Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund

The Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF) was developed to provide new, independent funding to tribes for renewable energy projects. TSAF priorities include:

• Providing necessary capital to support the development of new solar demonstration projects in tribal communities around the country
• Solar education, training, and workforce development in tribal communities
• The development of long-term energy plans to increase tribal energy security and resiliency

Each TSAF funding area has its own application for funding:

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Matching Funding – Tribes that have a cost-share funding need or an outstanding DOE grant matching funds requirement
• Tribal Solar Project Funding – These projects can include rooftop, carport, or ground-mount solar installations that meet the energy needs of the tribal community
• Tribal Residential Solar Projects – These projects will be for low-income single-family homes in tribal communities

Amount: Dependent upon funding area, as follows:

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Matching Funding – Proposals will be funded up to $250,000 per project
• Tribal Solar Project Funding and Tribal Residential Solar Projects – Proposals will be funded up to $200,000 per tribe

Eligibility: Federal and state-recognized tribal governments in the lower 48 states and Alaska (tribal government programs, such as tribal housing authority, cultural departments, economic development entities, etc.); Tribally-led (a majority (>51%) of the board of directors and leadership team are American Indian or Alaska Native) 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (tribal community organizations without a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status may submit an application through a sponsoring organization if the sponsor has IRS 501(c)(3) status and can provide written authorization confirming its willingness to act as the fiscal sponsor); Schools that are tribally-controlled 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and schools that are tribally-operated such as tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and any public or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.

For tribal facility projects, the community served must be designated low- to moderate-income (LMI) as demonstrated by eligibility for federal, state, or tribal low-income programs, or with Census data. For tribal household or multi-family projects, the resident households must be 80% or below the area median income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or another LMI-serving program.

Link: https://tribalsolaraccelerator.org/apply/

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