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The Community Grants application review is a rigorous, multistep process that has been built and improved upon through previous grant cycles.
Community Grants scoring and review process
PCEF's application review process is designed to support equity and transparency. The entire review process is expected to take four to six months.
Scoring and review
Small and large grant applications go through a six-step review process. Planning grant applications go through a five-step review, skipping the technical review.
The application review steps are as follows:
1. Eligibility screening
Program staff will review each application to ensure the organization and project are eligible for funding. Eligibility criteria are informed by PCEF legislation as well as City contracting and legal requirements. All applications must be submitted by eligible nonprofits for climate mitigation and adaptation projects within one of the PCEF funding areas: energy efficiency and renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure, workforce and contractor development, and other GHG-reducing projects.
2. Technical project feasibility review
Implementation applications are reviewed for technical feasibility if they pass the eligibility screen. The technical review determines whether the project is possible to execute. The review is completed by a combination of subject matter experts that include both staff and external partners. The review does not count toward the project score; rather, it serves as a screen to eliminate projects that are not technically feasible. Projects do not need to be fully designed to pass the technical review, but they must be technically feasible. During this review phase, there will be opportunity for reviewers to pose clarifying questions to the applicants to improve reviewers' understanding of the project. Applicant responses are provided to the scoring panel for consideration.
3. Financial review
All applicants are reviewed for financial stability. Additional scrutiny may be applied to applications that raise questions or concerns during financial review, or if they are 1) asking for funding that is more than twice their organizations' average annual revenue, or 2) are proposing work that is new to the organization. Financial review is completed by staff subject matter experts and includes review of prior three years of financial documents and relevant narrative responses in the application to evaluate the financial health and governance of the organization. Newer organizations that have fewer than three years of financial documents are required to submit all available financial documents.
4. Scoring panel evaluations
Applications that pass the screening for eligibility, technical feasibility, and financial review are assigned to a scoring panel. Each scoring panel will consist of three to five subject matter experts drawing from PCEF Committee members, program staff, community members, and external technical partners. Efforts are made to include a diverse panel composition.
Staff evaluate possible conflicts of interest when coordinating panel composition and scoring panelists complete a conflict-of-interest form. All panelists receive training on the scoring criteria and receive anti-bias awareness training. Scoring panelists are asked to refrain from communicating directly with applicants during the review process. The scoring panel review includes four steps:
- Each reviewer individually scores assigned applications. Reviewers are provided with scoring criteria guidance, technical review, and financial review information.
- PCEF staff compile the individual reviewers' scores and generate a document used to facilitate discussions with the scoring panel.
- The scoring panel meets to discuss individual scores, feedback from the technical and financial reviews, and responses to clarifying questions. Reviewers may adjust their scores following the discussion before submitting final scores. After the meeting, a final score is calculated for each application based on the average of all reviewers' final scores, with scoring criteria weighting applied.
- Applications must receive more than half of all available points (see scoring criteria) to be considered for funding.
5. Reference checks
Reference checks are conducted for applicants who score high enough to be considered competitive for funding. Not all applicants will have their references contacted. Applicants must provide at least two external references who can verify work performed, adherence to timelines, and successful completion of projects or activities similar in complexity and scale to the proposed project. Reference checks are conducted by staff to confirm organizational capacity, project management experience, and overall performance.
Additional scrutiny may be applied if questions or concerns arise during application review or reference checks, or if the proposed project is significantly larger or more complex than the organization's prior work.
6. Portfolio development
PCEF staff finalize a portfolio of recommended applications based on targeted funding levels in each funding area, grant size, and grant type.
7. City Administration approval
City Administration will review and approve the final portfolio of recommended grants.
Scoring criteria
Applications are scored on criteria that apply to their project type. Applications that include a workforce and contractor development (WCD) component as well as implementation of energy efficiency, renewable energy, green infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and/or transportation decarbonization are scored on all relevant criteria with scores weighted based on share of budget allocated to each area of work. Each application will have an opportunity to receive up to 100 points.
