Federal grant programs / Environmental Protection Agency

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: National Clean Investment Fund (66.957)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$14 billion
• Grant awards3
• Typical award$5.0 billion
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank41 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceGrant

Key findings

• It is the 41st largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• Awards went to recipients in 2 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) amends the Clean Air Act to include Section 134 (42 USC § 7434), which authorizes the EPA to make competitive grants under the National Clean Investment Fund. The National Clean Investment Fund is currently funded by two separate appropriations to make competitive grants to eligible recipients: $11.97 billion from Section 134(a)(2) and $2 billion from Section 134(a)(3) (out of $8 billion provided in Section 134(a)(3)). The National Clean Investment Fund implements the statute’s use of funds for direct investments under Section 134(b)(1). Section 134(b)(1) directs recipients of funds for direct investments to (A) provide financial assistance to qualified projects at the national, regional, state, and local levels; (B) prioritize investment in qualified projects that would otherwise lack access to financing; and (C) retain, manage, recycle, and monetize all repayments and other revenue received from fees, interest, repaid loans, and any other financial assistance provided using the grant funds to ensure continued operability.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

“Eligible recipients,” as that term is defined in Clean Air Act Section 134(c)(1), are eligible for grants from this competition. Section 134(c)(1) defines “eligible recipient” as a nonprofit organization that (A) is designed to provide capital, leverage private capital and provide other forms of financial assistance for the rapid deployment of low- and zero-emission products, technologies, and services; (B) does not take deposits other than deposits from repayments and other revenue received from financial assistance using the grant funds; (C) is funded by public or charitable contributions; and (D) invests in or finances projects alone or in conjunction with other investors. Further information is provided in the NOFO about the specific criteria EPA will use to determine eligibility for funding under this program.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (EPA-R-HQ-NCIF-23) for information on how assistance may be used under this program, or if there are any funding use restrictions.This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis. A discretionary award means an award in which the Federal awarding agency, in keeping with specific statutory authority that enables the agency to exercise judgement (“discretion”), selects the recipient and/or the amount of Federal funding awarded through a competitive process or based on merit of proposals. A discretionary award generally may be selected on a non-competitive basis, as appropriate but for this program competition is required by statute. For further information, please contact the Headquarters or regional office.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

The deadline for submission of applications, anticipated selections and anticipated award dates are communicated in the NOFO.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

EPA has awarded $13.97 billion in funding through this program, including $11.97 billion from the appropriation under Section 134(a)(2) of the Clean Air Act and $2.00 billion from the appropriation under Section 134(a)(3) of the Clean Air Act.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: The statute limits the projects eligible for financial assistance under Section 134(b)(1) to “qualified projects.” Section 134(c)(3) provides that a qualified project is any project, activity or technology that (A) reduces or avoids greenhouse gas emissions or other forms of air pollution in partnership with, and by leveraging investment from, the private sector; or (B) assists communities in the efforts of those communities to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution. To find out more about this program and view the examples of the types of projects awarded under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/greenhouse-gas-reduction-fund/national-clean-investment-fund.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to nonprofits.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.