Download - Grant Program Application Tips
Grant Program Application Tips
Tennessee Energy
Education Initiative
ARiES ENERGY Alternative, Renewable, innovative, Economic Solutions for Energy
Turnkey Energy Solutions
• Energy Business Plans
• Renewable Energy
Design & Installation
• Grant Writing
• Service and Maintenance
• Reporting
Help your clients go from…..
$1.65
…… To this. Over $1.65 Million received in grant funding for clean energy investments since 2009.
Grant 101
• Determine Eligibility
• Understand the Goals of the
Grant /Grant Administrator
• Understand your Project
• How does your Project Meet the
Goals of the Grant?
Commitment
• If you are working with a client, get an upfront
commitment
– Financial deposit
– Three years of financial statements
– Feasibility study
– Access to an internal person that is dedicated to the
project
Determine Eligibility
• Before beginning any work, make sure that you
are eligible for the grant
• Eligibility is often determined by:
– Geography
– Type of Entity (non-profit, municipality, business, etc.)
– Organization/Business Size
• Annual Revenue
• # of Employees
• Do not hesitate to contact the grant administrator
to confirm eligibility
Understand the Goals of the Grant and
Grant Administrator
• If you don’t understand the goals of the grant, your chances for success are slim – Examples:
• Clean Energy
• Economic Development
• Education
• If the goals are not readily apparent to you: Work Backwards – Find or request the grant scoring sheet
• Determine all of the ways your project achieves the goals of the grant based on the scoring criteria – Make a checklist
Make a Checklist based on
the Scoring Criteria
• Include all of the Paperwork
• Evaluate your grant proposal before submitting
– Include all of the information the grant administrator
needs to make an informed decision
• Energy offset, financial estimate, size, cost, certification
Understand your Project
• Clearly articulate what you are doing
– a picture is worth a thousand words
• Do not assume the grant administrator knows
what your project is (technology, process, etc.)
• ONLY include relevant details
– Refer to scoring criteria and goals of grant
• Think bigger picture. How is your project
significant?
– Technology
– Costs
– Location / who and what you are impacting
– Benefits of project
• The paper work is half the battle
• Understand your project & be able to
communicate it to others
– Build confidence
• Be prepared and ready to submit your
application when programs open!
• One of the keys to your success is:
Readiness
Understand your Project
How does your Project Meet the Goals
of the Grant?
• Make it easy for your grant administrator to determine why grant funding invested in your project will have positive results
• $$$ invested here = what
• Quantify as much as possible – $$$$
– kWhs saved
– kWhs clean energy produced
– Emissions reduced
– # of jobs created
How does your Project Meet the Goals
of the Grant?
• Think bigger picture
• Will the project/investment provide indirect benefits to the community? – Are matching funds federal and/or state dollars that
you are bringing into your community?
– Other Expenditures? • Local permitting costs
• Hiring local labor
• Supporting local hotels & restaurants
– Visible application of your technology?
– Is your project replicable, is the impact long-term?
Additional Support
Secure a Financing Partner
– Financing Partners / Matching Funds significantly
strengthen your application
Over $210,000 awarded in grant funding since 2010
Additional Support
Letters of Commitment / Support
– Build confidence with third-party support.
– If other credible individuals/entities understand the
value of your project and want to do business with
you, why wouldn’t the grant administrator?
Make it easy.
• Grants are competitive.
• Follow Directions.
• Answer the questions.
• Be Clear & Concise.
• See Results.
Take care of the
paperwork.
Thank You! Alternative, Renewable, innovative, Economic Solutions for Energy
(first name)@ARiESEnergy.com
www.ARiESEnergy.com
865-309-4NRG
• Mary Shaffer Gill
• Harvey Abouelata
• Patrick West
• Stefan Partin
• Brandt Womack