Application Notes:

Phase 1 prize submission packages must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 13, 2024.

Phase 1 prize submission packages must be submitted online at www.herox.com.

Phase 1 prize submission packages must include:

• Team name
• Technical narrative, including cover page (10 pages max)
• Energy justice mapping tool reports (1 page max each)
• School energy assessment (SEA) form tool reports
• Community benefits plan (CBP), including cover page (5 pages max)
• Resumes (1 page max per individual)
• Letters of commitment (1 page max each)
• Summary slide (1 slide max)

The technical narrative and CBP must be formatted in at least an 11-point font. The summary slide must be formatted in at least a 14-point font. In general, submission documents must be submitted in Microsoft Word or .pdf format. SEA form tool reports must be submitted as one .zip file, and each SEA form must be submitted in Excel format. Energy justice mapping tool reports, resumes, and letters of commitment must each be submitted as a combined single .pdf document. Scanned handwritten submission documents will not be accepted.

The following are required in order to submit a phase 1 prize submission package:

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
• SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Optional office hour sessions for this program are scheduled as follows:

April 24, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET
Registration: nrel.zoomgov.com

May 29, 2024
2:00 p.m. ET
Registration: nrel.zoomgov.com

Recordings of webinars held for this program can be found online at www.herox.com/renewschoolsprize.

Phase 1 prize submission packages will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Need for planning and energy assessments (20 percent)
• Team composition, capability, and experience (20 percent)
• Implementation plan for phase 2 (20 percent)
• Impact and replicability (20 percent)
• Community benefits pan (20 percent)

Refer to page 28 of the NOFA file for information regarding additional phase 1 prize submission package evaluation criteria.

Applicants submitting phase 1 prize submission packages and selected as a winner of the phase 1 cash prize will be invited to to enter into negotiations with the funding agency for a cooperative agreement. Refer to pages 8-10 and 21-23 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding the cooperative agreement negotiation process.

Refer to the NOFA, Overview, FAQ, Q&A, and RegistrationGuide files, as well as the SubmissionPackage folder, for additional application information.

Match Notes:

Cooperative agreements negotiated through this program will require blended cost share. Matching requirements will vary according to funding phase, as follows:

• Phase 2 (cooperative agreement) - strategic plan and energy audits: applicants must provide at least 5 percent of total project costs via cash and/or in-kind contributions
• Phase 3 (cooperative agreement) - implementation: applicants must provide at least 25 percent of total project costs via cash and/or in-kind contributions

There are no stated matching requirements for phase 1 cash prizes provided through this program.

Funding or property received from state or local governments may be used as a match, provided that the funding was not provided to the state or local government by the federal government.

Matching contributions must be provided by the prime award recipient, subrecipients, or third parties. Matching contributions provided by vendors/contractors may not be used as a match.

Prime award recipients must contribute the required match amount incrementally over the life of the award; however, in limited circumstances, the funding agency may approve requests for prime award recipients to meet the match requirement on a less frequent basis, such as monthly or quarterly, as detailed on page 8 of the Appendices file.

In general, costs incurred by federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) may not be used as a match, unless such contributions are paid directly from the contractor’s management fee or another nonfederal source.

The following may not be used as a match:

• Partial donation of goods or services
• Matching contributions already used to meet cost share requirements for another project or program
• Revenues or royalties from the prospective operation of an activity beyond the project period
• Proceeds from the prospective sale of an asset of an activity
• Federal funding or property, unless otherwise allowed by law
• Expenditures that were reimbursed under a separate federal program

Funding Notes:

Approximately $180 million is expected to be available to support up to 23 awards through this program.  Funding will be provided through a prize competition and a subsequent cooperative agreement under the following phases:

• Phase 1 (prize) - portfolio and team: Up to $6.9 million is available to support up to 23 selected winners that successfully assemble their project team; assemble their portfolio of at least ten schools/school facilities; demonstrate the need for energy improvements; and outline their process to complete phase 2 tasks to receive cash prizes of $300,000 each through this program. In addition, selected winners will be invited to enter into negotiations with the funding agency for a cooperative agreement.
• Phase 2 (cooperative agreement) – strategic plan and energy audits: Under phase 2, a total of $10 million to $15 million is available to support awards for the reimbursement of costs associated with energy audits and strategic planning and design. The funding will allocate awards based on the number of schools/school facilities identified in the award recipient's portfolio, as follows:
  • 10 to 14 schools/school facilities: awards of $500,000
  • 15 to 19 schools/school facilities: awards of $750,000
  • 20 or more schools/school facilities: awards of $1 million
• Phase 3 (cooperative agreement) – implementation: Under phase 3, a total of $150 million to $170 million is available to support awards that will support award recipients to oversee implementation of the proposed energy improvements. The funding will allocate awards based on the number of schools/school facilities identified in the award recipient's portfolio, as follows:
  • 10 to 14 schools/school facilities: awards of $7 million
  • 15 to 19 schools/school facilities: awards of $10.5 million
  • 20 or more schools/school facilities: awards of $14 million

The announcement of phase 1 cash prize winners is anticipated to be made in August 2024. Cooperative agreement negotiations for invited phase 1 prize winners are anticipated to begin in fall 2024.

The project period for cooperative agreements under phases 2 and 3 of this program is anticipated to last up to 60 months. Typically, the funding agency will review project performance on an annual basis and decide to continue funding or not, as detailed on page 22 of the NOFA file.

Pre-award costs may be allowable with prior written approval provided by the funding agency, as detailed on pages 9-10 of the Appendices file. Funds may not be used for pre-award costs incurred prior to the selection official signing the selection statement and analysis.

Major construction costs may be allowable with prior written approval provided by the funding agency, as detailed on pages 10-11 of the Appendices file.

Funds may not be used for:

• Foreign travel
• Lobbying activities
• Projects that involve participation by individuals participating in foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs, as detailed on pages 15-16 of the Appendices file
• Conferences that are not directly and programmatically related to this program and meet the criteria detailed on page 24 of the Appendices file