FY27 Commercial & Community Buildings Request for Information v2

The Maryland Energy Administration (“MEA”) has published this Request for Information (“RFI”) to inform the design of the Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2027. Please be aware that this program is subject to change. This document is not a guarantee of funding availability, nor is it a complete and full Funding Opportunity Announcement (“FOA”). Final program parameters and application instructions will be included in the FOA when announced in early fall 2026.

Scope

To streamline the grant participation experience, the upcoming Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program is expected to consolidate the Commercial & Industrial, Local Government Energy Modernization (L-GEM), Decarbonizing Public Schools, Electrifying Community Buildings, and Mechanical Insulation Grant Programs to provide one multi-sector offering in Fiscal Year 2027.

The Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program is a competitive funding opportunity that provides eligible Maryland buildings with the opportunity to request funding for measures that advance building decarbonization through a combination of electrification, energy efficiency, and onsite renewable energy investments that result in quantifiable greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

This program specifically aims to reduce onsite greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial building sector to align with Maryland’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. By empowering commercial buildings to lead by example, the program intends to ignite market transformation in the sector and demonstrate the technological and financial feasibility of building decarbonization.

Anticipated Launch: September 2026

Anticipated FY27 Budget:

Renewable Energy Projects: $15.5 Million
Energy Efficiency Projects: $29.5 Million
Electrification Projects: $20 Million
Solar Projects: $21 Million

Funding targets will be established for each applicant category, including commercial buildings, local education agencies (LEAs), and local governments, to help ensure balanced access to funding across sectors. These allocations may be adjusted based on program demand and application volume to maximize deployment of available funds.

Anticipated Grant Program Type:

Competitive grant program spanning multiple commercial building subsectors. A competitive grant is project-specific funding awarded to eligible commercial buildings proposing individual projects for consideration.

Each application is evaluated based on its merits with funding awarded to projects that best align with the program’s goals and priorities based on the evaluation criteria. Proposed projects will be evaluated only in comparison to applications within the same building sector (commercial buildings, LEAs, local government). Prospective grantees may submit multiple applications with one application per project.

Availability:

The Program FOA is expected to be announced in September 2026. Have questions? Contact cleanbuildingshub@maryland.gov, follow the Maryland Energy Administration on social media: Facebook | X | LinkedIn, and subscribe to the Maryland Clean Buildings Hub newsletter, The Blueprint.

Eligible applicants include:

Large Commercial Buildings:

Buildings > 35,000 total square feet
Including BEPS covered buildings, BEPS exempt buildings, and non-profits

Small Commercial Buildings:

Buildings < 35,000 total square feet
Including non-profits

Local Governments

Buildings associated with incorporated towns, cities, and counties Maryland
Including BEPS covered local government buildings

Local Education Agencies:

Public K-12 educational facilities
LEA administration facilities

Feedback Deadline:

MEA requests that responses be submitted via this Jotform by no later than Friday, July 3, 2026. MEA may accept comments after this date, but comments received by this date may be most impactful.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you may send your feedback to cleanbuildingshub@maryland.gov with "RFI: FY27 Commercial & Community Buildings" in the subject line and the questions you are answering clearly specified.

RFI Questions:

Please provide your responses to some or all of the following questions, in as much detail as possible.

Name

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.

Organization Name

Please check the descriptor that best describes your affiliation:

Briefly describe your organization (if applicable) and interest in this potential program.

In the past, MEA has offered individual grant programs per building sector. Are there any considerations for creating a program that consolidates previously separate building sector programs?

Which building decarbonization measures would benefit most from MEA grant funding to improve financial feasibility? For example: heating and cooling systems, appliances, LED lighting, building envelope, appliances, mechanical insulation, solar, etc.

How common is refrigerant switching in building projects? Would it be beneficial for refrigerant upgrades to be counted towards a project's overall carbon reduction?

MEA is interested in award formulas that align grant amounts with the level of greenhouse gas emissions avoided. Do you have any feedback on this incentive structure?

Are you aware of any building decarbonization programs that determine funding amounts based on $Award/MTCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) reductions, or similar metrics?

Download & Review Grant Calculator Drafts:

Provide feedback on the grant calculator's usability as well as any concerns or suggestions for improvement. For example, are there any sections or fields in the calculator that are confusing or not functioning as expected?

What are your thoughts on integrating proposed project budget breakdowns (i.e., equipment procurement, installation, consultant fees, disposal, etc.) into the grant calculator instead of requiring a separate budget template?

How many individual funding lines are typically needed to cover all proposed building project costs?

When providing project data in tools such as the attached grant calculator, do you prefer entering a building's baseline energy use and projected energy use or the baseline energy use and projected energy savings?

In the attached grant calculator, would you prefer to enter a building's unique utility rate for kWh, therms, gallons, etc. or have building utility rates automatically calculated based on standardized cost assumptions? Please explain.

Do you primarily work in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets?

Would you be interested in joining a webinar that demonstrates how to use a tool such as the attached grant calculator?

What types of technical assistance would be most valuable to applicants interested in participating in the described Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program?

Are there any workforce, supply chain, or procurement challenges facing the commercial buildings industry that may hinder the adoption of decarbonization measures?

How familiar are you with energy financing opportunities and private capital partners such as Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to help fund building decarbonization projects?

Would you be interested in learning more about financing and private capital funding opportunities?

Do you have any other questions or recommendations for a multi-sector Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program?

Which events, conferences, or forums should MEA consider attending to promote this grant program?

What is the best way for MEA to stay engaged with you moving forward?

Request for Information: FY27 Commercial & Community Buildings Grant Program

Basic Information

Program Design

Funding Structure

Grant Calculator

Project Feasibility

General Feedback