Clean Building Performance Grants

The Washington State Department of Commerce is soliciting applications for the Clean Building Performance Grants (CBPG-024) program, which provides funding to support compliance with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard across multiple Washington counties and jurisdictions. The procurement targets two primary project scopes: building retrofit projects and contracted service projects for Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings. Eligible retrofit activities include heating/cooling upgrades, lighting improvements, building control systems, and building envelope enhancements. Contracted service projects can encompass energy management plans, operations and maintenance programs, and energy auditing services directly related to achieving Clean Buildings Performance Standard compliance. Applications are due January 30, 2025, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time, with two pre-application conferences held on December 19, 2024, and January 9, 2025. The evaluation criteria will assess compliance (60%), program management (20%), scope of work (10%), and budget (10%), with an additional 5% bonus for organizations that do not require employees to sign individual arbitration clauses. The contract period runs from March 12, 2025, through June 30, 2025, with potential extensions pending legislative approval.

The program provides opportunities for both privately-owned Tier 1 buildings (over 50,000 square feet) and publicly-owned Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings to apply for grants. Administrative priority points are awarded to applications from rural areas, overburdened communities, first-time applicants, and those subcontracting with state-certified minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. The total available funding is approximately $39,214,190, with $24,250,000 allocated for privately owned Tier 1 buildings and $14,964,190 for publicly owned Tier 1 and Tier 2 buildings. Individual grant applications are capped at $2,000,000, and the grants operate on a reimbursement basis with no upfront funding provided. Funds cannot be used to supplant existing project commitments, and all expenses must be incurred during the specified performance period. The funding originates from the Climate Commitment Account and requires compliance with prevailing wage laws. Successful applicants will be notified around February 24, 2025, with contracts expected to be executed around March 12, 2025.