DOE

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: October 11, 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced up to $13 million in funding for the Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment Funding Opportunity Announcement, which supports the development, design, and installation of community geothermal heating and cooling systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It will also create related workforce training and identify and address environmental justice concerns. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Energy, Geothermal, Greenhouse Gas Reduction, Development, Environmental Justice

$300,000 – $13,000,000 National Link
Novel and Enabling Carbon Capture Transformational DOE Office of Fossil Energy

Recent deadline: 11/22/2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The objective of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to research, develop, and validate carbon dioxide capture transformational materials, processes, and enabling technologies at bench scale for pulverized coal or natural gas fired power plants that enable step change reductions in current CO2 capture cost and energy penalties in support of DOE’s Carbon Capture Program goal.

Categories: transformational technologies, carbon emissions

Up to $3,000,000 Link
Transitioning Tribal Colleges and Universities to Clean Energy DOE Office of Indian Energy

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 27, 2023. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Tribal Colleges and Universities for clean energy project planning to transition the Tribal College or University to a clean energy campus and clean energy curriculum planning to complement the transition to clean energy (Topic Area 1); and the deployment of clean energy technology(ies) to transition the Tribal College or University to a clean energy campus, and implementation of a related clean energy curriculum (Topic Area 2).

Categories: renewable energy, education, energy efficiency,

Topic Area 1: $100,000 - $250,000; Topic Area 2: $250,000 - $4,000,000 National Link
Carbon Capture Large-Scale Pilot Projects DOE, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED)

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: July 7, 2023. Deadline for Concept Papers passed: April 5, 2023. The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), in collaboration with the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is issuing this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Carbon Capture Large-Scale Pilot Projects. Awards made under this FOA will be funded with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Carbon capture large-scale pilot projects will provide the support needed to test novel technologies at intermediate scale and under relevant conditions in both the power and industrial sector to:De-risk transformational carbon capture technologies and address community concerns through meaningful engagement and robust analysis of impacts, risks and benefits such as emissions, water usage, and jobs; andCatalyze significant follow-on investments from the private sector for first-of-a-kind (FOAK) commercial-scale demonstrations on carbon emission sources across the power and industrial sectors.

Categories: BIL, infrastructure, carbon, energy, GHG

Varies National, International Link
Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid DOE, National Energy Technology Lab

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: August 31, 2023. Application deadline recently extended. Under Section 40101(d) Formula Grant Program of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Department of Energy will provide grants to States (including U.S. Territories) and Indian Tribes to improve the resilience of their electric grids. States and Indian Tribes may further allocate funds to “eligible entities”, as defined by Section 40101(d). These grants offer a unique opportunity to advance the capabilities of States and Indian Tribes, and their communities, to address not only current, but future resilience needs.

Categories: energy, electric grids, infrastructure, power, BIL

Varies National Link
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) Pilot Demonstrations DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Deadline for Full Applications passed. Most recent deadline: June 16, 2023. Deadline for Letters of Intent passed March 8, 2023. The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Geothermal Technologies Office’s (GTO) 2022 Enhanced Geothermal ShotTM analysis, building on the 2019 GeoVision report, concludes that with aggressive technology improvements, in areas relevant to enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), geothermal power generation could provide 90 gigawatts-electric (GWe) firm, flexible power to the U.S. grid by 2050. The objective of this funding opportunity announcement is to identify and develop EGS pilot demonstration projects in a variety of geologic formations and subsurface conditions. As such, this FOA has three topic areas that are addressed:Topic 1-EGS Proximal Demonstrations: EGS demonstrations utilizing existing infrastructure proximal to existing geothermal / hydrothermal development with immediate potential for electrical power production.Topic Area 2: EGS Green Field Demonstrations: Sites with no existing geothermal development and potential for shallow sedimentary, igneous and/or mixed metamorphic rock EGS with near-term electrical power production potential.Topic Area 3: Super-hot / Supercritical EGS Demonstrations: Super-hot/ supercritical EGS demonstrations located at well-characterized sites with existing well(s) in place and with near-term electrical power production potential.Topic Area 4 (not being accepted for this round of applications): Eastern-US EGS Demonstrations: EGS stimulation demonstration located at a well-characterized Eastern U.S. site, with existing well(s) in place and near-term electrical power and heat production potential.

Categories: geothermal energy, BIL, infrastructure,

Varies between $5 million to $25 million National, International Link
Powering Unelectrified Tribal Building(s) - 2022 DOE, Office of Indian Energy

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: February 23, 2023. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Tribes to provide electric power to Tribal buildings that would otherwise be electrified by deploying  integrated energy system(s) or energy infrastructure. Individual awards vary depending on type of project with a range from $250,000 to $4,000,000. This opportunity builds on the important discussions at the 7th biennial Tribal Clean Energy Summit, where U.S Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm held a nation-to-nation roundtable with Tribal leaders to share ideas and explore cost-effective approaches to clean energy that strengthen Tribal energy and economic infrastructure, address climate resilience, and build stronger and safer communities.

