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PROPOSED GRANT AWARD
Department: Bureau of Economic Development
Grantee: Bureau of Economic Development, Cook County
Grantor: United States Department of Energy
Request: Authorization to accept grant
Purpose: The Department of Energy has awarded the Bureau of Economic Development with a $1.125 million grant to support the establishment of the Chicagoland Solar Collaborative (CSC), an industry sector partnership with the purpose of improving on-ramps for businesses and individuals seeking access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in solar installation.
Grant Amount: $1,125,000.00
Grant Period: 5/1/2024 - 4/30/2027
Fiscal Impact:
Budget Period 1: $368,673.00 for 5/1/2024 - 4/30/2025
Budget Period 2: $376,498.00 for 5/1/2025 - 4/30/2026
Budget Period 3: $379,829.00 for 5/1/2026 - 4/30/2027
Accounts: Cash match of $75,000.00 11000.1027.10155.521313
Concurrences:
The Budget Department has received all requisite documents and determined the fiscal impact on Cook County, if any.
Summary: Cook County will establish the Chicagoland Solar Collaborative (CSC) to bring together a cross section of stakeholders to address the need for trained solar panel installers across Cook County as well as provide guidance and advising services to small contractors interested in entering the solar installation market. BED has a cooperative agreement with the US DOE for this grant.
The CSC has three primary objectives: to establish a solar sector partnership as a platform for employees to work together with education, training providers and support organizations to address the industry's talent and other needs, to expand the number and capacity of small businesses in disadvantaged communities*, and to improve training pipelines for the solar sector that prioritize equity and opportunity growth for members of disadvantaged communities and underrepresented groups. Further, through these objectives, the CSC intends to build sustainable l...
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