The Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support (CUBS) Grants program is an initiative by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) designed to address systemic barriers that underrepresented businesses face when entering and expanding within the clean energy sector. This sector is poised for rapid growth, with projections indicating a 34 percent increase in the workforce by 2030 to meet Massachusetts' climate goals. The CUBS program aims to ensure equitable participation in this transition, focusing on fostering underrepresented business development in areas such as clean energy design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.

The CUBS initiative supports the creation of a “Hub and Spoke” model to deliver comprehensive services to underrepresented businesses. Hubs provide core business readiness services to help entities successfully bid on clean energy projects, while Spokes deliver sector-specific and complementary services to expand the impact. Grants will not support individual businesses but rather organizations and partnerships that establish support systems to enable broader, regional access to services and resources for underrepresented businesses. Emphasis is placed on wraparound services, cross-referrals, and addressing both supply and demand needs within the sector.

Funding for Hubs is available up to $800,000, and Spoke partners can receive up to $400,000. The program is structured around annual funding cycles. The current application cycle opened with an RFP release on February 24, 2024. Proposals are due by April 25, 2025, at 11:59 PM, and applicant interviews may occur in April and May. Awards will be announced in June 2025. Questions can be submitted on a rolling basis until April 5, 2025, and answers are posted monthly. Pre-application support includes a webinar held on March 10, 2025, and a series of office hours throughout March and April.

Eligibility is open to single organizations or partnerships. Eligible Lead Applicants include nonprofit organizations (such as Chambers of Commerce and clean energy incubators), academic institutions with business support programs, and for-profit clean energy-related companies. Applicants must maintain a Massachusetts office or staffing presence. The program encourages regional collaboration and allows for multiple submissions by applicants proposing distinct regional or programmatic efforts.

Applications should be submitted via email to rfpworkforce@masscec.com with "CUBS Grant Application" in the subject line. There are separate application packets for Hubs and Spokes, each with distinct forms and requirements. Required documents include signed authorization forms, application forms, budgets, sample agreements, MWBE reports, and MOUs. MassCEC encourages applicants to utilize existing workforce and clean energy resources, such as the “Powering the Future” report, labor market data, and environmental justice mapping tools, to strengthen their proposals. For additional support, the Massachusetts Business Front Door service offers further guidance on state resources.