The Green School Works Implementation Grants program is administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to support the decarbonization of public K–12 schools across the Commonwealth. Massachusetts’ 1,800 public school buildings contribute approximately 880,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. The goal of this funding initiative is to help schools address the financial and logistical barriers associated with implementing clean energy infrastructure upgrades, especially in districts serving large low-income student populations.
This program provides funding for a broad range of projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, or enhance climate resiliency within school buildings. The scope of eligible projects is intentionally flexible, allowing applicants to propose initiatives from simple, single-technology improvements to comprehensive school decarbonization efforts. Each grant award may range from $50,000 to $5 million, with up to 15% of the awarded funds eligible for use on soft costs such as design, engineering, or project management.
A total of $52.5 million is available in this funding round, and MassCEC anticipates distributing all funds if it receives enough strong proposals. Eligible applicants are Massachusetts public K–12 schools or school districts with at least 40% low-income student enrollment in any of the school years 2023, 2024, or 2025. For multi-school projects, each school must meet the eligibility criteria. In certain cases, exceptions may be made for projects serving multiple schools if the majority of students across the project are low-income.
The application process includes submitting an email proposal to greenschools@masscec.com with the subject line “Green School Works Implementation RFP – [Applicant Name]” by 11:59 PM on April 30, 2025. Required application documents include an authorized signature form (Attachment A), a completed application form (Attachment B), and optional supplemental materials such as energy data or design documents. For separate, unrelated projects at multiple schools, applicants should submit separate applications. However, related projects across schools may be submitted together in a single application.
Key dates in the process include a Request for Proposals release on March 31, 2025, an optional webinar on April 8, 2025, and virtual office hours on April 9 and 15, 2025. Questions may be submitted until April 18, with responses posted through April 23. Interviews may be scheduled in May 2025, and award notifications will occur in late May to June 2025. Schools at various stages of project planning are encouraged to apply, and future enrollment for Green School Works Technical Assistance will open in Spring 2025 for continued support.
