DOE will provide technical assistance services valued at over $18 million to support 24-32 communities to develop and advance their own community-driven clean energy transition approach. This is not a funding opportunity announcement; however selected communities may have the opportunity to receive funds (up to $50,000) for services rendered to help implement the technical assistance.

Communities LEAP seeks to facilitate sustained community-wide economic empowerment through clean energy, improve local environmental conditions, and open the way for other benefits primarily through DOE’s clean energy deployment work.

Eligible applicants are low-income, energy-burdened communities that are also either disadvantaged or experiencing direct economic impacts from a shift away from historical reliance on fossil fuels. Multi-stakeholder applicant teams must include at least one Community-Based Organization and one local government or tribal entity.

DOE has designed this initiative with the aim of:

• Recognizing each community’s specific energy-related challenges and opportunities.
• Supporting community member and stakeholder leadership in designing and implementing actions to address those challenges and opportunities.
• Building toward long-term community economic and environmental change and a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.

The application deadline is December 14, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Selections are expected to be announced March 2024.