Description
The California Energy Commission’s Food Production Investment Program (FPIP) 2026 offers competitive grant awards of $2.5 M–$5 M to existing California food‑processing, beverage‑manufacturing, refrigerated‑storage, or post‑harvest‑crop facilities that install advanced energy‑efficiency, electrification, industrial heat‑pump, or micro‑grid technologies. Applicants must provide a cash match of at least 25 % of the CEC‑funded amount, procure all equipment from California‑based vendors, and retain sole ownership of funded equipment. The award period runs from 1 Jun 2027 to 31 Mar 2031 and includes mandatory deliverables such as design memos, installation reports, measurement & verification (M&V) plans, quarterly progress reports, and a final close‑out report. Preference points are awarded for benefits to priority populations, grid‑reliability contributions, and percentage of spend with California vendors.
• Eligible technologies: industrial heat pumps, microgrids (solar + storage + controller), and electrification of fossil‑fuel equipment.
• Required deliverables: Project Overview, Narrative, Scope of Work, Schedule, Budget, CEQA compliance, commitment letters, benefits calculator, and signed declarations.
• Funding constraints: Minimum grant $2.5 M, maximum $5 M; sub‑recipient reimbursement capped at $99,999 per entity for design/M&V.
• Scoring: Technical merit (20), approach (25), impacts & benefits (40), market potential (10), California‑vendor (5) plus preference points for priority populations and grid benefits.