On this page: Overview | Current incentives | School bus conversions | School bus retirement | Application process | Additional resources | Contact us | Press releases
Overview
The Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program application process will reopen in 2024.
Updates will be posted to this website as information becomes available.
In May 2022, Colorado adopted the Air Quality Improvement Investments Act, Senate Bill 22-193. This law created the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program. Through this program, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will solicit interest from eligible organizations for electric school buses and associated charging infrastructure. These organizations will be considered for funding through a grant application process.
The law directs CDPHE to prioritize funding for school districts and charter schools:
- Located in, or attended by, students living in disproportionately impacted communities;
- Located in nonattainment areas; or
- At which a percentage of students, as determined by CDPHE, receive free or reduced-price lunches under a qualifying school lunch program.
In addition to these criteria, CDPHE encourages all school districts state-wide to apply for funding consideration.
Current incentives
Listed below are the maximum funding incentives offered through the Colorado Electric School Bus program. These incentive levels will be periodically revisited and revised over time. Charging infrastructure incentives from the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program can be combined with other incentives, such as utility rebates, to lower out-of-pocket costs for the applicant.
| Non-bus student transportation | Type A-B School Bus | Type C-D School Bus |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $275,000 | $375,000 |
| <19 kW | 19-49 kW | 50-99 kW | 100 kW+ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | Dual | Single | Dual | Single | Dual | Single | Dual |
| $3,500 | $7,000 | $5,500 | $11,000 | $37,000 | $52,000 | $52,000 | $72,000 |
*Charging amounts mirror those offered by infrastructure programs at the Colorado Energy Office.
| Scrappage | Project Start-up | High Voltage Training |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 |
Scrappage: Applicants may request up to $1,000 per application to support costs associated with vehicle scrappage. Receipts for towing and/or invoices from a scrap yard may be required by the state in order to reimburse costs.
Project start-up: Applicants may request a $1,000 per application stipend to support project start-up costs associated with the Colorado Clean School Bus Grant program.
High Voltage Training: Applicants may request up to $6,000 to certify school-district fleet technicians in the maintenance and repair of high voltage battery and electrical systems found on electric school buses. Documentation of a training completion may be required by the state in order to reimburse costs.
School bus conversions
Conversions of existing fossil-fuel powered vehicles into battery or fuel-cell electric powered vehicles will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Fleets interested in a full conversion will have the opportunity to provide more information on their intent as part of the application process.
CDPHE supports the advancement of new, clean vehicle technology. However, to ensure that vehicles identified for conversion remain in safe operational condition for students, drivers, and the communities they serve, the following information will be required for each vehicle a fleet intends to convert. More information and requirements for vehicle conversions can be found in the program guide linked below.
| Type A-B School Bus | Type C-D School Bus |
|---|---|
| 45% of total conversion cost | 55% of total conversion cost |
School bus retirement
CDPHE requires applicants to retire or convert a minimum of 20% of the vehicles requested per application. For example, if a district requests grant funding for five vehicles, the district will be required to retire or convert at least one vehicle per this requirement. Districts that apply for fewer than five vehicles will not be required to retire a unit. However, if an applicant applies to the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program more than once, their scrappage and/or conversion history will be reviewed by CDPHE and the state will require that this 20% retirement/conversion requirement is met across multiple applications.
CDPHE strongly encourages applicants to prioritize scrappage of pre-2009 diesel-powered buses because these buses do not have modern pollution controls. In instances where fleets do not have pre-2009 diesel-powered buses, CDPHE will work with fleets to identify the highest priority vehicles based upon fleet information submitted with the application. For the purposes of this grant program, scrappage shall mean rendering the bus inoperable by cutting both frame rails in half and permanently disabling the engine block. More information and requirements for vehicle conversions can be found in the program guide linked below.
Application process
Information on the 2024 grant application process will be available below once available.
The online application will be available on March 29, 2023. All applicants must submit the application online by 5:00 PM MDT June 30, 2023. Please submit questions about the program via email to matthew.goble@state.co.us. Responses will be posted to this webpage by noon 5/12/2023. Applicants may begin preparing responses using the MS Word formatted grant application, which is available for preparatory purposes.
View the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program Guide.
Download the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program Preparatory Grant Application (Word).
Open the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program online application.
Application materials
Download Fleet List Template (Excel).
Download Vehicle Scrappage Template (Excel).
Download Financial Risk Assessment Questionnaire (PDF).
Open the Financial Risk Assessment Questionnaire.
Dates below will be updated as information becomes available.
| Timeline | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Request for applications published and grant application opens. | N/A | 3/29/2023 |
| Deadline for applicants to submit inquiries. Submit inquiries by email to matthew.goble@state.co.us. No questions will be accepted after this date/time. | 5:00 PM MDT | 5/3/2023 |
| Answers to inquiries and any changes to the RFA published. | Noon MDT | 5/12/2023 |
| Application submission deadline. | 5:00 PM MDT | 6/30/2023 |
| Estimated notification of selected projects. | N/A | August 2023 |
Additional resources
- State of Colorado Model Contract Terms and Conditions. (Coming Soon)
- State of Colorado Model Purchase Order Terms and Conditions. (Coming Soon)
- Video Recording of Informational Webinar: April 11, 2023.
- Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program May 2023 Q&A.
Want to help promote the Colorado Electric School Bus Grant Program? Share this flyer in your community! Download the PDF in both English and Spanish.
Contact us
Quetions? Contact matthew.goble@state.co.us
Resources linked on this website are in English. We can provide interpretation in Spanish. Please email cdphe.commentsapcd@state.co.us to request interpretation.