Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support
Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support funds organizations expanding business assistance for underrepresented firms in Massachusetts to advance clean energy and an equitable energy transition.
Funder: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Due Dates: December 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET (First round) | April 2, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET (Final round)
Funding Amounts: Hub: up to $800,000 | Spoke: up to $400,000 | Planning: up to $50,000 | Capacity Building: up to $150,000
Summary: Funds organizations expanding technical assistance and business support for underrepresented businesses in Massachusetts’ clean energy and decarbonization sectors.
Key Information: Funding must support multiple businesses, not a single business; lead applicants need a Massachusetts office or staffing.
Description
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support (CUBS) grants expand technical assistance and business-support services through a regional Hub-and-Spoke model. Hubs provide coordinated core services that strengthen business operations and help underrepresented businesses become business and contract ready. Spokes provide specialized, high-touch support addressing sector-specific or population-specific barriers to business readiness and procurement success.
The program addresses obstacles involving access to capital, business networks, procurement opportunities, and early-stage growth. It supports organizations that help multiple businesses enter, pivot to, or grow within climate-critical industries, rather than benefiting a single business. Successful projects strengthen business pathways, leverage existing support systems, and establish referral networks across regional partnerships. Planning and capacity-building funding supports readiness for future implementation or pilots of CUBS-aligned services, advancing Massachusetts’ clean energy goals and an equitable energy transition.
