Accelerating Clean Transportation (ACT) School Bus: Advisory Services Program

Accelerating Clean Transportation (ACT) School Bus: Advisory Services Program is a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center that funds public school districts in Massachusetts seeking to electrify their school bus fleets.

The program addresses key barriers to fleet electrification, including high upfront costs for buses and charging infrastructure, coordination complexity with third-party transportation providers, and the challenge of planning for a multi-year transition. MassCEC provides advisory services to help districts assess their fleet, evaluate financing options, coordinate with utilities, and develop a roadmap to zero-emission school buses.

Eligible applicants are public school districts in Massachusetts. Award amounts vary based on district needs and engagement scope.

School Bus: Advisory Services Program | MassCEC School Bus: Advisory Services Program MassCEC / Clean Transportation / Funding / School Bus: Advisory Services Program The Challenge: Reduce Barriers to Electrifying School Buses Despite the long-term savings and health benefits of going electric, school districts face barriers to electrifying their school bus fleets, including: Additional upfront costs to purchase buses and associated charging infrastructure Coordination with third-party transportation providers for school districts that prefer to lease Gaps in technical knowledge necessary to transition from diesel to electric bus operation Resource and budget constraints About School Bus Advisory Services Program Through the School Bus Advisory Services Program, MassCEC provides free fleet electrification planning support to public school districts across Massachusetts.

MassCEC is working with a consultant team to address the gap in technical knowledge impeding school bus fleets from electrifying.

The consultants will provide public school districts and third-party school bus fleet operators technical services such as: vehicle and charging infrastructure analysis vehicle and charging station procurement plans The goal of the program is to provide school districts with a clear path to school bus electrification.

Note that this program does not provide funding to buy electric school buses; rather it provides advisory services at no charge to school districts. MassCEC's consultant team is led by VEIC , a sustainable energy non-profit, specializing in energy efficiency, building decarbonization, transportation electrification, and developing a clean and flexible grid.

To perform this work, VEIC is partnering with PowerOptions , a New England-based non-profit energy consortium that helps its members achieve energy savings and sustainability goals through group procurement and technical assistance programs, and Energetics , a consulting firm that helps public and private entities integrate clean energy technologies and strategies into real-world applications.

No-Cost Advisory Services MassCEC is directing $33. 3 million to help Massachusetts public school districts electrify their fleets via two tracks: Advisory Services gives up to 25 districts free planning and financial‑modeling support, while Fleet Deployment offers up to $2. 5 million per district for buses, chargers and depot upgrades—leveraging more than $132 million in outside funding such as the EPA Clean School Bus program.

This competitive RFP (Round 3 closed July 10 2024) provides each selected fleet with flexible grants of up to $2. 5 million plus hands‑on consulting to overcome cost, infrastructure and training hurdles on the path to electric school buses; eligibility mirrors EPA Clean School Bus criteria and covers both public districts and qualified private contractors working on their behalf.

Eligible applicants include public school districts in Massachusetts. School districts that work with third-party fleet operators are also encouraged to apply. Participation in this Advisory Services Program does not preclude school districts from participating in future rounds of MassCEC's Fleet Deployment Program, which provides procurement and construction support for school buses and associated equipment.

Benefits of Participation School districts will receive a Final Fleet Electrification Plan which will include (but not be limited to) the following: Timeline of required approvals for school bus fleet electrification Identification of major stakeholders and their roles in the electrification process Identification of vehicles that can be electrified and suggested timing for procurement decisions Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) recommendations and location recommendations Identification and presentation of all costs Outline of post-deployment operations (workforce training, charging schedules, maintenance, etc.) If your district is seeking funding for assistance with installation of charging stations and operation of electric school buses, please see our electric school bus fleet deployment program.

Not sure which program is right for you? See School Bus Overview . Interested in participating?

Please contact Sam Riccio at SRiccio@veic. org to express your interest! Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis.

All dates subject to change at MassCEC's discretion Interest Form Follow-Ups or Potential Interviews Rolling, beginning May 2023 School District Selection Rolling, beginning June 2023 Advisory Services Begin and Letters of Commitment Signed Ongoing, beginning June 2023 Final Fleet Electrification Plan and Presentation School Bus Advisory Newsletter - March 2024 School Bus Advisory Services Webinar on Procurement - December 2023 ( Slides ; Recording ) School Bus Advisory Webinar - October 2023 ( Slides ; Recording ) School Bus Advisory Newsletter - September 2023 School Bus Advisory Services Program Quarterly Meeting - May 2023 ( Slides ; Recording ) Email us at cleantransportation@masscec.

com with any questions or to set up a call with MassCEC's Clean Transportation team. Virtual Office Hours : We've set up several 30-minute time slots for you to speak directly with our Clean Transportation team. The responsibilities and expectations of each of the program participants are summarized below, and may not be exhaustive.

Participate in a kickoff call, monthly meetings, and quarterly meetings with the advisory consultant, MassCEC and other relevant stakeholders Provide baseline fleet assessment data, e.g., fleet size and makeup, route data and schedules, current fuel types and costs Lead efforts to engage with all relevant stakeholders, e.g., local utility, school district officials, third-party fleet operators Engage directly with the school district to request baseline fleet data information Provide assessments (e.g., site assessments, charging and infrastructure needs assessments, etc.) that inform decision-making options for school bus fleets Conduct several analyses, including a vehicle needs analysis and an emissions reduction analysis, to guarantee electric fleet recommendations meet needs of school district Evaluate technical and financial data to complete an individualized Fleet Electrification Roadmap Participate in meetings with the Advisory Consultant and the school district Record and share lessons learned between school districts Retain the Advisory Consultant MassCEC / Clean Transportation / Funding / School Bus: Advisory Services Program Green School Works Grants High Performance Buildings Vehicle-to-Everything Demonstration Projects Climate-Critical Workforce Training, Equipment & Infrastructure Grants Career Pathway Training: $800,000 Climate-Critical Upskilling: $600,000 Equipment, Infrastructure and Training Ecosystem Support: $750,000 Capacity for Climate-Critical Educators and Trainers: $400,000 Offshore Wind Science and Research Program Area Offshore Wind, Wildlife Award Potential: Up to $500,000 Application Deadline: April 28.

2026 Request for Proposals: HR Compliance Consulting Audit Program Area Corporate, Env. Justice/DEI Program Type Consulting/Services Application Deadline: May 1, 2026