FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2023
CONTACT: Megan Martin, Communications Manager
(219) 644-3690 or mmartin@drivecleanindiana.org
Announcing the 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program
Today, April 24th, EPA is announcing the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Grant Program! This is the first grant funding opportunity through the multi-year funding program and follows the 2022 CSB Rebate Program, which was the first round of funding. Under the 2023 Grant Program, EPA anticipates awarding approximately $400 million in competitive grant funding to eligible applicants for the purchase of zero-emission (ZE) school buses, clean school buses, and ZE charging infrastructure.
 
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes two sub-programs, one for school district and Tribal applicants (School District Sub-program) and one for third-party applicants (Third-Party Sub-program). EPA is providing two separate competitions under this single NOFO to address the unique needs and concerns of diverse recipients and encourage participation in the CSB grants program. 
 
EPA is prioritizing applications that will replace buses serving high-need local education agencies, rural areas, Tribal school districts funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and public school districts receiving basic support payments for students living on Tribal land, and rural areas. In addition, EPA is committed to ensuring the CSB Program delivers on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative that at least 40% of the benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.
 
The NOFO will be open for 120 days. Applicants must submit all grant application materials to Grants.gov by: Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 11:59PM ET.
 
EPA will host a series of public webinars regarding this NOFO from May through August to provide potential applicants with an overview of the NOFO and how to apply. Webinar registration links will be posted to the Clean School Bus Webinars webpage.
Note: Potential applicants without a Federal Grants account are encouraged to initiate the Federal Grants registration process well ahead of the deadline for funding since the registration process can take a month or more.
Clean School Bus Technical Assistance Resources
  • View EPA's Clean School Bus Program technical assistance resources.
  • Access Clean Cities Coalition's technical assistance video resources, related funding opportunities, and additional external resources.
  • Provides several resources on Energy Star EV chargers including a station locator, compatible EVs, and incentives.
  • Report covering the nine key steps in deployment for school bus operators.
  • The World Resources Institute's resource for school bus operators pursuing fleet electrification
  • Provides the latest vehicle production data and budget reports, industry trends, and contact information for state, national and federal agencies, manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers.
  • DOT's toolkit for Planning and Funding Rural Electric Mobility Infrastructure.
Join Drive Clean Indiana's Clean School Bus Consortium
The Indiana Clean School Bus Consortium is created to be a resource for school bus fleets that provides peer-to-peer networking and dialogue-driven discussions for those interested in clean school buses. The Indiana Clean School Bus Consortium will consist of partners from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the Indiana Department of Education, and many others. Drive Clean Indiana has developed a series of working group meetings that will offer insights on training, best management practices, provide updates on funding opportunities, and much more.

School districts will utilize this statewide working group with the goal of reducing barriers to the transition to cleaner school bus technologies.

The Indiana Clean School Bus Consortium will hold the next webinar on May 9, 2023.

For more information, please contact info@drivecleanindiana.org.

About Drive Clean Indiana
Drive Clean Indiana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization managed by Legacy Environmental Services, Inc., an Indiana Certified Women’s Business Enterprise, and serves the entire state of Indiana. Designated as the 71st Clean Cities coalition on June 15, 1999, Drive Clean Indiana is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s more than 75 Clean Cities coalitions and is the only Clean Cities coalition in the state of Indiana. The organizations support the nation’s energy and economic security by building partnerships to advance affordable domestic transportation fuels, energy efficient mobility systems and other fuel-saving technologies and practices. Learn more at www.drivecleanindiana.org.
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