School Bus: Fleet Deployment

MassCEC / Clean Transportation / Funding / School Bus: Fleet Deployment

The Challenge: Reduce Barriers to Electrifying School Buses

Despite the long-term savings and health benefits of going electric, school districts face barriers to electrifying their school bus fleets. Challenges that school districts encounter include

  • Higher up-front costs for buses and associated charging infrastructure, compared to diesel buses
  • Implementing necessary depot upgrades
  • Training drivers and mechanics during the transition to electric buses
  • Coordinating with third-party transportation providers for districts that choose to lease their buses

About School Bus Fleet Deployment

The School Bus Fleet Deployment program offers school bus fleets flexible funding for depot upgrades and purchases of electric school buses and associated charging infrastructure. Participating fleets also have the opportunity to work with MassCEC's consultant team to address the gaps in technical knowledge impeding school bus fleets from electrifying, in areas such as coordination with stakeholders, equipment selection, procurement, and project implementation. 

Open
Award Potential

$2,500,000

Apply
Questions? Contact

Funding Schedule

Although this RFP schedule complements the 2024 EPA Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Grant Program, applicants are not required to have applied to or received CHDV funding.

School Bus Fleet Deployment, Round 4
Process Step

Date

Release of RFP

May 12, 2025

Webinar hosted by MassCEC. Register for webinar here.

May 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Questions due to MassCEC via email to CleanTransportation@MassCEC.com  

May 23, 2025

Questions with answers posted to MassCEC website 

May 30, 2025

Proposals due 

June 13, 2025 by 4pm ET

Interviews of top applicants

June 16-20, 2025

Notification of award

June 30, 2025

This schedule is tentative and subject to change at MassCEC's discretion. 

Who's Eligible

Eligible Applicants for the School Bus Fleet Deployment Program include:

  1. Public school districts that are eligible under EPA’s Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Program (CHDV).  This includes Massachusetts public school districts, including charter schools, that have an NCES District ID; and
  2. Private school bus transportation contractors that are eligible under EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. These generally include school bus service providers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and private school bus fleets that provide student transportation services. (Please see RFP for further information.) Note that private school bus contractors can apply only on behalf of their associated Massachusetts public school district(s).
  3. Both awardees of the CHDV program and entities who would be eligible for CHDV but did not apply or receive an award are encouraged to apply to our program.

Program Structure

The responsibilities and expectations of each of the program participants are summarized below. These lists may vary with the needs of the school district and may not be exhaustive.

School District

  • Collaborate with the Technical Consultant on project design, deployment, and reporting on project outcomes
  • Provide baseline fleet assessment data, e.g., fleet size and makeup, routes data and schedules, current fuel types and costs
  • With the help of the technical consultant, deploy electric school buses and charging infrastructure to serve district schools

Technical Consultant

  • Conducting technical and financial electrification analyses that inform decision-making options for school bus fleets
  • Finalizing analyses of vehicle needs, charging needs, financial details, and distributed energy resources integration
  • Creation of plans for site work and electric school bus operation
  • Procurement support for purchase of electric school buses and charging equipment
  • Management of construction, equipment testing, and technical training
  • Operational support for school bus fleets and related entities

MassCEC

  • Participate in meetings with the technical consultant and the school district
  • Record and share lessons learned between school districts
  • Retain the technical consultant
  • Available for extra support via email or office hours.

Benefits of Participation

  • Obtain a plan for fleet electrification
  • Preparation of depot site(s) for fleet electrification
  • Procurement of electric school buses and associated infrastructure
  • Deployment of electric school buses and associated infrastructure

If your district is in the early stages of electrification planning, the School Bus Advisory Services Program can provide free technical assistance you need to help you get started on your school bus electrification journey.

Apply

Application Process

Please begin the application process by reading the RFP (see Application Materials) and then working through the attachments in posted order.

Submit completed application to CleanTransportation@masscec.com. 

Applications are due June 13, 2025 by 4pm ET.

Application Materials

If Applicable:

  • Attachment G: Letters of Commitment
    Applicants should plan to submit letters of commitment from the local school board, local utility partner, and other relevant stakeholders as applicable (including a third-party transportation provider or landowner).
  • Attachment H: Vendor Quotes for Equipment
    If available, applicants should provide quotes for the cost of supplies or equipment, including but not limited to, electric school buses and charging systems.

Webinar: School Bus Deployment, Round 4

MassCEC hosted a webinar on Friday, May 23, 2025 to review the currently open School Bus Round 4 RFP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicant Eligibility

(Relates to Section 3: Eligible Applicants in the RFP)

1.1: Are the prioritized school districts the same as those prioritized through the EPA Clean School Bus Program?

Answer: The priority districts for this open funding opportunity are intended to mirror those districts prioritized by EPA in the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle NOFO. Please note, EPA identified priority counties rather than specific towns/districts.

1.2: Are communities eligible to apply for this program if they have not received an EPA Clean School Bus Rebate or Grant?

