Fund your electric school bus purchase!
What is this grant for? This round will provide funding for districts to get electric school buses operational. This includes:
- Purchasing new electric school buses, or repowering fossil-fuel-powered school buses to run on electricity.
- Deploying charging infrastructure for the buses
- Administering vehicle and charger procurement processes
Who can apply? Independent and special school districts, Tribal contract schools, as well as transportation providers and utilities representing a school district. See the RFP for more details about how each of these terms are defined.
How much funding is available this round? Up to $6 million will be available in total for applicants this round.
Depending on the districts financial need and other district prioritization criteria, Commerce can cover between 65% and 95% of eligible expense. Learn more about what those eligible expenses are on the RFP, and watch this video for help identifying what percent of a district’s costs can be covered.
When and where can I apply? Applications will be accepted from Monday, October 28, 2024, until Tuesday December 17, 2024. The RFP is posted publicly online on the Department’s RFP page.
The Department will post equipment funding rounds at least once a year until December 31, 2026, or until funds run out.
What if I have other questions? We hosted an informational webinar on Monday, November 18, 2024 for interested people to learn more about the application and ask any questions. Download the slides from that webinar.
All questions about the RFP are to be submitted by email to: energy.contracts@state.mn.us. Responses to questions will be posted to the RFP page of Commerce’s website. Responses will not be provided to questions individually.