Charge Ahead Colorado provides grant funding for community-based Level 2 (L2) and DC fast-charging
(DCFC) electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The objectives of Charge Ahead Colorado are to improve air quality, reduce transportation emissions, and increase adoption of electric vehicles across Colorado.
All Charge Ahead Colorado applicants must read the Charge Ahead Application Guide in full prior to submitting an application. The Application Guide is intended to lead participants through Charge Ahead’s funding process.
Incentive Amounts
CEO will provide grant funding through Charge Ahead Colorado for the cost of a charging station project up to the following set maximums:
| EV Charging Station Power Level | CEO Maximum Funding | Maximum Incentive |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 (Under 19kW), Per Port | 80% | $4,500 |
| 19 - 49 kW, Per Port | 80% | $6,250 |
| DCFC, Single-Port (50 - 99kW) | 80% | $35,000 |
| DCFC, Dual-Port (50 - 99kW capable of simultaneous charging at this power level) | 80% | $50,000 |
| DCFC, Single-Port (100kW+) | 80% | $50,000 |
| DCFC, Dual-Port (100kW+ capable of simultaneous charging at this power level) | 80% | $70,000 |
| Enhanced Incentives | CEO Maximum Funding | Maximum Additional Incentive |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 Income Qualified Enhanced Incentive (Per Port)* | 90% | +$1,250 |
| Enhanced Incentive for Qualified Entities in Disproportionately Impacted Communities (Per Port)** | 90% | +$500 |
*For the Income Qualified (IQ) enhanced incentive, applicants can qualify through established programs, including: Housing Choice (Section 8) Vouchers, Low Income Public Housing, HUD Subsidized Project Based Section 8, Low Income Housing Tax Credit, Multifamily Housing (MFH) operated by a Housing Authority, etc.
**For the Disproportionately Impacted Community (DI) enhanced incentive, eligible applicants must be located within a disproportionately impacted community and be a Qualifying Entity type, which includes: Libraries, community centers, rec centers, nonprofit organizations, schools, public entities installing charging for the specific use of the public, places of worship, and multifamily housing (MFH) IQ eligible organizations. For Qualifying Entities, applicants can determine if their address is eligible for the DI enhanced incentive using the Transportation Equity Screening Tool.
September Application Timeline
The September standard application round will begin on September 11, 2023 and end on October 13, 2023 at 5:00 PM MT. CEO anticipates awarding approximately $3M total during this round.
| Actions | Date |
|---|---|
| Application period opens | September 11, 2023 |
| Question submittal deadline | September 18, 2023 |
| Q&A responses posted | September 21, 2023 |
| Application deadline | October 13, 2023, 5:00 PM MT |
Application
All Charge Ahead Colorado applications must be submitted online through the application portal:
Apply Here - Online Application Portal
Applicants must create an account in the online portal to submit an application. Please note that the name listed for the account will be the Primary Contact name submitted in the application.
For preparation purposes, Word formatted versions of the standard and short application are available for download. Please use the online application portal above to submit your application:
Please note: There is a 3,000 character limit per question and there is no option to save and continue when filling out the online application. Additionally, applications cannot be edited or updated once submitted. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to use the Word formatted application preparation documents above to prepare their responses and then to copy and paste them into the online application portal when ready.
Applications will not be accepted via email or physical submission such as mail.
Contact Information
For more information about Charge Ahead Colorado, contact Zahra Al-Saloom, Colorado Energy Office, at zahra.al-saloom@state.co.us or (720) 682-7693.
Sign-up for future updates or announcements on the Charge Ahead Program
Charge Ahead Colorado has three (3) standard application funding rounds per year - in January, May and September. All public and private entities interested in installing Level 2 or DCFC stations may apply, however projects at workplaces, multifamily housing, and tourist destinations are of particular interest.
The likely maximum award that will be provided during a single standard application round is $250,000 per applicant, per round.
Prior to applying for funding, we encourage applicants seeking DCFC stations or large projects (multiple DCFCs, more than 20 L2 charging ports, etc.) to reach out to CEO staff via Office Hours or their local ReCharge coach for additional information on appropriate project scale, location, and power levels. Office Hours are not available during standard application rounds, though ReCharge Colorado coaches can still offer coaching at these times.
Applicants that are a Qualifying Entity, workplace, or multifamily housing community can use the Charge Ahead Colorado short application all year-round, on an ongoing basis when applying for six (6) L2 charging ports or fewer, as long as the charging stations are primarily intended for employee or resident use. Charge Ahead Colorado short application decisions are made monthly.
All applicants will be required to incorporate Accessible Design features, per the Access Board, in order to qualify for Charge Ahead Colorado grant funding.
All applicants must also provide the minimum match requirement to be eligible for Charge Ahead Colorado grant funding, which ranges from 10-20% of total project costs depending on the organization’s eligibility for the Disproportionately Impacted and Income Qualified enhanced incentives.
Fleet charging, charging for deeded or assigned parking spaces, and single family homes are not eligible for grant funding. Applicants planning to request funding for fleet charging stations must instead apply through the Fleet-ZERO program.
Please see the Application Guide for more information, including a full program overview and additional details and definitions regarding eligibility, match, accessible design requirements, and scoring criteria.
During every standard application round, for the 1st week after the round opens, CEO will have a Q&A period where questions can be submitted through the Charge Ahead Colorado Q&A Form.
CEO will then post public responses to all of the questions received during the Q&A period 3 days after the Q&A period closes. Click the link below to view public responses to the questions received during the September Q&A period.
Charge Ahead Colorado will not fund retroactive projects. Projects must seek approval for funding through the application process, receive notice of an award, and an executed Purchase Order from CEO prior to implementing or contracting for any aspect of a project that will be submitted for reimbursement.
Charge Ahead Colorado does not have preferred or qualified vendors though vendors must meet minimum Reporting Requirements as identified in Section VIII of the Application Guide. Vendors that have participated in CEO’s vendor training can be found on the CEO Vendor List.
If you are a vendor that would like to be added to CEO’s trained vendor list and can meet the program's minimum Reporting Requirements per the Application Guide, please fill out the CEO Vendor Agreement & Questionnaire.
Since its inception in 2013, the Charge Ahead Colorado grant program has made awards for more than 2,000 EV charging stations across the state. Historically, the program was jointly administered by the Regional Air Quality Council and the Colorado Energy Office. The program became solely administered by CEO in 2022.
Beginning in October 2022, the Colorado Energy Office implemented new incentives for 19 - 49 kW charging stations, as well as enhanced incentives for Income Qualified, and Disproportionately Impacted Communities. These program updates were shared via Zoom webinar on September 23, 2022.
The presentation and recording can be found here (there have since been additional program updates):
Details on charging stations and EV growth in Colorado can be found at EValuateCO. To find a list of charging stations near you, visit the Alternative Fuels Data Center or PlugShare.