Answer: Yes, communities are eligible to apply for this program even if they have not received an EPA Clean School Bus or Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles Grant. Applicants should note in their application if the district falls within an EPA-designated priority county, regardless of grant award status.

1.3: Are EPA applicants more likely to be selected?

Answer: Not necessarily. All applications are evaluated based on the criteria in the RFP. While an EPA award may reflect project readiness or cost share, it is neither required nor a guarantee of selection.

FAQs continued...

1.4: Can an applicant submit multiple applications?

Answer: Each school district may submit only one application. Third-party applicants may submit multiple applications, as long as they submit no more than one per district.

1.5: The RFP states that OEMs are eligible to apply on behalf of school districts, but it also says it mirrors eligibility criteria for the EPA’s 2024 CHDV Program. Are OEMs eligible?

Answer: Yes, OEMs are eligible to apply on behalf of Massachusetts public school districts. While the RFP aligns with the EPA CHDV Program, it allows OEMs to apply directly in partnership with a district.

1.6: If Blue Bird is eligible to apply as an OEM, can we apply on behalf of a school district that has been awarded EPA CHDV funds?

Answer: Yes, an OEM may apply on behalf of a school district that has received EPA CHDV funds, even if the OEM was not the primary applicant for that funding.

Allowable Expenses

(Relates to Section 5: Funding and Eligible Costs in the RFP)

2.1: Can grant funding cover taxes and fees for the bus?

Answer: Yes, MassCEC's School Bus Deployment funding is intended to be flexible to cover gaps that exist in the total project budget. These two items are considered eligible expenses under this program.

2.2: Can an eligible applicant apply for funding just for charging infrastructure to support electric school buses, or must an applicant apply for electric school buses to apply for funding for charging infrastructure?

Answer: Yes, applicants may apply for funding solely for charging infrastructure. Buses and infrastructure are eligible costs. Applicants should clearly outline in their project budget which items they are requesting MassCEC to fund. Funding does not need to cover all project costs.

2.3: Can this grant help fund unforeseen depot construction costs that have come from a previous award?

Answer: While depot construction is an eligible cost category, this funding opportunity is intended to support the deployment of additional electric school buses. Requests to cover unforeseen costs from a previous deployment are generally discouraged and would need to be clearly tied to a new deployment.

Project Logistics

(Relates to Section 6: Project Requirements and Section 7: Proposal Requirements in the RFP)

3.1: What does operational support look like?

Answer: Operational support is tailored to the needs of each project and may include site analysis, fleet planning, technical assistance, and troubleshooting support once vehicles are in service.

3.2: How long do communities have to spend awarded funding?

Answer: MassCEC's grant timeline is intended to be flexible and reflect the needs of the deployment. Typically, deployment timelines are anticipated at 24-30 months.

3.3: Is scrappage of vehicles required?

Answer: Yes, documentation of bus scrappage or donation, in accordance with EPA Clean School Bus guidelines, in the form of pictures or a signed letter by the salvage yard representative is required.

3.4: How long are the vehicles required to operate for?

Answer: A successful applicant will demonstrate a commitment to operate the electric vehicles in service of the district for a minimum of five years.

3.5: How long after award notice must the vehicles or infrastructure be deployed by?

Answer: There is no fixed deployment deadline, but projects are generally expected to be completed within a 36-month period, including at least six months of vehicle operation. Timelines should align with project needs and EPA CHDV guidance.

Funding Availability

(Relates to Section 4: Funding Availability in the RFP)

4.1: How much total funding is available for Round 4?

Answer: MassCEC has not finalized the total funding available for Round 4. However, applications will be considered for funding requests of up to $2.5 million each.

4.2: If EPA CHDV awards are adjusted or withdrawn, will that affect MassCEC’s funding decisions?

Answer: This program is designed to complement federal funding but is not dependent on receiving an EPA award. Projects are still expected to meet the minimum external cost share outlined in their application, regardless of changes to EPA CHDV funding.

Miscellaneous

(Relates to Section 8: Additional Information and general program operations)

5.1: Is there a recommended/qualified vendor list for hardware, software, or design/build?

Answer: MassCEC does not maintain a recommended vendor list and remains vendor agnostic. However, through our technical assistance offerings, districts can receive support with procurement and selecting hardware that aligns with their specific operational needs, while still following state procurement laws.

5.2: How have you addressed the procurement issues when there is a contractor for a district?

Answer: Procurement processes may vary depending on a district’s structure and existing contracts. Districts should refer to state procurement laws for guidance. If awarded, districts will also have access to technical assistance for procurement-related questions, including support in navigating existing contractor relationships. For additional help, districts are encouraged to attend MassCEC’s office hours. Sign-up is available here.

5.3: Is there a process for becoming an approved bus vendor?

Answer: MassCEC does not maintain an approved vendor list for this program. To be considered for state-level procurement opportunities, vendors should follow the registration process with the Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD).

MassCEC / Clean Transportation / Funding / School Bus: Fleet Deployment

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