Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership Direct Funding Opportunity

Project ID: RFX-2026-10006 FederalOpportunitiesSolicitation

Overview

Agency	Department of Energy
Deadline	07/02/26
Posted	05/12/26
Estimated Value	Not Provided
Set Aside	None
NAICS	541690 - Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
PSC	B599 - Special Studies/Analysis- Other
Location	Arvada, CO 80007 United States

Description

Primary Latest Change

Summary

See Request for Proposal RFX-2026-10006-CMAP and Attachments 1-6, for full description.

Program Overview

The Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) is an effort through the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) to expand American's access to affordable energy, strengthen grid reliability, and bolster national security. The program supports the implementation of innovative OE-funded research to improve energy delivery to Americans living and working in rural and remote areas that have less reliable energy systems and some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Through this effort, DOE-OE provides direct funding, access to technical experts, and educational resources to energy providers and partners to build, operate, and enhance microgrid systems that improve the affordability, reliability, and security of electricity in rural and remote areas of the U.S. The 2026 C-MAP solicitation aims to support rural and remote communities to: Develop and implement multi-community support efforts to better support or develop advanced microgrid energy systems Develop detailed engineering designs and financial assessments in support of developing advanced microgrid systems Expand collaboration between energy providers and large load energy users, with a goal to expand industrial development in rural areas Assess and improve the operation of existing microgrid energy systems. This call for proposals will support energy providers, local governments and U.S. industry in remote areas to improve the operational efficiency of existing or development of new microgrid energy systems. This solicitation uses the U.S. Department of Energy definition of a microgrid: a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity. This solicitation targets existing or proposed microgrids which experience challenges with cost, reliability, resilience, and/or power quality. The microgrids may be electrically islanded (not connected to an external electricity infrastructure) or, if connected to external electrical infrastructure, such as electric transmission or distribution feeders, must at times operate independently of that external energy system. The 2026 Community Microgrid Development Partnership Awards consist of five (5) topic areas: 1. Regional Microgrid Coordination To help energy service providers from multiple communities collaborate to improve the operations of, or development opportunities for, separate microgrid power systems for their independent communities. 2. Microgrid Integration with Large Load Energy Consumers To support collaboration between utilities operating community microgrids and adjacent large load energy consumers which operate, or plan to operate, independent power systems. 3. Microgrid Development To assist individual communities with completing detailed design efforts for a new, or major retrofit of an existing, microgrid power system. 4. Microgrid Transformation To equip individual communities to assess, design, and implement innovative microgrid improvements to operational microgrid systems. 5. Microgrid Assessment for Industrial or other Large Load Energy Consumers To assist individual large energy consumers to develop or advance microgrid systems, expanding energy availability while lowering costs.

Summary (Newest Update)

Background The Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership (C-MAP) is an initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) aimed at enhancing access to affordable energy, improving grid reliability, and strengthening national security. This program focuses on implementing innovative research funded by OE to enhance energy delivery in rural and remote areas with unreliable energy systems and high energy costs. C-MAP provides funding, technical expertise, and educational resources to support the development, operation, and enhancement of microgrid systems that improve electricity affordability, reliability, and security. Work Details The 2026 C-MAP solicitation seeks to assist rural and remote communities in several key areas: 1. Develop multi-community support efforts for advanced microgrid systems. 2. Create detailed engineering designs and financial assessments for microgrid development. 3. Foster collaboration between energy providers and large load users to promote industrial growth in rural areas. 4. Evaluate and enhance the operation of existing microgrid systems. The solicitation targets microgrids facing challenges related to cost, reliability, resilience, or power quality, whether they are islanded or connected to external infrastructure. Period of Performance The anticipated period of performance varies by topic area, with durations ranging from 12 to 24 months depending on the specific project requirements. Place of Performance The work will be conducted primarily in rural and remote areas across the United States.

Contacts