Categories: energy, tribal lands, tribal energy development, community resilience, emergency management, BIL

Varies National Link
Deployment of Clean Energy Technology on Indian Lands DOE, Office of Indian Energy

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: May 16, 2023. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications for Tribes to install clean energy generating system(s) and energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal buildings; deploy community-scale clean energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power essential Tribal facilities during  emergency situations or for Tribal community resilience. Individual awards vary depending on type of project with a range $100,000 to $5,000,000. This opportunity builds on the important discussions at the 7th biennial Tribal Clean Energy Summit, where U.S Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm held a nation-to-nation roundtable with Tribal leaders to share ideas and explore cost-effective approaches to clean energy that strengthen Tribal energy and economic infrastructure, address climate resilience, and build stronger and safer communities.

Categories: Energy efficiency, Renewable energy, Energy, clean energy, community, development, BIL

Award amount varies. National Link
START Renewable Energy Project Development Assistance DOE, Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs

The DOE Office of Indian Energy is now accepting applications for the third round of the Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Renewable Energy Project Development Assistance Program to provide Tribes with technical assistance with furthering the development of community- and commercial-scale renewable energy projects.

Categories: Renewable energy, Infrastructure

See application National, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Alaska Link
Heat Pump Defense Prodution Act Program DOE, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: August 1, 2023. Concept papers, which were required for all applicants were due on May 19, 2023. DOE is requesting applications from manufacturers to create new or expand existing domestic production capacity to manufacture more electric heat pump systems, components, and materials.

Categories: IRA, manufacturing, clean energy

Total funding amount: $250,000,000 National Link
Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations DOI

Deadline Passed 09/30/2019. Deadline Unknown for 2020. The Secretary of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program, Program) to implement the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement Agreement, which provided $1.9 billion to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian country. The Buy-Back Program allows interested individual owners to sell their land for immediate transfer to the recognized tribe that exercises jurisdiction. This effort will strengthen tribal sovereignty and put decision-making in the hands of the tribal government, freeing up resources that have been locked-up as land interests that have fractionated over time. The Buy-Back Program has announced 105 locations where land consolidation activities such as planning, outreach, mapping, mineral evaluations, appraisals or acquisitions are scheduled to take place through the middle of 2021. The Buy-Back Program is interested in partnering with the eligible tribes that have jurisdiction over these 105 locations, as well as any locations that may be added to the implementation schedule, to gain their direct participation in land consolidation efforts given the tribes’ unique qualifications to perform land consolidation activities for their reservations. Consequently, the Program intends to, whenever feasible and practical, enter into single source cooperative agreements with these eligible tribes to not only capitalize on their unique knowledge of their reservations but also to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Program. Eligible tribes will be given the opportunity to apply for a cooperative agreement, whenever feasible and practical, prior to the implementation of the Buy-Back Program at the location under their jurisdiction.

Categories: sovereignty, jurisdiction, reclamation, administration, management, self-determination

Land-based. United States Link
OIA Technical Assistance Program DOI

Deadline passed as of March 1, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) provides grant funding for short-term projects intended to meet the immediate needs of the insular areas. OIA's priorities are as follows: Climate change, accountability, financial management, economic development, training, education, energy, management control initiatives, safety, emergency, historical & cultural preservation, capacity building, health initiatives, and outdoor youth initiatives.

Categories: climate change, youth, planning, policy, management

Up to $250,000. United States, International (US Territories) Link
Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative Coastal Systems FY17 DOI

Deadline passed as of July 20,2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. Our mission is to promote coordination, dissemination and development of applied science to inform landscape level conservation, including terrestrial-marine linkages in the face of a changing climate and related stressors. Congress provides seed funding for our LCC through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Service administers these funds through financial assistance on a competitive basis for projects, studies, and events that advance the scientific and public community's understanding of large-scale changes in landscape characteristics and the impacts of these changes on important species.

Categories: climate change, adaptation, mitigation, public, community, wildlife, biodiversity, sustainability, conservation, landscape, policy, management

$60,000-$90,000. Alaska, Alaska CSC Link
Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Underrepresented Communities DOI

Deadline passed as of July 31, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknown. Grants support the survey, inventory, and designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks. Within one year of the completion of the grant, all projects must result in: the submission of a new nomination to the National Register of Historic Places or National Historic Landmark program OR an amendment to an existing National Register or National Historic Landmark nomination to include underrepresented communities.

Categories: national parks, preservation, historical monument, conservation

Varies. National Link
Native American Affairs Office Technical Assistance Program DOI

Deadline for 2018 Unknown. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Office of Native American and International Affairs has a Technical Assistance for Tribes program. This program assists Federally recognized Indian Tribes to develop, manage and protect their water and related resources. Past project have included water needs assessments, improved water management studies, water quality data collection and assessments, and water measurement studies.

