Grant Details

Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV) Grants (Part A): School Bus Sub-Program - FY 2024

Agency:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
CFDA:	66.049
Federal FON:	EPA-R-OAR-CHDV-24-06
Office:	Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program (CHDV)
Multipart Grant:	Yes

Next Due:	07/25/2024 (Application)
Solicitation Date:	04/24/2024

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	$932,000,000 (Estimated)
Award Range:	$500,000 (Min) / $6,000,000 (Max)

Summary:

The purpose of this program is to incentivize and accelerate the replacement of existing non-zero emission (ZE) class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with ZE vehicles. Projects will benefit communities across the country, especially communities that are disproportionately burdened by air pollution and marginalized by underinvestment. Replacement vehicles will ensure cleaner air for the communities in which they operate. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these vehicle replacements will also help address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis.

Generally, eligible project activities include:

The replacement of existing internal combustion engine (ICE) school buses and other class 6 and class 7 vehicles with ZE school buses and heavy-duty vehicles
Purchasing, installing, operating, and maintaining infrastructure needed to charge, fuel, or maintain ZE vehicles
Workforce development and training to support the maintenance, charging, fueling, and operation of ZE vehicles

All applicants must propose to replace eligible vehicles with comparable, eligible ZE vehicles. Existing vehicles must be disposed of, as detailed on page 27 of the NOFA file. Applicants may own the vehicles to be replaced, or may work with fleet owners to carry out projects. Refer to pages 21-22 of the NOFA file for information regarding eligible existing vehicles. An eligible replacement vehicle must be a year 2023 or newer, class 6 or class 7, ZE vehicle, defined as a vehicle that has a drivetrain that produces, under any possible operational mode or condition, zero exhaust emissions of any criteria air pollutant, or precursor thereof, or any greenhouse gas. Refer to pages 22-23 of the NOFA file for details regarding eligible replacement vehicles.

In addition to vehicles, applicants may request funding for infrastructure, including:

Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) infrastructure for new electric vehicles, with costs limited to installation and upgrades behind the electric meter
Fueling infrastructure for new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
Batter energy storage systems (BEES) associated with new electric vehicles funded by the program

Refer to pages 23-25 of the NOFA file for details regarding eligible infrastructure.

Priority will be given to projects that serve disadvantaged communities. The program also seeks to prioritize projects that will take place in or near and serve communities overburdened with air pollution. Refer to pages 40-43 of the NOFA file and the DisadvantagedCommunities file for additional information regarding how disadvantaged communities are defined. Priority will also be given to projects that include climate resilience, project sustainability, and workforce development activities.

Refer to pages 10-11 of the NOFA file for the program's expected outputs and outcomes.

Funds may be used for:

Vehicle costs
Infrastructure costs
Direct project implementation costs, including personnel and benefits, equipment, contractual services, consulting on vehicle deployments, travel, supplies, subawards and rebates, and indirect costs
Delivery costs
Performance monitoring software and equipment
Workforce training and warranty costs

Funding will be provided for the following program components:

(Part A): School Bus Sub-Program
(Part B): Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program

The purpose of the School Bus Sub-Program component is to support the replacement of class 6 and class 7 school buses. Applicants for this component must request at least ten zero-emission (ZE) school buses.

Optional webinars are scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Last Updated: June 11, 2024

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are:

States and U.S. territories
Municipalities, including public school districts and municipal or publicly owned utilities
Indian tribes
Nonprofit school transportation associations

Intertribal consortia may also be eligible, if they meet the requirements listed on page 15 of the NOFA file. Public charter schools with a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) district ID are also eligible to apply.

The funding agency anticipates making at least 15 awards through this program overall to eligible applicants from tribes and territories under a tribal/territory set-aside. The overall program also has a set-aside of $400 million that will be used to support projects in areas designated as non-attainment zones with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Applicants may submit only one application to this component. Applications must submit no more than two applications to this program overall, and no more than one for each component.

The following entities are not eligible to apply:

Tax-exempt neighborhood and labor organizations
Institutions of higher education
Nonprofit organizations that engage in lobbying activities
For-profit organizations
Private vehicle fleets, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and other private third-party entities
Investor-owned or privately owned utilities

Eligible Applicants:

Local Government
Consortia
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
Schools/School Districts
State Government

Application Notes:

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 25, 2024.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

Applications must include:

SF 424
SF 424A
EPA form 4700-4
EPA form 5700-54
Project narrative (15 pages max)
Applicant fleet description
Documentation of partnership with utility (if applicable)
Documentation of school board awareness (if applicable)
Documentation of third-party approval (if applicable)
Intertribal consortium documentation (if applicable)
Cost share commitment letters (if applicable)
Project team biographies (optional)
Negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable)
Partnership letters (if applicable)

