Rolling 75% Energy-Audit Grants for Rural New Hampshire Businesses
The New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) operates the Small Business Energy Audit Fund, an open, rolling program that reduces the cost of comprehensive energy audits for qualifying New Hampshire rural small businesses and agricultural producers. The program is relevant to rural healthcare and health-related businesses that meet the same business-location and size requirements.
Funding and Deadline
CDFA pays 75% of the eligible comprehensive energy-audit cost. The applicant is responsible for a mandatory 25% customer co-pay. CDFA does not publish a fixed per-applicant dollar ceiling or total current program pool in the controlling materials reviewed by Atlas.
Applications are available throughout the year through CDFA’s Grants Management System and are considered first-come, first-served while funds remain. There is no fixed closing date or submission time published.
Who Is Eligible
Eligible applicants are New Hampshire rural for-profit businesses and agricultural producers. A business applicant must be in good standing, have a place of business in New Hampshire, meet the Small Business Administration definition of a small business, and, unless it is an agricultural producer, be located in an eligible USDA rural area. CDFA makes the final eligibility determination.
Eligible and Restricted Uses
Grant funds support assessment of spaces used for commercial purposes through a comprehensive energy audit. Residential uses are generally not eligible, although certain short-term housing may qualify. Mixed-use buildings may use grant support only for the commercial portion. Audits should address multiple building energy systems unless a system is not applicable or was recently upgraded or assessed.
The program funds the audit, not the later implementation of recommended energy-efficiency or renewable-energy measures. CDFA may help applicants identify other incentives, financing and grant resources for implementation after the audit.
Application Requirements
A pre-application consultation with CDFA is required. The applicant then obtains a Level II energy-audit quote or proposal from one or more energy professionals and submits the formal application through CDFA’s Grants Management System. Hard-copy and emailed applications are not accepted.
Required application materials include recent electric and natural-gas bills, 12 months of delivered-fuel bills or a spreadsheet summary, the energy-audit proposal, and an Authorized Official electronic certification. The application also collects ownership and organizational details, NAICS code, staffing, annual revenue, related entities, energy-auditor information, and building/property details.
Disbursement and Post-Award Controls
After the audit is complete, awardees submit a claim through the Grants Management System with the completed audit report, the energy-auditor invoice showing the 75% grant and 25% customer co-pay, and evidence that the applicant’s 25% share was paid. One year after the audit, grantees report which recommended measures were completed and estimated energy savings.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 75/100. This is a credible, currently open New Hampshire funding source with direct relevance to rural healthcare facilities and health-related small businesses, but it is narrowly limited to energy-audit costs rather than clinical services or care-delivery technology.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The verified program does not fund telehealth systems, remote physical-examination technology, clinical equipment or N9+ deployment. N9+ fit is therefore not being forced.
Direct-vendor determination: Dr. Miltie/QC Healthcare direct-applicant eligibility is not established because the program requires a qualifying New Hampshire place of business and, for non-agricultural applicants, an eligible rural location. In addition, the mandatory 25% co-pay means Atlas will not advance any direct application unless Marc specifically approves the cost share.
Program Contact
Scott Maslansky, Director of Clean Energy Finance, New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, 603-226-2170; smaslansky@nhcdfa.org.
Official sources: CDFA Small Business Energy Audit Fund and the Application & Program Guide.