Categories: Water, Natural Resources, Education, Research

Individual awards of up to $100,000 Northwest, Southwest, Midwest Link
FY18 National Climate Change & Wildlife Science Center Program DOI

Deadline Passed 4/9/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. This program was created to ensure that the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center is responsive to the research and management needs of Federal and State agencies to provide science and technical support regarding the impacts of climate change in fish, wildlife, plants and ecological processes. National coordination of research and modeling at regional centers will ensure uniformity of downscaling and forecasting models and standardized information to support management of fish and wildlife resources and regional partnership collaborations.

Categories: climate change, biodiversity, wildlife, fisheries, aquatic resources, research, climate models, management, policy, planning, conservation

Up to $4,500,000. National, United States Link
Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMLR) Program DOI

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: June 17, 2023. The Office of Surface Mining awards grants to States and Tribes to support the operation of APPROVED State and Tribal abanodned mine land (AML) reclamation programs. Approved programs use grant funds for mine site reclamation projects on eligible lands, which are lands and waters mined or affected by coal mining processess that occurred prior to August 7, 1977 as well as certain post-1977 and noncoal mining activity.

Categories: Pollution Prevention, Hazardous Waste Disposal

Varies Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, National, Alaska, Midwest Link
FY 2021 Energizing Insular Communities Grant Program DOI

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: 6/30/2021. The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is requesting proposals for its Energizing Insular Communities (EIC) Program which provides grant funding for sustainable energy strategies that mitigate climate change, reduce reliance and expenditures on imported fuels, develop and utilize domestic energy sources, and improve the performance of energy infrastructure and overall energy efficiency in the territories.

Categories: Energy efficiency, energy infrastructure, sustainability, climate change, rural

$8,500,000 National Link
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Partners for Fish and Wildlife DOI

Deadline passed as of June 30, 2017. Deadline for 2018 unknwon. Funding available for wetland and associated upland habitat restoration and enhancement projects for conservation of native Great Lakes fish and wildlife populations, particularly migratory birds. Particularly in the Great Lakes area, but not limited to.

Categories: habitat, restoration, management, conservation, wetlands, marsh, swamp, estuary

Up to $25,000. Great Lakes, Minnesota Link
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase 1 Grants DOI Bureau of Reclamation

Deadline passed. Most recent deadline: March 31, 2022. The objective of this NOFO is to invite states, Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, local governmental entities, non-profit organizations, Existing Watershed Groups, and local and special districts (e.g., irrigation and water districts, county soil conservation districts) to submit proposals for Phase I activities to develop a watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, and design watershed management projects. Learn more and apply here.

Categories: Watersheds, restoration planning, management

Award Ceiling: $200,000 National Link
Tribal Resilience and Ocean and Coastal Management and Planning DOI, BIA

Deadline Passed 07/02/2018. Deadline Unknown for 2019. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the Office of Trust Services, Tribal Resilience Program (Program) hereby solicits proposals from federally recognized tribes to receive grants that support resilience and ocean and coastal management and planning. This program supports tribes preparing for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and safety. The Program will provide funding for tribal projects that support tribal resilience and ocean and coastal management planning as tribes incorporate science (including Traditional Knowledge) and technical information to prepare for the impacts of extreme events and harmful environmental trends.

Categories: resilience, ocean and coastal management, planning, extreme events, treaty rights, trust resources, infrastructure, traditional knowledge

up to $150,000 National Link
Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Resilience Program Grants DOI, BIA

Deadline Passed 03/02/2020. Deadline Unknown for 2021. The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the Office of Trust Services, Tribal Resilience Program (Program) solicits proposals from federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations as defined at 25 U.S.C. section 5304(l) to receive grants to support tribal resilience and ocean and coastal management and planning. This program supports tribes preparing for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and safety. There are seven total award categories including: Adaptation planning; ocean and coastal management planning; capacity building; relocation, managed retreat, or prtoect-in-place planning. View the notice of funding opportunity here: https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/files/assets/bia/ots/tcrp/FY20TRPAwar…

Categories: tribal resilience program, ocean management, planning, adaptation, capacity building, relocation, extreme events, traditional knowledge

There is a limit of one award per category per tribal organization, not to exceed two awards per tribal organization. There are six total award categories-
Adaptation Planning (Categories 1-3):
Category 1. Trainings and Workshops (maximum: $150,000);
Category 2. Adaptation Planning (maximum: $150,000);
Category 3. Travel Support for Adaptation Planning (maximum: $15,000);

Ocean and Coastal Management Planning (Categories 4-5):
Category 4. Ocean and Coastal Management Planning: ($150,000);
Category 5. Travel Support - Ocean & Coastal: ($15,000);

Capacity Building (Category 6):
Category 6. Capacity Building for Scoping Efforts to Support Development of future;
Category 2 Proposals: (maximum: $50,000);
National Link