Scoring criteria are grouped in four categories:
- Organization and project team (30 possible points)
- Project plan and benefits (55 possible points)
- Workforce benefit (5 possible points)
- Budget (10 possible points)
Organization and project team
- Organization has a track record of delivering programs that benefit PCEF priority populations. Organization is well positioned to deliver benefits to PCEF priority populations.
- To receive full points, applicant must demonstrate that the primary purpose of their organization is to deliver programs that benefit one or more of the communities identified as PCEF priority populations. This must be the majority of the work they perform. Organization has an innate or personal understanding of the PCEF priority population(s) the project serves.
- Project team including nonprofit staff, contractors, and other partners have demonstrated experience that will support project success.
- To receive full points, the project team must have relevant professional and/or life experience and qualifications. The applicant has identified all key team members.
- Application demonstrates strong understanding and practice around community organizing, outreach, and/or stakeholder engagement, particularly focused on one or multiple PCEF priority populations.
- To receive full points, project engagement reflects an innate or personal understanding of the PCEF priority populations the organization serves. If applicable, engagement activities are informed by cultural competence, principles of inclusion and/or collaboration.
Project plan and benefits: workforce and contractor development
There are a different set of "project plan and benefits" criteria for WCD projects, all other implementation projects, and planning projects. Applications that include WCD and other project components are scored on all relevant criteria, and the results weighted based on the share of budget allocated to each component.
- Project description is complete and intended outcomes are clear. Services, activities, and timeline described in scope will result in intended outcomes.
- To receive full points, the project description clearly states what the applicant intends to do, why, who the intended beneficiaries are, and what outcomes are expected. Project services and activities have a strong likelihood to result in stated intended outcomes.
- Program will support PCEF goals of: 1) diversifying workforce in the green economy through appropriate training, job placement and support, 2) diverse contractor start-up, stabilization, growth, pivot in businesses focused on climate related goods and services, 3) education/exposure – improved youth knowledge of, and readiness for, careers in climate work.
- Worker training. To receive full points, the program curriculum must be certified by an entity that is widely recognized in the relevant industry, e.g., Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), Building Performance Institute.
- Contractor support. To receive full points, the program supports delivery of climate related goods and services. Program thoroughly evaluates business needs and the aspirations of the owners, delivering a full suite of tailored business assistance, support, and grant funding. The program aims to broaden the base of contractors in the green economy, ensuring that all beneficiaries come from PCEF's priority communities.
- Education/exposure. To receive full points, the program offers meaningful youth curriculum on climate work and career pathways, examples include hands-on workshops, internships, and mentorship opportunities with industry professionals.
- Project provides other social benefit(s) not already included in other criteria.
- To receive full points, the project will produce meaningful and significant social benefit, and the description provided is clear and reasonable. For example, a training program that weatherizes low-income homes as part of their curriculum and/or provides services like childcare.
- Project will benefit PCEF priority populations.
- To receive full points, all project beneficiaries are members of PCEF priority populations.
- Alignment with PCEF guiding principles.
- To receive full points, the project must be aligned with the PCEF Guiding Principles: focused on climate action with multiple benefits, community powered, justice driven, and accountable.
Project plan and benefits: all funding categories except workforce and contractor development
This section applies to projects in energy efficiency and renewable energy, green infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, and transportation decarbonization implementation project plan and benefits criteria
- Project description is complete and intended outcomes are clear. Services, activities, and timeline described in scope will result in intended outcomes.
- To receive full points, the project description clearly states what the applicant intends to do, why, who the intended beneficiaries are, and what outcomes are expected. Project services and activities have a strong likelihood to result in stated intended outcomes.
- Emissions reduction (including sequestration) cost effectiveness and/or impact are estimated by the program based on application information and programmatic assumptions.
- Applications are ranked from most cost effective (lowest cost per CO2e reduction) to least cost effective (highest cost per CO2e reduction), and points assigned by quintile with the most cost-effective projects receiving the highest score.
- Appropriate plan to maintain project emissions reduction for its full useful life (beyond the life of grant).
