Green School Works Grants

The Challenge: Decarbonize Public Schools
Massachusetts’ approximately 1,800 public school buildings are responsible for about 880,000 metric tons of carbon every year. Electrifying and decarbonizing these buildings represents a significant opportunity for the state to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. However, with the increased costs of construction and competing capital needs, districts need additional resources for the installation and upgrades of clean energy infrastructure.
About Green School Works Grants
Green School Works grants provide K-12 public schools with funding to implement projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, or mitigate the impacts of climate change. Up to 15% of an award's total funds can be used for project “soft costs,” such as design or project management.
Up to $19 million will be available to schools for this round of funding. Awards may range from $50,000 up to $5 million for projects with a larger scope that opt for a recoverable grant of at least $2 million. See Section 8 (Budget & Award Limits) of the RFP for details on recoverable grants.

Eligibility

The project site must be a public K-12 school, or multiple public K-12 schools, in Massachusetts. Projects at various stages of planning, design, and construction are eligible to receive funding.All applicants pursuing awards of $1 million or more will be required to submit a Mass Save® comprehensive building assessment (“CBA”), investment-level audit, or equivalent building study as part of the Green School Works application to ensure that the proposed project is part of a thoughtful decarbonization strategy. Applicants pursuing awards of $1 million or more with CBAs, or equivalent technical assistance studies in progress but not yet completed, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Eligible non-Mass Save Applicants can access equivalent technical assistance through the Green School Works technical assistance program. MassCEC recommends the completion of a CBA or equivalent building study for all projects, regardless of budget.