CERTs awards seed grants to communities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across Minnesota. We’ve awarded over $1.6M to 467 projects since 2006.
Explore past funded projects in the map, stories, and lists below to get inspired!
Explore past funded projects in the map, stories, and lists below to get inspired!
The map below includes all projects funded by CERTs. Choose on a map marker to learn more about individual projects, drag to move, and use the + and – buttons to zoom.
Learn about CERTs Seed Grants as a future funding opportunity for your clean energy projects
The number of applications submitted in 2022 marked a high point in seed grant history thanks to staff and steering committee outreach, on-going relationship building, and tremendous community interest in clean energy.
This is how we directed the program's 2021/22 round:
Primary Objectives:
Regional Funding Availability for 2022: Each region had its own pool of funding: $30,000 per region. Each regional CERT Steering Committee made the funding selections for its region. See map of regions. Funding for these projects was provided through the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources.
Note: Commerce added $120,000 more for projects focused on underserved communities by leveraging its State Energy Office funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, a new award from the Morgan Family Foundation provided an additional $70,000 in CERTs Seed Grant funding.
Amounts: These are considered seed grants. Projects have historically received funding for amounts between $2,000 and $5,000, and can be used for labor and minor materials and supplies.
Seed Grant Timeline: