Winning grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

There’s a whole world of grants out there for climate startups. Along with the cash, these awards will help you forge partnerships, scale your impact, and boost your credibility – but navigating the application process can be overwhelming.In our ongoing series, in partnership with global grant consulting firm Climate Finance Solutions, we’re doing a deep dive into the State and Federal Agencies that offer these transformative grants. Here, we’ll outline how to find, apply, and win funding from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, better known as MassCEC.

What is MassCEC?

MassCEC serves as a clearinghouse and support center for Massachusetts’ clean energy sector, helping companies and communities access capital, training, and other resources. The agency’s goals are to drive investment and support climate tech startups within the state, while spurring job creation and accelerating progress towards the state’s climate goals. MassCEC has other program areas, including directly operating two major offshore wind facilities. 

What types of grants are available?

MassCEC currently funds 20 programs, encompassing everything from funding for early stage companies to pilots for projects decarbonizing buildings and transportation and building a skilled, diverse clean energy workforce.

Most of these programs are long standing with recurring application cycles, although you should also keep an eye out for periodic announcements of new opportunities. It’s also worth noting that funding amounts are typically smaller than the grants in the multi-million (or multi-tens-of-millions) dollar range commonly offered by California Energy Commission (CEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and other agencies in California and New York, although the award sizes from some of their newer programs have been larger than previous ones. 

Who’s eligible for MassCEC grants?

The agency’s grants are open to startups, private sector companies, academic institutions, local governments, non-profits, schools, and training providers. Many of the grants are specifically geared toward climate tech startups. 

For some programs, a key requirement is to be based in Massachusetts. However, in some cases (including for some of the larger grants), you don’t have to be headquartered in Massachusetts to apply or win funding. You just need to do all or the vast majority of the work there during the project period and have a credible plan for replication and scaling in the state – showing that the tax dollars MassCEC is allocating are benefiting the residents of the state. If you are from s helpful to have m

How to find current opportunities

You can check out all open funding opportunities on the agency’s website. Climate Finance Solutions also offers a grant monitoring platform with automated matching for grants and incentives in the US, EU, and Canada.

Writing a successful proposal 

Depending on the program, a winning proposal will need to address at least one of MassCEC's climate tech focus areas that encompasses mitigation, adaptation, and resilience: (1) energy and electricity/grid, (2) transportation, (3) manufacturing and industry, (4) agriculture, food and nature, (5) buildings, (6) carbon management, (7) offshore wind, and (8) resilience and adaptation.You should also check out the Massachusetts Climatetech Economic Development Strategy ​and Implementation Plan. Here, the agency has mapped out the priorities and impact actions it recently put in place in order to broaden its focus from clean energy to climate technologies more generally. Your application will need to support these priorities to be competitive. Some long-running MassCEC programs, such as InnovateMass, have already expanded their scopes to reflect this shift. 

To ensure that you successfully include these critical nuances in framing, language, and project design and thereby increase your chances of successfully securing funding, it can be helpful to work with an expert consulting firm like Climate Finance Solutions.

Common mistakes to watch out for 

In addition to misalignment with the objectives of the specific funding program you’re applying to, neglecting to fit the specific context of the Massachusetts clean energy ecosystem and the state’s statutory priorities could lead to the rejection of an application. Articulating how the funding will support the state in advancing its key climate goals is non-negotiable. You’ll also need to show how the grant will pave the way for follow-on funding and continued investment. 

Do not neglect to describe your plan for growth and scaling within the state during and after the project period, since Massachusetts (and any state) will only want to provide funding to companies and projects that will provide ongoing and large-scale economic, climate, and other benefits to the state and its residents. MassCEC doesn’t want a company to come in, take their money, and then scale their solution in another state or country. That said, companies from outside Massachusetts may apply for some MassCEC programs, but they must take care to develop the right partnerships and may need to identify another lead applicant.

How MassCEC evaluates grant applications 

An internal committee will judge applications against the selection criteria laid out in the original RFP. Note that this is different from the typical federal process of using a review panel of external experts. Before coming to a final decision, they may approach you with some follow-up questions or even an interview for larger grants.

Typical timelines for a MassCEC grant

With the exception of larger grants, award notices are generally made 6-8 weeks after the application deadline––far more quickly than federal programs and most other states.

