Empire Building Challenge (Hospitals) Grant Program

The Empire Building Challenge Hospitals program is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, a state agency responsible for advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and emissions reduction initiatives across New York. This program is part of the broader Empire Building Challenge initiative, which was launched to accelerate the decarbonization of large buildings through scalable and replicable retrofit solutions. The Hospitals program specifically focuses on healthcare facilities, recognizing their high energy demand and critical role in public health infrastructure. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support demonstration projects that achieve significant energy and carbon reductions in existing hospital buildings. NYSERDA seeks to fund projects that showcase innovative and practical solutions that can be replicated across the healthcare sector. Eligible activities include electrification of heating and cooling systems, electrification readiness upgrades such as distribution system conversions and building envelope improvements, and comprehensive energy efficiency measures. Projects must utilize commercially viable technologies and demonstrate the ability to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while improving building performance. Funding is offered on a competitive basis, with awards of up to 5000000 dollars per project. The program requires that the total award not exceed 75 percent of total project costs, effectively establishing a cost share requirement. In addition to the primary award, selected projects may receive up to 50000 dollars to support operation and maintenance training for newly installed systems. Funding may be combined with other sources such as utility incentives or federal funding, but NYSERDA funds cannot be applied to the same measures supported by other incentives. Certain activities are explicitly ineligible, including lighting upgrades, fossil fuel system replacements, new construction, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Eligibility is limited to hospitals located in New York State, or authorized representatives acting on their behalf. All proposed projects must involve existing hospital buildings within the state and must meet detailed technical and programmatic requirements. These include completion of a feasibility study prior to submission, use of third party contractors, completion of construction within four years of award, and participation in one year of post installation measurement and verification. Projects must also consider climate resilience measures and demonstrate potential for scalability and replication. Applications must be submitted through NYSERDA’s online portal, although paper submissions are permitted if necessary. A complete application includes responses to portal questions, a proposal template, a detailed project workbook, a feasibility study report, and optional supporting documentation. Proposals are evaluated based on project impact, viability, and budget, with scoring criteria emphasizing energy and carbon reduction, innovation, scalability, and implementation feasibility. Additional considerations include geographic diversity and benefits to disadvantaged communities. The program includes multiple deadlines, with Round 1 due on August 14 2025 and Round 2 due on September 15 2026. Proposals must be submitted by 3 pm Eastern Time on the specified deadline date. NYSERDA anticipates notifying applicants of award decisions approximately twelve weeks after the submission deadline. Contracts are expected to last up to five years and are structured as milestone based agreements, with payments tied to completion of defined tasks and deliverables. The program is recurring, with multiple rounds indicating continued funding cycles. Program contacts include designated NYSERDA representatives who must be used for all communications related to the solicitation. Technical and general inquiries may be directed to the program email address EBChospitals at nyserda dot ny dot gov. NYSERDA enforces strict procurement communication rules, and contacting unauthorized personnel may result in disqualification. An informational webinar was held to provide additional guidance to applicants, and prospective applicants were encouraged to submit questions in advance. Overall, the program is designed to drive transformative energy improvements in hospitals while generating replicable models for broader adoption.

Focus on demonstrating measurable energy and carbon reduction ensure feasibility study is detailed and highlight scalability and replication potential