PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON DC, December 17, 2025 – The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that applications are open for the 2025 Renew America’s Schools Prize. Administered through the Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), this investment will deploy an anticipated $90 million to fund energy improvement projects that lower energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and create healthier learning environments in American school facilities.
Made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the 2025 Renew America’s Schools Prize supports the Administration’s broader Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure by funding high-impact improvements that build healthier, more resilient schools. DOE’s focus on public schools, which make up the second-largest sector of American infrastructure after transportation, supports President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda by promoting STEM education and workforce development, while creating well-paying jobs that stimulate local economies.
“This funding underscores the Biden Administration’s ongoing commitment to invest in energy solutions that support students and their communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Empowering school districts to make transformative energy upgrades creates tangible benefits in and out of the classroom. We’re not only lowering costs and creating healthier learning spaces but also fostering partnerships that create good-paying jobs.”
This investment supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The 2025 Renew America’s Schools Prize will invest an anticipated $90 million in school facilities that demonstrate the need for energy improvements and financing, focusing on Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that qualify as disadvantaged and/or rural. Eligible improvements include new heating, ventilation, air conditioning, building envelope and lighting projects and renewable energy technologies that help reduce building operation costs. Funding is also available for alternative energy-fueled vehicles and alternative-fueled vehicle infrastructure.
Eligible submissions will improve air quality, reduce energy use and costs, and lower emissions while establishing a need for both energy improvements and financing across a portfolio of 10 or more schools and school facilities.
Similar to the previous round of funding, the 2025 Renew America’s Schools Prize is a three-phase award. During Phase 1, competitors will build teams and curate lists of school facilities that demonstrate both need and eligibility for investment. Up to 14 Phase 1 Winners will earn a cash prize of $300,000 for successfully building teams and submitting compelling applications identifying need.
DOE will down-select to identify winners who may move on to Phases 2 and 3, wherein they will enter and execute Cooperative Agreements with DOE. Awards made in Phases 2 and 3 will vary by portfolio size but could range from $7.5 million to $15 million. DOE will issue the largest awards to portfolios serving 20 or more school facilities, offering $15,300,000 to Winners in this category for completing all three phases.
The Prize builds on the success of the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize by leveraging the same prize-to-cooperative agreement funding mechanism, lowering barriers to entry for districts and increasing the accessibility of federal funds. In August DOE announced the 21 winners of the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize who each received a $300,000 cash prize for their efforts, 16 of whom were selected to enter and execute cooperative agreements with DOE for awards up to $15 million. Among these 16 selectees, DOE plans to invest in 320 school facilities across 25 states and directly benefitting over 123,000 students and 9,100 teachers.
The 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant is the second round of funding from the Renew America’s Schools Program, a first-of-its-kind, $500 million program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Established in 2022, the Renew America’s Schools Program helps schools across the country make energy upgrades that will decrease energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments.
Submissions are due on Thursday, April 3, at 5 p.m. ET. To access the 2025 Renew America’s Schools Prize, visit https://www.herox.com/2025renewschoolsprize.
To view the tools and resources that will support your application, visit https://www.herox.com/2025renewschoolsprize/resources.