Project narratives must be formatted on single-spaced pages. The funding agency will accept files in .docx, .pdf, .xlsx, .xls, .jpeg, and .png format. Refer to pages 32-33 of the NOFA file for details regarding file naming and formatting requirements.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

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 webinars are scheduled as follows:

April 30, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET
Register: usepa.zoomgov.com

June 17, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usepa.zoomgov.com

A recording of a webinar held for this program is available online at epa.gov.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Project summary and approach (20 points)
Environmental results - outputs, outcomes, and performance measures (20 points)
Programmatic capability and past performance (15 points)
Environmental justice and disadvantaged communities (20 points)
Project readiness (10 points)
Project sustainability (5 points)
Climate resilience (5 points)
Job quality and workforce development (10 points)
Funding beyond the mandatory cost share (5 points)
Budget (20 points)

Refer to pages 58-62 of the NOFA file for details regarding the program's application evaluation criteria.

Refer to the NOFA file and Application folder for additional application information.

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	$932,000,000 (Estimated)

Award Range:	$500,000 (Min) / $6,000,000 (Max)

Match Notes:

Generally, applicants must provide at least 25 percent of the costs of new schools buses. Matching requirements may be met using in-kind administrative costs and nonfederal funding.

The program's matching requirements will be waived for tribal applicants and applicants from U.S. territories. However, the per-vehicle funding cap of $280,000 will still apply to these applicants.

Applicants that propose voluntary matching contributions in excess of the minimum required amount will be given additional consideration during the application evaluation process. Applicants will be legally required to meet all matching contributions, including voluntary contributions, detailed in their applications.

Funding Notes:

Up to an estimated $932 million is expected to be available through this program overall, with approximately 70 percent available to support grants or cooperative agreements ranging from $500,000 to $60 million through this component. A total of 40 to 160 grants or cooperative agreements are expected to be made through this program overall. Applicants for this component must request at least ten zero-emission (ZE) school buses.

Funding through this program overall is expected to be distributed across the funding agency's regions, as detailed on pages 12-13 of the NOFA file.

Funding per school bus may not exceed $280,000. Project implementation costs are not included in this per-vehicle cap.

Award notifications are expected to be issued in November 2024. Awards are expected to be made in December 2024.

Project periods are anticipated to span 24 months. However, initial project period of up to 36 months will be allowed, where justified. Projects are expected to start in January 2025.

Funds may not be used for:

Ineligible vehicles, technologies, or activities
Matching other federal awards
Costs that are included in any other federal award agreement
Purchasing items otherwise subsidized with federal grant funds
Any infrastructure costs associated with work in front of the electric meter, such as utility-owned power distribution, transformers located on the utility side of the meter and their installation, electricity, and operation and maintenance of utility systems
Non-renewable energy or biodiesel-fueled stationary on-site power generation systems and their installation
Research and development, technology demonstration, commercialization, certification, or verification
Pre-award costs, generally
Emissions testing and/or air monitoring activities, including the acquisition cost of emissions testing equipment
Leasing vehicles or equipment
Engine replacements/repowers
Fleet expansion

Refer to pages 7-21 of the Q&A file and page 18 of the InformationSessionPresentation file for additional ineligible costs.

Contacts:

Program Staff
cleanhdvehicles@epa.gov

Agency Address
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program
1200 Pennsylvania Ave.
Mail Code 6406A
Washington, D.C. 20450

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to the program staff, and must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 8, 2024. Questions and answers will be posted online at www.epa.gov, with the final posting planned for July 19, 2024.

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:

NOFA File: US17769A_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (880.4 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17769A_Flyer_FY2024.pdf (1.3 Mb)
Application File: US17769A_Application_FY2024.zip (3.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17769A_DisadvantagedCommunities_FY2024.pdf (269.2 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17769A_Q&A_FY2024.pdf (436.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17769A_InformationSessionPresentation_FY2024.pdf (996.2 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17769A_Webinar_FY2024.pdf (95.8 Kb)

File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Application folder contains the required forms for submission, as well as a template for the application narrative. The Flyer file contains a general overview of the program. The DisadvantagedCommunities file contains a list of communities that qualify as disadvantaged for the purposes of this program. The Q&A file contains a list of questions and answers regarding this program. The InformationSessionPresentation file contains slides from an information session held for this program. The Webinar file contains information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program. Additional program and applicant resources can be found online at www.epa.gov.

June 11, 2024
Information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly. A recording of an information session for this program has also been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section.

June 5, 2024
An updated list of questions and answers regarding this program, as well as presentation slides from an information session held for this program, have been released and attached as the Q&A and InformationSessionPresentation files, respectively. The Eligibility and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.

May 24, 2024
A list of questions and answers regarding this program has been released and attached as the Q&A file. The Eligibility and Financial sections have been updated accordingly.

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Grant Categories

Community Development
Training & Vocational Services
Energy
Environment/Natural Resources
Human Services
Transportation