Charge Ahead Colorado

Charge Ahead Colorado EV Charging Grant

Funding for multifamily housing, businesses, governments, and communities to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

Funding Overview:

Type: Grant
Eligibility: Businesses and Industry, Government and Public Institutions, Multifamily Housing, Non-Profit Organizations, Tribal Governments and Entities, Workplaces.
Funding Source: State Funds
Amount: Standard Application: Up to $250,000 per awardee, per round; Rolling Application: Up to six Level 2 charging ports per application; Multifamily Housing (MFH) Portfolio Application: Up to $500,000 per award, per round.
Match: Minimum 20% required, reduced to 10% for qualifying entities
Program Length: Continuous
Applications: Standard and MFH Portfolio Lane: Open May 12-June 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM MT. Offered three times annually; Rolling: Open year-round; only available for projects requesting six or fewer Level 2 charging ports.

The Charge Ahead Colorado grant program supports electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Colorado by offering funding for EV charging to serve communities and EV drivers across the state. Charge Ahead Colorado offers State funding for community-based level 2 (L2) and direct current fast-charging (DCFC) EV charging stations with prioritized investments in disproportionately impacted communities and enhanced incentives for eligible qualifying entities.
Sign-up for updates on Charge Ahead Colorado

See How to Apply below and view the Application Guide for more information regarding program eligibility, funding amounts, accessible design requirements, and instructions on how to submit an application.

Eligible Applicants

Any projects completed before submitting an application and receiving an executed grant agreement from the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) are not eligible for funding.

Charge Ahead Colorado offers funding to the following eligible applicants to install EV charging in communities, at multifamily housing, workplaces, or other publicly available locations:

Businesses and industry
Charging station developers and providers (only applicants that would own and operate the EV charging stations being requested)
Government and public institutions
Multifamily housing (including income-qualified and affordable housing)
Non-profit organizations
Qualifying entities
Schools
Tribal Governments and Entities
Workplaces

Enhanced Incentives

Enhanced incentives are available for all Charge Ahead Colorado applications submitted by qualifying entities.

Enhanced incentives include the following:

Increased funding offered per charging port
A reduced minimum match of 10% required
Prioritized scoring during the evaluation process

Qualifying Entities

Qualifying entities include any one or more of the following:

Certified businesses: Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Minority Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Women Business Enterprises
Community centers
Government agencies
Income-qualified (IQ) multifamily housing (MFH)
Libraries
Non-profit organizations
Places of worship
Recreation centers
Schools (not-for-profit and public)
Tribal Governments and Entities

Eligible Costs

Awarded funding can cover costs directly associated with the purchase and installation of EV charging equipment and infrastructure.

Funding can also cover costs associated with the minimum one year warranty and five year networking coverage requirements for all awarded EV charging stations.

Costs must be spent and work must be completed during the term of an executed grant agreement with the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) to be eligible for funding.

All projects are required to incorporate accessible design standards as detailed by the U.S. Access Board to be eligible for funding.
View the U.S. Access Board’s EV Charging Station Accessibility Guidelines

Note: EV charging for deeded or assigned parking spaces and EV charging for single-family homes is not eligible for Charge Ahead Colorado funding. EV charging primarily intended for electric fleet vehicles or equipment is also not eligible for Charge Ahead Colorado funding; please apply for funding through the Fleet-ZERO program instead.
Go to Fleet-ZERO Program

How to Apply

Charge Ahead Colorado applicants must read the Application Guide in full before submitting an application.View the Application Guide

All Charge Ahead Colorado applications must be submitted online through the application portal by a direct representative from the organization that will own and operate the EV charging stations being requested. Applicants must first create an account in the online application portal or log into an existing account in the portal to submit an application.
Apply Here - Online Application Portal

If you are having difficulty with the application portal, you can contact ceo_energysalesforce@state.co.us

For preparation purposes, Word-formatted versions of the applications are available for download. The Colorado Energy Office strongly recommends using these application preparation documents and saving a backup copy before submitting an application through the online application portal:

Please Note: There is a 3,000 character limit and a minimum word count of 150 words per long form question. Applicants cannot edit or update their application once submitted through the online application portal. CEO will not accept applications sent by email or physical mail.

Key Dates:

May 2025 standard and MFH portfolio lane applications open: May 12, 2025
Q&A period: May 12 - May 19 at 5:00 PM MT. Responses posted by May 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM MT
Application deadline: June 13, 2025, 5:00 PM MT
Next standard and MFH portfolio application round: September 2025
Notification of awards: Estimated August 2025 for the May 2025 application round; Rolling application - estimated within 30 days

Question and Answer (Q&A) Period and Informational Webinar

During the first week of every standard and MFH portfolio application round, CEO will offer a formal Q&A period. Questions can be submitted through the Charge Ahead Colorado Q&A Form during formal Q&A periods. CEO will not answer questions on an individual basis during standard and MFH portfolio application rounds.
Charge Ahead Colorado Q&A Form
(Only open during formal Q&A Periods)

CEO will post public responses to all submitted questions by 5:00 PM MT on the Friday after each Q&A period closes. Responses will be available in the Q&A folder linked below, which also includes responses from previous formal Q&A periods.
View Charge Ahead Colorado Q&A Responses

The Colorado Energy Office hosted an informational webinar on the Charge Ahead Colorado grant program together with ReCharge Colorado coaches on May 13, 2025. View the webinar recording and slide deck below.
Charge Ahead Colorado Informational Webinar Recording Charge Ahead Colorado Informational Webinar Slide Deck

For any questions about Charge Ahead Colorado not addressed in the Application Guide, please email Mika Burdette, Program Manager, at mika.burdette@state.co.us.

Additional Resources

The Colorado Energy Office encourages applicants requesting funding for large projects (e.g., 4 or more DCFC, or more than 30 L2 charging ports) to contact Colorado Energy Office staff or to participate in CEO Office Hours before application rounds open.
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

The Colorado Energy Office does not have preferred or qualified vendors, though vendors must meet minimum requirements as detailed in the Application Guide. Vendors that have participated in CEO’s annual vendor training can be found on the CEO Trained Vendor List.
View CEO Trained Vendor List