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