Register Now for the School Bus Replacement Grant Application Workshop

When: Tuesday, October 16, 1:15 PM – 3:15 PM CST

Where: Wilson County Schools Administrative & Training Complex, 415 Harding Drive, Lebanon, TN 37087

The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and the Tennessee Department of Education have partnered to host an application workshop for the School Bus Replacement Grant program on Tuesday, October 16 at the Wilson County Schools Administrative & Training Complex. This funding program is managed by TDEC under its administration of the State’s initial Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust allocation. Representatives of school districts, school bus contractors, and other interested persons are encouraged to attend and learn about the application process and program terms and conditions, including project eligibility, timelines for implementation, and reporting requirements.

Under the School Bus Replacement Grant program, $8,710,353.78 in funding is available for eligible Class 4-8 School Bus projects. The grant program will provide financial assistance to public, non-profit, and private fleets in Tennessee that apply to receive funding to replace a minimum of one eligible School Bus with any new diesel, Alternate Fueled, or All-Electric School Bus. All terms and conditions of the program are outlined in an Application Manual, accessible here: School Bus Grant Application Manual.

Grants shall not exceed $750,000 per Grantee.
Eligible applicants include both Government and Non-Government entities. “Government” shall mean a State or local government agency (including a school district, municipality, city, county, special district, transit district, joint powers authority, or port authority, owning fleets purchased with government funds), and a tribal government or native village. More information on applicant eligibility can be found in the Application Manual.
School Buses eligible for replacement include 2009 engine model year or older Class 4-8 School Buses sold or introduced into interstate commerce for purposes that include carrying students to and from school or related events. Eligible School Buses may include Type A-D School Buses.
Applications may include a variety of eligible vehicle and/or fuel types.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the TDEC Online Grants System by 4:00 PM CST on December 14, 2018. Please refer to TDEC’s “About the Online Grants System” webpage to learn more about the TDEC Online Grants Management System, including how to register and apply. Awards are expected to be announced in January 2019, and the expected timeframe for grant contracting efforts will be March 2019.

Please contact Senior Program Manager/Energy Consultant Alexa Voytek at Alexa.Voytek@tn.gov or 615-532-0238 with any questions about the funding program or application workshop.

The workshop will not be live-streamed. A video of the application workshop will be added to the TDEC Office of Energy Programs website. To be notified of the posting of the video, please sign up for the TDEC email list at https://signup.e2ma.net/signup/1843437/1737620/. For additional information on the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement, visit the TDEC Office of Energy Programs website here: https://www.tn.gov/environment/VWSettlement