Charge Ahead Colorado Grant
Funding for businesses, governments, and communities to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Grant Overview:
Eligibility: Businesses & Industry, Government, Non-Profit Organizations, Workplaces, Multifamily Housing. See full eligibility in Application Guide.
Amount: Up to $250,000 per applicant, per round. See Application Guide for award amount details.
Match: Minimum of 20%, 10% for qualifying entities
Program Length: Continuous
Application Rounds: Standard applications open until October 18, 2024 at 5:00 PM MT. Three standard application rounds annually in winter, spring, and fall. Rolling application available year-round for projects requesting six or fewer Level 2 charging ports.
Charge Ahead Colorado supports electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Colorado by providing grants for EV charging stations to serve communities and EV drivers across the state. The Charge Ahead Colorado grant provides funding for community-based Level 2 (L2) and direct current fast charging (DCFC) electric vehicle charging stations.
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. Charge Ahead Colorado applicants must read the Application Guide in full prior to submitting an application.
View the Application Guide
For more information about Charge Ahead Colorado, contact Mika Burdette, mika.burdette@state.co.us.
See “How to Apply” section below for information on how to submit an application.
Enhanced Incentives for Qualifying Entities
Enhanced incentives are available for qualifying entities in income-qualified and disproportionately impacted communities. Applicants can qualify for the income-qualified (IQ) enhanced incentive through participation in 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
Qualifying entities for the disproportionately impacted communities incentive are institutions in disproportionately impacted areas that serve the community, such as:
- Libraries
- Community centers
- Recreation centers
- Non-profit organizations
- Schools
- Public entities installing charging for the public’s use
- Places of worship
- Income-qualified multifamily housing
Applicants can determine if their address is eligible for the disproportionately impacted community enhanced incentive using the Transportation Equity Screening Tool.
Eligible Projects
All public, private, and non-profit entities interested in installing Level 2 or Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) may apply. However, the following projects are of particular interest:
- Workplaces
- Multifamily housing
- Tourist destinations
All applicants are required to incorporate accessible design features to qualify for funding.
View the Access Board’s EV Accessibility Guidelines
Please view the Application Guide for detailed information on eligible project types, incentive amounts, and match requirements.
Please Note: Charge Ahead Colorado will not fund retroactive projects. Fleet charging, deeded or assigned parking spaces, and single-family homes are not eligible for this grant funding. Applicants planning to request funding for fleet charging stations must instead apply through the Fleet-ZERO program.
Go to Fleet-ZERO Program
How to Apply
Charge Ahead Colorado has three (3) standard application funding rounds per year - in January, May and September.
All Charge Ahead Colorado applications must be submitted online through the application portal. Applicants must create an account in the online portal to submit an application.
Apply Here - Online Application Portal
For preparation purposes, Word formatted versions of the standard and rolling application are available for download:
Please Note: There is a 3,000 character limit per question. Applicants cannot edit or update their application once submitted. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their responses using the Word formatted applications above, and then copy and paste their responses into the online application portal. CEO will not accept hard copy applications or applications submitted via email.
Schedule:
September application period opens: September 16, 2024
Question submission deadline: September 23, 2024, 5:00 PM MT
Q & A responses posted: September 26, 2024
Application deadline: October 18, 2024, 5:00 PM MT
Award notifications: Estimated December 2024
Eligible applicants can submit the Charge Ahead Colorado rolling application year-round on an ongoing basis if they are applying for six or fewer Level 2 charging ports. CEO reviews rolling applications monthly.
Q&A Period
During the first week of every standard application round, CEO hosts a formal Q&A, then posts responses to submitted questions within three days after the Q&A period closes. The September Q&A period closed September 23, 2024. Responses are available in the folder linked below, which also includes responses from previous Q&A periods.
View Charge Ahead Colorado Q&A Responses
Additional Resources
CEO encourages applicants seeking DCFC stations or large projects (multiple DCFCs, more than 20 L2s, etc.) to reach out to Colorado Energy Office staff via Office Hours.
Sign up for Office Hours
Local ReCharge coaches are also available to advise qualifying entities on appropriate project scale, location, and power levels prior to applying for funding.
Go to ReCharge Coaches
Charge Ahead Colorado does not have preferred or qualified vendors though vendors must meet minimum Reporting Requirements as identified in the Application Guide. Vendors that have participated in CEO’s vendor training can be found on the CEO Trained Vendor List.
View CEO Trained 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 requirements per the Application Guide, please fill out the CEO Vendor Agreement & Questionnaire.
