This page includes information about the Community Action Grants, Service Provider Grants, and other one-time grant opportunities when available.

Community Action Grants - Round 7 Applications NOW OPEN

Community Action Grants provide support for two categories of climate action at the community level: 1) actions from the Community Resilience Partnership List of Community Actions, an approved list of climate mitigation and adaptation activities that align with the strategies of Maine Won’t Wait, and 2) other projects proposed by a community that support capacity building, planning, and implementation projects.  
 
The List of Community Actions offers guidance for communities starting on climate plans and incentivize a baseline level of climate action across the state. The two grant options provide flexibility by allowing communities to choose actions from the list that are most relevant and feasible, while also providing support for community climate and energy priorities that may not appear on the List of Community Actions. 

Application Deadline: June 5, 2026, 5 P.M. EST

An informational webinar was held on March 18th. Download the webinar slides or view the webinar recording.

Questions? Questions about this program statement and the application process may be directed to ashley.krulik@maine.gov. Include the subject line "CAG2026-7-Questions." Any responses deemed substantive and binding will be summarized and posted on this webpage on a rolling basis until May 8, 2026. It is the applicant's responsibility to consult this summary. 

To learn more about this opportunity, guidelines and application criteria, download the CAG2026-7 Community Action Grant Program Statement.

Applications must be submitted using the Maine Office of Community Affairs new grants portal - https://maineofficeofcommunityaffairs.submittable.com/submit. Users will need to sign-up to use the portal and will then be able to access the application.

  • Need assistance? A full tutorial on signing up for the Submittable platform and completing the Community Action Grant application can be found here. 

 

About Community Action Grants

Once a community is enrolled in the Community Resilience Partnership, they are encouraged to work from their list of locally prioritized actions and the List of Community Actions to pursue Community Action Grants. Many, but not all, of the activities on the list could require funding support. 
 
There are two specific types of Community Action Grants:  

  • Grants to support implementation of one or more activities in the List of Community Actions that align with the state climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait. There is no local matching funds requirement for these grants. 
  • Grants to support other community-defined climate and energy implementation priorities. A local match is required.

Round 7 Community Action Grant Available Funding: Using a mix of state and federal funding, the Partnership will make up to $4.6 million available in its next grant round.

Round 7 Maximum Funding Amount: The maximum community action grant award will be $75,000 for individual community grants and $175,000 for joint community grants.

To learn more about this opportunity, guidelines and application criteria, download the CAG2026-7 Community Action Grant Program Statement.

Applications must be submitted using the Maine Office of Community Affairs new grants portal - https://maineofficeofcommunityaffairs.submittable.com/submit. Users will need to sign-up to use the portal and will then be able to access the application. A full tutorial on signing up for the Submittable platform and completing the Community Action Grant application can be found here. 

 

Eligibility 

Once enrolled in the Partnership, communities are eligible to apply for Community Action Grants. Enrollment and grant applications will be accepted simultaneously. Communities must reenroll every 2 years to remain eligible for grants and technical assistance. 

CAG2026-7 Community Action Grants are open for all enrolled communities, including communities that have received grant awards in the past and/or have active grant projects in progress. For all eligibility requirements, see the CAG2026-7 Program Statement.

Key Dates
 

Application Deadline: June 5, 2026, 5 P.M. EST

An informational webinar was held on March 18th. Download the webinar slides or view the webinar recording.

Questions about this program statement and the application process may be directed to ashley.krulik@maine.gov. Include the subject line "CAG2026-7-Questions." Any responses deemed substantive and binding will be summarized and posted on this webpage on a rolling basis until May 8, 2026. It is the applicant's responsibility to consult this summary. 

Grant Reporting

All funded projects will be required to provide quarterly updates, project deliverables, and a brief final case study that communicates lessons learned during the project.  

The applicant(s) should develop and track metrics, both for success of the project and progress toward long-term community goals. The Maine Won’t Wait 2024 Climate Action Plan has a list of metrics the state will track, should the community need examples.

Community Access and Engagement

The state's climate response should benefit all Maine people. Applicants should include robust community engagement in their action grant proposals, for example inclusive planning processes so that many community voices are able to participate.

Climate change impacts will create the greatest hardships for already underserved populations. Communities in Maine must identify and promote solutions to help the people most vulnerable to climate impacts. Applicants should consider the potential benefits of their proposed climate action projects and, if applicable describe how the project promotes access to those benefits.

Community Tiers

To ensure access and outcomes by lower capacity communities, the Partnership has adopted a three-tier system classification system that tailors program requirements and incentives to community size.

Cost Sharing

There is no local cost share for Climate Action Grants that implement activities from the List of Community Actions.

A local cost share does apply for Climate Action Grants that implement other community priorities outside the list: 

  • Tier 1 and Tier 2 communities 
    • 10% local match.
  • Tier 3 communities  
    • 20% local match. 

Service Provider Grants - Round 7 Applications NOW OPEN

Service Provider Grants support service provider organizations to assist communities with climate action, energy and resilience planning.

There are two Service Provider Grant Tracks:

  • Track 1 Community Enrollment Service Provider Grants enable organizations to assist up to five communities to prepare for and enroll in the Community Resilience Partnership and then apply for grant funds to undertake priority climate and energy projects.  
  • Track 2 Community Vulnerability Assessment Service Provider Grants enable organizations to assist up to five enrolled/enrolling Communities to complete community vulnerability assessments that identify vulnerable community members, infrastructure, and assets, and then utilize that data to further prioritize climate action projects and apply for grant funds. 

Service Provider organizations can apply for both grant tracks, but can only submit one application per track. For more details see the SPG2026-7 Program Statement.