- To receive full points, the applicant must provide an appropriate plan (including consideration of staffing, equipment, and funding needs) to be reasonably sure that the project's benefits will last for the projected life.
- Project provides meaningful additional non-greenhouse gas environmental benefits as a result of the following project activities: 1) planting and establishing trees for shade/reduce heat islands; 2) improving natural areas that support biodiversity, maintain ecological processes, and sustain air and water resources; 4) removing pavement, replacing with permeable material/plants; 5) conserving or otherwise managing water; and 6) mode switching from gas/diesel to electric vehicles.
- Project includes meaningful and significant environmental benefits resulting from one of more of the activities described in these criteria. Meaningful and significant refers to the scope, impact, and/or size (e.g., affects critical species, covers a wide area, affects a large number of people).
- Project reduces cost for members of PCEF priority populations through savings in electricity, natural gas or other fuel used for space heating, transportation fuel, and/or food expense.
- Project provides cost savings of at least 25% for PCEF priority population households for relevant utility or food expense.
- Project provides health benefits as a result of the following project activities: 1) removing gas and oil from a building, 2) improving building ventilation, 3) improving building filtration, 4) adding cooling to a building, 5) promoting active transportation, 6) providing access to healthy local food, and 7) making a direct connection to health and healing through farming or other horticultural therapy practices.
- To receive full points, Project includes one or more of the project activities listed in this criterion and is significant in scale relative to the overall project.
- Project improves resiliency for PCEF priority populations through the following project activities: 1) improving building filtration, 2) adding cooling to a building, 3) adding storage for a renewable energy source, e.g., solar + storage, 4) planting and establishing trees for shade/reduce heat islands.
- To receive full points, the project must include one or more of the project activities listed in this criterion, be delivered to PCEF priority populations, and be significant in scale relative to the overall project.
- Project will benefit PCEF priority populations.
- To receive full points, all project beneficiaries are members of PCEF priority populations.
- Alignment with PCEF guiding principles.
- To receive full points, the project must be aligned with the PCEF Guiding Principles: focused on climate action with multiple benefits, community powered, justice driven, and accountable.
Planning grants: project plan and benefits criteria
This section only applies to planning grant applications.
- The opportunity statement demonstrates understanding of issue and addresses climate justice.
- To receive full points, it must be clear from the opportunity statement that the project will address climate justice for PCEF priority populations, the applicant has a firm understanding of the issue they intend to address, and how the planning grant will help address the issue or opportunity.
- Scope of planning process is clear, manageable, and likely to succeed.
- To receive full points, planning outcomes must be clear. Process centers equity and justice and, if applicable, identified partners are appropriate. Outreach and engagement activities are well described, and research and analysis needs have been identified and described. Potential barriers have been identified, and a plan to overcome them is included. Timeline is reasonable.
- Project being developed as a result of the planning grant will benefit PCEF priority populations.
- To receive full points, it is highly likely that beneficiaries of project being planned are members of PCEF priority populations.
- Alignment with PCEF guiding principles.
- To receive full points, the project must be aligned with the PCEF guiding principles: focused on climate action with multiple benefits, community powered, justice driven, and accountable.
Workforce and contractor equity approach
All projects must agree to comply with the workforce and contractor equity requirements in Appendix A of the Applicant Handbook.
- Contractor hiring and recruitment practices will support achieving goals PCEF adopted in the Climate Investment Plan.
- To receive full points, the applicant must have a strong strategy for recruitment and use of diverse contractors and subcontractors, and/or identification of diverse contractor (with record of utilizing diverse subcontractors and commitments, if appropriate). Strategy indicates applicant familiarity with best practices and commitment and capacity to implement strategy. If an applicant has already identified all of the contractors and subcontractors they will use on the project they must meet goals outlined in the WCEA adopted in the CIP to receive full points.
Budget
- Project budget is complete and reasonable.
- To receive full points, the budget must be complete, clear, and appropriately scaled to the proposed project.
- Project leverages resources.
- To receive full points, the project applicant must provide 15% match funds.