Minority- and Women-Owned Business Support Grants

MassCEC may elect to award a portion of the MWBE Support Grant funds requested as a Planning Grant if the applicant’s proposed project contains sufficient detail to justify a Planning Grant but does not have sufficient scope to justify the entire amount of the award requested for implementation. Alternatively, applicants are advised to consider applying directly to MassCEC’s Equity Workforce Capacity and Planning Grants to fund planning prior to applying to future rounds of MWBE Support Grants for implementation funds.

Yes, applicants may apply for additional funds from MassCEC, so long as the proposed project is separate and distinct from the projects funded via prior support. Proposals suggesting upskilling or expanding an existing project, either in content or geographic/target population reach, that was funded previously by MassCEC may be viewed as separate and distinct. Proposals suggesting running additional cohorts of an existing project that received prior funding from MassCEC will not be viewed as separate and distinct.

Program costs may vary from year to year. Some examples include adding additional staff in year one or program plans that project to grow training cohort capacity across the grant years. These variations and others are acceptable and, in many cases, strategic. Applicants should detail the rationale and strategy in their proposal and budget narrative to ensure reviewers have clarity about their plans.

If your MWBE is planning to set up a job training pipeline for individuals from EJ Neighborhoods and other underserved populations to enter the clean energy sector, you may consider applying to the Equity Workforce Training RFP and the Climate-Critical Workforce Training RFP that are currently open. If the MWBE is interested in developing their own organizational capacity, the MWBE can apply for MassCEC’s Equity Workforce Capacity Grants, which are funding opportunities directed towards supporting individual MWBEs. This MWBE Support Grant is NOT intended fund an individual MWBE.

Funding for partnerships will be more favorable during the scoring process as this grant is designed to stand up a support program for multiple MWBEs or creation of MWBEs in climate critical fields. Applicants must submit a budget that includes funds allocated per MWBE supported through the program. This grant is not intended to support an individual MWBE’s operations or growth.

Strand: Access to Capital for Climate-Critical MWBEs is not targeted at individual MWBEs seeking direct funding. This strand is intended to support organizations that can coordinate the MWBE Support Grant awardees in developing a shared approach to increasing access to capital for climate critical MWBEs. The shared approach will likely include identifying existing resources for MWBEs, developing guidance content on accessing those resources for both support organizations and MWBEs, suggesting approaches to further tailoring those resources to the unique needs of climate critical MWBEs, and designing mechanisms and shared frameworks to streamline the qualification of eligible MWBEs and distribution of funds to those MWBEs by MWBE Support Grant awardees.

Yes, the grant proposals will need to be separate and distinct. The proposals should differentiate the different participants that will be served resulting from the separate workforce equity grants.

The next round of MWBE Support Grants will be released in Fiscal Year 2025. The anticipated release date is the end of the calendar year.

The MWBE Support grant is aimed to support MWBEs by providing support services, rather than providing training or certifications to participants directly. Certifications are essential for certain occupations, but these certifications do not need to be administered by your organization.

We request applicant interviews if the review committee has questions about the proposal components that are not explicated in the application form and budget.

Current grantees can apply for further funding through Strand A if the proposal is separate and distinct. An example of a separate and distinct proposal may include additional curriculum, providing more support services, and/or geographic expansion. A proposal to fund the same participants within the current programming will be less competitive.

We do not have a specific format for the letter of support. We require letters of support on the company letterhead describing the responsibilities of the organization providing the letter. We prefer a letter signed by a high-level position of the organization as possible.

The lead applicant will submit the budget and add partners in a subcontractor line. If the partner is receiving $50,000 or more from the requested amount, the lead applicant will need to submit an additional budget that includes the allocated amount for each line item for the given amount.

MWBE Support Grants are open to serve minority and women led businesses only. A minority and women owned business enterprise means a business that is at least 51% owned and predominantly controlled by minority or women principals.

Yes, stipends are eligible under the MWBE Support Grants. Stipends can assist MWBEs with wrap around support services, which can help program participants with transportation, childcare, licensing, certifications, and more.

MassCEC reviews applications based on multiple factors, including geographic area. If you have received funding from the same grant, the application must be separate and distinct from the funded project. Diversifying the target geographic area will be viewed as distinct and more competitive.