Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA R HQ NCIF 23
The National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) is a major federal grant competition run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which was created by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. The broader Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund represents a historic $27 billion effort to push clean energy and climate solutions into every kind of community in the United States, including states and territories, Tribal lands, large cities, and rural areas. The intent is not only to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but also to improve public health, reduce household and business energy costs, create high-quality jobs, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness, and support long-term energy security.
NCIF is the largest of three connected EPA competitions funded through this initiative. Specifically, NCIF is a $14 billion national competition focused on scaling up clean technology deployment across the country through financing. The other two related competitions are the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, which is aimed at financing clean technology in low-income and disadvantaged communities while also strengthening the capabilities of community lenders serving those areas, and the $7 billion Solar for All program, which focuses on expanding distributed solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities to lower energy bills. The NCIF notice of funding opportunity is specifically about the $14 billion portion and how EPA plans to select organizations to carry it out at a national level.
The core purpose of NCIF is to fund the creation or expansion of national clean financing institutions. Rather than funding individual solar arrays, building upgrades, or vehicles directly as separate grant projects, the program is designed to build large-scale nonprofit financing entities that can partner with private-sector capital and deploy flexible, affordable financing to support tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide. In other words, EPA is using cooperative agreements and grants to capitalize a small number of national nonprofit finance organizations so they can offer financing tools (often alongside private investment) that help projects pencil out, reach more customers, and move faster than they would through traditional markets alone.
EPA expects to make a very small number of awards under NCIF, selecting approximately 2 to 3 national nonprofit financing entities. The total funding available is up to about $14 billion, and the listed award ceiling is $13,970,000,000, which signals that a single award could be extremely large and that the winners would operate at national scale. The program is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the environmental funding activity category, with CFDA number 66.957. Funding instruments include both grants and cooperative agreements, meaning recipients should anticipate a closer working relationship with EPA than a typical formula grant, including federal involvement in oversight, reporting, and performance tracking.
In terms of basic administrative details from the notice, the opportunity number is EPA-R-HQ-NCIF-23 and it was posted (creation date) on July 14, 2023, with an original closing date of October 12, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with a note that applicants must consult the notice's "Additional Information on Eligibility" section for the exact definitions and requirements. However, the summary makes clear that the intended applicants are national nonprofit financing entities capable of operating at scale, partnering with private-sector investors, and building a durable financing platform that can reliably deliver accessible and affordable capital for clean technology deployment across the United States.
Overall, NCIF is best understood as a national clean finance backbone program: EPA is selecting a handful of large nonprofit finance leaders and providing them with massive capitalization so they can crowd in private capital and rapidly expand financing for clean technologies. The end goal is broad, measurable deployment of clean energy and related climate solutions nationwide, with benefits that extend beyond emissions reductions to include lower energy burdens, improved health outcomes, job creation, and stronger community and national economic resilience.Apply for EPA R HQ NCIF 23
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.957.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 14, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 12, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $13,970,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) FAQs
What is the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)?
The National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) is a major federal grant competition run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. It is designed to scale up clean technology deployment nationwide by funding the creation or expansion of national clean financing institutions.
Which federal agency runs NCIF?
NCIF is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What law created the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that NCIF sits under?
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund was created by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
How large is the broader Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund effort?
The broader Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a $27 billion effort intended to push clean energy and climate solutions into communities across the United States.
How much funding is available through NCIF specifically?
NCIF is a $14 billion national competition. The notice lists a maximum (award ceiling) of $13,970,000,000, indicating that individual awards could be extremely large.
Is NCIF the only EPA competition funded through this initiative?
No. NCIF is the largest of three connected EPA competitions under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The other two are the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator and Solar for All.
What are the other two related competitions and how much are they funded?
The other two related competitions are: (1) the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator and (2) the $7 billion Solar for All program.
How is NCIF different from the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator?
NCIF is a $14 billion national competition focused on scaling clean technology deployment across the country through financing at national scale. The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator is focused on financing clean technology in low-income and disadvantaged communities and strengthening the capabilities of community lenders serving those areas.
How is NCIF different from the Solar for All program?
NCIF focuses on building national financing institutions to support clean technology deployment broadly. Solar for All focuses specifically on expanding distributed solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities to lower energy bills.
What is the core purpose of NCIF?
The core purpose is to fund the creation or expansion of national clean financing institutions (typically nonprofit financing entities) that can deploy flexible, affordable financing to support tens of thousands of clean technology projects nationwide.
Does NCIF fund individual clean energy projects directly (like a single solar array or building retrofit)?
The program is described as funding large-scale nonprofit financing entities rather than funding individual solar arrays, building upgrades, or vehicles directly as separate grant projects. The emphasis is on building financing platforms that can enable many projects.
What kinds of organizations is EPA trying to select under NCIF?
The notice summary indicates EPA intends to select national nonprofit financing entities capable of operating at scale, partnering with private-sector investors, and building durable financing platforms that can reliably deliver accessible and affordable capital for clean technology deployment across the U.S.
How many awards does EPA expect to make under NCIF?
EPA expects to make a very small number of awards, selecting approximately 2 to 3 national nonprofit financing entities.
What does the award ceiling suggest about the size of potential awards?
The listed award ceiling of $13,970,000,000 suggests that a single award could be extremely large, and that selected recipients would be expected to operate at national scale.
What funding instruments does NCIF use?
Funding instruments include grants and cooperative agreements.
What is a key implication of NCIF using cooperative agreements?
Because cooperative agreements are included, recipients should anticipate a closer working relationship with EPA than under a typical formula grant, including federal involvement in oversight, reporting, and performance tracking.
What is the funding type/category for this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and falls under the environmental funding activity category.
What is the CFDA number associated with NCIF?
The CFDA number listed for NCIF is 66.957.
What is the opportunity number for the NCIF notice of funding opportunity?
The opportunity number is EPA-R-HQ-NCIF-23.
When was this opportunity posted?
The creation (posting) date is July 14, 2023.
What was the original closing date for the opportunity?
The original closing date was October 12, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply based on the eligibility field?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with a note that applicants must consult the notice's "Additional Information on Eligibility" section for exact definitions and requirements.
Based on the summary, who are the intended applicants?
Based on the summary, the intended applicants are national nonprofit financing entities that can operate at scale, partner with private-sector capital, and build a durable national financing platform for clean technology deployment.
What geographic scope is NCIF aiming to cover?
NCIF is described as a national competition intended to support clean technology deployment across the United States, including a focus across many community types referenced under the broader Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (states and territories, Tribal lands, large cities, and rural areas).
How does NCIF aim to accelerate clean technology deployment?
EPA intends to capitalize a small number of national nonprofit finance organizations so they can offer flexible and affordable financing tools, often alongside private investment, to help projects pencil out, reach more customers, and move faster than they would through traditional markets alone.
Why does the program emphasize partnering with private-sector capital?
The program is framed as a way to crowd in private-sector capital by building large-scale financing entities that can partner with private investors and deploy capital more broadly and rapidly.
What outcomes is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (and NCIF) intended to achieve besides cutting greenhouse gas emissions?
The stated intent includes improving public health, reducing household and business energy costs, creating high-quality jobs, strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness, and supporting long-term energy security.
How should NCIF be understood at a high level?
NCIF is described as a national clean finance backbone program: EPA plans to select a handful of large nonprofit finance leaders and provide massive capitalization so they can expand financing for clean technologies at national scale, with measurable deployment and broad economic and health benefits.
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