NC Weatherization Assistance Program

The Annual Weatherization Provider Application is issued by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality State Energy Office for organizations seeking to become subgrantees in the NC Weatherization Assistance Program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. The program uses available federal Department of Energy and Department of Health and Human Services funds, administered by the state, to reimburse selected service providers for delivering weatherization services to low-income North Carolinians. The application is intended to build a statewide provider network capable of serving all 100 North Carolina counties. The purpose of the program is to reduce energy burden, lower carbon emissions, and improve housing conditions for income-eligible residents by installing approved energy conservation measures. Priority populations include elderly persons, persons with disabilities, families with young children, households with high energy burden, and high energy residential users. Eligible housing may include single-family homes, multifamily housing, manufactured housing, and group homes, although each applicant must choose either single-family services or multifamily services rather than both. Eligible applicants are community action agencies, government entities, and other public or nonprofit entities. Applicants must be eligible to receive federal funding, not be on the North Carolina State Suspension of Funding List, demonstrate fiscal solvency, maintain appropriate leadership and staffing capacity, have knowledge and experience delivering weatherization services, and be able to complete projects equitably in the proposed service area. Single-family applicants must propose one or more contiguous counties, while multifamily applicants must be capable of serving all 100 counties statewide. This is a competitive process. Applications are reviewed by a neutral Evaluation Committee based on demonstrated strengths and weaknesses, including program competency, fiscal and management capability, relevant past experience, successful administration of effective weatherization programs, complete responses, certifications, and requested attachments. Applicants with a successful track record administering an effective weatherization program under 10 CFR 440 receive preference, but preference does not guarantee selection. Applications had to be submitted through the Smartsheet Application Portal by 12:00 noon Eastern Time on February 17, 2025. The question period ran from November 18, 2024 through January 3, 2025, with answers posted on a rolling basis and final answers posted by January 10, 2025. Applicants were not permitted to contact DEQ, SEO, or WAP staff outside the formal question portal during the open application period, except for technical difficulty with the application portal. Required application materials include responses to Sections I through VII, certification by the Executive/CEO, applicant details, weatherization service narratives, single-family or multifamily service responses, effective weatherization program experience information if applicable, resumes for relevant staff or officials, and certificates of insurance for general liability, pollution occurrence, and automobile liability. Selected providers were to be announced by public notice approximately March 27, 2025 and incorporated into the FY26 NC Weatherization Assistance Program State Plan effective July 1, 2025. The opportunity appears to be annual based on the title and annual application language, but no future application date is explicitly stated.

Follow the application instructions precisely; answer every question directly in the document; avoid extraneous information; review FAQs before submission; submit early to avoid upload problems; demonstrate weatherization competency, fiscal management capacity, relevant past experience, complete attachments, and successful administration under 10 CFR 440 where applicable