Program Background
In Massachusetts, transportation currently produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector. Burdens from these emissions are not felt equitably across the Commonwealth. MassCEC’s Accelerating Clean Transportation for All (ACT4All) Program aims to pilot equity-focused transportation programs. Awarded projects will help to inform future funding under the Transportation Climate Initiative Program. To achieve program goals, MassCEC will offer Planning Grants to non-profits and community organizations that represent overburdened and underserved populations. The application period is currently closed. Please check back in the Spring of 2022 for awards.
ACT4All Goals
ACT4All aims to address inequities in the clean transportation sector by seeking applications that:
- Increase access to clean transportation technologies and decrease health impacts and related burdens from the existing transportation system
- Demonstrate replicable innovative business and/or incentive models
- Demonstrate effective program delivery, community partnership, and/or implementation models
- Broaden the market for clean transportation technologies through consumer education and awareness
- Represent the diversity of Massachusetts communities, from a geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic lens
Eligible Topic Areas
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Incentive Programs
- E-Bikes
- Vehicles-For-Hire and Carsharing
- Cash-for-Combustors
- Electric Vehicle Consumer Awareness
- Short-Haul Freight & Delivery
- Other pilot projects that focus on equity and inclusion while reducing emissions
ACT4All Project Teams
Applicants are expected to form teams that include all members necessary to ensure project success and are strongly encouraged to include an organization that represents an overburdened or underserved community.
Teams may include:
- Community-based organizations (CBOs), non-profits, transit advocacy organizations, Environmental Justice advocates
- Public health organizations
- Clean transportation technology providers
- Technical consultants
- Community Development Corporations, Neighborhood Development Corporations, and other economic development agencies
- Financial institutions
- Businesses operating fleets in MA
MassCEC has created a collaboration platform on Slack for interested applicants to begin making connections and forming teams. Click here to join.
Estimated Timeline
| Request for Proposal Release | May 27, 2021 |
| Informational Webinar | July 15, 2021 @ 2 PM ET |
| Questions due to MassCEC via email to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com | July 20, 2021 |
| Office Hours via Zoom (see registration links below) | June - August 2021 |
| Proposals Due | September 10, 2021 |
| Applicant Interviews (at MassCEC’s discretion) | Late September, 2021 |
| Notification of Award | November 30, 2021 |
How Do I Apply?
RFP
Awards: MassCEC is making awards ranging from $100,000 - $500,000 to successful Applicant teams.
Application Process: The application period is currently closed. Please check back in the Spring of 2022 for awards.
Planning Grants
MassCEC is offering $7,500 Planning Grants to non-profits and CBOs to build capacity and enable eligible organizations to effectively engage in the application development process.
- To apply for a Planning Grant, please fill out a Letter of Intent and send it to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com. MassCEC is accepting Letters of Intent on a rolling basis until August 24, 2021.
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If approved, MassCEC will send your team a Letter Agreement.
| Eligible Applicants | Non-profits and CBOs - MassCEC will have ultimate discretion over applicant eligibility |
| Funding Structure | $7,500 grants - $1,500 paid once the Letter of Commitment is signed and $6,000 paid once the ACT4All application is submitted |
| Available Funding | $90,000 total available funds. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all funding has been allocated |
| Application Process | Please complete the Letter of Intent and return it to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com |
MassCEC is committed to reducing barriers for teams to apply. Please do not hesitate to reach out to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com with any foreseeable issues that your team may have in applying. We would be happy to set up a call and we are open to any suggestions that may make the application process easier for your team.
MassCEC’s first clean transportation-focused program, Accelerating Clean Transportation Now I (ACTNow I), is currently underway. ACTNow I awarded $1.4 million and offered a broad range of topic areas including light-duty vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and mass transit with an overarching focus on business and finance models that can be replicated and scaled up. Projects funded under ACTNow I focus mainly on electric school buses and carpool and carsharing models.
Accelerating Clean Transportation for All (ACT4All) is MassCEC's second iteration of clean transportation-focused programming under ACTNow. This round of funding builds upon the success of ACTNow I, with a strong focus on equity and inclusion.
- Environmental Justice Mapping tool
- Environmental Justice definition
- Updated Environmental Justice definition - The Climate Bill updated the EJ definition, which has yet to be incorporated into the mapping tool or state website.
- Transportation Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P)
- Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030 (CECP)
- ACT4All One Pager
Frequently Asked Questions can be located here.
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com.