GMA was contracted to write and submit a utility scale solar grant on behalf of a tribally owned utility in 2019. This annual DOE tribal infrastructure grant is considered one of the more difficult federal grants to win, is highly competitive, and includes 22 separate forms, some of them highly technical.
GMA formed a team of three grant writers under the guidance of Kristin Cooper Carter and was led by Deborah Dowd, one of GMA’s most experienced technical grant writers, with a detailed project management software implementation by GMA’s Ed Ober to track and meet all the requirements and allow all project stakeholders to view the progress of the grant application.
The GMA grant team worked closely with solar electric experts and engineers on the project, as well as the tribe’s utility board of directors, plus testified before the full Tribal Council and worked closely with the utility’s senior staff.
GMA undertook a complete review and detailed analysis of the utility’s rate structure and rate contracts which were essential to winning the grant. In this particular annual grant cycle, the amount of the awards were doubled to $2 million making this grant more competitive. The tribal utility was awarded $2 million. GMA assisted the utility staff in the grant award contracting process, and in the required progress reports and post-award accounting implementation. This solar project was completed in 2020.