Green School Works Implementation Grants

Aerial view of school with solar panels on roof

The Challenge: Decarbonize Public Schools

Massachusetts’ approximately 1,800 public school buildings are responsible for about 880,000 metric tons of carbon every year. Electrifying and decarbonizing these buildings represents a significant opportunity for the state to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. However, with the increased costs of construction and competing capital needs, districts need additional resources for the installation and upgrades of clean energy infrastructure.

About Green School Works Implementation Grants

Green School Works Implementation grants provide K-12 public schools that serve a significant percentage of students from low-income families with funding to implement projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, or mitigate the impacts of climate change. This funding opportunity is intentionally broad and flexible. It is designed to support a range of project types from a small project involving a single technology to a full school decarbonization project. Up to 15% of an award's total funds can be used for project “soft costs,” such as design or project management.

A total of $52.5 million will be available to schools through this program. Awards may range from $50,000 up to $5 million for projects with a larger scope.

Open

Award Potential

$50,000-$5,000,000

Application Deadline

April 30, 2025

Apply

Questions? Contact

Funding Schedule

MassCEC expects to award all available funding in this round if we receive a sufficient volume of strong applications.

Process Step	Timing
Request for Proposals released	March 31, 2025
Optional webinar	April 8, 2025 at 4 pm
Virtual office hours	See options
Questions accepted by MassCEC via email to greenschools@masscec.com	March 31, 2025 through April 18, 2025 11:59 pm
Questions with answers posted to MassCEC website	Ongoing from March 31, 2025 through April 23, 2025
Proposals due	April 30, 2025 11:59 pm
Interviews of applicants, as needed	May 2025
Notification of Award	Late May to June 2025

Who's Eligible

Schools must be public K-12 schools in Massachusetts and must have served a student population that is at least 40% low income in at least one of the last three school years (2023, 2024, or 2025). Applicants may review the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s data to verify eligibility. (To navigate to school-level data, click on “School” or “District” or “Collaborative” (as applicable) in the “Report Type” drop-down menu, followed by “View Report.”)

For projects involving multiple schools, each of the schools must individually meet the eligibility criteria. For projects involving more than three schools (e.g., solar panel installations through one contractor at multiple schools), MassCEC may make exceptions if a student population that is majority low income will benefit from the project. MassCEC will also consider projects that serve an entire school district if at least 40% of the students in the entire district were low income in at least one of the last three school years. Please refer to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for full details.

MassCEC encourages applicants with projects at various stages of planning or construction to respond to this RFP. When enrollment for Green School Works Technical Assistance opens in Spring 2025, eligible schools and districts applying for implementation grant funding may also enroll in that program.

Apply

Application Process

Please include in your application:

Attachment A: Authorized Applicant Signature and Acceptance Form
Attachment B: Application Form, including relevant attachments and confirmation that Attachment C has been reviewed
Additional attachments, as available, including team member resumes, energy use data, capital assessments and/or project plans, drawings, or documents

Applicants with projects in early stages may not have all the information requested in Attachment B; they should provide as much information as is available.

For projects involving multiple schools in a connected or coordinated effort, please submit a single application.

For separate projects at multiple schools or sites in your district, please submit a separate application for each project.

The response to the RFP should be submitted via email to greenschools@masscec.com. “Green School Works Implementation RFP – [Applicant (i.e. school district) name]” must appear in the email subject line.

Application Materials

Green School Works Implementation Grants RFP

Attachment A - Authorized applicant form

Attachment B - Application Form

Attachment C - Sample Agreement

Frequently Asked Questions

Green School Works Implementation Grants Webinar

MassCEC hosted a webinar on the Green School Works Implementation Grants on April 8, 2025. The webinar slides and recording provide an overview of the RFP and a Q&A.

Webinar Slides