Projects MassCEC has funded in the past

Since 2010, MassCEC has funded more than $412 million in clean energy investments and $139 million in support of companies’ technological innovations. Again, the agency typically provides funding through long-running, recurring programs, including:

• Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity; Climate Service Corps; and Climate-Critical Training, Equipment, and Infrastructure grants, which focus on widening access to jobs in climate and upskilling workers.
• EmPower Massachusetts, which invests in community-based organisations to ensure equitable access to renewable energy.
• AmplifyMass, helping organisations access federal awards by supplying project costs.
• InnovateMass, providing up to $350k to clean energy technologies with the potential to commercialize. 
• Catalyst and DICES, which provide funding for prototyping for early-stage companies. 
• CriticalMass, which is described below in more detail.

CriticalMass is one of the newer programs offered by MassCEC to support growth-stage startups at TRL8+ with at least one successful prior pilot project. CriticalMass funding may be used to support the scaling and deployment of any technology that meets the agency’s definition of climate tech. 

Particular emphasis is placed on identifying projects in one or more of the following areas: 1) Energy and Electricity: increasing renewable energy generation and modernizing the grid; 2) Transportation: transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, enhancing public transit, and promoting alternative fuel options; 3) Manufacturing and Industry: adopting carbon reducing technologies and processes, sustainable production practices through a circular economy, and carbon capture related technologies; 4) Agriculture and Water: adopting sustainable farming and forest management practices and leveraging nature-based solutions; 5) Buildings: improving energy and heating efficiency, transitioning to renewable sources, and implementing sustainable construction practices or materials; and 6) Resilience and Adaptation: implementing climate-smart planning, strengthening infrastructure, and promoting nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerability to climate change. 

Lead applicants who are the best fit are those who have raised at least $4M but no more than $25M and have between 10-50 employees. The program is open to companies headquartered outside the state, but they must have a Massachusetts-based site host and, as mentioned above, a legitimate scaling plan within the state. The last round closed in September 2025, but the program is expected to recur in 2026.

Workforce development support is strong from MassCEC. It recently opened Equity Workforce Training Implementation Grants program expands access to career opportunities in climate-critical fields. MassCEC anticipates $10.887M in available funding for Fiscal Year 2026 to implement workforce development programs leading to careers in clean energy. Funding strands are 1) Strand A: Career Pathway Training Leading to Employment or Advancement in Climate Critical Priority Occupations (maximum award $1.2M); 2) Strand B: Clean Energy Training Preparedness and Pre-Apprenticeships for Adult Learners and Job Seekers (maximum award $600k); and 3) Strand C: Planning or Capacity to Prepare for Implementation or to Run a Pilot Focused on Career Pathway Training or Training Preparedness (maximum award $50k Planning, $150k Capacity). Multiple deadlines are already scheduled for the program, including December 10, 2025; February 18, 2026; and May 1, 2026.

Keeping compliant with agency requirements

MassCEC uses a standardized grant agreement that outlines the terms and conditions for the grant period, including deliverables, timelines, and the performance evaluation plan. Think of this document as your roadmap when it comes to managing and implementing the grant.

Another point to note is that in some cases, your agreement will contain a requirement to report your renewable energy data to the state’s public Production Tracking System.

Other benefits of receiving a MassCEC grant

By successfully carrying out a MassCEC-funded project, you’ll be well-placed for future phases of research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D), and will have built a strong case in favor of your product’s feasibility. Throughout your project, you’ll also develop new strategic partnerships with stakeholders across the state, from industry leaders to community organizations. Plus, the award carries a “halo effect,” which will boost your credibility in the eyes of potential investors and other potential partners. 

Looking to the future of MassCEC grant programs

The state’s Climatetech Economic Development Strategy ​and Implementation plan articulates its 10-year strategy for cementing itself as a global leader in climate tech. Launched in February 2025, the plan aims to create 35,000 jobs, support 1,300 companies, and train 25,000 individuals over the next decade. The agency recently announced a $1 billion investment to help it achieve these goals, with a focus on expanding the grants and tax incentives on offer for climate tech companies, and building markets for emerging technologies. We’re already seeing some of that billion-dollar investment being deployed by the agency.

What to do if your grant application is unsuccessful

A rejection isn’t necessarily the final word on your project. First, go over the agency’s feedback with a fine-tooth comb to understand where you fell short. Then, connect with the relevant Program Manager for a deeper discussion on your application’s strengths and weaknesses. If you can see a path forward for this particular grant, consider making the necessary changes and resubmitting. However, consider that this might be a sign there’s a fundamental mismatch between your project and the program’s requirements and review your strategy and other available opportunities. 

To avoid wasting time, work with an expert consulting firm like Climate Finance Solutions to actively monitor the landscape and determine what grants you will be highly competitive for before you apply.