Next Application Deadline: May 15, 2026, 5 P.M. EST

An informational webinar was held on March 18th. Download the webinar slides or view the webinar recording.

To learn more about this opportunity, guidelines and application criteria, download the SPG2026-7 Service Provider Grant Program Statement.

Applications must be submitted using the Maine Office of Community Affairs new grants portal - https://maineofficeofcommunityaffairs.submittable.com/submit. Users will need to sign-up to use the portal and will then be able to access the application.

  • Need assistance? A full tutorial on signing up for the Submittable platform and completing the Community Action Grant application can be found here. 

Questions? Questions about this program statement and the application process may be directed to marina.tomer@maine.gov. Include the subject line "SPG2026-7-Questions." Any responses deemed substantive and binding will be summarized and posted on this webpage on a rolling basis. It is the applicant's responsibility to consult this summary.   

 

About Service Provider Grants

This program’s focus on regional collaboration, local capacity-building, and community engagement that are critical for supporting municipal climate action. 
 
For the Track 1 Community Enrollment Service Provider Track, the desired outcomes are new enrollments in the Partnership by multiple communities, with each community developing a list of priority climate and energy projects, as well as any cooperative group priorities, and applications to the Community Action Grant program. Service Providers are expected to assist communities with the enrollment activities and apply for Community Action Grants.

For the Track 2 Community Vulnerability Assessment Service Provider Track, the desired outcomes include a completed community vulnerability assessment that identifies climate impacts and hazards, as well as vulnerable community members, infrastructure, and assets, and then utilize that data to further prioritize climate action projects and apply for grant funds.  

See the SPG2026-7 Program Statement for full details. 

Key Dates

Applications for both Track 1 and Track 2 may be submitted at any time and are reviewed quarterly. Awards are made as funding is available and are subject to the annual program funding limit indicated in the program statement.

  • Next quarterly application deadline: May 15, 2026, 5 P.M. EST
  • Future quarterly application deadlines: August 14, 2026; November 13, 2026; March 15, 2027

An informational webinar was held on March 18th. Download the webinar slides or view the webinar recording.

Questions about this program statement and the application process may be directed to marina.tomer@maine.gov. Include the subject line "SPG2026-7-Questions." Any responses deemed substantive and binding will be summarized and posted on this webpage on a rolling basis. It is the applicant's responsibility to consult this summary. 

Grant Eligibility

Entities eligible to be regional service providers include:

  • regional planning organizations
  • councils of governments
  • regional economic development organizations
  • county governments
  • academic institutions and cooperative extension programs
  • non-profit organizations
  • for-profit enterprises

Municipalities are generally not eligible for Service Provider Grants. However, in special cases, a community that can demonstrate robust in-house capacity may apply for a Service Provider Grant to provide relevant services to smaller communities in the same region. 

Grant Applications

Service Provider organizations can apply for both grant tracks in this round, but can only submit one application per track. 

As part of the application to the program, prospective service providers will recruit a group of up to five communities. Prospective service providers may request up to $15,000 per community. 

Applicants will include a letter of support from each community in the proposed group. Letters must be submitted with the application. Letters received separately will not be read.

For full grant details, guidelines and application criteria, download the SPG2026-7 Service Provider Grant Program Statement.

Applications must be submitted using the Maine Office of Community Affairs new grants portal - https://maineofficeofcommunityaffairs.submittable.com/submit. Users will need to sign-up to use the portal and will then be able to access the application. A full tutorial on signing up for the Submittable platform and completing the Community Action Grant application can be found here. 

Cost Sharing

For all Service Provider Grants, a 15% cost share is required of the service provider. In-kind match is permitted.

Grant Reporting

All funded Service Providers will be required to provide quarterly updates, project deliverables, and a brief final case study that communicates lessons learned during the project. 

Helpful Resources for Grant Proposals

Lunch and Learn Webinar Series
This webinar series supports communities interested in applying for CRP grants by highlighting community projects and connecting participants with resources, state agencies, and peer communities. With the opening of the Round 7 Community Action Grant cycle, this series offers timely insights to help communities prepare strong, competitive applications. Get more information and register now. 

Community Access and Engagement Webinar
The Community Resilience Partnership held a Community Access and Engagement Webinar that gave an overview of the framework developed by the Maine Climate Council Equity Subcommittee and how it translates into actionable steps that communities can take to increase resilience, community engagement, consideration of benefits, and support grant proposal development.  View webinar recording. Download webinar presentation slides.

Efficiency Maine
The Community Action and Energy Efficiency Priorities grant opportunities require utilizing Efficiency Maine energy efficiency rebates and incentives for applicable projects. Visit their website to learn more about electric vehicles, HVAC, lighting, and other municipal incentives. Efficiency Maine also maintains an extensive list of qualified partners throughout Maine to help communities prioritize energy efficiency projects and navigate incentives. 

Direct Pay Clean Energy Projects Tax Credit Opportunity
While the direct pay tax mechanism was preserved under recent federal legislation, and tax-exempt local governments remain eligible for federal tax credits for clean energy projects, the federal IRS has shifted project eligibility requirements significantly. Under updated IRS directives, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure are no longer eligible for direct pay; solar, battery storage, and wind projects are subject to more stringent requirements. Specific project eligibility requirements, including placed-in-service and foreign entity of concern guidance, can be found on the IRS Elective Pay and Transferability webpage. The non-profit group Lawyers for Good Government maintains unofficial guidance on accessing federal direct pay tax credits. Communities interested in accessing federal direct pay tax credits are highly encouraged to consult with a financial professional.