Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund issues RFP for Facility and Residential Project Grant

The Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund(TSAF) is a philanthropic program of GRID Alternatives, an international organization that builds community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. The Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund has issued an RFP for its Facility and Residential Project Grant. The fund aims to catalyze the growth of solar energy and expand solar job opportunities in tribal communities across the United States, and supports tribes in asserting control over their energy resources and focuses on making project implementation feasible by leveraging state and federal programs, philanthropic dollars, and partnerships with other tribes across Indian County while working in alignment to identify, develop, finance and implement solar power projects that meet community needs, including education, hands-on training, and energy cost reductions for tribal members. TSAF Funding areas include:Tribal Facility Solar Project Funding:Objectives

include enhancing and strengthening tribal energy development and infrastructure; supporting solar projects that benefit tribal community members, tribal staff/administration, and/or tribal programs; and serving tribal facilities with high energy needs and costs. Funding can include rooftop, carport, or ground-mount solar installations that meet the energy needs of the tribal community. Priority in this area includes necessary funding to tribes for solar installations on tribal facilities that have the potential to generate significant cost-savings to the tribe, and/or catalyze other business development outcomes. Tribal Residential Solar Project Funding: Designated for solar energy installed on a low-income single-family home or small multi-family complex to significantly reduce the financial burden spent on electricity costs. Objectives include bringing solar energy to single-family homes or small multi-family complexes on tribal land, reducing and stabilizing energy costs for low-income tribal members, and serving tribal members with high energy needs and costs. Priority in this area includes funding to tribes for solar installations on tribal homes to generate significant cost-savings to tribal residents. Tribes are eligible to apply for up to $200,000 total, which can include one or both of the funding areas (for example: $125,000 facility + $75,000 residential).Eligible applicants include federally recognized tribal governments in the lower 48 states and Alaska (tribal government programs, such as tribal housing authority, cultural departments, economic development entities, etc.), tribally led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (fiscally sponsored tribal community organizations, and tribal community organizations without a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status may submit an application through a sponsoring organization), and schools that are tribally operated such as tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), any public or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund website.