We are now more than halfway through 2024, and with it, we have seen exciting progress in the presidential administration’s goal of having 500,000 public electric vehicle (EV) charging ports available across the country by 2030. There are now 183,000 public ports available for EV drivers in the U.S., an increase of over 13,000 in Q2 2024 alone. Much of this progress has been supported by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which provides massive funding opportunities for publicly accessible EV charging projects across the country. Since the inception of the NEVI program, 23 states have now issued conditional awards or agreements for more than 550 fast-charging stations with at least four ports each.

FTI has been part of that success, being involved in projects that were awarded funding for proposed sites in two states, with more on the horizon. Based on the knowledge and experiences of our dedicated grants and incentives team, here are six tips for submitting an effective and successful NEVI application.

  1. Become an expert on the Request for Proposal (RFP) and scoring criteria.

Understanding the RFP is the crucial first step to preparing a successful NEVI application. Because each state has their own rules and criteria, you need to understand what the RFP is asking of your project and how it will be scored. FTI can help you craft a compelling response that both meets all minimum requirements and sets you apart from other applicants.

  1. Funding matches may provide a competitive edge.

The Federal Highway Administration has set a maximum grant amount of 80% of total project costs. However, some states may score projects higher if you request a grant lower than this amount. Be prepared to request less funding than expected, because it may just earn you more points when it comes to evaluating your project proposal. Our grants and incentives team has the NEVI experience to give you an edge against the competition and get the most points possible.

  1. Consider grant stacking.

To cover any remaining costs a NEVI grant may not cover, look into additional grants and incentives you may be able to stack with NEVI funding. The maximum federal cost share is 80% of project costs, and there may be additional state and local programs available to cover the rest. With our expertise, FTI can help you put a plan in place to go after additional programs that will maximize the funding awarded to your project.

  1. Understand compliance reporting.

Prior to applying, be sure you understand all compliance reporting that may be required to submit if you are successfully awarded NEVI funding. You may need to submit annual, quarterly or even real-time data on uptime and usage of charging stations. Our team has the expertise and resources to guide you through this process, even after you have been awarded, to maintain your eligibility.

  1. Understand your audience.

Keep your audience in mind when crafting your RFP response; don’t assume the application reviewers know everything about your project and its impact. Be as clear and concise as possible when articulating your project’s objectives, methodologies and proposed outcomes. Ensure your response tells a cohesive and compelling story that captures the true essence of your project from its inception to its anticipated impact on the community. With our NEVI application experience, FTI knows how to get your project to stand out from the crowd and describe what makes it unique in your application.

  1. Start early.

Ensure your application team is clearly defined ahead of the RFP opening date. Application periods are short, and the application itself can be fairly daunting and time consuming. Making sure roles and responsibilities are assigned ahead of time ensures you are not wasting time trying to pull together resources at the last minute. This applies to any potential partners that may have stake in the project as well. At FTI, our team has the insights on program openings and is prepared to engage with you ahead of time so your team can be ready to go.

It’s not too late to join in the NEVI award success. We’ve been through a year and a half of NEVI plan implementation, but there is still much more to come, with only 36 states having released their first solicitation rounds and just five states releasing their second rounds.

At FTI, we have the expertise to help evaluate criteria for your project and guide you through a grant application to be as successful as possible in obtaining funding. If you are interested in learning more or have a project you think may be a good candidate for NEVI funding, contact us today.