Charge Ahead Colorado

The Colorado Energy Office administers the Charge Ahead Colorado grant program to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state. This program reflects the office’s broader mission of promoting clean energy and transportation solutions that reduce emissions and improve air quality for Colorado residents. The grant program is designed to address gaps in public charging access, particularly in multifamily housing, workplaces, and community-based locations, while ensuring equitable distribution of resources in disproportionately impacted communities. Charge Ahead Colorado provides funding for the installation of Level 2 and direct current fast-charging stations. Eligible costs include the purchase and installation of charging equipment, related infrastructure, and required warranty and networking coverage. All awarded projects must comply with accessibility design standards as defined by the U.S. Access Board. The program does not fund charging stations for single-family homes, deeded or assigned parking spaces, or EV charging intended primarily for fleet vehicles or equipment, which instead fall under the Fleet-ZERO program. Applicants are also encouraged to consider project size and location suitability and can receive guidance from ReCharge Colorado coaches prior to application submission. Eligibility is broad and includes businesses and industry, non-profit organizations, government and public institutions, multifamily housing (including affordable and income-qualified developments), schools, workplaces, and tribal governments and entities. Charging station developers and providers may apply only if they will own and operate the charging stations. Qualifying entities such as disadvantaged, minority, veteran, and women-owned small businesses, as well as schools, libraries, community centers, and places of worship, benefit from enhanced incentives, including higher funding per port, reduced minimum match requirements, and priority in application scoring. Funding is awarded through several pathways. Standard applications and multifamily housing portfolio applications can receive up to $250,000 and $500,000 respectively per round. A rolling application pathway allows funding for up to six Level 2 ports per application and is available year-round. A minimum match of 20 percent is required, though qualifying entities may provide only 10 percent. The program runs continuously with application rounds offered three times each year. For the September 2025 cycle, applications open on September 15 and close on October 17 at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Notification of awards is expected in December 2025. A formal Q&A period accompanies each cycle, and questions must be submitted within the first week of the application window. Responses are posted publicly by the Colorado Energy Office. An informational webinar for applicants will be held on September 16, 2025. Applications must be submitted online through the official portal, with Word-based preparation documents available for applicants’ use. Only direct representatives of the organizations that will own and operate the charging stations may submit applications. Submitted applications cannot be edited once finalized. The Colorado Energy Office does not accept submissions by email or mail. Applicants should expect to provide detailed project information, including equipment specifications, cost details, and compliance with program requirements. To support applicants, CEO staff also provide office hours, and vendors may participate in annual training sessions to be listed on the CEO trained vendor list. For assistance with the application portal, applicants can contact ceo_energysalesforce@state.co.us. Program-specific inquiries not addressed in the Application Guide may be directed to Mika Burdette, Program Manager, at mika.burdette@state.co.us. The Colorado Energy Office encourages early preparation and engagement with resources such as informational webinars, Q&A responses, and ReCharge Colorado coaching to maximize application quality and competitiveness.