Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership 2026 Funding Opportunity Webinar

Why It Matters

CAP’s 2026 funding accelerates microgrid deployment in underserved regions, directly enhancing energy reliability and reducing costs for rural communities and critical industries.

Key Takeaways

• $2.5M funding pool opens for microgrid projects, deadline July 2 2026.
• Five topics: regional coordination, large‑load integration, development, transformation, assessment.
• Awards range $200K‑$575K, with up to 24‑month performance periods.
• Technical assistance budget $1M offers up to 60‑hour consulting support.
• Cohort‑1 project results and resources posted on CAP website for applicants.

Summary

The Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity hosted a webinar introducing the 2026 Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (CAP) solicitation. Participants learned that a $2.5 million direct‑funding pool, complemented by $1 million in technical‑assistance resources, will be available for proposals due July 2 2026. The program targets five distinct topic areas—regional microgrid coordination, integration with large‑load consumers, new microgrid development, transformative upgrades, and industrial‑load assessments.

The webinar detailed award sizes ranging from $200,000 to $575,000, with performance periods of up to 24 months depending on the topic. Technical assistance can be accessed through the Community Microgrid Innovation Exchange (CMIX), offering up to 60 hours of expert consulting on a rolling basis. Applicants are encouraged to review the 500‑plus resources in the CMIX library and to study the outcomes of the first cohort, which funded 14 projects across four topics in 2025.

Examples highlighted include a regional workforce‑training plan for islanded microgrids, a utility‑manufacturing partnership to balance seasonal loads, and a remote mine conducting a technical‑economic assessment of on‑site power mixes. The presenters emphasized that prior awardees are available for informal mentorship, and that all solicitation documents are hosted on SAM.gov and the CAP website.

For rural utilities and industrial operators, the CAP solicitation represents a rare federal conduit to accelerate affordable, reliable, and resilient energy services. Successful proposals could reshape power delivery in remote communities, lower operating costs, and expand the national microgrid knowledge base.

Original Description

In this webinar, representatives from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) provide an overview of the second funding opportunity available through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Electricity Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C‑MAP). This one‑hour webinar introduces the scope of the new Request for Proposals, outlines the five topic areas, reviews eligibility requirements, and explains the process for preparing and submitting a project proposal. A live Q&A session follows the presentation.

Through this solicitation, C‑MAP will provide $200,000 to $575,000 per project over 24 months, supported with as-needed technical assistance from DOE national laboratories and regional partners. Up to eight awards are expected through this solicitation. This opportunity is designed to strengthen microgrid development in remote, rural, islanded, and industrially important regions facing high energy costs—including projects led by large energy users such as critical mineral operations and enterprise‑scale computing centers.

Interested parties are encouraged to visit the C-MAP website at https://www.energy.gov/oe/community-microgrid-assistance-partnership for further and updated information.