Grant Application Process

Energy Foundation China (“the Foundation”) invites grant seekers working in alignment with our Task Forces / program areas to submit an application for funding. Please visit the Task Forces and program pages for specific information about the strategy and type of work we support in each area.

Criteria for Funding

The Foundation has limited resources and is unable to provide funding for all grant requests. Grants are allocated on a competitive basis, and are awarded based on their ability to build durable and enforceable strategies, policies, and practices aiming at energy efficiency improvement, deployment of renewable energy, and other environmentally friendly clean technologies and behaviors. The Foundation will review projects based upon their direct relevance to priority policy issues. Proposals will be judged upon the following criteria:

• Strong alignment with Foundation’s vision, mission and program/Task Force stragegy;
• The feasibility of the project;
• Design of how project progress will be monitored and evaluated against goals;
• The ability to inform policy;
• The ability to deliver reduction of greenhouse gases and other pollution;
• External peer review of project design;
• The ability to build capacity in organizations within China and thereby further sustainable energy policy progress.

Funding Guidelines

• Grants are provided to charitable organizations (commonly referred to as non-profit, non-governmental, or civil society organizations). This includes many Universities and research organizations. Eligible organizations include U.S. 501(c)(3) public charities as well as organizations in China and other countries outside of the U.S. whose projects are assessed and deemed to be charitable.
• We are not able to fund the following:
  • Individuals
  • Projects that support candidates for political office, to influence legislation, or to support sectarian or religious purposes.
  • Technological invention and product development (e.g., funds to develop hybrid automobiles or commercialization of an invention)
  • Community energy projects, endowments, or debt reduction
  • General operating support
  • Annual fund-raising campaigns or capital construction
  • The planning, renovation, maintenance, retrofit, or purchase of buildings; the purchase of assets; or the acquisition of land, even if the intent is to save energy

How to Apply for a Grant

Letter of Inquiry

To ensure that your project is eligible for funding, we invite you to submit a brief letter of inquiry to china@no
spamefchina.org describing the project, its purpose, and the amount you are requesting. After careful review, we will let you know if the project is a strong candidate for funding and if you should submit a full application.

Grant Application

Interested organizations can submit applications for projects that meet the above criteria. Applications need to include the following, presented in English:

•  Pre-Grant Inquiry Form
•  Proposal
•  Budget
•  Organization Bank Wire Information

Please request an Application Manual with templates for the above required forms from EF China program staff or email china@no
spamefchina.org. Complete applications can be submitted electronically to china@no
spamefchina.org or by mail to:

The Energy Foundation Beijing Representative Office
CITIC Building, Room 2403
No. 19, Jianguomenwai Dajie
Beijing 100004 P.R. China

Deadlines and Timeline for Review

We accept proposals on a continuous basis. The average review period to respond to inquiries and proposals is four to six weeks. The timeline for approving requests varies and can be discussed with Foundation staff once your proposal is received. Please direct any questions that you have to china@no
spamefchina.org.